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Ratings didn't exist prior to March 1930. Here are top-ten lists for each season from 1930 thru 1940, based on sample figures compiled by Harrison Summers. The figures should not be taken as exact tabulations, but offer a representative idea of relative program popularity.
Exact, detailed ratings figures were proprietary information available only to survey subscribers in the broadcasting and advertising industries, and were not released to the general public.
Crossley Ratings 1930-31
1. Amos ‘n Andy (serial) 53.4
2. Fleischmann Hour ( Rudy Vallee, dance music,) 36.5
3. Atwater Kent Hour (Concert orchestra) 31.0
4. Lucky Strike Dance Hour (B. A. Rolfe Orch.) 27.8
5. Camel Pleasure Hour (Dance music) 27.5
6. Collier’s Hour (Dramatic sketches, music) 27.0
7. General Motors Radio Hour (Concert orchestra) 26.0
7. RKO Radio Pictures Hour (Hollywood variety) 26.0
8. General Electric House Of Magic Hour (variety) 25.0
9. Palmolive Hour (Concert music) 24.5
10. A & P Gypsies (Concert/Dance orchestra) 23.0
10. Armour Hour (Irvin S. Cobb, variety) 23.0
10. Cities Service Concert (Jessica Dragonette) 23.0
Crossley Ratings 1931-32
1. Amos ‘n’ Andy (serial) 38.1
2. Chase & Sanborn Hour (Eddie Cantor) 28.9
3. The Goldbergs (serial) 25.7
4. Fleischmann's Yeast Hour (Rudy Vallee, dance music) 24.7
5. Sunday Evening at Seth Parker’s (inspirational) 23.4
6. Eno Crime Clues (crime drama) 22.8
7. Voice Of Firestone (Lawrence Tibbett, concert) 21.9
8. Lucky Strike Hour (W. Winchell, B. A. Rolfe) 19.6
9. Pontiac Chieftans (Paul Whiteman, dance music) 19.1
10. Cities Service Concert (J. Dragonette) 18.2
Crossley Ratings 1932-33
1. Chase & Sanborn Hour (Eddie Cantor) 58.6
2. Lucky Strike Hour (Jack Pearl, dance orchestras) 47.2
3. Fire Chief Program (Ed Wynn) 44.8
4. Maxwell House Show Boat (variety) 34.6
5. Fleischmann's Yeast Hour (Rudy Vallee, variety) 33.9
6. Blue Ribbon Malt Pgm. (Ben Bernie Orchestra) 33.7
7. Rob’t Burns Cigar Pgm. (Burns & Allen, Guy Lombardo) 33.3
8. Amos ‘n’ Andy (serial) 29.4
9. Myrt and Marge (serial) 24.2
10. Cities Service Concert (J. Dragonette) 23.3
Crossley Ratings 1933-34
1. Chase & Sanborn Hour (Eddie Cantor) 50.2
2. Maxwell House Show Boat (variety) 45.9
3. Fleischmann's Yeast Hour (Rudy Vallee, variety) 39.0
4. Bakers’ Broadcast (Joe Penner) 35.2
5. Fire Chief Program (Ed Wynn) 31.6
6. Lowell Thomas (news) 30.7
7. Amos ‘n’ Andy (serial) 30.3
8. White Owl Cigar Program (Burns & Allen, Guy Lombardo) 30.2
9. Kraft Program (Paul Whiteman Orch., Al Jolson) 29.9
10. First Nighter Program (dramatic anthology) 28.0
Crossley Ratings 1934-35
1. Fleischmann's Yeast Hour (Rudy Vallee, variety) 38.5
2. Maxwell House Show Boat (variety) 37.3
3. Jell-O Program (Jack Benny) 36.4
4. Town Hall Tonight (Fred Allen) 32.0
5. Bakers’ Broadcast (Joe Penner) 30.3
