WHY YOU’LL REMEMBER ‘FORGET’: It was already Mariah Carey’s most successful year on the charts, but she manages to pull off one final stunning achievement in the very last week of 2005 by moving into pole position on the Billboard Hot 100 with her 17th No. 1 song.
“Don’t Forget About Us” becomes the No. 1 song that ties Presley’s 17 chart-toppers, putting Carey and Presley into a tie for second place among artists with the most No. 1 hits in the rock era, behind the Beatles’ 20.
Presley secured his 17th No. 1 the week of Nov. 1, 1969, when “Suspicious Minds” marched into first place. The Beatles collected their 20th No. 1 the week of June 13, 1970, when “The Long and Winding Road” / “For You Blue” reached the summit. The standings of the top two artists with the most No. 1 songs has not changed since then, so by tying Presley, Carey has altered a record that has stood for 35 years, six months and three weeks.
Presley first topped the Billboard pop singles tally the week of April 21, 1956, with his debut chart entry, “Heartbreak Hotel.” It took him 13 years, six months and two weeks to rack up his 17 No. 1s. Carey first led the Hot 100 the week of Aug. 4, 1990, with her initial chart entry, “Vision of Love.” It has taken her 15 years, four months and four weeks to amass her 17 No. 1 songs.
“Don’t Forget About Us” is Carey’s 16th No. 1 as a songwriter. She already held the title of the female songwriter with the most No. 1 hits in the rock era. With her 16th song to achieve pole position, she ties Barry Gibb for third place on the list of the songwriters with the most No. 1 hits. Only Paul McCartney with 32 and John Lennon with 26 have more.
“Don’t Forget About Us” is the eighth No. 1 of 2005 on the Hot 100. That’s the fewest amount of chart-topping titles in a calendar year since 2002, when seven songs moved to the head of the class. There were 11 No. 1 songs in 2003, and the same number in 2004.
“Don’t Forget About Us” is the fourth No. 1 song this year by a solo female artist, following Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl,” Carey’s “We Belong Together” and Carrie Underwood’s “Inside Your Heaven.” Three of this year’s chart-toppers were by male artists: “Let Me Love You” by Mario, “Gold Digger” by Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx and “Run It!” by Chris Brown. There was one co-ed No. 1, “Candy Shop,” by 50 Cent featuring Olivia. Carey is the only artist to have two No. 1 songs on the Hot 100 in 2005.
Last year, only one artist had more than one No. 1 on the Hot 100: Usher, with four.
HOW THEY GOT TO 17: Two weeks ago, when Madonna tied Elvis Presley’s record of 36 top 10 hits, I received a flood of mail from readers protesting that Presley actually has 38 top 10 hits to his credit. I ran some of the letters in Chart Beat Chat, by appearing on the current Hot Digital Songs chart with “White Christmas,” Bing Crosby has the longest possible Billboard chart span, dating back to when the charts were first introduced in July 1940.
Coming in a close second with the debut of a new greatest hits collection on the Top Blues Albums chart is the man considered the father of R&B, the great Louis Jordan. His “#1s” CD (Geffen/Interscope) debuts on the blues survey at No. 14.
Jordan first charted in Billboard the week of Oct. 24, 1942, with the R&B single “I’m Gonna Leave You on the Outskirts of Town.” That gives him a career chart span of 63 years, two months and one week.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news