The following is a list of television Nielsen ratings

Nielsen Ratings

Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...

 and rankings for American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 daytime

Daytime television

Daytime television is the general term for television shows produced that are intended to air during the daytime hours on weekdays. This article is about American daytime television, for information about international daytime television see Daytime television....

 soap opera

Soap opera

A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...

s from 1952 to the present, as compiled by Nielsen Media Research

Nielsen Media Research

Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...

. The numbers provided represent the percentage of TV households in the United States watching that particular show in a year. Before 1996, the season average included only ratings from late September through mid-April. Since 1996, the numbers represent full-year ratings, from September through September.

1950s

1952–1953 Season

• 1. Search for Tomorrow
  Search for Tomorrow
  Search for Tomorrow is an American soap opera which premiered on September 3, 1951 on CBS. The show was moved from CBS to NBC on March 29, 1982. It continued on NBC until the final episode aired on December 26, 1986, a run of thirty-five years. At the time of its final broadcast it was the...
  
  16.1 (Debuted in 1951)
• 2. Love of Life
  Love of Life
  Love of Life is an American soap opera which aired on CBS Daytime from September 24, 1951 to February 1, 1980. It was created by Roy Winsor, whose previous creation Search for Tomorrow had premiered three weeks before Love of Life, and who would go on to create The Secret Storm two and a half years...
  
  15.1 (Debuted in 1951)
• 3. Hawkins Falls
  Hawkins Falls
  Hawkins Falls, Population 6200 is the first successful American television soap opera. Sponsored by Unilever's blue detergent, Surf, the program began as a one hour comedy-drama on June 17, 1950, and ran in prime time on the NBC network until October 12, 1950.On April 2, 1951, the series was moved...
  
  13.7 (Debuted on daytime in 1951; debuted on primetime the previous year)
• 4. The Guiding Light
  Guiding Light
  Guiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009...
  
  11.3 (TV Debut; had been on radio since 1937)

1953–1954 Season

• 1. Search for Tomorrow 15.8
• 2. The Guiding Light 14.4
• 3. Love of Life 14.0
• 4. Valiant Lady
  Valiant Lady
  Valiant Lady is an American soap opera which ran daily on CBS radio and television from October 12, 1953 through August 1957 at 12:00 PM . The show's title was taken from a 1930s radio soap opera about a young woman struggling through life but is otherwise very different...
  
  10.2 (Debut)

1954–1955 Season

• 1. Search for Tomorrow 15.2
• 2. The Guiding Light 14.6
• 3. Love of Life 13.1
• 4. Valiant Lady 10.5
• 5. The Secret Storm
  The Secret Storm
  The Secret Storm is a soap opera which ran on CBS from February 1, 1954 to February 8, 1974. The series was created by Roy Winsor, who also created the long-running soap operas Search for Tomorrow and Love of Life...
  
  8.5 (Debut)
• 6. The Brighter Day
  The Brighter Day
  The Brighter Day is an American daytime soap opera which aired on CBS from January 4, 1954 to September 28, 1962. Originally created for NBC radio by Irna Phillips in 1948, the radio and television versions ran simultaneously from 1954-1956...
  
  8.4 (Debut)

1955–1956 Season

• 1. Search for Tomorrow 13.1
• 2. The Guiding Light 13.0
• 3. Love of Life 10.9
• 4. The Brighter Day 10.5
• 5. The Secret Storm 10.2
• 6. Valiant Lady 9.2

1956–1957 Season

• 1. The Guiding Light 11.4
• 2. Search for Tomorrow 11.0
• 3. The Secret Storm 10.0
• 4. The Edge of Night
  The Edge of Night
  The Edge of Night is an American television mystery series/soap opera produced by Procter & Gamble. It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that network until November 28, 1975; the series then moved to ABC, where it aired from December 1, 1975, until December 28, 1984...
  
  9.7 (Debut)
• 5. The Brighter Day 9.2
• 6. Love of Life 9.1
• 7. As the World Turns
  As the World Turns
  As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
  
  8.4 (Debut)

1957–1958 Season

• 1. The Guiding Light 10.1
• 2. Search for Tomorrow 9.8
• 3. The Secret Storm 9.7
• 3. The Edge of Night 9.7
• 5. The Brighter Day 9.3
• 6. As the World Turns 8.4

1958–1959 Season

• 1. As the World Turns 9.8
• 1. Search for Tomorrow 9.8
• 3. The Guiding Light 9.7
• 4. The Secret Storm 8.6
• 4. The Edge of Night 8.6
• 6. The Brighter Day 8.2
• 7. Young Doctor Malone
  Young Doctor Malone
  Young Doctor Malone is an American soap opera, created by Irna Phillips, which had a long run on radio and television from 1939 to 1963...
  
  (Debuted on TV December 1958; had been on radio since 1939)

1960s

1959–1960 Season

• 1. As the World Turns 9.9
• 2. The Guiding Light 9.6
• 3. Search for Tomorrow 9.5
• 3. The Edge of Night 9.5
• 5. The Secret Storm 8.9
• 6. The Brighter Day 8.2
• 7. Love of Life 8.0
• 8. Young Doctor Malone 7.0
• 9. The Clear Horizon
  The Clear Horizon
  The Clear Horizon is a soap opera which ran on CBS Daytime from July 11, 1960 to March 10, 1961 and from February 26, 1962 to June 11, 1962. The show was created and head written by Manya Starr. -Premise:...
  
