The Top 50 Adult Top 40 Acts

Adult Top 40: Top 50 Acts

Wikipedia says the Adult Pop, or Adult Top 40, format is “a format in which the genre is geared more towards an adult audience who are not into hard rock, hip hop, or soft adult contemporary fare” the latter of which is typically more ballad-driven). “The main genres within this format are a mix of soft and energetic adult contemporary music alongside adult alternative rock and adult-oriented pop music.” These all-time rankings are based on actual performance on the weekly Adult Pop Songs chart (also known as Adult Top 40), from its launch in Billboard magazine dated March 16, 1996, through March 12, 2016. See other lists of Acts/Music Makers by Genre. Maroon 5 1. Maroon 5 2. Matchbox 20 3. Train 4. Nickelback 5. Pink 6. Kelly Clarkson 7. Katy Perry 8. Goo Goo Dolls 9. Daughtry 10. Taylor Swift 11. Lifehouse 12. John Mayer 13. Rob Thomas 14. One Republic 15. The Fray 16. 3 Doors Down 17. Bruno Mars 18. Colbie Caillat 19. Sheryl Crow 20. Adele 21. Coldplay 22. Avril Lavigne 23. Jewel 24. Ed Sheeran 25. Alanis Morissette 26. Santana 27. Sarah McLachlan 28. Smash Mouth 29. Sugar Ray 30. Jason Mraz 31. The Script 32. Sara Bareilles 33. Gavin DeGraw 34. No Doubt 35. Creed 36. Imagine Dragons 37. Third Eye Blind 38. Lady Gaga 39. Dave Matthews Band 40. Green Day 41. Fun. 42. Phillip Phillips 43. Celine Dion 44. Five for Fighting 45. Uncle Kracker 46. Vertical Horizon 47. Neon Trees 48. Lenny Kravitz 49. Justin Timberlake 50. Rihanna Resources/Related Links: Billboard: Greatest of All Time Adult Pop Songs Artists Wikipedia: Adult Pop Airplay Top 100 Adult Top 40 Songs Dave’s Music Database: Lists of Acts/Music Makers by Genre First posted 6/29/2026.