American Top 40 October 14, 1989
This is a comprehensive listing that highlights significant achievements and milestones based upon Billboard magazine's singles charts, most notably the Billboard Hot 100. This list spans the period from the issue dated January 1, 1955 to present. The Billboard Hot 100 began with the issue dated August 4, 1958, and is currently the standard popular music chart in the United States. Show
Prior to the creation of the Hot 100, Billboard published four singles charts: "Best Sellers in Stores", "Most Played by Jockeys", "Most Played in Jukeboxes" and "The Top 100". These charts, which ranged from 20 to 100 slots, were phased out at different times between 1957 and 1958. Though technically not part of the Hot 100 chart history, select data from these charts are included for computational purposes, and to avoid unenlightening or misleading characterizations. All items listed below are from the Hot 100 era, unless otherwise noted (pre-Hot 100 charts). In 2008, for the 50th anniversary of the Hot 100, Billboard magazine compiled a ranking of the 100 best-performing songs on the chart over the 50 years, along with the best-performing artists.[1][2] In 2013, Billboard revised the rankings for the chart's 55th anniversary edition.[3] In 2015, Billboard revised the rankings again.[4] In 2018, the rankings were revised again for the Billboard chart's 60th anniversary.[5] In 2021, Billboard revised the rankings again upon the ascendance of "Blinding Lights" to the top spot on the list. Shown below are the top 10 songs and top 10 artists over the 63-year period of the Hot 100, through November 2021. Also shown are the artists placing the most songs on the overall "all-time" top 100 song list. Source: Source: [citation needed] Songs milestonesMost weeks at number onePre-Hot 100 notes: Additional notes: Source:[8][9] Most weeks at number two (without hitting number one)Note: Whitney Houston's "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" (199596) and Olivia Rodrigo's "Good 4 U" (2021) each managed more than 10 weeks at number two (11 weeks apiece), but each of them debuted at number one, thus making them ineligible for this section.Source:[15][bettersourceneeded][16] Most total weeks in the top fiveThe total weeks displayed in this section are total weeks the song was charted inside the top 5 portion of the chart, instead of total weeks spent in the top 10 portion of the chart or total weeks spent on the chart.Most total weeks in the top tenThe total weeks displayed in this section are total weeks the song was charted inside the top 10 portion of the chart, instead of total weeks spent on the chart.Most total weeks on the Hot 100Note: The year displayed is the year the songs ended their respective chart runs.Source:[23][24][25] Biggest jump to number oneChanges in when the eligibility of a single first begins, as well as more accurate digital download totals, have made abrupt chart jumps more commonplace. From 1955 to 2001, under Billboard's previous methodologies, only two singles ascended directly to No. 1 from a previous position beneath the Top 20: The Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love", which jumped from No. 27 to the top slot in April 1964, and Brandy and Monica's "The Boy Is Mine" which jumped from No. 23 to No. 1 in June 1998.Biggest single-week upward movementsUnder Billboard's previous methodologies, jumps of this magnitude were rare. One exception was Jeannie C. Riley's "Harper Valley PTA," which advanced 74 slots in August 1968;[46] this upward acceleration went unmatched for 30 years, but has been surpassed over a dozen times since 2006. Changes in when the eligibility of a single first begins, as well as more accurate digital download totals, have made abrupt chart jumps more commonplace.Longest climbs to number oneNon-consecutive weeks on the Hot 100 before it was ranked number one Biggest drop from number oneNote: Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" became the first song to fall completely off the Hot 100 from the number-one position in the January 11, 2020, issue of Billboard.