The European Hot 100 Singles was compiled by Billboard and Music & Media magazine from March 1984 until December 2010. The chart was based on national singles sales charts in 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium (two charts separately for Flanders and Wallonia), Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
By the issue dated/week ending November 13, 2010[update], the European Hot 100 had accumulated 400 number one hits. The final chart was published on December 11, 2010, following the news of Billboard closing their London office and letting their UK-based staff go.[1] The final number one single on the chart was "Only Girl (in the World)" by Rihanna.
The first attempt at a Europe-wide chart was the Europarade, which was started in early 1976 by the Dutch TROS radio network. The chart initially consisted of only six countries: the Netherlands, UK, France, Germany, Belgium and Spain.[2][3] In 1979 Italy and Denmark were added and during 1980, Austria and Switzerland were included. Ireland was added as the eleventh country in October 1983.[4] The compilers collected the top 15 records from each country and then awarded corresponding points, depending which positions between 1 and 15 each record stood at. The "Europarade" was published in Music Week from the early 1980s, and in the Dutch magazine Hitkrant. 1984 was the year in which the length of the chart was increased from a top 30 to a top 40.[5]
In March 1984, Music & Media magazine in Amsterdam started their own singles chart, "European Top 100 Singles", which they published in the Eurotip Sheet for the first two years until issue April 19, 1986,[6][7] after which its name was changed to Music & Media from issue April 26, 1986.[8] The chart was based on national singles sales charts in sixteen European countries: Austria, Belgium (separately for Flanders and Wallonia), Denmark, Finland, France, West Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.[9] This chart was accumulated by taking the chart positions in each country combined with the national sales percentage of records in that particular country.
In 1986, the official Eurochart also became a music TV show on Music Box with Dutch presenter Erik de Zwart.[10] It was known as the 'Coca-Cola Eurochart Hot 100 Singles' from May 1988 to the end of 1992.[11] As a syndicated show, it was also introduced on UK commercial radio and was definitely being broadcast in summer-autumn 1989 and January to April 1991; however, its precise start and end dates are not known. By September, 1989, the 'Coca-Cola Eurochart Hot 100' chart was being broadcast on 65 European radio stations.[12]
Hosted by Pat Sharp,[13] it was broadcast on a number of stations including Radio Trent, BRMB, Viking FM and GWR FM. A TV version was broadcast on Super Channel during 1989 and 1990,[14][15] and it was hosted by Dutch presenter Caroline Tensen. The Eurochart quickly gained momentum, as it started to include more countries.[9]
Billboard became Music & Media's financial partner in 1985 and later owned the magazine.[16] When Music & Media closed in August 2003, Billboard continued to compile the Eurochart Hot 100 Singles.[17] The last European Hot 100 Singles chart to appear in Billboard magazine was in the issue dated December 11, 2010, but Billboard only ever published the top 20 of the chart.[18] However, Billboard continued to publish a Euro Digital Songs chart which was a top 10 and which was discontinued after February 12, 2022.
Madonna is the artist which has scored the most simultaneous number-ones with seven singles and six albums, followed by Michael Jackson with five singles and three albums and Lady Gaga with three singles and one album.
These songs are partly in English, but also partly another language.