Only 40 songs have debuted at No. 1 in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 — here they all are
- Only 40 songs in history have debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the music industry's definitive all-genre singles chart for US releases.
- Michael Jackson's 1995 hit "You Are Not Alone" became the first No. 1 debut after the chart began using modern airplay and sales tracking in 1991.
- Tekashi 6ix9ine and Nicki Minaj's collaboration "Trollz" is the most recent song to achieve the rare feat.
- Ariana Grande currently holds the record for the most No. 1 song debuts with four instant chart-toppers — while Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey, and Drake each have three.
In the history of modern music rankings, only a handful of songs have ever debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
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.
Although more than 1,000 songs have reached the coveted No. 1 spot, it's far more difficult for a song to debut in the top position; it typically means a much-promoted single has met high expectations, or at least that an artist is supported and beloved by a legion of fans.
Only 40 songs in history have achieved the rare feat. Keep scrolling for the complete list, in chronological order.
1. "You Are Not Alone" by Michael Jackson
"You Are Not Alone" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated September 2, 1995. It was the second single from Jackson's ninth studio album "HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I."
2. "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."
3. "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" by Whitney Houston
"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated November 25, 1995. It was the lead single from the soundtrack for the film "Waiting to Exhale."
4. "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men
"One Sweet Day" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated December 2, 1995. It was the second single from Carey's fifth studio album "Daydream."
5. "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy & 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.
5. "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy & 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.
6. "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."
7. "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 double A-side single later became the first song ever to be certified diamond.
8. "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."
9. "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.
10. "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."
11. "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."
12. "I Believe" by Fantasia
"I Believe" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated July 10, 2004. It was Fantasia's debut single after winning season three of "American Idol."
13. "Inside Your Heaven" by Carrie Underwood
"Inside Your Heaven" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated July 2, 2005. It was Underwood's debut single after winning season four of "American Idol."
Underwood remains the only country artist ever to have a No. 1 debut on the Billboard Hot 100.
14. "Do I Make You Proud" by Taylor Hicks
"Do I Make You Proud" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated July 1, 2006. Hicks first performed the song on the fifth season finale of "American Idol," and it was released as a single shortly after his victory.
15. "3" by Britney Spears
"3" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated October 24, 2009. It was the lead (and only) single from Spears' second greatest hits album "The Singles Collection."
16. "Not Afraid" by Eminem
"Not Afraid" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated May 22, 2010. It was the lead single from Eminem's seventh studio album "Recovery."
17. "We R Who We R" by Ke$ha
"We R Who We R" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated November 13, 2010. It was the lead single from Kesha's debut EP "Cannibal."
18. "Hold It Against Me" by Britney Spears
"Hold It Against Me" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated January 29, 2011. It was the lead single from Spears' seventh studio album "Femme Fatale."
19. "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.
20. "Part Of Me" by Katy Perry
"Part of Me" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated March 3, 2012. It was the lead single from "Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection," a reissue of Perry's third studio album.
21. "Harlem Shake" by Baauer
"Harlem Shake" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated March 2, 2013. The viral hit benefitted from a recent adjustment to the Hot 100's formula, when the chart began incorporating YouTube data.
22. "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 album "1989."
23. "What Do You Mean?" by Justin Bieber
"What Do You Mean?" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated September 19, 2015. It was the lead single from Bieber's fourth studio album "Purpose."
24. "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."
25. "Pillowtalk" by Zayn
"Pillowtalk" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated February 20, 2016. It was the lead single from Zayn's debut solo album "Mind of Mine."
26. "Can't Stop the Feeling!" by Justin Timberlake
"Can't Stop the Feeling!" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated May 28, 2016. It was the lead single for the soundtrack of the film "Trolls."
27. "Shape Of You" by Ed Sheeran
"Shape of You" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated January 28, 2017. It was one of the lead singles, along with "Castle on the Hill," from Sheeran's third studio album "Divide."
28. "I'm The One" by DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper, and Lil Wayne
"I'm the One" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated May 20, 2017. It was the second single from Khaled's 10th studio album "Grateful."
29. "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."
30. "Nice for What" by Drake
"Nice for What" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated April 21, 2018. It was the second single from "Scorpion."
31. "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.
32. "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.
33. "7 Rings" by Ariana Grande
"7 Rings" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated February 2, 2019. It was the second single from "Thank U, Next."
34. "Sucker" by the Jonas Brothers
"Sucker" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated March 16, 2019. It was the lead single from the Jonas Brothers' fifth studio album "Happiness Begins."
35. "Highest In The Room" by Travis Scott
"Highest in the Room" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated October 19, 2019. It was featured on "JackBoys," a compilation EP by Scott and other members of his label.
36. "Toosie Slide" by Drake
"Toosie Slide" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated April 18, 2020. It was the lead single from Drake's compilation mixtape "Dark Lane Demo Tapes."
37. "The Scotts" by The Scotts
"The Scotts" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated May 9, 2020. It was the debut single from newly formed hip-hop duo The Scotts, aka Travis Scott and Kid Cudi.
38. "Stuck With U" by Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber
"Stuck With U" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated May 23, 2020. It was released as a charity single to raise money for the First Responders Children's Foundation.
39. "Rain On Me" by Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande
"Rain On Me" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated June 6, 2020. It was the second single from Gaga's sixth studio album "Chromatica."
40. "Trollz" by 6ix9ine and Nicki Minaj
"Trollz" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated June 27, 2020. It became the fifth No. 1 debut in 2020 alone, marking a new single-year high.
- Read more:
- There are only 34 songs in history that have been certified diamond — here they all are
- Ariana Grande has already broken 6 major chart records in 2020 alone
- The 15 best and 15 worst Ariana Grande songs of all time
- Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber respond to Tekashi 6ix9ine's accusation that she 'bought' the No. 1 spot for their duet
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