hit parade

American  

noun

1. a listing or category of popular songs ranked according to their popularity with listeners, usually as shown by sales of records.

2. any sequential listing of popular or favorite persons or things.

---

hit parade British  

noun

1. old-fashioned a listing or playing of the current most popular songs

---

hit parade Idioms  

1. A listing of the most popular or best items or individuals of some kind, as in The library has a veritable hit parade of videos. This expression dates from the 1930s, when it was the name of a weekly radio show featuring the most popular songs as indicated by record sales.

---

Etymology

Origin of hit parade

First recorded in 1935–40

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hit parade

A corner of him still leaned toward the hit parade, but his compass pointed not to the jukebox’s quick spin, but to the slow reward of posterity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026

You may be old enough to remember when nuclear anxiety was No. 1 on the hit parade of humanity’s greatest concerns.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2025

He kept the hit parade going through last weekend’s series against Pittsburgh.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 27, 2023

Prior to "Pet Sounds," the Beach Boys were essentially a boy band with soaring vocals and an impressive hit parade.

From Salon ● Jun. 3, 2023

New songs appear on the cetacean hit parade.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---