6. Palmolive Beauty Box Theatre (operetta) 25.8
6. Fire Chief Program (Ed Wynn) 25.8
7. Hoover Sentinels (Mme. Schumann-Heink, concert) 23.5
7. Plough Inc. Program (Guy Lombardo Orchestra) 23.5
8. Pabst Blue Ribbon Pgm. (Ben Bernie Orchestra) 23.2
9. Lowell Thomas (news) 23.1
10. Amos ‘n’ Andy (serial) 22.6
Hooperratings January 1936
1. Major Bowes Amateur Hour (variety) 45.2
2. Fleischmann's Yeast Hour (Rudy Vallee, variety) 28.2
3. Jell-O Program (Jack Benny) 26.8
4. March Of Time (dramatized news) 23.5
5. Campbells Soup Program (Burns & Allen) 23.0
6. Amos ‘n’ Andy (serial) 22.6
7. First Nighter Program (dramatic anthology) 22.2
7. Town Hall Tonight (Fred Allen) 22.2
8. Shell Chateau (Al Jolson, variety) 20.9
9. Gulf Headliners (Phil Baker) 20.4
10. Bakers’ Broadcast (Rob’t Ripley, O. Nelson, H. Hilliard)19.6
Hooperratings January 1937
1. Texaco Town (Eddie Cantor) 29.1
2. Jell-O Program (Jack Benny) 28.6
3. Lux Radio Theatre (Hollywood dramatizations) 25.1
4. Campbell’s Soup Program (Burns & Allen) 24.0
5. Kraft Music Hall (Bing Crosby, variety) 22.4
6. Town Hall Tonight (Fred Allen) 20.6
7. Lifebuoy Program (Al Jolson, variety) 19.1
7. Hollywood Hotel (Hollywood variety) 19.1
8. Gulf Headliners (Phil Baker) 18.6
9. Amos ‘n’ Andy (serial) 18.3
10. First Nighter Program (dramatic anthology) 15.8
Hooperratings January 1938
1. Chase & Sanborn Hr. (Edgar Bergen, Nelson Eddy) 39.4
2. Jell-O Program (Jack Benny) 34.0
3. Grape-Nuts Program (Burns & Allen) 27.5
4. Lux Radio Theatre (Hollywood dramatizations) 25.5
5. Lifebuoy Program (Al Jolson, variety) 23.5
6. Texaco Town (Eddie Cantor) 23.1
7. Royal Gelatin Hour (Rudy Vallee, variety) 22.0
8. Town Hall Tonight (Fred Allen) 20.5
9. Amos ‘n’ Andy (serial) 17.4
9. Hollywood Hotel (Hollywood variety) 17.4
10. Watch The Fords Go By (Al Pearce & his Gang) 16.7
Hooperratings January 1939
1. Chase & Sanborn Hr. (Edgar Bergen, Nelson Eddy) 35.1
2. Jell-O Program (Jack Benny) 31.4
3. Lux Radio Theatre (Hollywood dramatizations) 27.0
4. Kraft Music Hall (Bing Crosby, variety) 24.5
5. Good News Of 1939 (Hollywood variety) 20.2
6. Major Bowes Amateur Hour (variety) 19.0
7. Big Town (E. G. Robinson, crime drama) 18.9
8. Chesterfield Program (Burns & Allen) 18.6
9. Town Hall Tonight (Fred Allen) 18.1
10. College Of Musical Knowledge (Kay Kyser’s Orch.)18.0
Hooperratings January 1940
1. Chase & Sanborn Pgm. (Edgar Bergen) 34.6
2. Jell-O Program (Jack Benny) 34.1
3. Johnson’s Wax Pgm. (Fibber McGee & Molly) 30.8
4. One Man’s Family (serial drama) 28.7
5. Lux Radio Theatre (Hollywood dramatization) 26.9
6. Pepsodent Show (Bob Hope) 25.0
7. Kraft Music Hall (Bing Crosby, variety) 23.3
8. Fitch Bandwagon (dance orchestras) 22.4
9. College Of Musical Knowledge (Kay Kyser’s Orch.) 21.2
10. Pot O’ Gold (Horace Heidt’s Orch, giveaway quiz) 21.1
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