  (Debut)

1960–1961 Season

• 1. As the World Turns 10.4
• 2. The Guiding Light 9.9
• 3. The Edge of Night 9.4
• 3. Search for Tomorrow 9.4
• 5. The Secret Storm 9.1
• 6. The Brighter Day 7.9
• 7. Love of Life 7.5
• 8. Young Doctor Malone 6.6
• 9. From These Roots
  From These Roots
  From These Roots is an American soap opera which ran from June 30, 1958 to December 29, 1961. It was created and written by Frank Provo and John Pickard . The show was seen on NBC, and was the first successful soap opera vehicle for Ann Flood who later became well known for, and spend the better...
  
  5.9 (Debut)
• 10. The Clear Horizon 4.8

1961–1962 Season

• 1. As the World Turns 11.9
• 2. The Guiding Light 10.1
• 3. Search for Tomorrow 9.5
• 4. The Edge of Night 8.2
• 5. The Secret Storm 7.6
• 6. Love of Life 7.4
• 7. The Brighter Day 6.9
• 8. Young Doctor Malone 6.1
• 9. Our Five Daughters
  Our Five Daughters
  Our Five Daughters is a daytime soap opera which ran on NBC from January 2, 1962–September 28, 1962. The show was written by Leonard Stadd and directed by Paul Lammers, and aired for a half hour, five days a week, at 3:30 PM EST, right after Young Doctor Malone.The show starred former silent film...
  
  5.9 (Debut)
• 10. From These Roots 5.6 (Final Season)
• 11. The Clear Horizon 3.2 (Final Season)

1962–1963 Season

• 1. As the World Turns 13.7
• 2. The Guiding Light 11.7
• 3. Search for Tomorrow 10.6
• 4. The Edge of Night 9.5
• 5. The Secret Storm 9.0
• 6. Love of Life 8.6
• 7. Our Five Daughters 5.5 (Final Season)
• 7. Young Doctor Malone 5.5 (Final Season)
• 9. General Hospital
  General Hospital
  General Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
  
  3.9 (Debut)
• 10. The Brighter Day 3.7 (Final Season)
• 11. The Doctors 3.4 (Debut)
• 12. Ben Jerrod 2.4 (Debut)

1963–1964 Season

• 1. As the World Turns 15.4
• 2. The Guiding Light 14.2
• 3. Search for Tomorrow 11.0
• 4. The Edge of Night 10.5
• 5. Love of Life 10.3
• 6. The Secret Storm 9.2
• 7. General Hospital 5.4
• 8. The Doctors 3.4
• 9. Another World
  Another World (TV series)
  Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
  
  3.3 (Debut)

1964–1965 Season

• 1. As the World Turns 14.5
• 2. The Guiding Light 12.2
• 2. Search for Tomorrow 12.2
• 4. The Secret Storm 11.5
• 5. Love of Life 10.6
• 6. The Edge of Night 10.4
• 7. General Hospital 8.0
• 8. The Doctors 7.5
• 9. Another World 6.8
• 10. Moment of Truth 5.0 (Debut)
• 11. The Young Marrieds
  The Young Marrieds
  The Young Marrieds was an American daytime soap opera which aired on ABC from October 5, 1964, to March 25, 1966.The program was created by James Elward and written by Elward with Frances Rickett. Authors John Pascal and Francine Pascal also wrote for the series. It was produced in Hollywood by...
  
  4.4 (Debut)
• 12. A Flame In The Wind
  A Flame in the Wind
  A Flame in the Wind is a soap opera that aired on ABC Daytime from December 28, 1964 to December 16, 1966.-Synopsis:The show focused on the community of Haviland and it's citizens...
  
  2.8 (Debut) (Final Season)

1965–1966 Season

• 1. As the World Turns 13.9
• 2. The Guiding Light 11.2
• 3. Search for Tomorrow 11.0
• 4. The Secret Storm 10.9
• 5. Love of Life 10.3
• 6. The Edge of Night 9.9
• 7. General Hospital 7.3
• 8. Another World 6.9
• 9. The Doctors 6.6
• 10. Days of our Lives
  Days of our Lives
  Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
  
  5.3 (Debut)
• 11. The Young Marrieds 4.7 (Final Season)
• 12. Moment of Truth 4.3 (Final Season)
• 13. Dark Shadows
  Dark Shadows
  Dark Shadows is a gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis. The story bible, which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements...
  
  4.1 (Debut)
• 13. Morning Star
  Morning Star (TV series)
  Morning Star is a daytime soap opera which aired on NBC from September 27, 1965 to July 1, 1966. The show was created by Ted Corday who created the long-running soap opera Days of our Lives....
  
