Billboard Hot 100 chart achievements and milestones

This list highlights significant milestones and achievements

based upon Billboard magazine's singles charts, most notably the
Billboard Hot 100.

This list spans from the issue dated January 1, 1955 to the present. The
Billboard Hot 100 began with the issue dated August 9, 1958, and is
currently the standard music popularity chart in the United States.

Prior to its creation, Billboard published four singles charts: "Best Sellers in
Stores", "Most Played by Jockeys", "Most Played in Jukeboxes" and "The
Top 100" (an early version of the Hot 100).

These charts, which ranged from 20 to 100 slots, were phased out at
different times during 1957 and 1958. Though technically not part of the
"Hot 100" chart history, their data is included by Billboard for
computational purposes, and to avoid unenlightening discrepancies (i.e.
"Buddy Holly's debut single in the Top 40 was released posthumously" or
"Elvis Presley has seven Hot 100 number-ones").

There are chart discrepancies. In a prominent example of the magazine's

retroactive methodology, Elvis Presley's "Don't Be Cruel"/"Hound Dog"
single is credited with an 11-week run atop the Billboard chart in 1956,
because the double-sided release topped the "Best Sellers in Stores" and
"Most Played in Jukeboxes" lists for that length of time (though the specific
weeks differed).

Presley's run lasted just eight weeks atop the "Most Played by Jockeys"
chart, and seven weeks in "The Top 100"'s number one slot, but artists are
credited with their most favorable placements on any of the four charts.
This is why Billboard and its official statistician Joel Whitburn lists 17
number one singles, for a total of 71 weeks, in 1956.

However, Billboard and Whitburn are not in complete statistical

agreement. Originally, each side of the aforementioned Presley single had
a separate turn topping the sales chart, with the titles "flipping" during its
11-week run. The Best Sellers in Stores chart specified that in the case of
such double-sided releases, the "leading side" would be listed first. But
Billboard has since decertified all two-sided hit singles retroactively for
computational purposes, by voiding the matching status of whichever
songs were deemed to have been the lesser sides. Because "Hound Dog"
was the lead side during the single's number-one chart run for a shorter
period than "Don't Be Cruel," it is thus no longer counted as a separate
number-one hit by Billboard magazine. Whitburn continues to rely on
preexisting research.

All items listed below are from the Hot 100 era, unless otherwise noted
(pre-Hot 100 charts).
Contents

• 1 Song achievements
o 1.1 Most weeks at number one
o 1.2 Most weeks at number two
o 1.3 Number-one debuts
o 1.4 Biggest jump to number one
o 1.5 Biggest single-week upward movement
o 1.6 Biggest drop from number one
o 1.7 Most total weeks on the Hot 100
o 1.8 Number-ones by two different artists
o 1.9 Non-English language number-ones
• 2 Artist achievements
o 2.1 Self-replacement at number one
o 2.2 Most Hot 100 entries
o 2.3 Most top 40 hits
o 2.4 Most top 10 singles
o 2.5 Most number-one hits
o 2.6 Most cumulative weeks at number one
o 2.7 Most consecutive weeks at number-one (multiple singles)
o 2.8 Most consecutive number-one hits
o 2.9 Most number-two hits
o 2.10 Simultaneously occupying the top two positions
o 2.11 Longest span between first and most recent number-one
hits
o 2.12 Posthumous number ones
• 3 Producers with the most number-one hits
• 4 Songwriters with the most number-one hits
• 5 Album achievements
• 6 Additional Hot 100 achievements
• 7 See also
• 8 References

