Billboard: CD Singles vs. Maxi-Singles ?

Thanks Paul, I didn't know that it was ineligible for the Airplay chart as well. But what exactly were Billboard's rules for being able to chart on the
Hot 100 at the time? Wasn't their policy that a song had to be commercially available in some configuration as a single? If so, ITG would've fit the
bill since it was on a commercially available 12" Single, and by then at least a few other songs had charted with only being available as a 12" single.
Is it because it was on the B-Side of the single that made it ineligible? Also, why would it be able to make the R&B chart if it had the same rules as
the Hot 100?

I also checked Wikipedia about the song. Basically it said that it wasn't released as a single because the label didn't want another movie song
competing with a song ("Angel") from her then-current album the way "Material Girl" and "Crazy For You" did a few months previous. (Considering that the
songs peaked at #2 and #1 respectively and were in the Top 10 simultaneously, I can't imagine why that would've been a cause for concern). I think that
was a big mistake on their part, as Madonna was so hot at the time that she probably would've been able to pull off having another song from her album
and another movie song in the Top 10 simultaneously.

Billboard wasn't allowing 12-inch only singles on the Hot 100 at the time (though there may have been some exceptions,
especially in the late 1970s and early 1980s). However, they were allowed on the R&B chart. Add to the fact that Sire
records may not have wanted Into The Groove to compete with Angel and I can see why they didn't allow Into The Groove onto
the Hot 100 (though I think they probably should have). A similar situation occurred in 1984 with "Tell Me I'm Not
Dreamin'" by Jermaine & Michael Jackson. [EDIT] - An instrumental version of the song appeared as the B-side of the 45 of
"Dynamite", but by that time the Top 40 airplay on the vocal version was waning. "Dreamin'" did hit #6 on R&R's CHR chart.

Yes, Billboard started publishing the Hot 100 component (sales & airplay) charts on 10/20/84. Since the Hot 100 was always
some combination of sales & airplay, we can assume that those component charts were "in-house" only for several years prior
to October 1984. But, because they were never published, we'll never get to see them (sigh).

Edited by Paul Haney

I just checked Discogs, and all the vinyl 45 listings for
the commercial US 45 of "Dynamite" list the Instrumental
Version of "Tell Me I'm Not Dreamin'" as the B-Side.

thecdguy wrote: But what exactly were Billboard's rules for being able to chart on the Hot 100 at the time? Wasn't their policy that a song had to be commercially available in some configuration as a single? If so, ITG would've fit the bill since it was on a commercially available 12" Single, and by then at least a few other songs had charted with only being available as a 12" single. Is it because it was on the B-Side of the single that made it ineligible? Also, why would it be able to make the R&B chart if it had the same rules as the Hot 100?

The Billboard How We Track The Hits supplement is circa 1987 and kinda explains the policy but doesn't answer the question. Any type of single (7", 12", CS or CMS, at the time) was eligible, although there were also minimum airplay requirements. I'm as mystified as you.

Edited by mjb50