Here Are All Of Them, Ranked

Before the pop princesses of the 2020s, Rihanna was at the helm as the absolute queen of the early 2000s and 2010s. It seemed like every year from the time she released her first single in 2005, there was at least one Rihanna hit on the radio that had everyone singing along. Her music was key in defining the pop music of the 2010s. From her slow ballads, to her club hits, to her numerous collaborations which span genres and generations, Rihanna is a pop artist unlike any other.

If you take into account the three singles which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on which Rihanna was featured, she has had the third most number one singles of any artist at 14, behind The Beatles at 20, and Mariah Carey at 19 (Billboard). Of her 14 number one hits, Rihanna was the lead artist on 11 of them, and all 11 had a massive impact on the industry at large. Here are the 11 number one hits on which Rihanna was the lead artist, ranked.

11

Work

Anti (2016)

“Work” was one of four collaborations Rihanna did with Drake, and their second to reach the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Knowing how great they are able to sound together is why this track unfortunately pales in comparison. It’s catchy, no doubt, and certainly fun to dance and sing along to, which is largely why it was Rihanna’s longest streak at the number one spot, where the song spent nine weeks (Billboard).

The duration of the song’s stay at the number one spot ultimately resulted in radio stations sometimes airing the track multiple times a day. As such, the chorus of “Work” is its biggest weakness. It consists of Rihanna simply repeating the one-word title over and over and, frankly, it starts to sound annoying. You know when you hear a word said so many times that it starts to lose its meaning? That’s what this song does to its title. It’s catchy, an integral part of Rihanna’s discography, but not her best when it comes to her number one hits.

10

Rude Boy

Rated R (2010)

“Rude Boy” was Rihanna’s first number one hit of the 2010s, and was the proof that she was ready to tackle another decade at the top. It spent five weeks in the number one spot, and whereas “Work” was really her only number one hit that wasn’t entirely worthy of nine weeks at number one, “Rude Boy” is a massive jump in musical quality. It incorporates a handful of musical influences, giving the song a three-dimensional sound and allowing Rihanna to show off multiple aspects of her vocal range.

The lyrics to “Rude Boy” are relatively promiscuous, not that Rihanna has ever shied away from R-rated lyrics (no pun intended), but this song is unique in that the lyrics are both covert and explicit at the same time. While the lyrics tell the story of a sexual encounter in no uncertain terms, the song’s production boasts a slower hip-hop beat with a musical ensemble that turns the slow beat into one that makes you want to dance.​​​​

9

Only Girl (In the World)

Loud (2010)

Rihanna’s second number one hit of the year 2010, “Only Girl (In The World)” was the lead single from her fifth album, Loud. One of her hits that highlights her vocal range in both the high notes and the long-held notes, this song became a staple of Rihanna’s live performances, from Saturday Night Live, to her Super Bowl LVII halftime performance, and at any number of concerts as well. As the follow-up hit to “Rude Boy,” the two songs have been compared to one another quite a bit, even by Rihanna herself.

When she announced the single in 2010, and thus the album, Rihanna explained on her official fansite, “NOTHING compares to the album I just made…I wanted the next step in the evolution of Rihanna, and it’s perfect for us.” (Billboard) This song most definitely encapsulates that next step in Rihanna’s evolution, as she ventures outside her typical vocal range on both ends of the spectrum.

8

Diamonds

Unapologetic (2012)

I’d like to express first and foremost that “Diamonds” marks a turning point in Rihanna’s career, and without this song, there is a real, albeit still unlikely, possibility that her career could have taken a downturn. There were six singles between “We Found Love” and “Diamonds,” and one of them didn’t even manage to make the Billboard Hot 100 at all. All of her number one singles are fantastic, and “Diamonds” is no exception; some are just better than others. In the wake of a single which failed to chart at all, this song felt like a safe bet.

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Given that it spent three weeks in the number one spot, “Diamonds” was the safe bet Rihanna and her team were hoping for. This song follows the trajectory of a musical epic, starting off slow and steady, then bursting open with the regal climax of a chorus. There isn’t much variation from verse to chorus and back, but the lyrics in this song are sheer poetry, with lines like “Find light in the beautiful sea, I choose to be happy” and “Feel the warmth, we’ll never die, we’re like diamonds in the sky.”

7

Take a Bow

Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded (2008)

While Rihanna had a handful of slow jams which made the charts, most of them did not reach the number one spot. “Take A Bow” was her only slow song to peak at number one, and while it may not definitively be the greatest ballad of her career, it is absolutely deserving of its chart-topper status. Written by fellow modern R&B legend Ne-Yo, the lyrics of this song are bursting with intensity, and the passion is deeply felt in Rihanna’s vocals.