  4.1 (Debut) (Final Season)
• 13. Paradise Bay 4.1 (Debut) (Final Season)
• 16. The Nurses
  The Nurses
  The Nurses is a soap opera that aired on ABC from September 27, 1965 to March 31, 1967. The show was a continuation of a serialized primetime drama which aired on CBS originally called The Nurses when it premiered in 1962, later called The Doctors and the Nurses.The setting was Alden General...
  
   3.9 (Debut)
• 16. Never Too Young
  Never Too Young
  Never Too Young is an American teen soap opera that aired on ABC from September 27, 1965 to June 24, 1966 and was the first soap opera geared towards a teen audience.-Synopsis:...
  
  3.9 (Debut) (Final Season)

1966–1967 Season

• 1. As the World Turns 12.7
• 2. The Edge of Night 10.9
• 3. The Guiding Light 10.8
• 4. Search for Tomorrow 10.7
• 4. The Secret Storm 10.7
• 6. Love of Life 9.5
• 7. Another World 9.0
• 8. The Doctors 7.6
• 9. General Hospital 7.0
• 10. Days of our Lives 6.9
• 11. The Nurses 4.6 (Final Season)
• 12. Dark Shadows 4.3
• 13. A Time For Us
  A Flame in the Wind
  A Flame in the Wind is a soap opera that aired on ABC Daytime from December 28, 1964 to December 16, 1966.-Synopsis:The show focused on the community of Haviland and it's citizens...
  
  (formerly A Flame In The Wind) 4.0 (Debut) (Final Season)

1967–1968 Season

• 1. As the World Turns 13.6
• 2. Another World 10.2
• 3. The Guiding Light 10.0
• 4. Search for Tomorrow 9.9
• 5. The Doctors 9.7
• 6. The Edge of Night 9.4
• 6. The Secret Storm 9.4
• 8. Love of Life 9.2
• 9. General Hospital 8.8
• 10. Days of our Lives 8.7
• 11. Love Is A Many Splendored Thing 7.9 (Debut)
• 12. Dark Shadows 7.3
• 13. One Life to Live
  One Life to Live
  One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
  
  4.3 (Debut)

1968–1969 Season

• 1. As the World Turns 13.8
• 2. Search for Tomorrow 10.7
• 3. Another World 10.5
• 4. The Edge of Night 9.5
• 5. Love of Life 9.3
• 5. The Doctors 9.3
• 5. Days of our Lives 9.3
• 8. Love is a Many Splendored Thing 9.0
• 9. The Guiding Light 8.9
• 10. General Hospital 8.8
• 11. Dark Shadows 8.4
• 12. The Secret Storm 7.8
• 13. One Life to Live 5.4
• 14. Hidden Faces
  Hidden Faces
  Hidden Faces is an American soap opera that aired on NBC from December 30, 1968 to June 27, 1969. The series was created by Irving Vendig, who also created the long-running Procter & Gamble serial The Edge of Night....
  
  3.3 (Debut) (Final Season)

1960s Rankings: #1: As the World Turns; #2: The Guiding Light; #3: Search for Tomorrow

1970s

1969–1970 Season

• 1. As the World Turns 13.6
• 2. The Edge of Night 10.8
• 3. Search for Tomorrow 10.0
• 4. Another World 9.6
• 5. Love is a Many Splendored Thing 9.5
• 6. The Guiding Light 8.9
• 7. Days of our Lives 8.8
• 8. The Doctors 8.6
• 8. The Secret Storm 8.6
• 10. General Hospital 8.5
• 11. Love of Life 8.0
• 12. Dark Shadows 7.3
• 13. Where the Heart Is
  Where the Heart Is (1969 TV series)
  Where the Heart Is is an American soap opera telecast on the CBS television network from September 8, 1969 to March 23, 1973. Created by Lou Scofield and Margaret DePriest, the program ran for 25 minutes, the remaining five minutes of its timeslot ceded to a CBS news break.Scofield and DePriest...
  
  7.0 (Debut)
• 14. One Life to Live 6.7
• 15. Somerset
  Somerset (TV series)
  Somerset is an American television soap opera which ran on NBC from March 30, 1970 until December 31, 1976. The show was a spinoff of another NBC serial, Another World.-Overview :...
  
  (a spin-off
  Spin-off (media)
  In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
  
   of Another World) 5.7 (Debut)
• 16. Bright Promise
  Bright Promise
  Bright Promise is an American daytime soap opera that ran on NBC from September 29, 1969 to March 31, 1972. It aired weekdays at 3:30 PM Eastern/2:30 PM Central.-Synopsis:...
  
  5.2 (Debut)
• 17. All My Children
  All My Children
  All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
  
  4.4 (Debut)
• 18. A World Apart
  A World Apart (TV series)
  A World Apart is an American daytime drama which ran from March 30, 1970 to June 25, 1971 on the ABC television network.-Overview:The initial stories were written by Katherine Phillips, adopted daughter of soap legend Irna Phillips...
  
  2.8 (Debut)
• 19. The Best of Everything
  The Best of Everything (TV series)
  The Best of Everything is an American daytime soap opera which aired on ABC from March 30, 1970 to September 25, 1970. The series was a spin-off of the 1959 film of the same name.-Plot:...
  
