Topping the Billboard 200 albums chart or the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart marks a milestone achievement for any artist.
Topping both tallies reflects that an act can boast mass appeal with a full collection of music along with the ability to translate that reach to hit singles.
Who has the most combined No. 1s on the Billboard 200 and Hot 100?
With the most No. 1s on each ranking (through charts dated Nov. 11, 2023), The Beatles, thus, claim the most leaders on the lists combined: 39, via 20 No. 1s on the Hot 100 and 19 on the Billboard 200. The Fab Four first topped the charts in February 1964, thanks to “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and parent album Meet the Beatles, respectively. Their run of Billboard 200 No. 1s stretches through their retrospective 1 in 2000-01.
Drake leads all soloists and ranks second overall with 26 combined Billboard 200 and Hot 100 No. 1s, an equal 13 on each chart. He added his latest leaders with For All the Dogs and the set’s “First Person Shooter” (featuring J. Cole) in October.
Pacing women artists, Mariah Carey has posted 25 No. 1s on the charts. She has 19 leaders, the most among soloists, on the Hot 100, and six on the Billboard 200.
Taylor Swift follows with 24 No. 1s: 13 on the Billboard 200 – her total swelled on the Nov. 11 chart with the launch of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) – and 11 on the Hot 100, likewise a new total thanks to the coronation of the album’s “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault].” Swift is the only woman, and has joined The Beatles and Drake among all acts, with double-digit No. 1s on both rankings.
Rounding out the top five, Madonna has earned 21 No. 1s on the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 combined, with 12 on the latter and nine on the former.
(Notably, Paul McCartney accounts for a whopping 56 combined Billboard 200 and Hot 100 No. 1s, with The Beatles’ 39 augmented by 17 more by McCartney solo, including his output with Wings.)
Below, browse the list of the superstars with the most combined No. 1s on the Billboard 200, which began with the survey dated March 24, 1956, and the Hot 100, which premiered with the edition dated Aug. 4, 1958.
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39 – The Beatles
Image Credit: Mark and Colleen Hayward/Redferns Billboard 200 No. 1s: Meet The Beatles! / The Beatles’ Second Album / A Hard Day’s Night (soundtrack) / Beatles ‘65 / Beatles VI / Help! (soundtrack) / Rubber Soul / Yesterday and Today / Revolver / Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band / Magical Mystery Tour (soundtrack) / The Beatles [White Album] / Abbey Road / Let It Be (soundtrack) / The Beatles 1967-1970 / Anthology 1 / Anthology 2 / Anthology 3 / 1
Hot 100 No. 1s: “I Want to Hold Your Hand” / “She Loves You” / “Can’t Buy Me Love” / “Love Me Do” / “A Hard Day’s Night” / “I Feel Fine” / “Eight Days a Week” / “Ticket to Ride” / “Help!” / “Yesterday” / “We Can Work It Out” / “Paperback Writer” / “Penny Lane” / “All You Need Is Love” / “Hello Goodbye” / “Hey Jude” / “Get Back” / “Come Together”/“Something” / “Let It Be” / “The Long and Winding Road”/ “For You Blue”
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26 – Drake
Image Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images Billboard 200 No. 1s: Thank Me Later / Take Care / Nothing Was the Same / If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late / What a Time To Be Alive (with Future) / Views / More Life / Scorpion / Care Package / Certified Lover Boy / Honestly, Nevermind / Her Loss (with 21 Savage) / For All the Dogs
Hot 100 No. 1s: “What’s My Name?” (Rihanna feat. Drake) / “Work” (Rihanna feat. Drake) / “One Dance” (feat. WizKid & Kyla) / “God’s Plan” / “Nice for What” / “In My Feelings” / “Toosie Slide” / “What’s Next” / “Way 2 Sexy” (feat. Future and Young Thug) / “Wait for U” (Future feat. Drake & Tems) / “Jimmy Cooks” (feat. 21 Savage) / “Slime You Out” (feat. SZA) / “First Person Shooter” (feat. J. Cole)
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25 – Mariah Carey
Image Credit: Todd Williamson/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via GI Billboard 200 No. 1s: Mariah Carey / Music Box / Daydream / Butterfly / The Emancipation of Mimi / E=MC²
Hot 100 No. 1s: “Vision of Love” / “Love Takes Time” / “Someday” / “I Don’t Wanna Cry” / “Emotions” / “I’ll Be There” / “Dreamlover” / “Hero” / “Fantasy” / “One Sweet Day” (with Boyz II Men) / “Always Be My Baby” / “Honey” / “My All” / “Heartbreaker” (feat. Jay-Z) / “Thank God I Found You” (feat. Joe & 98 Degrees) / “We Belong Together” / “Don’t Forget About Us” / “Touch My Body” / “All I Want for Christmas Is You”
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24 – Taylor Swift
