The Billboard charts have been a staple in the music industry since the 1940s and have kept records of the most-played songs, top-selling artists and what is most popular across a broad range of genres. With more than 80 years of data, the Billboard charts have encountered several impressive chart runs, starting with The Beatles.
The Beatles haven’t released a new studio album since 1970’s Let It Be, but the foursome certainly made their mark in music history — decades later, the group still holds the record for the most No. 1 songs in the history of the Billboard Hot 100, with a total of 20 chart-toppers.
In more recent years, Drake has dominated the charts and surpassed Madonna as the artist with the most top 10 hits on the Hot 100, with 54 songs in the top tier. The Weeknd is also a record-holder, with his 2019-20 hit “Blinding Lights” spending an unprecedented 90 weeks (so far) on the chart and dethroning Chubby Checker‘s “The Twist” as the No. 1 song on Billboard‘s Greatest Songs of All Time Hot 100 chart.
Watch the latest episode of Billboard Explains to learn more of the longest-standing Billboard chart records.
After the video, catch up on more Billboard Explains videos and learn about the American Music Awards, the Billboard Latin Music Awards, the Hot 100 chart, how R&B/hip-hop became the biggest genre in the U.S., how festivals book their lineups, Billie Eilish’s formula for success, the history of rap battles, nonbinary awareness in music, the Billboard Music Awards, the Free Britney movement, rise of K-pop in the U.S., why Taylor Swift is re-recording her first six albums, the boom of hit all-female collaborations, how Grammy nominees and winners are chosen, why songwriters are selling their publishing catalogs, how the Super Bowl halftime show is booked and why Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” was able to shoot to No. 1 on the Hot 100.
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