USA: #1 Pop Songs, 2020-2029

USA’s #1 Pop Songs: 2020-2029

These are the #1 pop songs on the United States pop charts from 2020 to 2029. Songs could have hit #1 on any of the following charts: Billboard Hot 100 chart (1958-present) (BB) Billboard Airplay (1984-present) (BA) Billboard Digital, 2005-present (DG) Billboard Streaming, 2013-present (ST) Radio & Records/Mediabase (1973-present) (RR) Numbers following the letter codes indicate how many weeks the song spent at #1 on that chart. Links go to specific lists of the biggest songs of all time for that chart. Click here to access a full list of #1 songs from 1890 to present. See other chart-based lists here. 2020: 1/11: Roddy Ricch “The Box” (BB: 11 weeks, ST: 13) 1/18: Justin Bieber “Yummy” (DG: 1) 1/25: Future & Drake “Life Is Good” (DG: 1) 2/15: Taylor Swift “Only the Young” (DG: 1) 2/23: Dua Lipa “Don’t Start Now” (BA: 4, RR: 6) 2/29: Billie Eilish “No Time to Die” (DG: 1) 3/7: BTS “On” (DG: 1) 3/14: Lady Gaga “Stupid Love” (DG: 1) 3/21: Demi Lovato “I Love Me” (DG: 1) 3/28: The Weeknd “Blinding Lights” (BB: 4, BA: 26, DG: 4, ST: 1, RR: 7) 4/4: Kenny Rogers “The Gambler” (DG: 1) 4/5: Hary Styles “Adore You” (RR: 1) 4/18: Drake “Toosie Slide” (BB: 1, ST: 3) 5/3: Camila Cabello with DaBaby “My Oh My” (RR: 1) 5/9: Travis Scott with Kid Cudi as the Scotts “The Scotts” (BB: 1, DG: 1, ST: 1) 5/10: Doja Cat “Say So” (BB: 1, DG: 1, RR: 5) 5/16: Megan Thee Stallion with Beyoncé “Savage” (remix) (BB: 1, DG: 3, ST: 1) 5/23: Ariana Grande with Justin Bieber “Stuck with U” (BB: 1, DG: 1) 5/23: 6ix9ine “Gooba” (ST: 1) 5/30: DaBaby with Roddy Ricch “Rockstar” (BB: 7, ST: 10) 6/6: Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande “Rain on Me” (BB: 1, DG: 1) 6/21: Justin Bieber with Quavo “Intentions” (RR: 1) 6/27: 6ix9ine with Nicki Minaj “Trollz” (BB: 1, DG: 1) 7/4: Beyoncé “Black Parade” (DG: 1) 7/11: Kanye West with Travis Scott “Wash Us in the Blood” (DG: 1) 7/18: Lee Greenwood “God Bless the U.S.A.” (DG: 1) 7/19: Trevor Daniel “Falling” (RR: 1) 7/25: Juice Wrld with Marshmello “Come & Go” (ST: 1) 7/25: Kid Cudi with Eminem “The Adventures of Moon Man & Slim Shady” (DG: 1) 7/26: Dua Lipa “Break My Heart” (RR: 1) 8/1: DJ Khaled with Drake “Popstar” (DG: 1) 8/2: Harry Styles “Watermelon Sugar” (BB: 1, DG: 1, RR: 7) 8/8: Taylor Swift “Cardigan” (BB: 1, DG: 1, ST: 1) 8/22: Cardi B with Megan Thee Stallion “WAP” (BB: 4, DG: 2, ST: 10) 8/29: Drake with Lil Durk “Laugh Now Cry Later” (ST: 1) 9/5: BTS “Dynamite” (BB: 3, DG: 18) 9/20: Lewis Capaldi “Before You Go” (BA: 1, RR: 2) 10/4: Jawsh 685 with Jason Derulo “Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)” (BB: 1, RR: 3) 10/10: Travis Scott with Young Thug & M.I.A. “Franchise” (BB: 1) 10/24: 24K Goldn with Iann Dior “Mood” (BB: 8, BA: 11, ST: 2, RR: 8) 10/31: Gabby Barrett with Charlie Puth “I Hope” (BA: 1) 11/7: Ariana Grande “Positions” (BB: 1, ST: 2, RR: 5) 11/7: Luke Combs “Forever After All” (DG: 1) 11/21: Mike Will Made It