Each week, we use this column to break down major takeaways from the latest Billboard albums and singles charts. But it seems like a good week to break down a larger question about the charts circa ...

All right. We're a week into August, so maybe it's a good time to ask, what is this year's song of the summer? Well, according to NPR's Stephen Thompson, the answer is complicated. STEPHEN THOMPSON, ...

“I love that song. It’s like the hit of the summer. When they play that jam, I’m jamming.” It’s an unofficial distinction (well, Billboard has an official chart for it now) that annually carries some ...