Top of the Charts

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

• diverse
• endless
• rock
• hip-hop

• classical
• folk music
• house
• world music

• R&B
• hottest
• extraordinarily
• climbing the charts

• mood
• That song rocks

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

One of the best things about music is that it’s so diverse. There are endless types of music, each of them different from the others. From rock & roll to hip-hop to classical to folk to house to world beat to R&B, there is something for everyone.
In the U.S., all the music that’s purchased and played on the radio is tracked by a company called Billboard. Billboard lists the most popular singles in a chart called The Billboard Hot 100.
Read on to find out which songs are currently the most popular in the U.S.!

Dialog

1. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

A quick review of the Hot 100 shows that hip-hop and R&B are definitely the hottest musical styles when it comes to radio play. 16 of the top 20 singles are either hip-hop, R&B or a mix of the two. A good example of what’s really popular right now is the song “Yeah!” by Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris. It’s currently #3 on the charts, behind another song by Usher called “Burn” and “I Don’t Wanna Know” by Mario Winans. Like many other hit songs, “Yeah!” is an R&B song with a rapper who sings a verse or two.
The four songs in the top 20 that aren’t R&B or hip-hop are rock songs by young bands. For example, “This Love” by Maroon 5 is at #5 and “The Reason” by Hoobastank is #8.
Usher is extraordinarily popular right now. Not only does he have the #1 and #3 songs, but another one of his songs is at #14 and quickly moving up the charts.

 

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz

 

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3