You can use an area chart to plot a single line and shaded area, but most area charts plot multiple lines (data series) so you can break down the trend between groups compared to the whole.

Click on the plot area of the chart. The plot area is the part of the graph that shows the data; you can click anywhere in this section to highlight the whole plot.

Click the chart plot area and then click the Design chart tab. Then, click the Add Chart Element button, hover the cursor over Data Labels, and select Inside Base.

You can lock the position of a chart in Excel spreadsheet so that it doesn't move or resize when you include more columns and change cell width. Learn how!

This post recommends using Trellis plots instead of 3D bar charts for three-dimensional (three variable) data. In Winner of the Bad Graph Contest Announced, I promised to present alternatives to ...