Image Credit: Jeff Kravitz/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Billboard 200 No. 1s: Fearless / Speak Now / Red / 1989 / Reputation / Lover / Folklore / Evermore / Fearless (Taylor’s Version) / Red (Taylor’s Version) / Midnights / Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) / 1989 (Taylor’s Version)
Hot 100 No. 1s: “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” / “Shake It Off” / “Blank Space” / “Bad Blood” (feat. Kendrick Lamar) / “Look What You Made Me Do” / “Cardigan” / “Willow” / “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” / “Anti-Hero” / “Cruel Summer” / “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]”
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21 – Madonna
Image Credit: Ross Marino/Icon and Image/Getty Images Billboard 200 No. 1s: Like a Virgin / True Blue / Like a Prayer / Music / American Life / Confessions on a Dance Floor / Hard Candy / MDNA / Madame X
Hot 100 No. 1s: “Like a Virgin” / “Crazy for You” / “Live to Tell” / “Papa Don’t Preach” / “Open Your Heart” / “Who’s That Girl” / “Like a Prayer” / “Vogue” / “Justify My Love” / “This Used to Be My Playground” / “Take a Bow” / “Music”
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19 – Michael Jackson
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage Billboard 200 No. 1s: Thriller / Bad / Dangerous / HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I / Invincible / Michael Jackson’s This Is It (soundtrack)
Hot 100 No. 1s: “Ben” / “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” / “Rock With You” / “Billie Jean” / “Beat It” / “Say Say Say” (with Paul McCartney) / “I Just Cant Stop Loving You” (with Siedah Garrett) / “Bad” / “The Way You Make Me Feel” / “Man in the Mirror” / “Dirty Diana” / “Black or White” / “You Are Not Alone”
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18 – Jay-Z
Image Credit: Neil Lupin/Redferns via Getty Images Billboard 200 No. 1s: Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life / Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter / The Dynasty Roc La Familia (2000 — ) / The Blueprint / The Blueprint 2: The Gift and the Curse / The Black Album / Unfinished Business (with R. Kelly) / MTV Ultimate Mash-Ups Presents: Collision Course (with Linkin Park) / Kingdom Come / American Gangster / The Blueprint 3 / Watch the Throne (with Kanye West) / Magna Carta… Holy Grail / 4:44
Hot 100 No. 1s: “Heartbreaker” (Mariah Carey feat. Jay-Z) / “Crazy in Love” (Beyoncé feat. Jay-Z) / “Umbrella” (Rihanna feat. Jay-Z) / “Empire State of Mind” (with Alicia Keys)
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17 – Janet Jackson
Image Credit: Fryderyk Gabowicz/picture alliance via Getty Images Billboard 200 No. 1s: Control / Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 / janet. / The Velvet Rope / All for You / Discipline / Unbreakable
Hot 100 No. 1s: “When I Think of You” / “Miss You Much” / “Escapade” / “Black Cat” / “Love Will Never Do (Without You)” / “That’s the Way Love Goes” / “Again” / “Together Again” / “Doesn’t Really Matter” / “All for You”
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17 – Paul McCartney/Wings
Image Credit: Robert R. McElroy/GI Billboard 200 No. 1s: McCartney / Red Rose Speedway (with Wings) / Band on the Run (with Wings) / Venus and Mars (Wings) / At the Speed of Sound (Wings) / Wings Over America (with Wings) / Tug of War / Egypt Station
Hot 100 No. 1s: “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” (with Linda McCartney) / “My Love” (with Wings) / “Band on the Run” (with Wings) / “Listen to What the Man Said” (Wings) / “Silly Love Songs” (Wings) / “With a Little Luck” (Wings) / “Coming Up (Live at Glasgow)” (with Wings) / “Ebony and Ivory” (with Stevie Wonder) / “Say Say Say” (with Michael Jackson)
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17 – Elvis Presley
Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Billboard 200 No. 1s: Elvis Presley / Elvis / Loving You / Elvis’ Christmas Album / G.I. Blues / Something for Everybody / Blue Hawaii / Roustabout (soundtrack) / Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite / Elv1s: 30 #1 Hits
Hot 100 No. 1s: “A Big Hunk o’ Love” / “Stuck on You” / “It’s Now or Never” / “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” / “Surrender” / “Good Luck Charm” / “Suspicious Minds” (the first six songs above are billed as with the Jordanaires; Presley’s career predates the Hot 100’s inception)
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17 – The Rolling Stones
Image Credit: Mark and Colleen Hayward/Redferns Billboard 200 No. 1s: Out of Our Heads / Sticky Fingers / Exile on Main St. / Goats Head Soup / It’s Only Rock ‘N Roll / Black and Blue / Some Girl / Emotional Rescue / Tattoo You
Hot 100 No. 1s: “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” / “Get Off of My Cloud” / “Paint It, Black” / “Ruby Tuesday” / “Honky Tonk Women” / “Brown Sugar” / “Angie” / “Miss You”
This story originally appeared on Billboard