Song achievements

Most weeks at number one

• 16 weeks
Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men - "One Sweet Day" (1995-1996)
• 14 weeks
Whitney Houston — "I Will Always Love You" (1992-1993)
Boyz II Men — "I'll Make Love to You" (1994)
Los del Río — "Macarena" (Bayside Boys mix) (1996)
Elton John — "Candle in the Wind 1997" / "Something About the Way You
Look Tonight" (1997)
Mariah Carey - "We Belong Together" (2005)
• 13 weeks
Boyz II Men — "End of the Road" (1992)
Brandy and Monica — "The Boy Is Mine" (1998)
• 12 weeks
Santana featuring Rob Thomas — "Smooth" (1999)
Eminem — "Lose Yourself" (2002)
Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris — "Yeah!" (2004)
• 11 weeks
Elvis Presley — "Hound Dog" / "Don't Be Cruel" (1956) ("Best Sellers in
Stores" and "Most Played in Jukeboxes" charts)
All-4-One — "I Swear" (1994)
Toni Braxton — "Un-Break My Heart" (1996)
Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112 — "I'll Be Missing You" (1997)
Destiny's Child — "Independent Women Part I" (2000-2001)
• 10 weeks
McGuire Sisters — "Sincerely" (1955) ("Most Played by Jockeys" chart)
Pérez Prado — "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" (1955) ("Best
Sellers in Stores" chart)
Debby Boone — "You Light Up My Life" (1977)
Olivia Newton-John — "Physical" (1981)
Santana featuring The Product G&B — "Maria Maria" (2000)
Ashanti — "Foolish" (2002)
Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland — "Dilemma" (2002)
Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx — "Gold Digger" (2005)
Beyoncé — "Irreplaceable" (2006)
Flo Rida featuring T-Pain — "Low" (2008)

Most weeks at number two

• 11 weeks
Whitney Houston — "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" (1995) (after spending one
week at number one)
• 10 weeks
Foreigner — "Waiting for a Girl Like You" (1981)
Missy Elliott — "Work It" (2002)

Number-one debuts

• Michael Jackson — "You Are Not Alone" (September 2, 1995)

• Mariah Carey — "Fantasy" (September 30, 1995)
• Whitney Houston — "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" (November 25, 1995)
• Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men — "One Sweet Day" (December 2,
1995)
• Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112 — "I'll Be Missing You"
(June 14, 1997)
• Mariah Carey — "Honey" (September 13, 1997)
• Elton John — "Candle in the Wind 1997" / "Something About the Way
You Look Tonight" (October 11, 1997)
• Céline Dion — "My Heart Will Go On" (February 28, 1998)
 • Aerosmith — "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" (September 5, 1998)
• Lauryn Hill — "Doo Wop (That Thing)" (November 14, 1998)
• Céline Dion and R. Kelly — "I'm Your Angel" (December 5, 1998)
• Clay Aiken — "This Is the Night" (June 28, 2003)
• Fantasia — "I Believe" (July 10, 2004)
• Carrie Underwood — "Inside Your Heaven" (July 2, 2005)
• Taylor Hicks — "Do I Make You Proud" (July 1, 2006)

Biggest jump to number one

• 97-1 - Kelly Clarkson — "My Life Would Suck Without You" (February
7, 2009)[1]
• 96-1 - Britney Spears — "Womanizer" (October 25, 2008)[2]
• 80-1 - T.I. featuring Rihanna — "Live Your Life" (October 18, 2008) [3]
• 71-1 - T.I. — "Whatever You Like" (September 6, 2008)[4]
• 64-1 - Maroon 5 — "Makes Me Wonder" (May 12, 2007)
• 53-1 - Rihanna — "Take a Bow" (May 24, 2008)[5]
• 52-1 - Kelly Clarkson — "A Moment Like This" (October 5, 2002)
• 51-1 - Usher featuring Young Jeezy — "Love in This Club" (March 15,
2008)
• 42-1 - Timbaland featuring Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake
— "Give It to Me" (April 21, 2007)
• 41-1 - Rihanna featuring Jay-Z — "Umbrella" (June 9, 2007)

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. From 1955-2001, under Billboard's previous
methodologies, only two singles ascended directly to #1 from a previous
position beneath the Top 20: The Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love", which
jumped from #27 to the top slot in April 1964, and Brandy and Monica's
"The Boy Is Mine" which jumped from #23 to #1 in June 1998.

