Drake Is One Song Away From Tying Michael Jackson For Most No. 1s By A Male Soloist

BYGabriel Bras Nevares10.3K Views
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There are still a few names ahead of them in terms of overall No. 1s on the Billboard Hot 100 by artists, but it's still a wild feat.

Drake and SZA's "Slime You Out" kicked off the soon-to-come release of Drizzy's album For All The Dogs, and got him one step closer to the history books. Moreover, that song went No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, marking his twelfth number one hit and putting him right up there with the legendary Michael Jackson. He has thirteen chart-topping tracks, which means the Toronto rapper is now just one song away from tying him for the fourth-most number ones in Billboard history so far. If you're curious, he's currently tied with Madonna and The Supremes for the fifth spot.

Of course, it's fair to assume that one more track from For All The Dogs might just cinch this achievement for the 36-year-old. Given that his career shows no signs of slowing down, it wouldn't be surprising to see him work his way up. Ahead of Drake are frequent collaborator Rihanna (14 number ones) and Mariah Carey (19 number ones). At the very top of the list are The Beatles, who have 20 tracks that claimed the top spot across their discography.

Drake & Michael Jackson Almost Have The Same Amount Of No. 1 Songs

In addition, this also marks one of the only hip-hop-adjacent songs that went No. 1 on Billboard this year- the second, to be exact. The first was Doja Cat's "Paint The Town Red," which ended a drought in this metric for the genre that existed since Nicki Minaj's "Super Freaky Girl." Furthermore, this history sparked a hotly contested conversation around whether rap is a "dying" style, something that artists like Drake continue to disprove. It might not have the same chart-topping record as previous years, but it's also the calm after a storm that dominated the early 2020s and mid-to-late 2010s. As such, we can't really complain.

Meanwhile, the OVO superstar also has a lot to look back on and appreciate when it comes to his career. His 2013 album Nothing Was The Same, which established him as a top dog in the game, recently celebrated its tenth anniversary. While reflecting on his previous success, we'll see if his future one puts The Boy right next to MJ. For more news and the latest updates on Drake and Michael Jackson, stay logged into HNHH.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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