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List of most-listened-to radio programs

In the United States, radio listenership is gauged by Nielsen and others for both commercial radio and public radio.[1] Nielsen and similar services provide estimates by regional market and by standard daypart, but do not compile nationwide information by host. Because there are significant gaps in Nielsen's coverage in rural areas, and because there are only a few markets where the company's proprietary data can be compared against competing ratings tabulators, there is a great deal of estimation and interpolation when attempting to compile a list of the most-listened-to radio programs in the United States. In 2009, Arbitron, the American radio industry's largest audience-measurement company at the time (since subsumed into its television counterpart Nielsen), said that "the job of determining number of listeners for (any particular program or host) is too complicated, expensive and difficult for them to bother with."[2] In contrast, because most UK radio broadcasts are distributed consistently and nationwide, the complications of measuring audiences that are present in American radio are not present for British radio.

Talkers Magazine, an American trade publication focusing on talk radio, formerly compiled a list of the most-listened-to commercial long-form talk shows in the United States, based primarily on Nielsen data.


In addition to Talkers' independent analyses, radio companies of all formats include estimates of the audience in news releases. The nature of news releases allows radio companies to inflate their listener totals by obscuring the difference between listeners at any given time, cumulative listenership over a time frame, and potential audience.

has an estimated 188 million weekly listeners, broadcasting in 32 languages as of 2009.[3]

BBC World Service

with Armin van Buuren has an estimated 40 million listeners across 84 countries.[4]

A State of Trance

with Ryan Seacrest has an estimated 20 million listeners worldwide.[5]

American Top 40

Intelligence for Your Life with has an estimated 40 million weekly listeners across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.[6]

John Tesh

1930–31, 1931–32: (Pepsodent, NBC-WJZ)

Amos 'n' Andy

1932–33, 1933–34: (Eddie Cantor, NBC-WEAF)

The Chase and Sanborn Hour

1934–35: (Rudy Vallee, NBC-WEAF)

Fleischmann's Yeast Hour

1935–36: (Chase and Sanborn, NBC-WEAF)

Major Bowes Amateur Hour

1936–37: (Eddie Cantor, CBS)

Texaco Town

1937–38, 1938–39, 1939–40: (Edgar Bergen, NBC Red)

The Chase and Sanborn Hour

1940–41: (Jack Benny, NBC Red)

The Jell-O Program

1941–42: (Edgar Bergen, NBC Red)

The Chase and Sanborn Hour

1942–43: (Bob Hope, NBC)

The Pepsodent Show

1943–44: (Johnson Wax, NBC)

Fibber McGee and Molly

1944–45: (Bob Hope, NBC)

The Pepsodent Show

1945–46, 1946–47: (Johnson Wax, NBC)

Fibber McGee and Molly

1947–48: (Ford Motor Company, NBC)

The Fred Allen Show

1948–49: (Johnson Wax, NBC)

Fibber McGee and Molly

1949–50: (Jack Benny, CBS)

The Lucky Strike Program

1950–51: (dramas with a rotating cast, NBC)

Lux Radio Theatre

1951–52, 1952–53: (Rexall Drug Stores, CBS)

Amos 'n' Andy

1953–54: (Mars Candy, NBC)

People Are Funny

1954–55: (Jack Benny, CBS)

The Lucky Strike Program

1955–56: (Colgate-Palmolive-Peet, NBC)

Our Miss Brooks

Audience measurement

List of best-selling albums in the United States of the Nielsen SoundScan era

List of most-watched television broadcasts