Top 40

American  

[top fawr-tee] / ˈtɒp ˈfɔr ti /

Or Top Forty,

plural noun

1. (sometimes lowercase) the 40 most popular or best-selling recordings, songs, etc., within a stated time period.

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adjective

1. pertaining to, designating, or being the Top 40.

Example Sentences

The term AOR originated in the late ’60s with the ascent of FM radio, when rock stations began deviating from the Top 40 format and played some more-obscure album cuts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

The group is one of the biggest bands of the last three decades, selling more than 45 million records worldwide and achieving 28 UK Top 40 singles.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026

It scored just one Top 40 hit, 1987’s “Touch of Grey,” but fostered a legion of devoted fans, known as Dead Heads.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026

All of those songs have bounced back into this week's Top 40; and with grim inevitability, one of them is almost guaranteed to be this year's Christmas number one.

From BBC • Dec. 6, 2025

His album didn’t take off because he couldn’t get his first single played on Top 40 radio.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell