August 4 is the 60th anniversary of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. On that date in 1958 the magazine began ranking the top songs in the country. Music consumption has changed drastically since then — from vinyl and jukeboxes to digital downloads and Spotify streams — but the goal remains the same: to top the charts. So where do modern hit-makers like Ed Sheeran, Mariah Carey and Bruno Mars rank against legends like The Beatles, Queen and The Bee Gees? Watch the countdown above to find out.
Drake has been number-one for more than two-thirds of 2018 so far, so it’s perhaps surprising that his songs don’t factor into the list at all. But maybe they’re still too new. In another year maybe his dominant songs “God’s Plan,” “Nice for What,” and “In My Feelings” would have accumulated enough chart achievements to factor into the list.
Actually, no songs from 2018 made the list at all, though a few from 2017 did. Ed Sheeran‘s two chart-toppers make appearances: “Shape of You” at number-9 and “Perfect” at number-91. Post Malone and 21 Savage‘s “Rockstar” comes in at number-88.
Then there’s the crossover hit “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber. It tied the record for the longest run at number-one at 16 weeks. “One Sweet Day” by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men first set that record back in 1996. Predictably, both of those songs made Billboard top 100, but “Despacito” (number-33) got the slight edge over “One Sweet Day” (number-38).
But Carey and Boyz II Men both got their revenge farther up on the chart. The Boyz’ top song was “I’ll Make Love to You” (number-22), while Carey came in at number-14 with “We Belong Together.”
However, none of those is Billboard’s number-one single of all time. So which classic hit did take the top spot? Watch above to find out.
Be sure to make your MTV Video Music Award predictions so that music executives and top name stars can see how they’re faring in our odds. Don’t be afraid to jump in now since you can keep changing your predictions until winners are announced on August 20. And join in the fierce debate over the 2018 VMAs taking place right now with Hollywood insiders in our music forums. Read more Gold Derby entertainment news.