[81] Biggest single-week downward movementsSource:[94] Biggest drops off the Hot 100Non-holiday songsBelow are songs not connected to Christmas or the holiday season. (A special section for the holiday songs is below, as a few of those songs set higher records for dropping off the Hot 100 in early 2019 and 2020.) "Purple Rain" and "When Doves Cry" reappeared on the Hot 100 for two weeks in 2016, and the above reflects their re-entries only. When the songs originally charted in 1984, their chart positions in their final week on the Hot 100 were well below the top 10. Prior to 2008, the biggest drop off the Hot 100 was "Nights in White Satin" by The Moody Blues, which ranked at No. 17 in its final week on the chart in December 1972. This high drop-off position was matched in January 1975 by "Junior's Farm" by Paul McCartney and Wings. The record descent held for over three decades. Each song above dropped off the Hot 100 upon four or fewer weeks; "Nights in White Satin" and "Junior's Farm" dropped off after 18 and 12 weeks, respectively.Source:[102] Holiday songsDuring November and December beginning some time in the 2010s, these songs have regularly appeared on the Hot 100, generally departing from the chart once the holiday season ends in January. More recently, they have reached into the top ten, and in 2019, for only the second time ever on the Hot 100 (the first since 1958), made it to number one. This has led to all-time records for dropping off the Hot 100, including from number one, as the songs depart regardless of their final chart positions during the season. Songs hitting number one for different artistsSource:[106][107] Non-English language number-onesInstrumental number-onesContains vocal part, but is considered an instrumental. See Instrumental#Borderline cases for more. Artist achievementsMost number-one singlesThe biggest number-one listed by each artist reflects its overall performance on the Hot 100, as calculated by Billboard, and may not necessarily be the single which spent the most weeks at No. 1 for the artist, such as Madonna's "Like a Virgin" (six weeks at No. 1, compared to seven for "Take a Bow"), Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together" (fourteen weeks at No. 1, compared to sixteen for her duet with Boyz II Men, "One Sweet Day"), Janet Jackson's Miss You Much (four weeks at No. 1, compared to eight for That's the Way Love Goes) and Michael Jackson's duet with Paul McCartney, "Say Say Say" (six weeks at No. 1, compared to seven for both his solo singles "Billie Jean" and "Black or White"). Pre-Hot 100 charts and Hot 100.
Source:[114][115][116][117] Most cumulative weeks at number onePre-Hot 100 charts and Hot 100. Presley is sometimes credited with an "80th week" that occurred when "All Shook Up" spent a ninth week on top of the "Most Played in Jukeboxes" chart. Although Billboard's chart statistician Joel Whitburn still counts this 80th week based on preexisting research, Billboard magazine itself has since revised its methodology and officially credits Presley with 79 weeks.[113] Much of Presley's total factors in pre-Hot 100 data. If counting from the August 1958 Hot 100 inception, Presley totaled 22 weeks at No. 1.
Most consecutive number-one singles
Sources:[119][120][121][122][123][124][125] Most consecutive weeks simultaneously topping the Hot 100 and Billboard 200Sources:[126] Most consecutive years charting a number-one singlePre-Hot 100 charts and Hot 100. Source:[127][128][129] Most number-one singles in a calendar year Pre-Hot 100 charts. If counting Drake's feature on Travis Scott's Sicko Mode", then he would be included on the list with 4 for 2018 (God's Plan, Nice for What, and In My Feelings) Sources:[119][130][131][132] Most number-two singlesSource:[133] Most top 10 singlesMost cumulative weeks in the top 10Rihanna is the youngest (23) soloist to earn at least 200 weeks in the top 10. Justin Bieber is the youngest male (25) soloist to do so. Most consecutive weeks in the top 10Source:[138][139][140][141] Most number-one debuts
Source:[144][145][146][147] Most top 10 debutsMost top 40 entriesMost Hot 100 entriesElvis Presley's career predated the inception of the Hot 100 by two years. He has charted 150 singles on Billboard if tracking his entire career. Justin Bieber is the youngest (27) soloist to accumulate at least 100 entries on the Hot 100.[164] Most consecutive weeks on Hot 100
Source:[165] Self-replacement at number oneThe Beatles are the only act in history to have three consecutive, self-replacing No. 1s. BTS are the only act in history to replace themselves at No. 1 two weeks in a row.[166] Source:[167] Most top positions simultaneously occupied
Most simultaneous entries in the top 10Posthumous number-onesSource:[170] Age records
Gap records
Album achievementsMost number-one singles from one albumSource:[184] Most top ten singles from one albumSource:[186][187] Other album achievementsNOTE: Numbers listed here are, per Billboard's rules,[193] over one release. Producer achievementsProducers with the most number-one singlesPre-Hot 100 charts and Hot 100 Source:[199][200][201][202][203][204] Songwriter achievementsSongwriters with the most number-one singlesSource:[201][202][203][207][208][209] Most number-one singles in a calendar year
Source:[119][130][208] Selected additional Hot 100 achievements
See alsoReferencesAdditional sources |