R&B’s No. 1s: Billboard Honors 5 Chart Toppers Shaping the Genre

R&B set the tone for 2024 as Usher took center stage at the Super Bowl — kicking the genre’s renaissance into full swing. So this year we decided R&B needed its own special celebration. On Sunday night (Sept. 8) in New York, we’re honoring five artists topping the R&B charts, pushing the genre forward and moving the culture.

Entertainer of the Year: Usher

“Good Good” became his sweet 16th No. 1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, extending his record for the most among all singers.

Three decades into his career, Usher is still achieving new levels of success — and breaking records. His single “Good Good,” with Summer Walker and 21 Savage, topped the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart last November, giving the superstar his 16th No. 1. In addition to expanding his span of radio No. 1s to 26 years, dating to “You Make Me Wanna” in 1997, it further cemented his reign as the singer with the most leaders in the chart’s 32-year history.

As Usher reinforced his radio might, he also enjoyed a boost from his My Way residency in Las Vegas. Named after his 1997 breakthrough album, the show became one of the most buzzed-about residencies in town, sparking viral social media moments and celebrity attendees, all to the tune of $95.9 million (through its wrap in December 2023), according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore.

The crown jewel of Usher’s past year, of course, was headlining the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show in February to a record-shattering 129.3 million viewers, according to Nielsen. The career-spanning energetic set closed with signature hit “Yeah!” Thanks to the record viewership and enduring love for the classic 2004 smash, “Yeah!” rocketed in streams and returned to the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 20 the following week.

Hitmaker: Victoria Monét

Her cross-format smash “On My Mama” was one of only two songs to top the Adult R&B Airplay, Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay charts in the last year.

While Victoria Monét had been no stranger to hits — putting her pen to work in co-writing chart-toppers such as Ariana Grande’s “Thank U Next” and “7 Rings” — her own performing career skyrocketed in the last year, led by the mighty success of her single “On My Mama.”

The track, which samples Chalie Boy’s 2009 Southern rap staple “I Look Good,” started as a fan-favorite on social media platforms, but found its best results on airwaves. “On My Mama” hit No. 1 on three radio charts — Adult R&B Airplay, Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay — and became only one of two songs in the past year to lead all three lists. Capturing the lattermost crown was perhaps the most impressive feat, as it interrupted a months-long domination for SZA’s “Snooze.” The “On My Mama” appeal expanded to other formats, with strong results on Rhythmic Airplay (No. 2) and Pop Airplay (No. 16).

Industry peers noticed the breakthrough and showered Monét with seven Grammy Award nominations, with a record of the year nod for “On My Mama” in the mix. At the ceremony in February, she converted three nods into wins, including a triumph for best new artist.

Global Force: Tyla

Her global smash “Water” sank the competition on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart, with 44 weeks at No. 1.

While Tyla first appeared on the Billboard charts in February 2023 with “Been Thinking,” it was her next single, the bouncy, suggestive “Water,” that carried her to chart-topping success and helped expand the richness of African musical tastes to stateside audiences.

Bubbling onto its first Billboard lists in September 2023, “Water” got hotter week after week, shooting to a No. 7 peak on the Hot 100 in early January. Reflecting its blend of genres, the song appealed to various audiences — topping the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Rhythmic Airplay charts and reaching No. 6 on Pop Airplay. The track also pushed to No. 17 on the Streaming Songs chart and saved its greatest feat for the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart, where it dominated for an astounding 44 weeks. The success story wasn’t lost on Tyla’s music industry peers, who awarded her the inaugural Grammy for best African music performance in February.

The next month, the 22-year-old released her self-titled debut album, which opened at No. 2 on the Top R&B Albums chart. The album’s “Truth or Dare,” “Art” and the Tems-assisted “No. 1” generated attention, while “Jump,” with Gunna and Skillibeng, is now in the top 15 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay.

Torchbearer: Lucky Daye

The Grammy winner earned his first No. 1 in a lead role on any Billboard chart when “That’s You” topped Adult R&B Airplay.

July 13 was Lucky Daye’s… well, lucky day, when he checked off a career milestone — his first No. 1 as a lead artist on any Billboard chart as “That’s You” crowned Adult R&B Airplay. The single, which Bruno Mars co-wrote and co-produced, continued Grammy Award winner Daye’s string of radio successes, including the dual-format hit “Over” and collaborations with Alicia Keys and Khalid (“Come for Me [Unlocked]”) and Earth, Wind & Fire (“You Want My Love”).

“That’s You” set the stage for the singer-songwriter’s new album, Algorithm. In addition to its hit lead single, the set’s “HERicane” also leapt onto the Hot R&B Songs chart in June. The next month, Lucky Daye embarked on the Algorithm tour, which wrapped Aug. 28. With fellow R&B rising star Fana Hues as the opening act, the 33-date nationwide trek visited landmark venues, including Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and New York’s Radio City Music Hall.

Icon: Luther Vandross

The late legend’s first six albums all reached No. 1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, out of eight total career leaders.

A master of his craft, Vandross captivated audiences with a velvet, honeyed tone and technical precision that made him one of the most formidable performers to ever step up to a microphone. The connection was instant — debut single “Never Too Much” became an R&B No. 1 in 1981, as did its parent album of the same name. The top spot became a familiar destination, with Vandross’ next five albums also hitting No. 1. In all, the legend counted eight No. 1s on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, through 2003’s Grammy-winning Dance With My Father, and seven on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, including classics such as “Here and Now” and “Power of Love/Love Power.”

Let’s not forget his other contributions to the canon. The jubilant closing number to The Wiz, “Everybody Rejoice/A Brand New Day”? Vandross wrote it. Aretha Franklin’s Jump to It, a seven-week No. 1 R&B album for the Queen of Soul in 1982? He co-produced it. The full scope of his iconic career will reach audiences with the documentary Luther: Never Too Much, set to air on CNN, OWN and Max in 2025.

A version of this story appears in the Aug. 31, 2024, issue of Billboard.

Related Images: