How Billboard tracks the pulse of Latin music through evolving digital and radio metrics

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Since 1986, the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart has evolved from a simple radio airplay tally into a complex data-driven ranking. Today, it integrates digital sales and streaming to capture the shifting landscape of Latin music, maintaining strict linguistic standards while adapting to the rapid turnover of modern hits.

The Hot Latin Songs chart, established by Billboard on September 6, 1986, originally relied on playlists reported by 70 Spanish-language radio stations across the United States and Puerto Rico. This early iteration, known as the Hot Latin 50, focused exclusively on airplay. By 1994, data collection shifted to Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems, which electronically monitored radio stations in over 120 markets. The methodology underwent a significant transformation on October 11, 2012, when Billboard began incorporating digital sales and streaming activity into its calculations, simultaneously expanding its airplay monitoring to more than 1,200 radio stations.

A defining feature of the modern chart is its linguistic requirement: only songs predominantly sung in Spanish are eligible for inclusion. While the chart has historically allowed rare exceptions for English and Portuguese tracks, the current framework prioritizes Spanish-language content. To ensure the chart remains current and provides opportunities for emerging artists, Billboard employs a recurrent status policy. Songs are removed from the main chart if they fall below specific rank thresholds after spending a set number of weeks on the list, such as 20 weeks for songs dropping below position 25, or 78 weeks for those falling below number three.

The chart's complexity is supported by various component metrics, including the Latin Digital Song Sales chart, established in 2010, and the Latin Streaming Songs chart, which began in 2013. These components feed into the overall ranking, which is refreshed weekly. Because chart methodologies have shifted over the decades, Billboard adjusts its historical weightings to account for different eras of music consumption. This ensures that the chart reflects both the historical significance of older tracks and the immediate impact of contemporary hits like the current number-one song, 'Bby Wow' by Karol G with Judeline and Rusowsky.

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