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Who has the longest number 1 single?
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Who has the longest number one single? Well, that depends on which chart you look at.
According to Billboard magazine, Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella’ holds the record for the longest time spent at #1 on the Hot 100 Singles Chart, spending a whopping 16 weeks at the top spot. With her smash hit, she became the first artist ever to spend four consecutive weeks atop the charts.
Rihanna also holds the record for the biggest gap between number one hits. Her last number one song came in 2012, while her previous single ‘We Found Love’ peaked at number three.
It took Taylor Swift just 11 months to reclaim the title of longest running Number One single from Rihanna with her own track ‘Shake It Off’.
While Rihanna’s reign lasted longer than anyone else, it wasn’t without competition. In fact, Katy Perry had the second longest number one single run, clocking in at 15 weeks. She achieved this feat with her 2005 single ‘I Kissed A Girl’.
Katy Perry’s success didn’t stop there though, as she went on to become the first artist to achieve six consecutive number one singles. Her sixth release, 2013’s ‘Roar’, notched up seven weeks at the summit.
Other artists who have enjoyed multiple number one singles include Adele, Beyonce, Justin Bieber, Coldplay, Eminem, Lady Gaga, Usher, Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus, Pink, Prince, Rihanna, Sam Smith, Sia, Taylor Swift, U2, Kanye West, and Zayn Malik.
The Beatles – “I Want To Hold Your Hand” 1963
The Beatles were the most popular band in history. They had five #1 singles between 1962 and 1970. The song “I Want To Hold your Hand” was released in March 1963 and reached #1 on April 9th. This was the first song ever to reach #1 twice.
Beatles fans still sing this song today.
Elvis Presley – “Can’t Help Falling In Love” 1961
Elvis was born in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8th, 1935. He died on August 16th, 1977 at age 42. Elvis had over 20 #1 hits during his career, including Can’t Help Falling In Love (1961), Suspicious Minds (1967) and Hound Dog (1955).
He sold over 100 million records worldwide and won 10 Grammy Awards. His movies include Jailhouse Rock (1957), Loving You (1970), Speedway (1975), and The Trouble With Harry (1969).
Michael Jackson – “Thriller” 1982
Michael Jackson was born in 1958 and died in 2009. He had two #1 singles in his career: “Billie Jean” (1983) and “Beat It” (1984).
He released Thriller in 1982. The song spent 11 weeks at #1 and sold over 30 million copies worldwide.
Summing up
Who has the longest number one hit? Well, we don’t know yet, but we’ve got a list of the top 10 best selling singles over the past 50 years!