The bridge in particular has always stood out to me as the height of emotion in 2008 pop music, not necessarily because of the lyrics themselves, but more in the way Rihanna sang them: “Don’t tell me you’re sorry ’cause you’re not / Baby when I know you’re only sorry you got caught.” The lyrics lend themselves pretty easily to the feeling in her voice, and the passion and intensity is truly palpable.

6

We Found Love

Talk That Talk (2011)

“We Found Love” was Rihanna’s first collaboration with DJ Calvin Harris, and it is a clear-cut EDM track which spent ten weeks in the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2011, I don’t think there was a single club hit that reached the level of energy that this song did every time it came on. With the rise of streaming and the radio still at its peak, there wasn’t a day that went by in probably the first six months after this song was released that I didn’t hear it, and I didn’t get sick of it once.

The music video for “We Found Love” was responsible for the song’s Grammy for Best Music Video, and the MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year as well. On top of the video, the lyrics became widely known by fans and non-fans alike; “We found love in a hopeless place,” spawned countless memes across all social media platforms. From the iconic chorus, to the legendary electronic instrumental build, to, of course, the beat drop, this may be Rihanna’s most dynamic club hit.

5

S&M

Loud (2011)

Of course, each of Rihanna’s number one hits had a massive impact on the music industry at the time, as well as broader popular culture. “S&M” was unique, however, in that the song was written by Ester Dean, who had the chance to perform it herself after Rihanna had popularized the song. Dean played Cynthia Rose in the 2012 movie Pitch Perfect, and performed her song during the ‘riff-off’ scene of the movie, something that very few, if any, songwriters were able to do in front of such a wide audience with a song they wrote for Rihanna.

That said, it makes total sense that Dean wrote the song for Rihanna—her range and artistic presence did wonders for it. As with so many of her hits, Rihanna tells the story of the song not only with the lyrics, but in her vocal quality and variation. She goes from short, almost staccato notes during the refrain, “Na-na-na, come on, come on, come on / I like it, like it,” to longer, flowing vocals in the bridge, “Oh, I love the feeling you bring to me / Oh, you turn me on,” the combination of which is truly narrative.

4

Disturbia

Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded (2008)

“Disturbia” was one of Rihanna’s early hits, her fourth to reach the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100, all within the first three years of her career. Where many of her hits of the 2010s were about sex and romance, the early 2000s saw a different side of Rihanna. “Disturbia” especially explored darker themes in the lyrics. The chorus begins, “Your mind’s in disturbia / It’s like the darkness is the light,” and the brooding lyrical quality remains throughout the entire song.

While the lyrics may be dark, the song itself is upbeat, keeping in line with the uptempo dance hits which continued to climb the charts for Rihanna, and kept her fans coming back. With a steady dance beat in the background, and the refrain, “Bum-bum-be-dum-bum-bum-be-dum-bum,” this song became an instant club classic within the singer’s repertoire.

3

What’s My Name?

Loud (2010)

“What’s My Name?” was Rihanna’s first collaboration with Drake, and was the start of a very successful musical relationship. It was also the first duet of her new era of sex and romance to reach the number one spot on the charts. The duet goes from Drake’s rapping in the first verse to Rihanna’s reggae-tinged vocals throughout the chorus, refrain, and remaining verses, telling a story first from his perspective before situating the listener directly within her point of view.

As far as tempo goes, this song sits right in the middle—not quite fast enough that you can dance to it in a club, but not so slow that it kills a mood if the DJ does decide to play it. And given the fact that it is a Rihanna and Drake collaboration, there was always a solid chance in the early 2010s that the DJ would decide to play it. The lyrics are catchy, and the overall sound is fairly accessible in that it is just easy to listen to and love.

2

SOS

A Girl Like Me (2006)

“SOS” was Rihanna’s first single to reach the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100, after her first ever single, “Pon de Replay,” surprisingly peaked at number two. It was the lead single from her second studio album, and was received by fans, old and new, with wide open arms. The song spent three weeks at number one, and has remained a contender for the best track of her career in the two decades since it was released.

“SOS” was produced from a sampled beat from the ’80s hit “Tainted Love,” and perhaps subconsciously ingratiated the pop star to her newfound fans of all ages. With all the callbacks to and influence from ’80s pop music that characterized the pop music of the early 2000s, it only makes sense that “SOS” was an instant classic, shooting right to the top of the charts.