Rihanna becomes the first artist in the 20-year history of Billboard’s Nielsen BDS-based Mainstream Top 40 radio airplay chart to tally 10 No. 1s, as “Stay,” featuring Mikky Ekko, rises 2-1.
Rihanna breaks a tie with Katy Perry, who’s notched nine No. 1s since her 2008 arrival; also impressively, Rihanna rang up her No. 1 sum since just 2006, when “SOS,” her first leader, reached the summit. She’d last led with “We Found Love,” featuring Calvin Harris, for eight weeks, marking her longest command, in late 2011/early 2012.
The record for most No. 1s is the latest for Rihanna on Mainstream Top 40. She previously established the marks for most entries (35) and top 10s (23) dating to the ranking’s Oct. 3, 1992, launch.
“Stay” also charges 11-7 on Adult Top 40, becoming her third top 10 on the list, and debuts at No. 30 on Adult Contemporary.
Also notably, “Stay” is only the second piano-and-vocal-only No. 1 of the 259 songs to have ruled Mainstream Top 40. The first? The song that “Stay” dethrones after three weeks at the summit, Bruno Mars’ “When I Was Your Man.”
Here’s a recap of Rihanna’s record 10 Mainstream Top 40 No. 1s:
2006, “SOS” (one week at No. 1)
2008, “Take a Bow” (three)
2008, “Disturbia” (three)
2008, “Live Your Life” (T.I. feat. Rihanna) (two)
2010, “Rude Boy” (two)
2010, “Love the Way You Lie” (Eminem feat. Rihanna) (two)
2010, “Only Girl (In the World)” (three)
2011, “S&M” (one)
2011, “We Found Love” (Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris) (eight)
2013, “Stay” (Rihanna feat. Mikky Ekko) (one to date)