The artists with the most No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, ranked (2024)

Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Homepage

Newsletters

Subscribe

Entertainment

Gabbi Shaw and Callie Ahlgrim

Updated

The artists with the most No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, ranked (1)

  • There are only 11 artists in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 who have topped the chart at least 10 times.
  • Taylor Swift recently earned her 12th leader, tying Madonna and The Supremes for fifth place.
  • The Beatles have the most No. 1 songs (20), followed closely by Mariah Carey (19).

The artists with the most No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, ranked (2)

Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read preview

The artists with the most No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, ranked (3)

Thanks for signing up!

Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go.

The artists with the most No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, ranked (4)

Throughout music history, there have been plenty of record-breaking songs, albums, and acts. These 11, however, have seen the most success on the Billboard Hot 100 — widely considered to be the definitive ranking of best-selling songs in the US.

Rihanna, Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, and Whitney Houston are among the elite group of artists who have earned at least 10 chart-toppers in their careers.

Keep scrolling to see the top tier of singles artists, ranked from least to most No. 1 hits.

Advertisem*nt

7 (tie). Stevie Wonder was the youngest artist ever to top the chart. Since then, he's done it nine more times.

The artists with the most No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, ranked (5)

In 1963, at just 13 years old, Stevie Wonder earned his first No. 1 song with "Fingertips."

Throughout his illustrious career, Wonder has added nine more hits to the list: "Superstition" in 1972, "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" in 1973, "You Haven't Done Nothin'" in 1974, "I Wish" in 1976, "Sir Duke" in 1977, "Ebony and Ivory" in 1982, "I Just Called to Say I Love You" in 1984, and both "Part-Time Lover" and "That's What Friends Are For" in 1985.

Advertisem*nt

7 (tie). Janet Jackson, who also has 10, claimed the No. 1 spot in three different decades.

The artists with the most No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, ranked (6)

Janet Jackson's Hot-100 reign began with 1986's "When I Think of You," which topped the chart when she was 20 years old.

Next came 1989's "Miss You Much," 1990's "Escapade," "Black Cat," and "Love Will Never Do (Without You)," 1993's "That's the Way Love Goes" and "Again," 1997's "Together Again," 2000's "Doesn't Really Matter," and 2001's "All for You."

Advertisem*nt

6. Whitney Houston has the sixth-most No. 1 songs in history with 11 to her name.

The artists with the most No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, ranked (7)

Whitney Houston has no shortage of iconic songs, but she earned her first No. 1 with "Saving All My Love for You" in 1985. That same year, she also put "How Will I Know" in the top spot.

Over the next decade, Houston collected nine more chart-toppers: "The Greatest Love of All" in 1986; "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)," "Didn't We Almost Have It All," and "So Emotional" in 1987; "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" in 1988; "I'm Your Baby Tonight" and "All the Man That I Need" in 1990; "I Will Always Love You" in 1992; and "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" in 1995.

Advertisem*nt

5 (tie). Taylor Swift recently earned her 12th chart-topping hit.

Taylor Swift earned her first No. 1 hit with "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" in 2012. It was the lead single from her fourth album "Red."

Swift's fifth album, "1989," spawned three No. 1 singles: "Shake It Off" and "Blank Space" in 2014, followed by the "Bad Blood" remix featuring Kendrick Lamar in 2015.

"Look What You Made Me Do" became her fifth leader in 2017, followed by "Cardigan" and "Willow" in 2020.

In 2021, Swift launched her series of rerecorded albums, sending an extended version of a nine-year-old deep cut, "All Too Well," to the top of the chart. At 10 minutes and 13 seconds, it's the longest No. 1 hit in Billboard history.

Swift's 2022 single "Anti-Hero" became her longest-running No. 1 hit, reigning atop the chart for eight weeks.

Finally, in 2023, Swift notched her milestone 10th leader with "Cruel Summer," fueled by the success of The Eras Tour. Shortly after, "Is It Over Now?" and "Fortnight" joined the ranks, bringing Swift's grand total to 12.

Advertisem*nt

5 (tie). Madonna topped the chart 12 times since the '80s.

The artists with the most No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, ranked (9)

Madonna has been topping the chart for decades, and it all began with "Like a Virgin" in 1984.

She followed up with "Crazy for You" in 1985 before she scored three No. 1 hits in 1986 alone: "Live to Tell," "Papa Don't Preach," and "Open Your Heart."

The so-called "Queen of Pop" added to her collection with "Who's That Girl" in 1987, "Like a Prayer" in 1989, "Vogue" and "Justify My Love" in 1990, "This Used to Be My Playground" in 1992, "Take a Bow" in 1994, and "Music" in 2000.

Advertisem*nt

5 (tie). The Supremes also had 12 No. 1 songs, all in a span of five years.

The artists with the most No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, ranked (10)

The Supremes are known as one of the best-selling girl groups of all time, and with 12 No. 1 hits in half as many years, it's easy to see why.

