Elvis Presley & Madonna: The Day the Music Died, and Was Born.
Today marks the date that we welcomed the
Queen of Pop and lost the King of Rock & Roll.
Madonna was born Aug. 16, 1958. As we celebrate the Material Girl's 53rd birthday, we likewise note the 34th anniversary of the passing of Elvis Presley, who died on the same date in 1977 at age 42.
In honor of two of the most prolific hitmakers in Billboard history, here is a look at some of the chart records that the icons claim.
MADONNA
- 37 top 10 Billboard Hot 100 singles. The Beatles, with 34, rank second. Madonna's first top 10 was 1984's "Borderline," which started a streak of 17 consecutive top 10s through 1989's "Cherish" (No. 2). Her most recent top 10 was "4 Minutes," featuring Justin Timberlake and Timbaland (No. 3, 2008).
- 55 titles on the Hot 100 since her debut the week of Oct. 29, 1983, with "Holiday," which peaked at No. 16 in January 1984. (She last visited the chart with "Celebration" (No. 71) in 2009. Since her Hot 100 arrival, Madonna leads all women for most chart appearances. Mariah Carey ranks second with 43 visits in that span, followed by Mary J. Blige, Whitney Houston and Taylor Swift, each with 39.
- Seven Hot 100 No. 1s in the '80s, tying her with Whitney Houston for most among women during the decade. Madonna's total haul of No. 1 Hot 100 hits is 12, the fourth-most leaders all-time. (The Supremes also boast 12 toppers). Only the Beatles (with 20), Carey (18) and Michael Jackson (13) have earned more No. 1s. Coincidentally, Madonna claimed her fourth No. 1, "Papa Don't Preach," on this date in 1986, her 28th birthday. (Aug. 16 also doubles as the launch date of Billboard's Dance Airplay chart in 2003, a list that Madonna has led seven times).
- 40 No. 1s on Billboard's Dance/Club Play Songs chart. Essentially, if Madonna releases a single and it charts on Dance/Club Play Songs, it's a safe bet to assume it'll go to No. 1. Since 2000, she's placed 23 hits on the survey. Of those, all but five went all the way to No. 1. Madonna is clearly the Queen of the Club. (Janet Jackson is next with 19 No. 1s).
19 top 10 albums on the Billboard 200, the most such sets among all artists dating to her first week in the top tier (Oct. 6, 1984) with her self-titled debut. She most recently hit the top 10 with the live set "Sticky & Sweet Tour," which debuted and peaked at No. 10 April 24, 2010. Of those 19 top 10 efforts, seven reached No. 1. In that 27-year span, Carey and George Strait place second with 16 top 10s each. As Madonna is preparing her next album, more Billboard chart history could await the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-enshrined Queen of Pop within the year.
ELVIS PRESLEY
- 108 Hot 100 hits, the most among solo artists in the chart's history (among all acts, only the "Glee" cast (156) has inked more charted hits; Presley's career predates the Hot 100's 1958 inception). The King's 104th charted title, "Way Down," originally peaked at No. 31 the weeks of Aug. 6 and 13, 1977. After dipping to No. 53, following Presley's death, the song roared 35-24-21-18, marking his last top 20 track.
- 80 top 40 Hot 100 hits, the most such showings in the tally's archives. Elton John ranks second with 57. On the first Hot 100, dated Aug. 4, 1958, Presley ranked at No. 4 with "Hard Headed Woman" and at No. 34 with "Don't Ask Me Why," each featuring his longtime gospel backing band, the Jordanaires.
- 122 Billboard 200 charted albums, the highest total in the chart's 55-year history. Ten of those sets reached No. 1, beginning with "Elvis Presley," which ruled for 10 weeks in 1956. His most recent reign came courtesy of "Elv1s: 30 #1 Hits" in 2002. Presley last appeared on the survey when "Elvis Is Back!" spent a week at No. 199 on the March 26, 2011, chart.
- 67 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, the most time spent at the top for a solo act. Garth Brooks and Michael Jackson follow, each with 51 frames in charge. Presley's longest reign? The "Blue Hawaii" soundtrack totaled 20 weeks at No. 1, beginning in December 1961.
- Presley became the first rock artist to make two trips to the Hot 100 summit, as "Stuck on You" began a four-week command April 30, 1960. That song, recorded shortly after Presley's discharge from the Army, followed "A Big Hunk O' Love," which led the Aug. 15, 1959, chart. While Presley's last perched atop the Hot 100 No. 1 with "Suspicious Minds" (Nov. 1, 1969), a song he sent to No. 2 in 1962 at last reached the pinnacle 31 years later: UB40's take on "Can't Help Falling in Love" spent seven weeks at No. 1 in 1993. The reggae cover was amid its chart dominance on this date 18 years ago.
http://www.billboard.com/column/char...05317502.story
Happy Birthday to my Queen of Music and R.I.P to the King of Rock.
