Do The Billboard Charts Matter?

Since the launch of Nielsen Soundscan in 1991, A LOT has changed about the way we consume music, which means that a lot has changed about the way music consumption is reflected on the Billboard chart which has purported itself to be a fair aggregate of the music that MOST people are generally listening to and the music that MOST people like since its inception. With the influx of digital music downloads, streaming, TikTok virality, and the massive sociopolitical divides that seep into every corner of culture....do the Billboard charts REALLY represent the "most popular" or "most liked" songs or artists in music anymore? Does it matter? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thelizardreview.substack.com/subscribe