In the mid-'60s, the trio released a string of five singles that all went to No. 1 on the chart: "Where Did Our Love Go," "Baby Love," and "Come See About Me" in 1964, then "Stop! In the Name of Love" and "Back in My Arms Again" in 1965.

They continued to dominate the decade with a flood of hits: "I Hear a Symphony," also in 1965; "You Can't Hurry Love" and "You Keep Me Hangin' On" in 1966; "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone" and "The Happening" in 1967; "Love Child" in 1968; and "Someday We'll Be Together" in 1969.

Advertisem*nt

4 (tie). Michael Jackson topped the chart 13 times.

The artists with the most No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, ranked (11)

Michael Jackson began appearing on the charts as a child with The Jackson 5, but after he struck out on his own, the so-called "King of Pop" racked up more hits than any solo artist at the time.

Perhaps most impressively, five out of his 13 No. 1 songs came from the same album ("Bad"), setting a record that remains unbroken. (It was tied in 2011 by Katy Perry with "Teenage Dream").

Jackson's first chart-topper was "Ben" in 1972 when he was 14 years old. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You" both took the top spot in 1979, followed by "Billie Jean," "Beat It," and "Say Say Say" in 1983; "I Just Can't Stop Loving You," "Bad," and "The Way You Make Me Feel" in 1987; "Man in the Mirror" and "Dirty Diana" in 1988; and "Black or White" in 1993.

He capped his collection with "You Are Not Alone" in 1995, which also became the first song in history to debut at No. 1 on the chart.

Advertisem*nt

4 (tie). Drake recently tied the "King of Pop" with 13 No. 1 songs of his own.

The artists with the most No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, ranked (12)

Drake is arguably the most dominant artist of the streaming era, racking up 13 chart-topping singles to date — the vast majority at breakneck speed in a seven-year period.

The rapper notched his first No. 1 hit thanks to Rihanna, when their collaboration "What's My Name" reigned atop the chart in 2010.

In 2016, Drake topped the chart again as a featured artist on Rihanna's song "Work." Later that year, "One Dance" became his first solo hit to ascend to first place.

He notched three No. 1 hits in 2018 with "God's Plan," "Nice for What," and "In My Feelings," followed by "Toosie Slide" in 2020; "What's Next" and "Way 2 Sexy" in 2021; "Wait for U and "Jimmy Cooks" in 2022; and "Slime You Out" and "First Person Shooter" in 2023.

Nine of those songs arrived in the chart's top spot, making Drake the artist with the most No. 1 song debuts in history.

Advertisem*nt

3. Whenever Rihanna releases her next album, she'll surely rise, but for now she's in third place with 14 hits.

The artists with the most No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, ranked (13)

In the span of just 14 years, Rihanna earned 14 No. 1 songs, starting with "SOS" in 2006 when she was still a teenager.

Next came "Umbrella" in 2007; "Take a Bow," "Live Your Life," and "Disturbia" in 2008; "Rude Boy," "Love the Way You Lie," "Only Girl (In the World)," and "What's My Name" in 2010; "S&M" and "We Found Love" in 2011; "Diamonds" in 2012; "The Monster" in 2013; and finally "Work" in 2016, the lead single from her most recent album, "Anti."

Advertisem*nt

2. Mariah Carey's 19 chart-topping songs put her just one behind the all-time record.

The artists with the most No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, ranked (14)

In terms of No. 1 songs, Mariah Carey is the second best-selling artist of all time, the best-selling solo artist of all time, and the best-selling female artist of all time.

Her first No. 1 hit was also her debut single, 1990's "Vision of Love." Her next four singles would also top the chart: "Love Takes Time" in 1990, followed by "Someday," "I Don't Wanna Cry," and "Emotions" in 1991.

Then came a veritable feast of hit songs: "I'll Be There" in 1992; "Dreamlover" and "Hero" in 1993; "Fantasy" and "One Sweet Day" in 1995; "Always Be My Baby" in 1996; "Honey" in 1997; "My All" in 1998; "Heartbreaker" in 1999; "Thank God I Found You" in 2000; "We Belong Together" and "Don't Forget About Us" in 2005; and "Touch My Body" in 2008.

In 2020, she became the first and only artist in history to top the Billboard Hot 100 in four different decades, thanks to the longevity of her 1994 holiday single "All I Want for Christmas Is You."

Advertisem*nt

1. The Beatles have 20 No. 1 hits, the most in history.

The artists with the most No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, ranked (15)

The Beatles still reign supreme with the most No. 1 songs ever on the Billboard Hot 100, earning 20 in the span of just eight years.

In chronological order, the British band topped the chart with "Love Me Do" in 1962; "She Loves You" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in 1963; "Can't Buy Me Love," "A Hard Day's Night," and "I Feel Fine" in 1964; "Eight Days a Week," "Ticket to Ride," "Help!," "Yesterday," and "We Can Work It Out" in 1965; "Paperback Writer" in 1966; "Penny Lane" "All You Need Is Love," and "Hello, Goodbye" in 1967; "Hey Jude" in 1968; "Get Back" and "Something" in 1969; and "Let It Be" and "The Long and Winding Road" in 1970.