  1.8 (Debut) (Final Season)

1970–1971 Season

• 1. As the World Turns 12.4
• 2. The Edge of Night 10.1
• 3. The Guiding Light 9.7
• 4. Another World 9.5
• 4. Days of our Lives 9.5
• 4. General Hospital 9.5
• 7. The Doctors 9.4
• 8. Search for Tomorrow 9.3
• 9. Love is a Many Splendored Thing 9.2
• 10. The Secret Storm 8.0
• 11. Love of Life 7.9
• 12. Somerset 7.0
• 12. Where the Heart Is 7.0
• 14. Bright Promise 6.8
• 15. One Life to Live 6.5
• 16. Dark Shadows 5.3 (Final Season)
• 17. All My Children 4.8
• 18. A World Apart 3.4 (Final Season)

1971–1972 Season

• 1. As the World Turns 11.1
• 2. General Hospital 10.4
• 3. Days of our Lives 9.9
• 4. The Edge of Night 9.5
• 5. The Doctors 9.3
• 6. Another World 9.1
• 7. Search for Tomorrow 8.6
• 7. The Guiding Light 8.6
• 9. Love is a Many Splendored Thing 8.0
• 10. Love of Life 7.4
• 10. Return to Peyton Place
  Return to Peyton Place (TV series)
  Return to Peyton Place is an American daytime soap opera which aired on NBC from April 3, 1972 to January 4, 1974. The series was a spin-off of the primetime drama series Peyton Place rather than an adaptation of the 1959 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious.The storylines from the daytime...
  
  7.4 (Debut)
• 10. The Secret Storm 7.4
• 13. One Life to Live 7.3
• 14. Somerset 6.5
• 15. Where the Heart Is 6.3
• 16. Bright Promise 6.1 (Debut)
• 17. All My Children 5.7

1972–1973 Season

• 1. As the World Turns 10.6
• 2. Days of our Lives 9.9
• 3. Another World 9.7
• 3. General Hospital 9.7
• 5. The Doctors 9.3
• 6. Search for Tomorrow 8.6
• 7. One Life to Live 8.3
• 8. All My Children 8.2
• 8. The Guiding Light 8.2
• 10. The Edge of Night 7.9
• 11. The Secret Storm 7.3
• 12. Love of Life 7.2
• 12. Return to Peyton Place 7.2
• 14. Love is a Many Splendored Thing 7.1 (Final Season)
• 15. Somerset 6.8
• 16. Where the Heart Is 6.4 (Final Season)
• 17. The Young and the Restless
  The Young and the Restless
  The Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
  
  5.0 (Debut)

1973–1974 Season

• 1. As the World Turns 9.7
• 1. Days of our Lives 9.7
• 1. Another World 9.7
• 4. The Doctors 9.5
• 5. General Hospital 9.2
• 6. All My Children 9.1
• 7. The Guiding Light 8.1
• 8. One Life to Live 7.8
• 9. Search for Tomorrow 7.7
• 10. The Edge of Night 7.4
• 11. Return to Peyton Place 7.0 (Final Season)
• 12. How to Survive a Marriage
  How to Survive a Marriage
  How to Survive a Marriage is a soap opera which aired on the NBC television network from January 7, 1974 to April 17, 1975. The serial was created by Anne Howard Bailey, with much input from then-NBC Vice President Lin Bolen...
  
  6.4 (Debut)
• 13. The Young and the Restless 6.2
• 14. Somerset 6.1
• 15. Love of Life 6.0
• 16. The Secret Storm 5.8 (Final Season)

1974–1975 Season

• 1. As the World Turns 10.8
• 2. Another World 9.7
• 2. Days of our Lives 9.7
• 4. Search for Tomorrow 9.4
• 5. All My Children 9.3
• 6. The Doctors 9.0
• 7. The Guiding Light 8.5
• 7. General Hospital 8.5
• 9. The Young and the Restless 8.4
• 10. The Edge of Night 7.6
• 11. One Life to Live 7.4
• 12. Love of Life 7.0
• 13. Somerset 6.0
• 14. How to Survive a Marriage 5.7 (Final Season)

1975–1976 Season

• 1. As the World Turns 9.4
• 2. Another World 8.9
• 3. The Young and the Restless 8.6
• 4. Search for Tomorrow 8.3
• 4. Days of our Lives 8.3
• 6. All My Children 8.1
• 6. Guiding Light 8.1
• 8. The Doctors 7.3
• 9. Love of Life 7.2
• 10. General Hospital 7.1
• 11. One Life to Live 6.8
• 12. The Edge of Night 6.7 (Final CBS episode was November 28, 1975; moved to ABC on December 1, 1975)
• 13. Somerset 5.9
• 14. Ryan's Hope
  Ryan's Hope
  Ryan's Hope is an American soap opera, revolving around 13 years of trials and tribulations within a large Irish American family in the Riverside district of New York City. It aired from July 7, 1975 to January 13, 1989 on ABC...
  
