Ask Billboard: Artists With the Most Hot 100 No. 1s On Their Own & Those Who Have ‘Had Some Help’

Submit questions about Billboard charts, as well as general music musings, to askbb@billboard.com.

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Let’s open the latest mailbag.

‘Help’-ing Hands

Hi Gary,

Where does Post Malone rank among artists with the most collaborative Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s? Thanks to his current leader “I Had Some Help,” featuring Morgan Wallen, and following his featured role on Taylor Swift’s “Fortnight,” which topped the chart earlier this month, five of his six No. 1s have been collaborations.

Also, “I Had Some Help” is notable for Post Malone’s musical versatility, given his history on numerous genre charts.

Thanks for any, well, help!

Pablo Nelson
Oakland, Calif.

Hi Pablo,

Teamwork makes the dream work, per “I Had Some Help,” a strategy that has resulted in Post Malone tying for the second-most collaborative No. 1s in the Hot 100’s history.

Let’s look at the artists with the most Hot 100 No. 1s overall, the most on their own and the most with other billed artists (either in lead or featured roles), from the chart’s Aug. 4, 1958, inception through the ranking dated June 1.

Most Hot 100 No. 1s Overall:

Most Noncollaborative Hot 100 No. 1s:

Most Collaborative Hot 100 No. 1s:

The Beatles boast both the most Hot 100 No. 1s overall, 20, and without any other billed acts, 19; “Get Back,” which was amid its five-week reign 55 years ago this week, is co-billed with Billy Preston.

With collaborations more common in recent decades, and long prominent in hip-hop, Drake and Rihanna have each scored a record eight Hot 100 No. 1s with other credited acts, including two together: “What’s My Name?,” in 2010, and “Work,” in 2016.

Meanwhile, Swift is the only act whose chart career began the 2000s with a double-digit total of noncollaborative Hot 100 No. 1s. She and Mariah Carey are the only such acts whose chart histories date back no further than the 1990s.

Notably on the third list above, Diddy and Ludacris are the only artists with as many as five Hot 100 No. 1s in collaboration with other acts and no other leading hits, theirs all augmented by other rappers and singers including Faith Evans, Fergie and Pharrell.

Conversely, Madonna and The Supremes are the acts with the most Hot 100 No. 1s all without any guests, 12 out of 12 each.

As for Post Malone, prior to his two latest No. 1s, he ruled the Hot 100 with his lone leader on his own: “Circles,” for three weeks in 2019. In addition to Wallen and Swift, he has shared his stays atop the chart with Swae Lee, 21 Savage and Ty Dolla $ign.

Regarding his sonic versatility, “I Had Some Help” has given Post Malone his first Hot Country Songs No. 1, to go along with five on Hot Rap Songs and four on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, as well as one on Hot Alternative Songs, via his having joined on Noah Kahan’s “Dial Drunk.” He has also hit No. 3 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, as featured, with Preme, on Tiësto and Dzeko’s 2018 hit “Jackie Chan.” Latin is additionally on his chart résumé, as his first Hot 100 No. 1 (and one that shouts out another genre), “Rockstar,” featuring 21 Savage, spent a week on Latin Airplay in 2018.

Republic co-founder/CEO Monte Lipman told Billboard in 2022 that when the label signed Post Malone in 2015, “We kept reinforcing [that] Post rely on instincts. We also crystallized our position that we’d remain incredibly patient and support Post’s creative endeavors.”

Said Post Malone, “The whole thing is that you don’t want to compromise your art and your gut vibe on anything.”

‘Breakfast’ Before ‘Lunch’

Gary,

As (the perhaps radio-ready) “Lunch” by Billie Eilish debuts on the Hot 100 at No. 5, can you please provide a list of charted hits with “breakfast,” “lunch” and “dinner” in their titles? 

Thanks,

Jesper Tan
Subang Jaya, Malaysia

Hi Jesper,

Seemingly surprisingly, Billie Eilish scores the first Hot 100 hit with “lunch” in its title. Honorable mention: Lunchmoney Lewis served up two entries in 2015-16.

In the lead in the category, five songs with “breakfast” in their titles have reached the Hot 100 (along with two by The Breakfast Club, led by 1987’s No. 7-peaking “Right on Track”):

“Lunch” is now tied with “dinner” in terms of appearances in Hot 100 hits’ titles: “Dinner With Gershwin” by Donna Summer reached No. 48 in 1987.

No songs with “brunch,” “supper” or even “snack” in their titles have hit the Hot 100.

(Still, this likely remains pop culture’s lightest menu.)

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