Justin Timberlake ties the record for the most No. 1s (six) by a male on Billboard’s Nielsen BDS-based Mainstream Top 40 radio airplay chart (which launched the week of Oct. 3, 1992), as “Mirrors” rises 2-1. He equals the sum of Bruno Mars, who tallied his sixth No. 1 last month with “When I Was Your Man.” (Mars, meanwhile, debuts at No. 29 with his new single “Treasure,” which he performed last night to open the Billboard Music Awards; all charts will be refreshed Thursday (May 23) on Billboard.biz.)

Among men, Timberlake and Mars outrank Nelly (five Mainstream Top 40 No. 1s) and Flo Rida (four). Rihanna leads all artists with 10 leaders on the list.

Timberlake had last ruled Mainstream Top 40 the week of July 14, 2007, with “Summer Love.” His five-year, 10-month, two-week break between topping the tally is the chart’s longest since his RCA labelmate Kelly Clarkson ended a six-year, four-month, three-week hiatus with “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” in March 2012.

“Mirrors,” the second single from Timberlake’s Billboard 200-topping album The 20/20 Experience, which has sold 1.8 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan, since its March 19 release, concurrently climbs 12-8 as the Greatest Gainer (up 727 plays) on Adult Top 40, marking Timberlake’s second top 10 on the tally. Prior single “Suit & Tie” rose to No. 8. (“Suit” reached No. 4 on Mainstream Top 40.)

Below is a recap of Timberlake’s six Mainstream Top 40 No. 1s. He also logged two toppers with ‘N Sync: “Bye Bye Bye” (10 weeks at No. 1) and “It’s Gonna Be Me” (five) in 2000. With his four prior No. 1s all from his last album, FutureSex/LoveSounds, the set became the first album to generate four Mainstream Top 40 leaders. [Billboard.biz]

2003, “Rock Your Body” (four weeks at No. 1)
2006, “SexyBack” (five)
2006, “My Love,” featuring T.I. (four)
2007, “What Goes Around… Comes Around” (one)
2007, “Summer Love” (four)
2013, “Mirrors” (one to date)