  5.7 (Debut)

1976–1977 Season

• 1. As the World Turns 9.9
• 2. Another World 9.0
• 3. Guiding Light 8.9
• 4. The Young and the Restless 8.7
• 5. Search for Tomorrow 8.6
• 6. All My Children 8.2
• 7. Days of our Lives 7.8
• 8. Ryan's Hope 7.3
• 8. One Life to Live 7.3
• 10. General Hospital 7.0
• 11. The Doctors 6.9
• 12. Love of Life 6.3
• 13. The Edge of Night 6.2
• 14. Somerset 5.2 (Final Season)
• 15. Lovers and Friends
  Lovers and Friends
  Lovers and Friends is a short-lived American soap opera that premiered on NBC on January 3, 1977 and ended on September 29, 1978. The show was created by Harding Lemay and Paul Rauch, both of whom were also working for the daytime drama Another World...
  
  2.9 (Debut) (Final Season)

1977–1978 Season

• 1. As the World Turns 8.6
• 1. Another World 8.6
• 3. All My Children 8.4
• 4. Guiding Light 8.0
• 5. The Young and the Restless 7.8
• 6. Search for Tomorrow 7.5
• 7. One Life to Live 7.2
• 8. Ryan's Hope 7.0
• 8. General Hospital 7.0
• 10. Days of our Lives 6.9
• 11. The Doctors 6.5
• 12. Love of Life 6.0
• 13. The Edge of Night 5.2
• 14. For Richer, For Poorer
  Lovers and Friends
  Lovers and Friends is a short-lived American soap opera that premiered on NBC on January 3, 1977 and ended on September 29, 1978. The show was created by Harding Lemay and Paul Rauch, both of whom were also working for the daytime drama Another World...
  
  (a retooled version of Lovers and Friends) 3.9 (Debut)

1978–1979 Season

• 1. All My Children 9.0
• 2. General Hospital 8.7
• 3. The Young and the Restless 8.6
• 4. As the World Turns 8.2
• 5. Guiding Light 8.1
• 6. One Life to Live 8.0
• 7. Search for Tomorrow 7.6
• 8. Another World 7.5
• 9. Ryan's Hope 7.2
• 10. Days of our Lives 6.8
• 11. The Doctors 6.3
• 12. Love of Life 5.8
• 13. The Edge of Night 5.8
• 14. For Richer, For Poorer 2.1 (Final Season)

1970s Rankings: #1: As the World Turns; #2: Another World; #3: The Guiding Light

1980s

1979–1980 Season

• 1. General Hospital 9.9 (10.5 million)
• 2. All My Children 9.2
• 3. The Young and the Restless 8.8
• 4. One Life to Live 8.7
• 5. Guiding Light 8.3
• 6. As the World Turns 7.9
• 7. Search for Tomorrow 7.6
• 8. Another World 7.1
• 9. Ryan's Hope 7.0
• 10. Days of our Lives 6.6
• 11. The Doctors 6.1
• 12. The Edge of Night 5.3
• 13. Love of Life 3.5 (Final Season)

1980–1981 Season

• 1. General Hospital 11.4 (14 million viewers)
• 2. All My Children 9.1
• 2. One Life to Live 9.1
• 4. Guiding Light 8.2
• 5. As the World Turns 7.9
• 6. The Young and the Restless 7.8
• 7. Ryan's Hope 6.7
• 8. Search for Tomorrow 6.3
• 9. Days of our Lives 5.6
• 10. Another World 5.1
• 11. The Edge of Night 5.0
• 12. The Doctors 3.8
• 12. Texas
  Texas (TV series)
  Texas is an American daytime soap opera which aired on NBC from August 4, 1980 until December 31, 1982. Created by John William Corrington, Joyce Hooper Corrington, and Paul Rauch, the show was a spinoff of Another World...
  
  (a spin-off of Another World) 3.8 (Debut)

1981–1982 Season

• 1. General Hospital 11.2 (averaged 13.8 million viewers according to David Gritten of People Weekly)
• 2. All My Children 9.4 (10 million viewers)
• 3. One Life to Live 9.3
• 4. Guiding Light 8.0
• 5. The Young and the Restless 7.4
• 5. As the World Turns 7.4
• 7. Ryan's Hope 6.9
• 8. Search for Tomorrow 6.8 (Final CBS run on March 26, 1982)
• 9. Capitol
  Capitol (TV series)
  Capitol is an American soap opera which aired on CBS from March 29, 1982 to March 20, 1987 for 1,270 episodes. As its name suggests, the storyline usually revolved around the political intrigues of people whose lives intertwined in Washington D.C....
  
  5.8 (Debut)
• 10. Days of our Lives 5.5
• 11. The Edge Of Night 5.0
• 12. Another World 4.7
• 13. Texas 3.6
• 14. Search for Tomorrow 3.4 (Begins NBC run on March 29, 1982)
• 15. The Doctors 3.3

1982–1983 Season

• 1. General Hospital 9.8 (11.4 million viewers)
• 2. All My Children 9.4
• 3. One Life to Live 8.1
• 4. The Young and the Restless 8.0
• 5. As the World Turns 7.6
• 6. Guiding Light 7.4
• 7. Capitol 6.0
• 8. Days of our Lives 5.7
• 9. Ryan's Hope 5.6
• 10. Another World 4.8
• 11. The Edge of Night 3.8
• 12. Texas 2.7 (Final Season)
• 12. Search for Tomorrow 2.7
• 14. The Doctors 1.6 (Final Season)

1983–1984 Season

• 1. General Hospital 10.0 (11.3 million viewers)
• 2. All My Children 9.1
• 3. The Young and the Restless 8.8
• 4. One Life to Live 8.2
• 5. Guiding Light 8.1
• 6. As the World Turns 7.9
• 7. Days of our Lives 7.1
• 8. Capitol 6.4
• 9. Another World 5.6
• 10. Ryan's Hope 5.0
• 11. Loving
  Loving (TV series)
  Caden Grant Carlton loves Mika Ayako Ryan more.Loving is an American television soap opera which aired on ABC's daytime lineup from June 26, 1983 to November 10, 1995 for 3,169 episodes...
  