with Nicki Minaj & YoungBoy Never Broke Again “What That Speed Bout!?” (DG: 1) 11/28: Billie Eilish “Therefore I Am” (ST: 1, RR: 2) 11/28: Phoebe Bridgers & Maggie Rogers “Iris” (DG: 1) 12/5: BTS “Life Goes On” (BB: 1, DG: 3) 12/5: Megan Thee Stallion “Body” (ST: 1) 12/26: Taylor Swift “Willow” (BB: 1, DG: 1) 2021: 1/16: Justin Bieber “Anyone” (DG: 1 week) 1/23: Olivia Rodrigo “Drivers License” (BB: 8, BA: 5, DG: 3, ST: 4, RR: 6) 1/23: Chris Brown with Young Thug “Go Crazy” (BA: 8) 2/7: Justin Bieber & Benny Blanco “Lonely” (RR: 1) 2/13: Tom MacDonald “Fake Woke” (DG: 1) 2/20: Cardi B “Up” (BB: 1, DG: 1, ST: 2) 2/21: Ariana Grande “34+35” (RR: 2) 2/27: Lil Tjay & 6lack “Calling My Phone” (ST: 2) 2/27: Taylor Swift “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” (DG: 1) 3/20: Drake “What’s Next” (BB: 1, ST: 2) 4/3: Justin Bieber with Daniel Caesar & Giveon “Peaches” (BB: 1, ST: 1, RR: 4) 4/10: Lil Nas X “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” (BB: 1, DG: 1, ST: 2, RR: 2) 4/17: Bruno Mars and Anderson.Paak as Silk Sonic “Leave the Door Open” (BB: 2, BA: 10) 4/17: BTS “Film Out” (DG: 1) 4/18: Tate McRae “You Broke Me First” (RR: 1) 4/24: Polo G “Rapstar” (BB: 2, ST: 4) 4/25: The Weeknd & Ariana Grande “Save Your Tears” (BB: 2, DG: 1, RR: 2) 5/1: Gabby Barrett “The Good Ones” (DG: 1) 5/22: Dua Lipa “Levitating” (BA: 7, DG: 1, RR: 3) 5/22: J. Cole “Interlude” (ST: 1) 5/29: Olivia Rodrigo “Good 4 U” (BB: 1, BA: 3, ST: 8, RR: 6) 5/29: Nicki Minaj with Drake & Lil Wayne “Seeing Green” (DG: 1) 6/5: BTS “Butter” (BB: 10, DG: 17) 7/4: Doja Cat with SZA “Kiss Me More” (RR: 1) 7/24: BTS “Permission to Dance” (BB: 1, DG: 1) 7/24: Kid Laroi with Justin Bieber “Stay” (BB: 7, BA: 10, ST: 6, RR: 10) 8/7: Lil Nas X with Jack Harlow “Industry Baby” (BB: 1, BA: 1, ST: 1, RR: 1) 9/11: Ed Sheeran “Bad Habits” (BA: 2) 9/11: Kany West “Hurricane” (ST: 1) 9/18: Drake with Future & Young Thug “Way 2 Sexy” (BB: 1, ST: 5) 10/9: Coldplay with BTS “My Universe” (BB: 1, DG: 2) 10/30: Adele “Easy on Me” (BB: 10, BA: 15, DG: 2, ST: 5, RR: 7) 11/6: Bryson Gray with Tyson James & Chandler Crump “Let’s Go Brandon” (DG: 2) 11/27: Taylor Swift “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” (BB: 1, DG: 1, ST: 1) 12/4: State of Mind with Drew Jacobs “God’s Country” (DG: 1) 12/11: John Rich & Mike Rowe “Santa’s Gotta Dirty Job” (DG: 1) 12/25: Juice Wrld with Suga & BTS “Girl of My Dreams” (DG: 1) 2022: 1/1: Lil Durk with Morgan Wallen “Broadway Girls” (DG: 1) 1/8: V “Christmas Tree” (DG: 1) 1/15: Encanto Cast “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” (BB: 7, DG: 1, ST: 13) 1/15: Elton John with Dua Lipa “Cold Heart (Pnau Remix)” (DG: 2) 1/22: Gayle “ABCDEFU” (DG: 2, RR: 3) 2/5: Kid Rock “We the People” (DG: 2) 2/19: Nicki Minaj with Lil Baby “Do We Have a Problem?” (DG: 1) 2/26: Dr. Dre with Snoop Dogg “The Next Episode” (DG: 1) 3/12: Glass Animals “Heat Waves” (BB: 5, BA: 6, RR: 2) 3/19: Russ with Ktyln “Handsomer” (DG: 1) 3/26: Cody