ON THIS DAY IN 1894, A STAPLE OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY WAS ESTABLISHED WHEN THE FIRST ISSUE OF BILLBOARD WAS RELEASED

Originally called Billboard Advertising, the magazine declared it would be “a monthly resume of all that is bright, new and interesting on the boards.” The eight pages of the magazine would be focussed on “advertisers, poster printers, bill posters, advertising agents & secretaries of fairs.”

The first cover subject was R.C. Campbell, then-president of the Associated Bill Poster’s Association, claiming him as the most “eminent man” in the field that the magazine aimed to cover. Over the next 124 years, the magazine evolved to focus on the music industry.

In 1940, Billboard showed it’s first music chart, the 10-position “National List of Best Selling Retail Records”, topped by Tommy Dorsey and Frank Sinatra’s “I’ll Never Smile Again.” Eventually this chart grew to become what we now recognise as the industry standard Billboard 200 and Artist 100.