Read next

Music Celebrities Taylor Swift

More...

Advertisem*nt

The artists with the most No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, ranked (2024)

FAQs

The artists with the most No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, ranked? ›

There are only 11 artists in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 who have topped the chart at least 10 times. Taylor Swift recently earned her 12th leader, tying Madonna and The Supremes for fifth place. The Beatles have the most No. 1 songs (20), followed closely by Mariah Carey (19).

What artist has the most number 1 hits Hot 100? ›

The Beatles lead all acts, with a whopping 20 No. 1s — they've had the most since 1965, when they surpassed Elvis Presley. Presley, who's notably absent from the list below, scored seven No. 1s in the Hot 100 era.

Which rappers have the most hot 100 number 1 hits? ›

Drake has tallied 13 No. 1 hits on the Hot 100 in his career, the most among rappers. Among all artists, though, he's tied with Michael Jackson for the fourth-most, after The Beatles (20), Mariah Carey (19), and Rihanna (14).

Who has the longest #1 on Billboard Top 100? ›

Progression of most weeks at number one

The current record holder is “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X at 19 weeks, and the longest record held is “One Sweet Day” by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men with 8,554 days.

What band has the most No 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 with 20 songs to reach No 1? ›

11, 2023), The Beatles, thus, claim the most leaders on the lists combined: 39, via 20 No. 1s on the Hot 100 and 19 on the Billboard 200. The Fab Four first topped the charts in February 1964, thanks to “I Want To Hold Your Hand” and parent album Meet the Beatles, respectively.

Who has 7 consecutive #1 Billboard Hot 100 hits? ›

STRONG SEVEN: Houston holds the Billboard Hot 100 record for most consecutive No. 1 charted singles, having tallied seven in-a-row from 1985 through 1988. Even when her streak ended, Houston's next four solo singles all reached the Hot 100's top 10.

Who has the most top 100 hits of all time? ›

Drake now leads all artists with a whopping 332 total entries on the chart in his career (through the Hot 100 dated June 29, 2024). He's the only artist to chart at least 300 total songs in history. Only two other acts have charted at least 200: Taylor Swift (263) and the Glee Cast (207).

How many #1 hits does Travis Scott have? ›

Jacques Bermon Webster II (born April 30, 1991), known professionally as Travis Scott, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Throughout his career, Scott has achieved four number-one hits on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, along with a total of over one hundred charting songs.

How many #1 hits does Jay-Z have? ›

Jay-Z — 14

1s in 1998 with his third studio album, "Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life." In 2017, he extended his total to 14 with "4:44," setting a record among solo artists. Jay-Z is also one of the most-awarded artists in Grammy history with 24 wins.

How many Billboard #1 does Eminem have? ›

Eminem has had 22 top-10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, with 5 of them reaching No. 1.

What is the most played song of all time? ›

There's even a dispute over the exact title. Yet “It's a Small World,” also known as “It's a Small, Small World” and “It's a Small World (After All),” is very likely the most played song in music history — nearly 50 million times.

What song was #1 the longest? ›

"Old Town Road" holds the record for the longest stretch at No. 1 with 19 weeks. It also became the fastest song in history to be certified diamond.

Who has the most #1 albums of all time? ›

The Beatles

Who has the most #1 hits in history? ›

The Beatles have the most No. 1 songs (20), followed closely by Mariah Carey (19).

What is the biggest selling song of all time? ›

According to Guinness World Records, Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" (1942) as performed by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single worldwide, with estimated sales of over 50 million copies.

What artist has the most songs in the top 100? ›

Artists with most songs in the Billboard Top 100 in the U.S. 2012-2023. During the time period from 2012 to 2023, Drake was the top performer in the charts, with 52 songs in the Billboard Top 100.

How many #1 hits does Elvis have? ›

Elvis has had no less than 149 songs to appear on Billboard's Hot 100 Pop Chart in America. Of these, 114 were in the top forty, 40 were in the top 10, and 18 went to number one. His number one singles spent a total of 80 weeks at number one.

What solo artist has the most number one hits? ›

1 singles by a solo artist. Mariah Carey (USA) has topped the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on 19 different occasions.

Who has the most #1 hits in country music? ›

George Strait has the most number-ones on the Hot Country Chart with 44.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Prof. Nancy Dach

Last Updated:

Views: 5673

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (77 voted)

Reviews: 92% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Prof. Nancy Dach

Birthday: 1993-08-23

Address: 569 Waelchi Ports, South Blainebury, LA 11589

Phone: +9958996486049

Job: Sales Manager

Hobby: Web surfing, Scuba diving, Mountaineering, Writing, Sailing, Dance, Blacksmithing

Introduction: My name is Prof. Nancy Dach, I am a lively, joyous, courageous, lovely, tender, charming, open person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.