Biggest single-week upward movement

• 97-1 (96 positions) — Kelly Clarkson — "My Life Would Suck Without
You" (February 7, 2009)
• 96-1 (95 positions) — Britney Spears — "Womanizer" (October 25,
2008)
• 94-3 (91 positions) — Beyoncé and Shakira — "Beautiful Liar" (April
7, 2007)
• 95-7 (88 positions) — Akon featuring Eminem — "Smack That"
(October 14, 2006)
• 86-4 (82 positions) — Zac Efron, Andrew Seeley and Vanessa Anne
Hudgens — "Breaking Free" (February 11, 2006)
• 93-12 (81 positions) — Matchbox Twenty — "How Far We've Come"
(September 22, 2007)
• 84-5 (79 positions) — Fergie — "London Bridge" (August 12, 2006)
• 80-1 (79 positions) — T.I. featuring Rihanna — "Live Your Life"
 (October 18, 2008)
• 100-23 (77 positions) — Andrew Seeley — "Get'cha Head in the
Game" (February 11, 2006)
• 93-17 (76 positions) — Carrie Underwood — "So Small" (September
15, 2007)
• 85-9 (76 positions) — Lil Wayne featuring Static Major — "Lollipop"
(April 5, 2008)

Under 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; 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.

Biggest drop from number one

• 1-15 - Billy Preston — "Nothing from Nothing" (October 26, 1974)

• 1-15 - Dionne Warwicke and The Spinners — "Then Came You"
(November 2, 1974)
• 1-12 - Simon and Garfunkel — "The Sound of Silence" (January 29,
1966)
• 1-12 - Barry White — "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe"
(September 28, 1974)
• 1-12 - Andy Kim — "Rock Me Gently" (October 5, 1974)
• 1-12 - Stevie Wonder — "You Haven't Done Nothin'" (November 9,
1974)
• 1-12 - Bachman-Turner Overdrive — "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet"
(November 16, 1974)
• 1-12 - John Lennon — "Whatever Gets You thru the Night"
(November 23, 1974)
• 1-11 - Diana Ross — "Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where
You're Going To)" (January 31, 1976)

Most total weeks on the Hot 100

• 69 weeks - LeAnn Rimes — "How Do I Live" (1997)

• 65 weeks - Jewel — "Foolish Games" / "You Were Meant for Me"
(1997)
• 64 weeks - Carrie Underwood - "Before He Cheats" (2006)
• 62 weeks - Lifehouse — "You and Me" (2005)
• 60 weeks - Los del Río — "Macarena" (Bayside Boys Mix) (1996)
• 58 weeks - Santana featuring Rob Thomas — "Smooth" (1999)
• 58 weeks - The Fray — "How to Save a Life" (2006)
• 57 weeks - Creed — "Higher" (2000)
• 56 weeks - Paula Cole — "I Don't Want to Wait" (1998)
• 56 weeks - Faith Hill — "The Way You Love Me" (2001)
Number-ones by two different artists

• "Go Away Little Girl" — Steve Lawrence (1963) and Donny Osmond
(1971)
• "The Loco-Motion" — Little Eva (1962) and Grand Funk (1974)
• "Please Mr. Postman" — The Marvelettes (1961) and The Carpenters
(1975)
• "Venus" — Shocking Blue (1970) and Bananarama (1986)
• "Lean on Me" — Bill Withers (1972) and Club Nouveau (1987)
• "You Keep Me Hangin' On" — The Supremes (1966) and Kim Wilde
(1987)
• "When a Man Loves a Woman" — Percy Sledge (1966) and Michael
Bolton (1991)
• "I'll Be There" — The Jackson 5 (1970) and Mariah Carey (1992)
• "Lady Marmalade" — Labelle (1975) and Christina Aguilera / Lil Kim /
Mya / Pink (2001)

Non-English language number-ones

• "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare)" by Domenico Modugno (Italian -

September 1, 1958 for five weeks)
• "Sukiyaki" by Kyu Sakamoto (Japanese - June 15, 1963 for three
weeks)
• "Dominique" by The Singing Nun (French - December 7, 1963 for
four weeks)
• "Rock Me Amadeus" by Falco (German - March 29, 1986 for three
weeks)
• "La Bamba" by Los Lobos (Spanish - August 29, 1987 for three
weeks)
• "Macarena" (Bayside Boys Mix) by Los del Río (Partly in Spanish -
August 3, 1996 for fourteen weeks)