  3.9
• 12. The Edge of Night 3.5
• 13. Search for Tomorrow 3.2
• 14. Santa Barbara 3.1 (Debut/Jul 84)

1984–1985 Season

• 1. General Hospital 9.1 (10.7 million viewers)
• 2. All My Children 8.2
• 3. The Young and the Restless 8.1
• 4. Guiding Light 7.5
• 5. One Life to Live 7.3
• 6. As the World Turns 7.1
• 6. Days of Our Lives 7.1
• 8. Capitol 5.8
• 9. Another World 5.5
• 10. Loving 4.1
• 11. Ryan's Hope 3.4
• 11. Santa Barbara
  Santa Barbara (TV series)
  Santa Barbara is an American television soap opera, first broadcast in the United States on NBC on July 30, 1984, and last aired on January 15, 1993. The show revolved around the eventful lives of the wealthy Capwell family of Santa Barbara, California...
  
  3.4
• 13. Search for Tomorrow 3.3
• 14. The Edge of Night 2.6 (Final Season)

1985–1986 Season

• 1. General Hospital 9.2 (10.5 million viewers)
• 2. The Young and the Restless 8.3
• 3. All My Children 8.0
• 4. One Life to Live 7.8
• 5. Days of our Lives 7.2
• 6. Guiding Light 6.8
• 7. As the World Turns 6.7
• 8. Capitol 5.1
• 8. Another World 5.1
• 10. Loving 4.2
• 10. Santa Barbara 4.2
• 12. Ryan's Hope 3.2
• 13. Search for Tomorrow 2.9

1986–1987 Season

• 1. General Hospital 8.3 (9.9 million viewers)
• 2. The Young and the Restless 8.0
• 3. One Life to Live 7.2
• 4. All My Children 7.0
• 4. Days of our Lives 7.0
• 4. As the World Turns 7.0
• 7. Guiding Light 6.3
• 8. The Bold and the Beautiful
  The Bold and the Beautiful
  The Bold and the Beautiful is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS Daytime. It premiered on March 23, 1987....
  
  5.6 (Debut/Mar 87)
• 9. Capitol 5.2 (Final Season)
• 10. Another World 5.1
• 11. Santa Barbara 4.2
• 12. Loving 3.9
• 13. Ryan's Hope 2.7
• 14. Search for Tomorrow 2.5 (Final Season)

1987–1988 Season

• 1. General Hospital 8.1 (8.7 million viewers)
• 1. The Young and the Restless 8.1 (8.5 million viewers)
• 3. One Life to Live 7.7
• 3. All My Children 7.7
• 5. Days of our Lives 7.1
• 6. As the World Turns 6.6
• 7. Guiding Light 6.2
• 8. The Bold and the Beautiful 5.4
• 9. Another World 5.1
• 10. Santa Barbara 4.9
• 11. Loving 3.5
• 12. Ryan's Hope 2.8

1988–1989 Season

• 1. The Young and the Restless 8.1 (8.4 million viewers)
• 2. General Hospital 7.5 (3:30-4: 7.7) (8.1 million viewers)
• 3. One Life to Live 7.1
• 4. All My Children 6.7 (1:30-2pm: 6.9)
• 5. Days of our Lives 6.5 (1:30-2pm: 6.7)
• 6. As the World Turns 6.4
• 7. Guiding Light 6.2
• 8. The Bold and the Beautiful 5.7
• 9. Another World 5.0
• 10. Santa Barbara 4.8
• 11. Loving 3.7
• 12. Generations 2.7 (Debut)
• 13. Ryan's Hope 2.4 (Final Season)

1980s Rankings: #1: General Hospital; #2: All My Children; #3: One Life to Live

1990s

1989–1990 Season

• 1. The Young and the Restless 8.0
• 2. General Hospital 7.4
• 3. All My Children 6.5
• 4. One Life to Live 6.3
• 5. As the World Turns 5.8
• 6. The Bold and the Beautiful 5.7
• 7. Days of our Lives 5.4
• 7. Guiding Light 5.4
• 9. Another World 4.0
• 10. Santa Barbara 3.7
• 11. Loving 3.4
• 12. Generations 2.6

1990–1991 Season

• 1. The Young and the Restless 8.1
• 2. General Hospital 6.7
• 3. All My Children 6.2
• 4. As the World Turns 5.9
• 5. The Bold and the Beautiful 5.7
• 6. One Life to Live 5.3
• 7. Days of our Lives 5.2
• 7. Guiding Light 5.2
• 9. Another World 3.8
• 10. Santa Barbara 3.2
• 11. Loving 3.0
• 12. Generations 2.4 (Final Season)

