Performance of singles in the top 10 in 2024 - with no ACR

I was bored, so I decided to randomly see and study how ACR affected the top 10 last year/which songs benefitted the most from ACR. I used the non ACR chart estimates done by @JulianT to help me. Furthermore, I used chart statistics from the chart dates: 5th January 2024 - 27th December 2024

The categories on the Excel document include - peaks of the songs on a non ACR chart, their peak on the actual chart, the amount of weeks they spent in the top 10 on the non ACR chart, then the amount of weeks on the actual chart as well as the dates they would have entered the top 10 and peaked on the non-ACR chart.

*I used only the 2024 peaks of the songs, obviously there were songs such as Lovin On Me, Water, Houdini, Prada, Greedy, Vampire, Cruel Summer and Strangers which are all reached their peaks in 2023, and songs like APT and That's So True that are currently smashing in 2025 - however I only focused on their success in 2024.

Here's what I found:

SLOW AND SLUGGISH - There would have been 11 weeks in 2024 where the top 10 wouldn't have changed whatsoever (maybe in positions, but the songs remain the same) Arguably the driest period of the year was June to September - responsible for 6 out 11 of the no change weeks, only 15 new songs would have managed to crack the top 10 in that 17-week period and there were 6 weeks in this period where there was no change to the top 10 songs at all, and out of the 15 new songs, 6 of them were 1-week entries.

- Instead of 99 top 10 singles in 2024, we would have had 74 instead, this would be less than 2016's low of 75 top ten singles (although I'm very confident that most of the years from 2017 to 2023 would have had lower with no ACR)

Longest running top 10 singles of 2024 without ACR

Beautiful Things by Benson Boone - 35 weeks

Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter - 32 weeks

Birds Of A Feather by Billie Eilish - 27 weeks

A Bar Song (Tipsy) - 23 weeks

Lose Control by Teddy Swims/Too Sweet by Hozier/Good Luck Babe by Chappell Roan - 22 weeks

Stick Season by Noah Kahan/Please Please Please by Sabrina Carpenter - 20 weeks

- Out of the 74 top ten singles, 41 benefited from ACR rules in one way or another - whether it was a higher or lengthier peak or more weeks in the top 10. Dasha's Austin is really the song that I believe benefitted the most from ACR, Austin was in the top 10 for 21 weeks between April and August 2024, reaching No.5 however on a non-ACR chart, the song only peaked at No.8, in fact it would have only been in the top 10 for 6 weeks, and would have even reached its chart peak in April - a whole 4 months earlier than it did in real-life.

- ACR helped pretty much every top 10 single from September to November with many strong jumps and changes in positions - For e.g. ACR turned Chappell Roan's 'Hot to Go' into a No.4 peaking song which lasted 10 weeks inside the top 10. On a non-ACR chart, it would have only peaked at No.10, and be in the top ten for only 1 week. Dance songs, Kisses and Somedays would have peaked at No.9 and No.10 respectively on a non-ACR chart, yet ACR clearances led to these songs becoming top 5 hits.

- In 2024, we had 13 number ones, 12 of them would reach No.1 on a non-ACR chart with Stick Season and Taste being the longest running with 10 weeks each. However, Gigi Perez's Sailor Song would not have reached the top spot in November had Taste not been put on ACR. Instead, it would have peaked at No.2 for 4 weeks.

- Christmas songs were all negatively affected by ACR in 2024, with many losing a week or even a spot in the top 10 because of ACR rules. Ariana Grande, Andy Williams and Shakin Stevens were the most affected. Shakin Stevens and Andy Williams were both shut out of the top 10 due to ACR (12 and 11 respectively) however on the non-ACR chart, their 2024 peaks would have been No.10 and No.8. Ariana was denied a spot in the top 5, Santa Tell Me was forced with a No.8 peak for 2024.

- In terms of non Christmas songs, 3 songs were negatively impacted by ACR rules, Vampire by Olivia Rodrigo and Strangers by Kenya Grace would have been in the top 10 at the start of January on a non-ACR chart, unfortunately ACR dragged them down to No.22 and No.19. And A Bar Song by Shaboozey although still one of the biggest hits of 2024 was denied a No.2 peak, the song was No.3 for 7 weeks instead.

Link to excel document is below

excel link:

https://1drv.ms/x/c/232761d6a2d9878f/EUFiqV...cyLaQw?e=gdS74u

Edited January 23Jan 23 by eman