It might seem that if an artist dominates the Billboard Hot 100 with a song for 10 weeks or more, it could be difficult to send another song to the summit — because, well, how many times can lightning strike? Or perhaps, does an act become so synonymous with one hit that it’s simply hard to achieve major attention with another?
Or — much more optimistically — if an artist can run up such a lengthy reign on the Hot 100, maybe it has hit such heights that consumers want to dig deeper as an act’s catalog expands?
On the latest, April 10-dated Hot 100, Lil Nas X (who turns 22 today, capping quite a celebratory week) blasts in at No. 1 with “Montero (Call Me by Your Name).” The song faced the pressure of living up to, oh, only the longest-leading No. 1 in the chart’s entire history: his “Old Town Road,” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, spent a record 19 weeks on top in 2019.
To find out if topping the Hot 100 for at least 10 weeks is more often a feat too tough to follow with another No. 1 or a gateway to greater success, let’s look at all the acts – 36 total – that have topped the chart, in a lead role, with at least one song for 10 weeks or more and whether they ever returned to No. 1 with another track (in either a lead or featured role).
Mariah Carey
Led for 16 weeks with “One Sweet Day,” with Boyz II Men, 1995-96
Has since notched nine more No. 1s, including one more for double-digit weeks: “We Belong Together” (14 weeks, 2005), as well as “Always Be My Baby” (two weeks, 1996); “Honey” (three weeks, 1997); “My All” (two weeks, 1998); “Heartbreaker,” feat. Jay-Z (two weeks, 1999); “Thank God I Found You,” feat. Joe & 98 Degrees (one week, 2000); “Don’t Forget About Us” (two weeks, 2005-06); “Touch My Body” (two weeks, 2008); and “All I Want for Christmas Is You” (five weeks, 2019-21); 19 career No. 1s
With nine, Carey boasts the most Hot 100 No. 1s after reigning with a (first) leader for at least 10 weeks. It’s just another of her chart records — as, among other achievements, her 19 No. 1s are the most among soloists and, as of January, she has the longest-leading holiday hit.
Carey is hardly alone in stars making repeat trips to the top of the Hot 100 after a No. 1 of 10 weeks or more.
Drake
Led for 10 weeks with “One Dance,” feat. WizKid & Kyla, 2016
Has since notched five more No. 1s, including two more for double-digit weeks each: “God’s Plan” (11 weeks, 2018) and “In My Feelings” (10 weeks, 2018), as well as “Nice for What” (eight weeks, 2018); “Toosie Slide” (one week, 2020); and “What’s Next” (one week, 2021); eight career No. 1s
Usher
Led for 12 weeks with “Yeah!,” feat. Lil Jon & Ludacris, 2004
Has since notched five more No. 1s: “Burn” (eight weeks, 2004); “Confessions” (two weeks, 2004); “My Boo,” with Alicia Keys (six weeks, 2004); “Love in This Club,” feat. Young Jeezy (three weeks, 2008); and “OMG,” feat. will.i.am (four weeks, 2010); nine career No. 1s
Boyz II Men
Led for 13 weeks with “End of the Road,” 1992
Has since notched four more No. 1s, including two more for double-digit weeks: “I’ll Make Love to You” (14 weeks, 1994) and “One Sweet Day,” with Mariah Carey (16 weeks, 1995-96), as well as “On Bended Knee” (six weeks, 1994-95) and “4 Seasons of Loneliness” (one week, 1997); five career No. 1s
Boyz II Men claim a unique record: The vocal group is the only act to notch a double-digit-weeks Hot 100 No. 1 and then add two more that each led longer than its predecessor. After “End of the Road” ruled 13 for weeks, “I’ll Make Love to You” reigned for 14 weeks and “One Sweet Day” dominated for 16. At the time, each command either set or tied for the longest in the chart’s history.
