Katy Perry matches Rihanna’s record for the most No. 1s in the almost 20-year history of Billboard’s Nielsen BDS-based Mainstream Top 40 chart, as “Wide Awake” (Capitol) rises 2-1. With the coronation, Perry and Rihanna each boast nine No. 1s. The achievement is even more impressive given that while the chart launched the week of Oct. 3, 1992, Rihanna didn’t first grace the list until 2005 and Perry didn’t arrive until 2008.
Of the acts with the most Mainstream Top 40 No. 1s, the top seven are women.
After Perry and Rihanna, Lady Gaga, P!nk and Britney Spears each have seven leaders, while Beyoncé and Mariah Carey follow with six apiece.
