'Harlem Shake' Reaches No. 1 After Decision to Include YouTube Video Hits to Billboard Chart Criteria: Is it Fair?

Billboard recently made a surprising decision to add YouTube views to its chart formula. The decision caused a rapid shift in the top 100 songs rankings and propelled Baauer's "Harlem Shake" to the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 on Wednesday, according to ABC News.

The decision is bound to cause unwanted controversy. At first glance, it may seem fair that Billboard chose include the number of YouTube hits into its ranking methodology, as many songs generate more hits than actual sales. But it could also be said that certain songs, like Baauer's "Harlem Shake," don't necessarily deserve the traffic they generate.

The Harlem Shake video meme has attributed to the majority of Baauer's video hits, but the song is only half the appeal. The majority of viewers are drawn to the meme's outrageous pandemonium, not the song that's sampled in its videos. The entire song isn't even featured, just a 30-second segment.

The decision was made on Wednesday and has already received backlash. Artists like Josh Groban and Baauer himself have expressed their disappointment in Billboard's decision via Twitter, saying that the changes favor cross-over artists for genre-specific charts.

Billboard announced YouTube's inclusion to rank calculations by saying "Billboard is now incorporating all official videos on YouTube captured by Nielsen's streaming measurement, including Vevo on YouTube, and user-generated clips that utilize authorized audio into the Hot 100 and the Hot 100 formula-based genre charts - Hot Country Songs, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, R&B Songs, Rap Songs, Hot Latin Songs, Hot Rock Songs and Dance/Electronic Songs - to further reflect the divergent platforms for music consumption in today's world."

Billboard's attempt to keep its charts relevant may in turn bring about its destruction. Is it fair that Baauer's "Harlem Shake," which has gone viral on the Internet due to its association with a video meme yet has no radio presence, sits high and mighty at the top of the charts? Maybe so, maybe not. The only thing that's certain is the colossal uproar that will follow Billboard's decision.