From October 26, 1974[1] until August 28, 1976, Billboard's Disco Action section published weekly single retail sales charts from various local regions along with Top Audience Response Records in their magazine.[2] Billboard debuted its first national chart devoted exclusively to 12-inch Singles Sales in their issue dated March 16, 1985.[3] This record type is most commonly used in disco and dance music genres where DJs use them to play in discos or dance clubs because of the exclusive extended remixes that are often only made available on this format, but Billboard's 12-inch Single Sales chart ranks releases by artists from all styles of music that release maxi-singles.[4]
The 50-position weekly ranking joined Billboard's established Dance/Disco Top 80 chart, reduced to the same 50 positions, both under the title Hot Dance/Disco, becoming two separate Top 50 charts: 12-Inch Singles Sales and Club Play. A coupling from MCA Records' Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack, Patti LaBelle's "New Attitude"[5] and Harold Faltermeyer's "Axel F",[6] held the No. 1 slot for the 12-inch Singles Sales chart's first week[7] and was also No. 1 for the second consecutive week on the most played dance/disco chart.[8][7]