The following is a list with the artists that scored the most number-one singles on Top 40 radio, also known as "pop radio". Billboard magazine has a special chart that tracks airplay on pop radio stations, "Pop Songs", previously known as "Top 40 Mainstream". However, this chart began in 1992, and so many legends achievements are downplayed by this. This list was made in order to pay homenage to those veterans who used to slay the charts and remind the ATRL readers of these people who created the sound of pop music as we know it. To compile this list two sources were used: Billboard's Pop Songs chart, and Radio and Records (R&R) magazine archives (avaible on this website:
). Have in consideration that R&R magazine began publishing in october 1973. Only artist with five or more number-one hits are included on this list. This was compiled by myself so if you think there's an artist that might be missing post it and I'll check the sources.
15 NUMBER ONES
Madonna
("Like a Virgin", "Material Girl", "Crazy for You", "Live to Tell", "Papa Don't Preach", "Open Your Heart", "Who's that Girl", "Like a Prayer", "Cherish", "Vogue", "Justify my Love", "This Used to be my Playground", "Deeper and Deeper", "I'll Remember", "Take a Bow")
14 NUMBER ONES
Mariah Carey
("Vision of Love", "Love Takes Time", "Someday", "I Don't Wanna Cry", "Emotions", "Can't Let Go", "Make It Happen", "I'll Be There", "Dreamlover", "Hero", "Fantasy", "One Sweet Day", "We Belong Together", "Shake It Off")
11 NUMBER ONES
Whitney Houston
("How Will I Know", "Greatest Love of All", "I Wanna Dance with Somebody", "Didn't We Almost Have It All", "So Emotional", "Where Do Broken Hearts Go", "I'm Your Baby Tonight", "All the Man That I Need", "I Will Always Love You", "I'm Every Woman", "I Have Nothing")
Michael Jackson
("Billie Jean", "Beat It", "Say Say Say", "Thriller", "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror", "Dirty Diana", "Black or White", "Remember the Time")
Rihanna
("SOS", "Take a Bow", "Disturbia", "Live Your Life", "Rude Boy", "Love the Way You Lie", "Only Girl (In the World)", "S&M", "We Found Love", "Stay", "The Monster")
Katy Perry
("Hot n Cold", "Waking Up in Vegas", "California Gurls", "Teenage Dream", "Firework", "E.T.", "Last Friday Night", "The One That Got Away", "Wide Awake", "Roar", "Dark Horse")
9 NUMBER ONES
Janet Jackson
("When I Think of You", "Miss You Much", "Escapade", "Come Back to Me", "Black Cat", "Love Will Never Do Without You", "That's the Way Loves Goes", "Again", "All For You")
George Michael
("Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go", "Careless Whispers", "Everything She Wants", "I Knew You Were Waiting for Me", "Faith", "Father Figure", "One More Try", "Monkey", "Praying for Time")
Pink
("Lady Marmalade", "Don't Let Me Get Me", "U + Ur Hand", "Who Knew", "So What", "Raise Your Glass", "****in' Perfect", "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)", "Just Give Me a Reason")
Prince
("When Doves Cry", "Let's Go Crazy", "Purple Rain", "Raspberry Beret", "Kiss", "Batdance", "Thieves in the Temple", "Cream", "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World")
8 NUMBER ONES
Phill Collins
("Against All Odds", "One More Night", "Sussudio", "Separate Lives", "Groovy Kind of Love", "Two Lives", "Another Day in Paradise", "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven")
7 NUMBER ONES
Lady Gaga
("Just Dance", "Poker Face", "LoveGame", "Paparazzi", "Bad Romance", "Telephone", "Born This Way")
Lionel Richie
("Endless Love", "Truly", "You Are", "All Night Long (All Night)", "Stuck on You", "Say You, Say Me", "Dancing on the Ceiling")
Justin Timberlake
("Rock Your Body", "Where Is the Love?", "SexyBack", "My Love", "What Goes Around... Comes Around", "Summer Love", "Mirrors")
6 NUMBER ONES
Paula Abdul
("Straight Up", "Forever Your Girl", "Cold Hearted", "Opposites Attract", "Rush Rush", "The Promise of a New Day")
Beyoncι
("Crazy In Love", "Baby Boy", "Check on It", "Irreplaceable", "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)", "Telephone")
Bee Gees
("Jive Talkin'", "How Deep is Your Love", "Stayin' Alive", "Night Fever", "Too Much Heaven", "Tragedy")
Elton John
("Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", "Bennie and the Jets", "Lucy in the Sky with
Diamonds", "Philadelphia Freedom", "Island Girl", "Don't Go Breaking my Heart")
Maroon 5
("This Love", "She Will Be Loved", "Moves Like Jagger", "Payphone", "One More Night", "Daylight")
Bruno Mars
("Nothin' on You", "Just the Way You Are", "Grenade", "It Will Rain", "Locked Out of Heaven", "When I Was Your Man")
Paul McCartney
("Band on the Run", "Silly Love Songs", "With a Little Luck", "Coming Up", "Ebony and Ivory", "Say Say Say")
Britney Spears
("Baby One More Time", "Oops!... I Did It Again", "Toxic", "Womanizer", "Circus", "I Wanna Go")
5 NUMBER ONES
Christina Aguilera
("Genie in a Bottle", "What a Girl Wants", "Lady Marmalade", "Beautiful", "Moves Like Jagger")
Boyz II Men
("It's Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday", "End of the Road", "I'll Make Love to You", "On Bended Knee", "One Sweet Day")
Chicago
("If You Leave Me Now", "Hard to Say I'm Sorry", "Hard Habit to Break", "You're the Inspiration", "Look Away")
Kelly Clarkson
("Miss Independent", "Breakaway", "Since U Been Gone", "Because of You", "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)")
Avril Lavigne
("Complicated", "Sk8ter Boi", "I'm With You", "My Happy Ending", "Girlfriend")
Alanis Morissette
("Ironic", "You Learn", "Head Over Feet", "Uninvited", "Thank U")
Ke$ha
("Right Round", "Tik Tok", "Your Love is My Drug", "Die Young", "Timber")
Nelly
("Hot In Herre", "Dilemma", "Shake Ya Tailfeather", "Over and Over", "Just a Dream")
Rod Stewart
("Tonight's the Night", "You're in My Heart", "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?", "Downtown Train", "All For Love")
Barbra Streisand
("The Way We Were", "Evergreen (Love Theme from "A Star Is Born")", "You Don't Bring Me Flowers", "The Main Event/Fight", "Woman In Love")
1) Mariah Carey has the record for most consecutive #1 hits, as her first 10 singles went number one. Her streak was broken by "Without You", that peaked at No. 2.
2) Gwen Stefani provided vocals for 5 number-one hits, 3 from No Doubt ("Don't Speak", "Hey Baby" and "Underneath It All") and 2 of her own ("Let Me Blow Ya Mind" and "Hollaback Girl").
3) Adam Lavine provided vocals for 7 number-one hits, 6 from Maroon 5 and "Stereo Hearts" with Gym Class Heroes.
4) Beyonce has provided vocals for 8 number-one hits, 6 of her own and 2 with Destiny's Child: "Jumpin' Jumpin'" and "Independent Women Part I".
5) Justin Timberlake has provided vocals for 9 number-one hits, 7 of his own and two with N'Sync ("Bye Bye Bye" and "It's Gonna Be Me").