1991–1992 Season

• 1. The Young and the Restless 8.2
• 2. All My Children 6.8
• 3. As the World Turns 5.8
• 3. General Hospital 5.8
• 5. Guiding Light 5.6
• 6. The Bold and the Beautiful 5.5
• 7. One Life to Live 5.4
• 7. Days of our Lives 5.4
• 9. Another World 4.1
• 10. Santa Barbara 3.1
• 11. Loving 2.8

1992–1993 Season

• 1. The Young and the Restless 8.4
• 2. All My Children 7.3
• 3. The Bold and the Beautiful 5.9
• 4. General Hospital 5.8
• 5. As the World Turns 5.7
• 6. One Life to Live 5.5
• 7. Guiding Light 5.4
• 8. Days of our Lives 4.9
• 9. Another World 4.2
• 10. Santa Barbara 3.1 (Final Season)
• 11. Loving 2.8

1993–1994 Season

• 1. The Young and the Restless 8.6
• 2. All My Children 6.6
• 3. General Hospital 6.2
• 4. The Bold and the Beautiful 6.1
• 5. As the World Turns 5.8
• 6. One Life to Live 5.6
• 6. Days of our Lives 5.6
• 8. Guiding Light 5.4
• 9. Another World 3.5
• 10. Loving 2.7

1994–1995 Season

• 1. The Young and the Restless 7.5
• 2. All My Children 6.1
• 3. General Hospital 5.6
• 4. The Bold and the Beautiful 5.5
• 5. One Life to Live 5.4
• 6. Days of our Lives 5.3
• 7. As the World Turns 5.1
• 8. Guiding Light 4.4
• 9. Another World 3.1
• 10. Loving 2.3

1995–1996 Season

• 1. The Young and the Restless 7.6
• 2. Days of our Lives 5.8
• 3. The Bold and the Beautiful 5.3
• 4. All My Children 5.2
• 5. General Hospital 5.0
• 6. As the World Turns 4.5
• 6. One Life to Live 4.5
• 8. Guiding Light 4.0
• 9. Another World 3.1
• 10. Loving 2.5 (Final Season)
• 11. The City (spin-off
  Spin-off (media)
  In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
  
   of Loving) 2.2 (Debut)

1996–1997 Season

• 1. The Young and the Restless 7.1
• 2. Days of our Lives 5.8
• 3. The Bold and the Beautiful 5.0
• 4. General Hospital 4.8
• 5. All My Children 4.7
• 6. As the World Turns 4.4
• 7. One Life to Live 4.0
• 7. Guiding Light 4.0
• 9. Another World 3.1
• 10. Port Charles
  Port Charles
  Port Charles was a daytime soap opera which aired on ABC from June 2, 1997 to October 3, 2003. It is a spin-off of the serial General Hospital, which has been running since 1963 and takes place in the fictional city of Port Charles, New York...
  
  (spin-off of General Hospital) 2.6 (Debut)
• 11. The City 2.0 (Final Season)
• 12. Sunset Beach
  Sunset Beach (TV series)
  Sunset Beach was an American television soap opera, first broadcast in the United States on NBC on January 6, 1997, and last airing on December 31, 1999. The show followed the loves and lives of the people living in a fictional coastal city named Sunset Beach, on the coast of California...
  
  1.8 (Debut)

1997–1998 Season

• 1. The Young and the Restless 6.8
• 2. Days of our Lives 5.1
• 3. The Bold and the Beautiful 4.8
• 4. General Hospital 4.6
• 5. All My Children 4.2
• 6. As the World Turns 4.1
• 7. Guiding Light 4.0
• 8. One Life To Live 3.6
• 9. Another World 2.6
• 10. Port Charles 2.1
• 11. Sunset Beach 1.8

1998–1999 Season

• 1. The Young and the Restless 6.9
• 2. Days of our Lives 5.8
• 3. The Bold and the Beautiful 4.7
• 4. General Hospital 4.6
• 5. All My Children 3.9
• 6. As the World Turns 3.8
• 7. One Life to Live 3.7
• 8. Guiding Light 3.5
• 9. Another World 3.0 (Final Season)
• 10. Port Charles 2.4
• 11. Sunset Beach 2.3
• 12. Passions
  Passions
  Passions is an American television soap opera which aired on NBC from July 5, 1999 to September 7, 2007 and on The 101 Network from September 17, 2007 to August 7, 2008....
  