Artist achievements

Self-replacement at number one

• Elvis Presley — "Hound Dog" / "Don't Be Cruel" (eleven weeks) →

"Love Me Tender" (five weeks) (October 27, 1956) ("Best Sellers in
Stores" and "Most Played by Jockeys" charts)
• The Beatles — "I Want to Hold Your Hand" (seven weeks) → "She
Loves You" (two weeks) (March 21, 1964) → "Can't Buy Me Love"
(five weeks) (April 4, 1964)
• Boyz II Men — "I'll Make Love To You" (fourteen weeks) → "On
Bended Knee" (six weeks) (December 3, 1994)
• Puff Daddy — "I'll Be Missing You" (Puff Daddy and Faith Evans
featuring 112) (eleven weeks) → "Mo Money Mo Problems" (The
Notorious B.I.G. featuring Puff Daddy and Mase) (two weeks)
 (August 30, 1997)
• Ja Rule — "Always on Time" (Ja Rule featuring Ashanti) (two weeks)
→ "Ain't It Funny" (Jennifer Lopez featuring Ja Rule) (six weeks)
(March 9, 2002)
• Nelly — "Hot in Herre" (seven weeks) → "Dilemma" (Nelly featuring
Kelly Rowland) (ten weeks) (August 17, 2002)
• OutKast — "Hey Ya!" (nine weeks) → "The Way You Move" (OutKast
featuring Sleepy Brown) (one week) (February 14, 2004)
• Usher — "Yeah!" (Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris) (twelve
weeks) → "Burn" (seven weeks) (May 22, 2004)
• Usher — "Burn" (one additional week) → "Confessions Part II" (two
weeks) (July 24, 2004)
• T.I. — "Whatever You Like" (five weeks) → "Live Your Life" (T.I.
featuring Rihanna) (one week) (October 18, 2008)
• T.I. — "Whatever You Like" (two additional weeks) → "Live Your Life"
(T.I. featuring Rihanna) (four additional weeks) (November 15, 2008)

Most Hot 100 entries

• Elvis Presley (151)

• James Brown (99)
• Aretha Franklin (76)
• Ray Charles (75)
• The Beatles (72)

Most top 40 hits

• Elvis Presley (104)

• Elton John (56)
• The Beatles (51)
• Madonna (48)
• Stevie Wonder (45)

Most top 10 singles

• Madonna (37)
• Elvis Presley (36)
• The Beatles (29)
• Michael Jackson (28)
• Janet Jackson (27) (tie)
• Stevie Wonder (27) (tie)

NOTE: If Top 10 sides are considered-- that is, singles whose A-sides and B-
sides both charted as separate Top 10 entries-- then Elvis Presley would
have the most, with 38 Top 10 songs. The Beatles' total would increase
from 29 to 34, and Janet Jackson would pass her brother with 29. The
totals for Madonna, Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder would remain as
is.
Most number-one hits

Main article: List of artists who reached number one in the United States

1. The Beatles (20)

2. Mariah Carey (18)
3. Elvis Presley (17) (Pre-Hot 100 charts and Hot 100)
4. Michael Jackson (13)
5. Madonna (12) (tie)
5. The Supremes (12) (tie)
7. Whitney Houston (11)
8. Janet Jackson (10) (tie)
8. Stevie Wonder (10) (tie)
10. Bee Gees (9) (tie)
10. Elton John (9) (tie)

NOTE: Billboard now credits the dual #1 Presley single "Don't Be

Cruel/Hound Dog" as a single chart entity. Their statistician Joel Whitburn
continues to list Presley as having an 18th number one.