Johnson “Til You Can’t” (DG: 1) 4/2: Coi Leray with Nicki Minaj “Blick Blick” (DG: 1) 4/9: Nicki Minaj with Fivio Foreign “We Go Up” (DG: 1) 4/16: Harry Styles “As It Was” (BB: 15, BA: 12, DG: 1, ST: 2, RR: 6) 4/16: Latto “Big Energy” (BA: 1, DG: 1, RR: 3) 4/23: Jack Harlow “First Class” (BB: 3, BA: 4, DG: 1, ST: 3, RR: 1) 4/30: Morgan Allen “Don’t Think Jesus” (DG: 1) 5/7: Imagine Dragons with JID “Enemy” (BA: 2, RR: 1) 5/7: Jimin with Ha Sung-woon “With You” (DG: 1) 5/14: Future with Drake & Tems “Wait for U” (BB: 1, ST: 4) 5/21: Morgan Wallen “Thought You Should Know” (DG: 1) 5/28: Kendrick Lamar “N95” (ST: 1) 5/28: Morgan Wallen “You Proof” (DG: 1) 6/4: Lizzo “About Damn Time” (BB: 2, BA: 9, DG: 2, RR: 6) 6/11: Kate Bush “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)” (DG: 4, ST: 3) 6/25: BTS “Yet to Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)” (DG: 1) 7/2: Beyoncé “Break My Soul” (BB: 2, DG: 1) 7/2: Drake & 21 Savage “Jimmy Cooks” (BB: 1, ST: 2) 7/9: Charlie Puth & Jungkook “Left and Right” (DG: 1) 7/30: Bad Bunny with Chencho Corleone “Me Porto Bonito” (ST: 2) 8/6: John Rich “Progress” (DG: 1) 8/13: Steve Lacy “Bad Habit” (BB: 3, BA: 1, ST: 5, RR: 1) 8/13: Jax “Victoria’s Secret” (DG: 1) 8/15: Nicky Youre & Dazy “Sunroof” (BA: 1, RR: 4) 8/20: DJ Khaled with Drake & Lil Baby “Staying Alive” (ST: 1) 8/20: Benny Blanco, BTS, & Snoop Dogg “Bad Decisions” (DG: 1) 8/27: Nicki Minaj “Super Freaky Girl” (BB: 1, ST: 2, DG: 2) 9/5: Harry Styles “Late Night Talking” (RR: 2) 9/17: Elton John & Britney Spears “Hold Me Closer” (DG: 2) 9/24: Kane Brown & Katelyn Brown “Thank God” (DG: 1) 9/26: Post Malone & Doja Cat “I Like You (A Happier Song)” (RR: 3) 10/1: David Guetta & Bebe Rexha “I’m Good (Blue)” (BA: 1, DG: 1, RR: 2) 10/8: Sam Smith with Kim Petras “Unholy” (BB: 1, BA: 4, DG: 4, ST: 4, RR: 6) 10/17: Doja Cat “Vegas” (RR: 4) 11/5: Taylor Swift “Anti-Hero” (BB: 8, BA: 5, DG: 4, ST: 2, RR: 3) 11/5: Taylor Swift “Question…?” (DG: 1) 11/12: Jin “The Astronaut” (DG: 1) 11/19: Drake & 21 Savage “Rich Flex” (ST: 3) 12/3: Jung Kook “Dreamers” (DG: 1) 12/17: RM with Youjeen “Wild Flower” (DG: 1) 12/24: SZA “Kill Bill” (BB: 1, ST: 4, RR: 1) 2023: 1/7: Tom MacDonald “Ghost” (DG: 1) 1/28: Miley Cyrus “Flowers” (BB: 8, BA: 18, DG: 5, ST: 4, RR: 10) 2/4: David Guetta with Bebe Rexha “I’m Good (Blue)” (BA: 1) 2/6: The Weeknd with Ariana Grande “Die for You” (BB: 1, BA: 2, ST: 1, RR: 2) 2/18: Beyoncé “Cuff It” (DG: 1) 3/4: Pink Pantheress with Ice Spice “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” (ST: 1) 3/18: Morgan Wallen “Last Night” (BB: 16, DG: 1, ST: 19) 3/18: Nicki Minaj “Red Ruby da Sleeze” (DG: 1) 3/25: Donald Trump & the J6 Prison Choir “Justice for All” (DG: 1) 4/1: Jimin “Set Me Free Pt. 2” (DG: 1) 4/8: Jimin “Like Crazy” (BB: 1, DG: 2) 4/22: Agust D with IU “People Pt. 2” (DG: 1) 4/22: Drake “Search & Rescue” (ST: 1) 4/29: Ice Spice with Nicki Minaj “Princess Diana” (DG: 1) 5/6: Agust D “Haegeum” (DG: 1) 5/8: Rema