This week, Rihanna’s latest smash, “Work,” is steady at the top spot on the Hot 100, the all-encompassing singles ranking. This frame marks the pop star’s 59th week she has been on top in her career, which it turns out is a very important number.
Rihanna is now tied with The Beatles for the second-most weeks spent at number one on the Hot 100, and if she can hold on for just one more, she’ll move past them and claim second place for her own and push the Fab Four into third place. “Work” is slipping slightly, but there is a very good chance that it will reign for a ninth week, and in doing so, Rihanna will earn an even more impressive place in the history books. If she can remain where she is for two more weeks, she’ll tie her own personal best of ten weeks at number one, which she hit with the Calvin Harris-assisted “We Found Love” back in 2011-2012.
Not only is the Barbadian pop singer now in second place for the most weeks at number one, she also has the third-most chart-toppers of any artist, right behind The Beatles and Mariah Carey. “Work” is Rihanna’s fourteenth number one on the Hot 100, and it is now her second-longest running. The track follows a long line of hits that have all made it to the top, and it’s worth noting that except for her debut album, she has never had a promotional cycle without a song that was popular enough to rule the charts.
In chronological order, her number one smash singles are: “SOS,” “Umbrella (ft. Jay Z),” “Disturbia,” “Live Your Life” (with T.I.), “Rude Boy,” “What’s My Name (ft. Drake),” “Only Girl In The World,” “S&M,” “Love The Way You Lie” (with Eminem), “We Found Love,” “Diamonds,” “The Monster” (with Eminem) and finally “Work (ft. Drake)”.
While she may have tied with The Beatles, Rihanna still has a long way to go before she claims the all-time record for the most weeks spent at number one. That honor is still held by fellow pop star Mariah Carey, who has ruled the Hot 100 for an incredible 79 weeks total throughout her career…so far. While The Beatles may not have an opportunity to add any more frames to their 59, both Rihanna and Carey are active and are still creating new music with the intention of scoring big hits, so anything is possible in the coming decades.