TRACING POPULAR TASTES : US #1 SINGLES LEADERBOARD.  

This post: 1955-2017. More: tomorrow.

Caffè Lattè traces the shifts in popular music through the decades…

-THE LEADERBOARD-

The Rock Era is said to have begun in 1955 when “Rock Around The Clock” became the first rock ‘n’ roll disc to reach #1 on Billboard’s Singles Chart. Since then, pop music has spawned countless sub-genres, including: new wave, disco, Merseybeat, garage, hip hop, punk, grunge, funk, psychedelic soul, folk rock and Motown.

This series charts the changes in trends and how they have impacted the chart statistics from the American perspective. Every single that reached #1 in the U.S.A. since mid- 1955 to the present is taken into account. Acts are ranked according to how many chart-topping songs they have achieved and separated by number of weeks spent in the top position.

The Beatles moved into the top of this leaderboard in 1970 and have remained in front ever since. No other act has accumulated as many No. 1 singles. There has been much change in the lower ranks over subsequent decades. We are only counting lead artists and excluding featured acts.

Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas” finally reached #1 and has frequently returned to the top. Among new chart champs are Taylor Swift, Drake, Bruno Mars, Ariana Grande and The Weeknd.

 

PART TWELVE

July 1955-2020

1.    THE BEATLES                                  20      59

2.    MARIAH CAREY                              19      84

3.    ELVIS PRESLEY                               17      77

4.    MICHAEL JACKSON*                      13      37

5.    RIHANNA*                                        12      52

6.    MADONNA                                        12      32

7.    THE SUPREMES                               12      22

8.    WHITNEY HOUSTON                       11      31                       

9.    KATY PERRY                                    10     35

10.USHER                                               9      47

11.JANET JACKSON                              9      31

12.THE BEE GEES                                 9      27

13.ELTON JOHN*                                  8      30     

14.PAUL McCARTNEY                          8      25

15.GEORGE MICHAEL                         8      18     

16.THE ROLLING STONES                   8      17

17.TAYLOR SWIFT                               7      20

18.STEVIE WONDER*                           7      17

19.PHIL COLLINS                                 7      15

20.BEYONCÉ                                         6      41

21.DIANA ROSS*                                   6      20

22.PAULA ABDUL                                 6      15

23.HALL & OATES                                6      14     

24.BOYZ II MEN                                    5      50

25.DRAKE*                                            5      40

26.EMINEM                                           5      25

27.LIONEL RICHIE                               5      21

28.ARIANA GRANDE                             5      18

29.BRUNO MARS*                                 5      16

30.THE WEEKND                                  5      15