Most cumulative weeks at number one

• Elvis Presley (79 weeks) (tie) †

• Mariah Carey (79 weeks) (tie)
• The Beatles (59 weeks)
• Boyz II Men (50 weeks)
• Usher (43 weeks)

† 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.[6]

Presley has the record for the most separate calendar weeks with a
charting single in any position, with 1,598. As of 2007, Elton John is
second with 1,051, Madonna had 873 (a total which has since
increased), and no other artist has as many as 800.

Most consecutive weeks at number-one (multiple singles)

• 19 — Usher —"Yeah!" (12 weeks) and "Burn" (7 weeks) (2004)

• 16 — Elvis Presley — "Don't Be Cruel/Hound Dog" (11 weeks) and
"Love Me Tender" (5 weeks) (1956)
• 16 — Boyz II Men —"I'll Make Love to You" (14 weeks) and "On
Bended Knee" (2 weeks) (1994)
Most consecutive number-one hits

• 7 — Whitney Houston (1985-1988)

• 6 — The Beatles (1964-1966)
• 6 — Bee Gees (1977-1979)

Most number-two hits

• 6 — Elvis Presley
• 6 — Madonna
• 5 — The Carpenters
• 5 — Creedence Clearwater Revival

Simultaneously occupying the top two positions

• Elvis Presley: October 20, 1956 through November 3, 1956

1. "Hound Dog" / "Don't Be Cruel"
2. "Love Me Tender" ("Best Sellers in Stores" and "Most Played by
Jockeys" charts)
• The Beatles: From February 22, 1964 until April 25, 1964 the
Beatles held the top two positions, with various singles. On some
weeks their domination extended past the top two. On April 4, 1964,
the Beatles occupied the entire top five.
1. "Can't Buy Me Love"
2. "Twist and Shout"
3. "She Loves You"
4. "I Want to Hold Your Hand"
5. "Please Please Me"
• The Bee Gees: March 18, 1978 through April 15, 1978
1. "Night Fever"
2. "Stayin' Alive"
• Ashanti: April 20, 2002 through May 18, 2002
1. "Foolish"
2. "What's Luv?" (Fat Joe featuring Ashanti)
• Nelly: August 10, 2002 through August 31, 2002
1. "Hot in Herre"
2. "Dilemma" (songs switched positions on August 17, 2002)
• OutKast: December 20, 2003 through February 7, 2004
1. "Hey Ya!"
2. "The Way You Move"
• 50 Cent: April 16, 2005
1. "Candy Shop" (50 Cent featuring Olivia)
2. "Hate It or Love It" (The Game featuring 50 Cent)
• Mariah Carey: September 10, 2005
1. "We Belong Together"
2. "Shake It Off"
• Akon:
December 2, 2006
1. "I Wanna Love You" (Akon featuring Snoop Dogg)
2. "Smack That" (Akon featuring Eminem)
April 14, 2007
1. "Don't Matter"
2. "The Sweet Escape" (Gwen Stefani featuring Akon)
• T.I.: October 18, 2008 and November 1 through November 29, 2008
1. "Live Your Life" (T.I. featuring Rihanna)
2. "Whatever You Like" (songs switched positions several times)

Longest span between first and most recent number-one hits

• Cher — (33 years, 7 months)

"I Got You Babe" (August 1965, with Sonny)
"Believe" (March 1999)
• Michael Jackson — (25 years, 8 months)
"I Want You Back" (January 1970, as part of The Jackson 5)
"You Are Not Alone" (September 1995)
• Elton John — (24 years, 8 months)
"Crocodile Rock" (February 1973)
"Candle in the Wind 1997" / "Something About the Way You Look Tonight"
(October 1997)
• The Beach Boys — (24 years, 4 months)
"I Get Around" (July 1964)
"Kokomo" (November 1988)
• George Harrison — (23 years, 11 months)
"I Want to Hold Your Hand" (February 1964, as part of The Beatles)
"Got My Mind Set on You" (January 1988)

* NOTE: Two other artists had comparable durations between their first
and final #1 hits, if the pre-Hot 100 era is considered. Louis Armstrong's
"All of Me" topped the 1932 chart, according to Whitburn's "Pop Memories:
1890-1954" research; Armstrong's "Hello, Dolly!" was #1 in May 1964,
some 32 years and 2 months later. Frank Sinatra's first chart-topper was
"All or Nothing at All" in September 1943, as the singer for Harry James'
orchestra; his last was "Somethin' Stupid," an April 1967 duet with his
daughter Nancy Sinatra, for a span of 23 years, 7 months.

