Rihanna’s “S&M” rises 2-1 on the Billboard Hot 100 to be released tomorrow (Apr. 21) on Billboard.com, granting the singer her 10th No. 1 on the survey and ownership of a pair of historic chart records.
Having first reigned atop the Hot 100 the week of May 13, 2006, with “SOS,” Rihanna logs the shortest span between a solo artist’s first and 10th No. 1s in the chart’s 52-year history, a stretch of four years, 11 months and two weeks. (This week’s charts are dated Apr. 30, 2011).
Rihanna, Eminem, Lady Gaga Lead
Billboard Music Awards Finalists
Rihanna bests the five-year, four-month span between current Island Def Jam labelmate Mariah Carey’s first (“Vision of Love,” Aug. 4, 1990) and 10th (“One Sweet Day,” Dec. 2, 1995) toppers to complete the quickest sprint to 10 Hot 100 No. 1s among solo artists. (Carey collected the first 15 of her 18 career No. 1s while signed to Columbia Records).
Among all acts, Rihanna trails only the Beatles (one year, eight months and one week) and the Supremes (two years, eight months and three weeks) for the fastest accumulation of 10 Hot 100 No. 1s.
Rihanna is additionally the youngest artist to notch 10 No. 1s in the Hot 100’s archives. At 23 years, two months and one week, Rihanna (born Feb. 20, 1988) eclipses the mark established by Carey, who was 25 years, eight months and one week old when she tallied her 10th Hot 100 leader.
Photos: Rihanna’s Fashion Evolution
Rihanna is just the ninth artist to total at least 10 Hot 100 No. 1s and the fifth solo female, following Carey (18), Madonna (12), Whitney Houston (11) and Janet Jackson (10). (The Beatles lead all acts with 20 career No. 1s; Michael Jackson has the most (13) among solo males. In addition to the Supremes (12), Stevie Wonder (10) is the other act with at least 10 Hot 100 leaders).
“S&M” ascends to the Hot 100’s summit fueled by the first full week of digital sales for the song’s “Rih-mix” featuring Britney Spears. All versions of the song, which claims the Hot 100’s Digital Gainer award and becomes Rihanna’s record-extending 10th No. 1 on Digital Songs, sold a combined 293,000 downloads, according to Nielsen SoundScan, a 108% increase over last week. The Spears-assisted version of the track accounted for 66% of the song’s overall weekly digital sum.
Britney Spears, Rihanna Team for ‘S&M Remix’
“S&M” spends a third week at No. 1 on Radio Songs (124 million audience impressions, according to Nielsen BDS).
Now listed as featured artist on “S&M,” Spears earns her fifth Hot 100 No. 1 and second this year, following her own “Hold It Against Me” in January. She had previously reigned with her debut single “…Baby One More Time” in 1999 and returned to the summit with “Womanizer” (2008) and “3” (2009).
“S&M” displaces Katy Perry’s “E.T.,” featuring Kanye West (No. 2), after three weeks atop the Hot 100. Although the song’s airplay continues to build, as it spends a second week at No. 2 on Radio Songs (122 million in audience, up 13%), securing the Hot 100’s Airplay Gainer nod, its digital sales decline by 12% to 284,000.
Lady Gaga’s ‘Judas’ Hits iTunes, Could
Battle Rihanna for No. 1 on Hot 100
The Hot 100’s highest debut belongs to Lady Gaga, whose “Judas,” the heavily-anticipated second single from “Born This Way” (due May 23), soars in at No. 10.
After being serviced to radio and released to iTunes Friday afternoon (Apr. 15), “Judas” charges onto Digital Songs at No. 4 with 162,000 downloads sold.
By comparison, “Born This Way” began with sales of 448,000 on the Digital Songs chart dated Feb. 26. “Born” was similarly posted to iTunes on a Friday (Feb. 11), although it arrived at the retailer in the early morning (ET), whereas “Judas” hit the online store early Friday afternoon. (The SoundScan tracking week ends at the close of business each Sunday night).
Lady Gaga Claims 1,000th Hot 100 No. 1 with ‘Born This Way’
On Radio Songs, “Judas” starts at No. 48 with 26 million in audience. (“Born” launched at No. 6 on Radio Songs with 78.5 million in audience, both a record debut rank and first-week audience sum since the chart began incorporating all radio formats in December 1998).
Benefitting from the buzz of being an album’s lead single, “Born” became just the 19th song to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100. Still, the No. 10 start for “Judas” marks Lady Gaga’s third-highest entrance; “Bad Romance” — the lead track from her “The Fame Monster” EP — debuted at No. 9 in November 2009.
Following its first full week at retail and radio, “Judas” could vault to the upper reaches of next week’s Hot 100.
Rounding out the rest of this week’s top 10 on the Hot 100, the Black Eyed Peas’ “Just Can’t Get Enough” holds at No. 3, followed by Jeremih’s “Down on Me,” featuring 50 Cent (6-4), Cee Lo Green’s “F**k You (Forget You)” (4-5), Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” (10-6), Chris Brown’s “Look at Me Now,” featuring Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes (7-7), Jennifer Lopez’s “On the Floor,” featuring Pitbull (9-8), and Britney Spears‘ “Till the World Ends” (8-9).
All charts, including the Hot 100, Digital Songs and Radio Songs, will be refreshed tomorrow on Billboard.com.