  2.2 (Debut)

1990s Rankings: #1: The Young And The Restless; #2: All My Children; #3: General Hospital

2000s

1999–2000 Season

• 1. The Young and the Restless 6.8
• 2. The Bold and the Beautiful 5.1
• 3. Days of Our Lives 4.2
• 4. General Hospital 4.0
• 5. All My Children 3.9
• 6. As the World Turns 3.8
• 7. One Life to Live 3.7
• 8. Guiding Light 3.6
• 9. Port Charles 2.4
• 10. Sunset Beach 2.3 (Final Season)
• 11. Passions 2.2

2000–2001 Season

• 1. The Young and the Restless 5.8
• 2. The Bold and the Beautiful 4.4
• 3. Days of Our Lives 3.8
• 4. General Hospital 3.7
• 5. As The World Turns 3.6
• 6. All My Children 3.4
• 6. Guiding Light 3.4
• 6. One Life To Live 3.4
• 9. Passions 2.2
• 10. Port Charles 1.9

2001–2002 Season

• 1. The Young and the Restless 5.0
• 2. The Bold and the Beautiful 3.9
• 3. Days of Our Lives 3.6
• 4. General Hospital 3.4
• 5. As the World Turns 3.3
• 5. All My Children 3.3
• 7. One Life to Live 3.2
• 8. Guiding Light 3.0
• 9. Passions 2.1
• 10. Port Charles 1.8

2002–2003 Season

• 1. The Young and the Restless 4.7
• 2. The Bold and the Beautiful 3.7
• 3. General Hospital 3.5
• 4. As The World Turns 3.1
• 4. Days of Our Lives 3.1
• 6. All My Children 3.0
• 6. One Life To Live 3.0
• 8. Guiding Light 2.6
• 9. Passions 2.0
• 10. Port Charles 1.7

2003–2004 Season

• 1. The Young and the Restless 4.4
• 2. The Bold and the Beautiful 3.3
• 3. General Hospital 3.2
• 4. Days of Our Lives 3.1
• 5. All My Children 2.9
• 5. As the World Turns 2.9
• 7. One Life to Live 2.8
• 8. Guiding Light 2.4
• 9. Passions 2.0
• 10. Port Charles 1.6 (Final Season)

2004–2005 Season

• 1. The Young and the Restless 4.2
• 2. The Bold and the Beautiful 3.2
• 3. General Hospital 3.0
• 4. All My Children 2.9
• 5. One Life To Live 2.7
• 5. As the World Turns 2.7
• 5. Days of Our Lives 2.7
• 8. Guiding Light 2.3
• 9. Passions 1.9

2005–2006 Season

• 1. The Young and the Restless 4.2
• 2. The Bold and the Beautiful 3.2
• 3. General Hospital 2.7
• 4. All My Children 2.6
• 4. As the World Turns 2.6
• 4. Days of Our Lives 2.6
• 4. One Life to Live 2.6
• 8. Guiding Light 2.2
• 9. Passions 1.6

2006–2007 Season

• 1. The Young and the Restless 4.2
• 2. The Bold and the Beautiful 3.0
• 3. General Hospital 2.7
• 4. One Life to Live 2.4
• 4. All My Children 2.4
• 6. As The World Turns 2.3
• 6. Days of Our Lives 2.3
• 8. Guiding Light 2.1
• 9. Passions 1.5 (Final NBC run on September 7, 2007; moved to DirecTV's The 101 Network on September 17, 2007 and ended on August 7, 2008)

2007–2008 Season

• 1. The Young and the Restless 3.9
• 2. The Bold and the Beautiful 2.8
• 3. General Hospital 2.4
• 4. As The World Turns 2.2
• 5. One Life To Live 2.1
• 5. All My Children 2.1
• 5. Days of Our Lives 2.1
• 8. Guiding Light 1.8

2008–2009 Season

• 1. The Young and the Restless 3.7
• 2. The Bold and the Beautiful 2.6
• 3. Days of Our Lives 2.2
• 4. General Hospital 2.1
• 5. All My Children 2.0
• 5. One Life to Live 2.0
• 7. As the World Turns 1.9
• 8. Guiding Light 1.6 (Final Season)

2000s Rankings: #1: The Young And The Restless; #2: The Bold and the Beautiful; #3: General Hospital

2010s

2009–2010 Season

• 1. The Young and the Restless 3.7
• 2. The Bold and the Beautiful 2.4
• 3. Days of our Lives 2.2
• 4. General Hospital 2.1
• 5. All My Children 2.0
• 6. One Life to Live 1.9
• 7. As the World Turns 1.8 (Final Season)

2010–2011 Season

• 1. The Young and the Restless 3.6
• 2. The Bold and the Beautiful 2.2
• 3. General Hospital 2.1
• 4. Days of our Lives 2.0
• 4. One Life to Live 2.0
• 6. All My Children 1.9 (Final Season)

2011–2012 Season Ratings for the week November 14-18, 2011 (Compared to Last Week/Compared to Last Year)

• 1. The Young and the Restless
  The Young and the Restless
  The Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
  
   4,570,000 (+54,000/-449,000)
• 2. The Bold and the Beautiful
  The Bold and the Beautiful
  The Bold and the Beautiful is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS Daytime. It premiered on March 23, 1987....
  
   3,052,000 (-123,000/-18,000)
• 3. One Life to Live
  One Life to Live
  One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
  
   2,650,000 (+126,000/+299,000)
• 4. Days of our Lives
  Days of our Lives
  Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
  
   2,453,000 (+159,000/+21,000)
• 5. General Hospital
  General Hospital
  General Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
  
  2,374,000 (+105,000/+30,000)