Posthumous number ones

• Otis Redding (d. December 10, 1967) — "(Sittin' on) the Dock of the
Bay" (March 16, 1968)
• Janis Joplin (d. October 4, 1970) — "Me and Bobby McGee" (March
20, 1971)
• Jim Croce (d. September 20, 1973) — "Time in a Bottle" (December
29, 1973)
• John Lennon (d. December 8, 1980) — "(Just Like) Starting Over"
(December 27, 1980)
 • The Notorious B.I.G. (d. March 9, 1997) — "Hypnotize" (May 3, 1997)
and "Mo Money Mo Problems" (August 30, 1997)
• Soulja Slim (d. November 26, 2003) — "Slow Motion" (Juvenile
featuring Soulja Slim) (August 7, 2004)
• Static Major (d. February 25, 2008) — "Lollipop" (Lil Wayne featuring
Static Major) (May 3, 2008)

Producers with the most number-one hits

• George Martin (23)

• Jimmy Jam (16) (tie)
• Terry Lewis (16) (tie)
• Steve Sholes (16) (tie)
• Barry Gibb (14) (tie)
• Mariah Carey (14) (tie)

Songwriters with the most number-one hits

• Paul McCartney (32)

• John Lennon (26)
• Mariah Carey (17)
• Barry Gibb (16)
• Brian Holland (15)

Album achievements

• Most number ones from one album: Michael Jackson, Bad (5)
• Most top five songs from one album: Janet Jackson, Janet
Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 (7)
• Most top ten songs from one album: Michael Jackson, Thriller;
Bruce Springsteen, Born in the USA; Janet Jackson, Janet Jackson's
Rhythm Nation 1814 (7 each)
• Most Hot 100 charted singles from one album: Taylor Swift,
Fearless (11)

Additional Hot 100 achievements

• The first number-one song on the Hot 100 was "Poor Little Fool" by
Ricky Nelson (August 4, 1958). The number-one song on the first
week Billboard incorporated sales and airplay data from Nielsen
SoundScan and Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems was "Set Adrift on
Memory Bliss" by P.M. Dawn (November 30, 1991). The first "airplay-
only" song to reach number one (no points from a commercial single
release) was "Try Again" by Aaliyah (June 17, 2000).

• For the week of April 11, 1964, the Beatles had fourteen singles on
the Hot 100, a record unlikely to be surpassed at any time in the
conceivable future. The group held the number 1, 2, 4, 7, 9, 14, 38,
 48, 50, 52, 61, 74, 78 and 81 slots. One week earlier, five Beatles
singles had filled the entire top five, also a record.

• American Idol season 7 winner David Cook set a record with the
most debuts in a single week (11) in the issue dated June 7, 2008.[7]

• "The Twist" by Chubby Checker is the only song to hit number one
twice in two separate chart runs (one week in 1960 and two weeks
in 1962).

• "Le Freak" by Chic (1978), "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis (2008),

"Whatever You Like" by T.I. (2008) and "Live Your Life" by T.I.
featuring Rihanna (2008) are the only songs to reach the number-
one position three separate times during the same chart run; each
was knocked off the top of the chart twice by other singles, before
reclaiming the slot.