Eminem
Led for 12 weeks with “Lose Yourself,” 2002
Has since notched four more No. 1s: “Crack a Bottle,” with Dr. Dre & 50 Cent (one week, 2009); “Not Afraid” (one week, 2010); “Love the Way You Lie,” feat. Rihanna (seven weeks, 2010); and “The Monster,” feat. Rihanna (four weeks, 2012-13); five career No. 1s
Puff Daddy/P. Diddy
Led for 11 weeks with “I’ll Be Missing You,” with Faith Evans & feat. 112, 1997
Has since notched three more No. 1s: as featured, with Mase, on The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Mo Money Mo Problems” (two weeks, 1997) and with his own “Bump, Bump, Bump,” with B2K (one week, 2003) and “Shake Ya Tailfeather,” with Nelly & Murphy Lee (four weeks, 2003); five career No. 1s
Rihanna
Led for 10 weeks with “We Found Love,” feat. Calvin Harris, 2011-12
Has since notched three more No. 1s: “Diamonds” (three weeks, 2012); as featured on Eminem’s “The Monster” (four weeks, 2012-13); and “Work,” feat. Drake (nine weeks, 2016); 14 career No. 1s
Beyoncé
Led for 10 weeks with “Irreplaceable,” 2006-07
Has since notched two more No. 1s: “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” (four weeks, 2008-09) and with Ed Sheeran on “Perfect” (six weeks, 2017-18); six career No. 1s
The Black Eyed Peas
Led for 12 weeks with “Boom Boom Pow,” 2009
Has since notched two more No. 1s, including one more for double-digit weeks: “I Gotta Feeling” (14 weeks, 2009), as well as “Imma Be” (two weeks, 2010); three career No. 1s
Flo Rida
Led for 10 weeks with “Low,” 2008
Has since has notched two more No. 1s: “Right Round” (six weeks, 2009) and “Whistle” (two weeks, 2012); three career No. 1s
Monica
Led for 13 weeks with “The Boy Is Mine,” with Brandy, 1998
Has since notched two more No. 1s: “The First Night” (five weeks, 1998) and “Angel of Mine” (four weeks, 1999); three career No. 1s
Nelly
Led for 10 weeks with “Dilemma,” feat. Kelly Rowland, 2002
Has since has notched two more No. 1s: “Shake Ya Tailfeather,” with P. Diddy & Murphy Lee (four weeks, 2003) and “Grillz,” feat. Paul Wall, Ali & Gipp (two weeks, 2006); four career No. 1s
Kanye West
Led for 10 weeks with “Gold Digger,” feat. Jamie Foxx, 2005
Has since has notched two more No. 1s: “Stronger” (one week, 2007) and as featured on Katy Perry’s “E.T.” (two weeks, 2011); four career No. 1s
Brandy
Led for 13 weeks with “The Boy Is Mine,” with Monica, 1998
Has since notched one more No. 1: “Have You Ever?” (two weeks, 1999); two career No. 1s
Destiny’s Child
Led for 11 weeks with “Independent Women Part 1,” 2000-01
Has since notched one more No. 1: “Bootylicious” (two weeks, 2001); four career No. 1s
Beyoncé is the only artist with a lead solo and a group No. 1 to top the Hot 100 for double-digit frames, tallied via her own “Irreplaceable” and Destiny’s Child’s “Independent Women Part 1.” (Her groupmate Kelly Rowland also earned a 10-week No. 1 in a featured role, on Nelly’s “Dilemma.”)
Whitney Houston
Led for 14 weeks with “I Will Always Love You,” 1992-93
Notched one more No. 1: “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)” (one week, 1995); 11 career No. 1s
Lil Nas X
Led for 19 weeks with “Old Town Road,” feat. Billy Ray Cyrus, 2019
Has since notched one more No. 1: “Montero (Call My by Your Name)” (one week to-date, 2021); two career No. 1s
Roddy Ricch
Led for 11 weeks with “The Box,” 2020
Has since notched one more No. 1: as featured on DaBaby’s “Rockstar” (seven weeks, 2020); two career No. 1s
Santana
Led for 12 weeks with “Smooth,” feat. Rob Thomas, 1999-2000
Has since notched one more No. 1, also for double-digit weeks: “Maria Maria,” feat. The Product G&B (10 weeks, 2000); two career No. 1s
Santana is one of only five acts with multiple double-digit-weeks Hot 100 No. 1s in lead roles, thanks to its late-’90s/early 2000s resurgence. The elite club members: Boyz II Men, Drake (three each), The Black Eyed Peas, Mariah Carey and Santana (two each).
Ed Sheeran
Led for 12 weeks with “Shape of You,” 2017
Has since notched one more No. 1: “Perfect,” with Beyoncé (six weeks, 2017-18); two career No. 1s
So, how often do artists return to the top of the Hot 100 after scoring hits, in lead roles, that led for at least 10 weeks? As of this week, Lil Nas X tilts the scales even more positively, as a majority – 20 of the 36 acts with double-digit-weeks No. 1s as leads – have springboarded that success to further No. 1s.
As an impressive consolation, of the 16 acts that have not returned to No. 1 on the Hot 100 following 10-week reigns or more as leads, seven have other No. 1s on their résumés; they just happened to earn their longest-leading No. 1s (as leads) last (so far) among their ruling songs: Elton John (nine No. 1s), Olivia Newton-John (five), Adele, Pharrell (four each), Ashanti, Toni Braxton and Wiz Khalifa (two each).
Plus, of the 36 acts with lead-role Hot 100 No. 1s that ruled for at least 10 weeks each, only nine have no other career No. 1s: All-4-One, Debby Boone, The Chainsmokers, Daddy Yankee, Faith Evans, Los Del Rio, Luis Fonsi, Mark Ronson and Robin Thicke.
Meanwhile, of those nine acts, The Chainsmokers, whose “Closer” led for 12 weeks in 2016, helped spark the career of the song’s featured artist, Halsey, who reigned with her own “Without Me” for two weeks in 2019. Similarly, Pharrell led with “Happy,” a 10-week No. 1 itself, after being featured on Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” (and after two other No. 1s in featured roles). Plus, Justin Bieber has added two more toppers (of seven total) since his featured turn on Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito.”
To crown the Hot 100 for at least 10 weeks is clearly a rare honor, one that just 3% of all No. 1s have achieved. Despite reaching such a lofty apex, artists more often than not subsequently reap even more chart-topping fortunes.
As Lil Nas X tweeted after Billboard announced that “Montero” had arrived atop the Hot 100, “You told him to stop while he’s ahead. But … 2 #1’s later, he’s still here.”
