Only 20 songs in history have debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there — here they all are
Only 43 songs in history have debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — but just 20 of those remained on top for a second consecutive week.
The Hot 100 is widely considered the definitive all-genre singles chart in the US.
Although it was officially launched in 1958, Billboard began using modern airplay and sales data in 1991, allowing for more time-sensitive calculations and accurate rankings.
Moreover, Billboard began incorporating digital sales data in 2005 and YouTube data in 2013. The chart methodology is updated at least once a year, to reflect rapidly evolving listening trends.
Fewer than 4% of all No. 1 hits have managed to arrive in the top spot. But extending that reign is even more impressive — especially considering the ever-shrinking attention spans of music fans.
Keep scrolling for the complete list of those rare hits, in chronological order.
SEE ALSO: Only 43 songs have debuted at No. 1 in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 — here they all are
DON'T MISS: There are only 34 songs in history that have been certified diamond — here they all are
1. "Fantasy" by Mariah Carey
"Fantasy" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated September 30, 1995. It was the lead single from Carey's fifth studio album "Daydream."
The song spent eight weeks atop the Hot 100.
2. "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men
"One Sweet Day," the second single from "Daydream," debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated December 2, 1995.
The song spent a historic 16 consecutive weeks atop the Hot 100, setting a record it held for 23 years.
The record was tied by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's "Despacito" (featuring Justin Bieber) in 2017 and finally broken by Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" (featuring Billy Ray Cyrus) in 2019.
3. "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans, featuring 112
"I'll Be Missing You" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated June 14, 1997. It was the second single from "No Way Out," the debut album from Diddy, then known as Puff Daddy.
The song spent 11 weeks atop the Hot 100.
4. "Honey" by Mariah Carey
"Honey" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated September 13, 1997. It was the lead single from Carey's sixth studio album "Butterfly."
The song spent three weeks atop the Hot 100.
5. "Candle in the Wind 1997/Something About The Way You Look Tonight" by Elton John
"Candle in the Wind 1997/Something About The Way You Look Tonight" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated October 11, 1997.
The song spent 14 weeks atop the Hot 100. The double A-side single later became the first song ever to be certified diamond.
6. "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion
"My Heart Will Go On" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated February 28, 1998.
The famous ballad was written for the soundtrack of "Titanic" and served as the movie's main romantic theme. It was also released as a single from Dion's fifth English-language album "Let's Talk About Love."
The song spent two weeks atop the Hot 100.
7. "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith
"I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated September 5, 1998. It was recorded for the film "Armageddon," starring Liv Tyler, the daughter of Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler.
The song spent four weeks atop the Hot 100.
8. "Doo Wop (That Thing)" by Lauryn Hill
"Doo Wop (That Thing)" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated November 14, 1998. It was the lead single from Hill's debut album "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill."
The song spent two weeks atop the Hot 100.
9. "This Is the Night" by Clay Aiken
"This Is the Night" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated June 28, 2003. It was Aiken's debut single after competing on season two of "American Idol."
The song spent two weeks atop the Hot 100.
10. "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga
"Born This Way" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated February 26, 2011. It was the lead single from Gaga's second studio album of the same name.
The song spent six weeks atop the Hot 100.
11. "Harlem Shake" by Baauer
"Harlem Shake" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated March 2, 2013.
The viral hit benefited from a recent adjustment to the Hot 100's formula, when the chart began incorporating YouTube data.
The song spent five weeks atop the Hot 100.
12. "Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift
"Shake It Off" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated September 6, 2014. It was the lead single from Swift's fifth studio album "1989."
The song spent four weeks atop the Hot 100.
13. "Hello" by Adele
"Hello" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated November 14, 2015. It was the lead single from Adele's third studio album "25."
The song spent 10 weeks atop the Hot 100.
14. "God's Plan" by Drake
"God's Plan" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated February 3, 2018. It was the lead single from Drake's fifth studio album "Scorpion."
The song spent 10 weeks atop the Hot 100.
15. "Nice for What" by Drake
"Nice for What," the second single from "Scorpion," debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated April 21, 2018.
The song spent four consecutive weeks atop the Hot 100 and eight nonconsecutive weeks.
16. "This Is America" by Childish Gambino
"This Is America" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated May 19, 2018. It was released as a standalone single.
The song spent two weeks atop the Hot 100.
17. "Thank U, Next" by Ariana Grande
"Thank U, Next" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated November 17, 2018. It was the lead single from Grande's fifth studio album of the same name.
The song spent seven weeks atop the Hot 100.
18. "7 Rings" by Ariana Grande
"7 Rings," the second single from "Thank U, Next," debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated February 2, 2019.
The song spent eight weeks atop the Hot 100.
19. "WAP" by Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion
"WAP" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated August 22, 2020. It may be the lead single from Cardi B's forthcoming album, expected later this year.
The song spent two weeks atop the Hot 100.
20. "Dynamite" by BTS
"Dynamite," the septet's first all-English-language single, debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated September 5, 2020.
The song has spent two weeks atop the Hot 100.