Ask Billboard: How Rare Is It That Only One Artist Has a First Hot 100 No. 1 So Far This Year?
Categoria: Musica
Still, Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” is the year’s longest-leading hit.
Por Billboard | 01/07/2026
Submit questions about Billboard charts, as well as general music musings, to askbb@billboard.com . Please include your first and last name, as well as your city, state and country, if outside the United States. Or, reach out on Bluesky . Let’s open the latest mailbag. Related Ella Langley’s ‘Choosin’ Texas’ Hits Historic 11th Week at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 How Ella Langley Navigated The Whirlwind Success Of ‘Choosin’ Texas’ — And Why She Thinks ‘Women Are About To Take Over’ Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 Countdown for July 4th, 2026 | Billboard News Hi Gary, Wow, from Drake to Ariana Grande to, most recently, Taylor Swift, what a year for artists with several Hot 100 No. 1s to their credit adding to their totals. At this point, Ella Langley is the only chart-topping artist of 2026 to “only” have one career No. 1 … but what a chart-topper it is ! Pablo Nelson Oakland, Calif. Thanks, Pablo. The top of the Billboard Hot 100 halfway through 2026 has been almost exclusively the domain of acts who’ve scaled the summit before. Of the 10 new No. 1s since January, nine are by artists who previously led. Here’s a recap: “I Just Might,” Bruno Mars, 3 weeks at No. 1, beginning Jan. 24 “Aperture,” Harry Styles, 1 week, Feb. 7 “Choosin’ Texas,” Ella Langley, 11 weeks to date, beginning Feb. 14 “DTMF,” Bad Bunny, 1 week, Feb. 21 “Opalite,” Taylor Swift, 1 week, Feb. 28 “Swim,” BTS, 1 week, April 4 “Drop Dead,” Olivia Rodrigo, 1 week, May 2 “Janice STFU,” Drake, 2 weeks, May 30 “Hate That I Made You Love Me,” Ariana Grande, 1 week, June 13 “I Knew It, I Knew You,” Taylor Swift, 2 weeks, June 20 Of those acts, only Langley has indeed reigned for the first time. Swift scored her 14th and 15th Hot 100 No. 1s; Drake, his 14th; Bruno Mars and Grande, their milestone 10th apiece; BTS, its seventh; Rodrigo, her fourth; Styles, his third; and Bad Bunny, his second. Of course, and as you note, Langley has run up the most staying power, with “Choosin’ Texas” in charge for 11 weeks and counting — nearly four times that of the next closest No. 1, Mars’ “I Just Might.” (Then again, no artists have earned a first Hot 100 No. 1 in 2026 with a song released in 2026, as “Choosin’ Texas” debuted on the chart this past November.) Over the Hot 100’s history, which dates to August 1958, how many artists typically tally a first No. 1 every year, and is 2026 an outlier for newer acts in their quests to conquer? Let’s dig in. Looking at just this decade, 2026 marks a stark decrease for first-time Hot 100 leaders: 2020: 11 No. 1s (13 acts) of 20 total by artists leading for the first time / a success rate of 55% 2021: 7 No. 1s (8 acts) of 17 / 41.2% 2022: 5 No. 1s (12 acts) of 12 / 41.7% 2023: 8 No. 1s (10 acts) of 17 / 47.1% 2024: 6 No. 1s (7 acts) of 15 / 40% 2025: 3 No. 1s (3 acts) of 8 / 37.5% 2026: 1 No. 1 (1 act) of 10 / 10% Langley follows last year’s ruling rookies: Tate McRae, Alex Warren and HUNTR/X. In