I know Y&R has been continuously #1 since March 1989 and have a count of the weeks somewhere online I believe, so who was #1 the week before back in March of '89? Also I've heard it referenced that either AMC or GH I don't remember which actually tied with Y&R one week in the early 90s or so. I didn't pay attention to the ratings at that time so does anyone know if that is true?

I read years ago that they'd been #1 every week since late December 1988. I COULD be wrong though...possibly in a tie with one of them on that week in March 89?

I think AMC got really close, or beat Y&R, for the one week during the Tad and Dixie reunion in Napa, but that that was the last real threat to their dominance.

I still say that CBS is paying the neilsen company off

AMC may have won a week or two but it was really GH that was the dominant ratings winner. They were basically the #1 soap from 1978 until Y&R took over in 1989.

GH hit #1 in the yearly ratings during the 1979-1980 season, AMC had dethroned ATWT the year before that.

GH wasn't consistently #1 during the years it won the yearly ratings in the 80's though.

Y&R, ATWT, GL, AMC, DAYS, and OLTL all managed to squeeze out a week or two at #1 during GH's ratings reign.

I think the Tad and Dixie in Napa episode beat Y&R's second half hour, but that was the closest. I think AMC was number 1, or at least tied number 1, the first week of December 1988 with the culmination of the Damon/Silver/Goldie/Erica storyline.

I bet any money that in the Dailies when Kristen was exposed I bet DAYS beat Y&R second half hour or at least tied just for that day. The weekly rating was a 6.9 while Y&R had a 7.1 that week. I will never forget that.

I have no idea why it's #1.

Y&R has sucked for the past 3 years. Only good thing.

I guess very loyal fans is the reason why the show has stayed #1 all these years. Granted the show has had a lot of great years compared to the last several years, but i have to admit that i don't think it has always deserved (more so ever now) to be the number 1 show. I watched some classic AMC episodes from the early 90's and i can get why people say it could be better than Y&R at that time. AMC was always in second place for most of the 90's if im not mistaken, but im shocked that it didnt beat out Y&R .

Edited January 11, 201213 yr by yr9190

I have no idea why it's #1.

Y&R has sucked for the past 3 years. Only good thing.

Probably because they keep the same faces for years, such as Jeanne Cooper, Melody Thomas Scott, Eric Braeden, Peter Bergman, and Jess Walton. There is a familiarity factor. Other soaps bring on new faces that no one recognizes and are hard to follow.

I guess very loyal fans is the reason why the show has stayed #1 all these years. Granted the show has had a lot of great years compared to the last several years, but i have to admit that i don't think it has always deserved (more so ever now) to be the number 1 show. I watched some classic AMC episodes from the early 90's and i can get why people say it could be better than Y&R at that time. AMC was always in second place for most of the 90's if im not mistaken, but im shocked that it didnt beat out Y&R .

I always thought it had to do with the lead in being that Y&R had the advantage of starting 30 minutes before AMC.

I always thought it had to do with the lead in being that Y&R had the advantage of starting 30 minutes before AMC.

Yeah, it's been on during the lunch hour for years and has never had any direct soap competition in all the years its ranked #1. That has to help.

Yeah, it's been on during the lunch hour for years and has never had any direct soap competition in all the years its ranked #1. That has to help.

Port Charles. Tho idk if that counts as competition, heh.

Had AMC aired 12:30 est head to head with Y&R I think the ratings in the 90s would have been reversed for those two shows if not tied daily.