• The record for the most separate chart runs for the same single is
nine, and is held by Bing Crosby's "White Christmas". Re-released
annually by Decca Records, the song was still on the chart in
January 1955, as well as 1955 through 1962. The song also had
twelve previous runs on Billboard's pre-rock charts, from 1942 to
1945, and 1947 to 1953. For singles first released during the rock
era, the record is five separate chart runs, and is held by three other
Christmas songs: David Seville and the Chipmunks' "The Chipmunk
Song", which charted for five consecutive years between 1958 and
1962, topping the Hot 100 during its original 1958 run; Bobby
Helms' "Jingle Bell Rock", which charted in 1957, 1958, and 1960
through 1962; and the Harry Simeone Chorale's "Little Drummer
Boy", which is the only single of the rock era to reach the top forty
for five consecutive years, between 1958 and 1962. Beginning in
1963, Billboard consigned these and other seasonal rereleases to a
separate Christmas chart, ending their strings of appearances on
the Hot 100. ("Best Sellers in Stores" and "Most Played in
Jukeboxes" charts)

• James Brown holds the record for most Hot 100 entries (ninety-nine)
without a number-one song.

• Creedence Clearwater Revival holds the record for the most number-
two hits (five) without ever hitting number one.

• Steve Alaimo has had the most singles to chart on the Hot 100
(nine) without ever having reached the Top 40.

• The oldest artist to hit number one on the Hot 100 is Louis
Armstrong in 1964 with " Hello, Dolly!" at the age of 62. The oldest
woman to top the Hot 100 is Cher with "Believe" in 1999 at the age
 of 53.

• The youngest artist to hit number one on the Hot 100 is Stevie
Wonder in 1963 with " Fingertips Pt. 2" at the age of 13. The
youngest female to top the Hot 100 is Little Peggy March, also in
1963, with "I Will Follow Him" at the age of 15. Wonder's single was
also the first live recording to top the chart

.
• The youngest artist to chart on the Hot 100 is Jordy, a four-year-old
from France whose "Dur Dur D'Être Bébé" (roughly, "It's Tough to Be
a Baby") reached number fifty-eight.

• The oldest artist to chart on the Hot 100 is comedian George Burns,
whose "I Wish I Was Eighteen Again" began its 10-week chart run
the day before his 84th birthday. This 1980 release peaked at
number forty-nine. Before that, Burns' most recent charting record
had been a spoken word comedic routine with his wife and partner
Gracie Allen in the summer of 1933.

• The artist with the longest overall span of hits on Billboard's chart is
Elvis Presley, who debuted with "Heartbreak Hotel" in February
1956; a remixed version of "Rubberneckin'" charted in late 2003,
more than 47 years later. For non-posthumous artists, Frankie Valli
first charted as one of the Four Lovers in 1956, and had his final
placement with The Four Seasons in 1995. If pre-1955 charts are
considered, Nat "King" Cole's Billboard career extended from
November 1943 until his studio-spliced "duet" with daughter Natalie
in 1991 ("Unforgettable"), some 48 years later. ("Best Sellers in
Stores" and "Most Played in Jukeboxes" charts)

• Elton John had at least one top forty hit every calendar year from
1970 (beginning with "Your Song") until 1999 (with "Written in the
Stars", a duet with LeAnn Rimes). (However, this methodology
credits one late 1995 hit that extended into the January 1996 chart,
and another single whose chart run covered both 1997 and 1998.)
Whether John's streak lasted 26 or 30 consecutive years depends on
which criteria are considered; either figure would be the longest in
chart history.

• Two Tommy James & the Shondells covers ("I Think We're Alone
Now" by Tiffany and "Mony Mony" by Billy Idol) were consecutive
number-one hits in 1987.

• Several artists have charted with two recordings of the same song,
but only three acts have hit the top ten with two different versions
of the same song. Those acts are The Ventures ("Walk, Don't
Run"/"Walk, Don't Run '64"), Neil Sedaka ("Breaking Up is Hard to
 Do"), Elton John ("Candle in the Wind"/"Candle in the Wind 1997";
also "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me," the second as a duet with
George Michael).

• The song with the most versions on the Hot 100 is "Unchained
Melody," which charted with nine different performers: Les Baxter
(whose version topped the chart); Al Hibbler; the Righteous
Brothers, who recorded two separate versions that charted 25 years
apart; Roy Hamilton; June Valli; Vito & the Salutations; the Sweet
Inspirations; and Heart. ("Best Sellers in Stores" and "Most Played in
Jukeboxes" charts)

• The Beatles and Usher are the only two artists to have both the
year-end number-one and number-two songs in the same year, with
the former having "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "She Loves You" in
1964, and the latter with "Yeah!" and "Burn" in 2004.

• Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, Faith Hill, and Lifehouse are the
only three acts to have a Billboard Year-End number-one single that
did not top the Billboard Hot 100 at any point during its run. In all
three cases, the relevant single peaked at number two: Sam the
Sham's "Wooly Bully" (1965), Faith Hill's "Breathe" (2000), and
Lifehouse's "Hanging by a Moment" (2001).

• The Isley Brothers hold the record for being the only act to have had
Top 40 hits on the Hot 100 in six consecutive decades: the 1950s,
1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.

• Usher holds the record for the most weeks spent at number one in a
calendar year. In 2004 he spent twenty-eight weeks at number one
with four different singles. This represents 54% of 2004's chart
weeks.

• The Bee Gees claimed the number one spot for 25 of 32 consecutive
weeks beginning the last week of 1977, either as writers, producers,
and/or backing vocalists on singles by Yvonne Elliman, their younger
brother Andy Gibb, and on three singles credited to themselves.

• When Lisa Loeb hit number one with "Stay (I Missed You)" in 1994,
she became the only artist to top the Hot 100 before being signed to
any record label.

• The longest title for a song to chart in the Hot 100 was "Medley:
Intro "Venus"/Sugar Sugar/No Reply/I'll Be Back/Drive My Car/Do You
Want to Know a Secret/We Can Work It Out/I Should Have Known
Better/Nowhere Man/You're Going to Lose That Girl/Stars on 45" (41
words) by Stars on 45. It went to number one in 1981.
• The instrumental artist with the most Hot 100 hits is Herb Alpert.
Thirty of his thirty-five charting singles are without vocals. He is also
the only artist to reach number one with both a vocal ("This Guy's In
Love With You" in 1968) and an instrumental ("Rise" in 1979).

• Barry White is the only artist to have written a #1 instrumental and

#1 vocal songs within 1 year ("Love's Theme" by Love Unlimited
Orchestra and "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love Babe" by Barry White
both in 1974).

• The number one hit with the shortest running time (1:37) is Maurice
Williams and the Zodiacs' "Stay." The shortest charting record of the
rock era was 1964's "Little Boxes" by the Womenfolk, which was
exactly one minute long, and reached number eighty-three.

• "At 8:37, November Rain" by Guns N' Roses (1992) stands as the
longest-running song to reach the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100.

• The largest act to chart on the Hot 100 is the 320-person Mormon
Tabernacle Choir, whose version of "The Battle Hymn of the
Republic" reached number thirteen in 1959.

• Studio drummer Hal Blaine appeared on the most number one hits,
thirty-nine in all, between 1961 and 1976.

• During the 12-week period from January 18-April 5, 1975, the Hot
100 was topped by 12 different number one singles, the longest
such stretch of constant chart turnover. Two Elton John singles,
"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and "Philadelphia Freedom",
bookended the streak with two two-week stays in the top position.

• The most separate number one singles in a single calendar year is

35, which occurred in both 1974 and 1975. 2002 and 2005 had the
fewest chart-topping singles, with just 8 apiece.

• In 1973, George Harrison's "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on

Earth)"' replaced Paul McCartney's "'My Love"; the two had been
bandmates in the Beatles. In 1978, Andy Gibb's number one "(Love
Is) Thicker Than Water" replaced "Stayin' Alive" by his brothers, the
Bee Gees; the Bee Gees then did the same to his single with their
"Night Fever"'. In 1986, Genesis' "Invisible Touch" was replaced in
the top spot by the band's original lead singer Peter Gabriel and
"Sledgehammer".

• Paul McCartney is the only artist to have separate top-ten singles as

a solo act, as half of a duo, as a third of a trio, as a fourth of a
quartet, and as a fifth of a quintet. (Graham Nash also charted in
these five configurations, but only in the top forty.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Hot_100_chart_achievements_and_m
ilestones#Album_achievements