with Selena Gomez “Calm Down” (BA: 10, RR: 4) 5/13: Gordon Lightfoot “If You Could Read My Mind” (DG: 1) 5/13: Eslabon Armado with Peso Pluma “Ella Baila Sola” (ST: 1) 5/20: Ed Sheeran “Eyes Closed’ (DG: 1) 5/22: Miguel “Sure Thing” (RR: 6) 5/27: Ed Sheeran with Luke Combs “Life Goes On” (DG: 1) 6/3: Kodak Black with NLE Choppa, Jimin, Jvke, & Munil Long “Angel Pt. 1” (DG: 1) 6/10: Taylor Swift “Hits Different” (DG: 1) 6/17: Sexyy Red with Nicki Minaj & Tay Keith “Pound Town 2” (DG: 1) 6/24: BTS “Take Two” (DG: 1) 7/1: Luke Combs “Fast Car” (BA: 4, DG: 3) 7/8: Nicki Minaj with Ice Spice & Aqua “Barbie World” (DG: 1, RR: 1) 7/10: Taylor Swift “Karma” (RR: 2) 7/15: Olivia Rodrigo “Vampire” (BB: 2, ST: 1, RR: 1) 7/29: Jungkook with Latto “Seven” (BB: 1) 7/29: Gunna “FukUMean” (ST: 1) 7/31: Taylor Swift “Cruel Summer” (BB: 4, BA: 12, DG: 1, ST: 1, RR: 8) 8/5: Jason Aldean “Try That in a Small Town” (BB: 1, DG: 4) 8/12: Travis Scott & Drake “Meltdown” (ST: 1) 8/26: Oliver Anthony “Rich Men North of Richmond” (BB: 2, DG: 3, ST: 1) 9/9: Zach Bryan with Kacey Musgraves “I Remember Everything” (BB: 1, ST: 4) 9/11: Dua Lipa “Dance the Night” (RR: 1) 9/16: Doja Cat Doja Cat “Paint the Town Red” (BB: 3, BA: 1, DG: 2, ST: 1, RR: 7) 9/16: Jimmy Buffett “Margaritaville” (DG: 1) 9/23: Cardi B & Megan Thee Stallion “Bongos” (DG: 1) 9/30: Drake & SZA “Slime You Out” (BB: 1, ST: 1) 10/14: Jung Kook & Jack Harlow “3D” (DG: 2) 10/14: SZA “Snooze” (BA: 3, RR: 1) 10/21: Drake & J. Cole “First Person Shooter” (BB: 1, ST: 1) 10/28: Drake & Yeat “IDGAF” (ST: 1) 11/4: The Lid Laroi with Jung Kook & Central Cee “Too Much” (DG: 1) 11/11: Taylor Swift “Is It Over Now?” (BB: 1, ST: 2) 11/11: The Beatles “Now and Then” (DG: 1) 11/18: Jung Kook “Standing Next to You” (DG: 5) 11/25: Jack Harlow “Lovin’ on Me” (BB: 4, BA: 2, DG: 2, ST: 5) 12/9: Brenda Lee “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (BB: 3: ST: 5) 12/9: Taylor Swift “You’re Losing Me” (DG: 1) 12/11: Tate McRae “Greedy” (RR: 8) 2024: 1/6: Jimin “Closer Than This” (DG: 1) 1/20: Nicki Minaj “FTCU” (DG: 1) 1/27: Ariana Grande “Yes, And?” (BB: 1, DG: 1, ST: 1) 2/3: Teddy Swims “Lose Control” (BB: 1, BA: 9, DG: 3, RR: 1) 2/10: Megan Thee Stallion “Hiss” (BB: 1, DG: 1, ST: 1) 2/17: Benson Boone “Beautiful Things” (ST: 1, RR: 1) 2/19: Doja Cat “Agora Hills” (RR: 1) 2/24: Beyoncé “Texas Hold ‘Em” (BB: 2, DG: 3, ST: 1) 2/24: Kanye West with Ty Dolla $ign, Rich the Kid, & Playboi Carti “Carnival” (BB: 1, ST: 3) 3/23: Ariana Grande “We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” (BB: 1, ST: 2, R: 3) 3/30: Cardi B “Enough (Miami)” (DG: 1) 4/6: Future with Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar “Like That” (BB: 3, ST: 3) 4/20: GloRilla with Megan Thee Stallion “Wanna Be” (DG: 1) 4/27: Shaboozey “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” (BB: 19, BA: 20, DG: 15, ST: 9, RR: 1) 4/27: Hozier “Too Sweet” (BB: 1, BA: 2, ST: 1, RR: 4) 5/4: Taylor Swift & Post Malone “Fortnight” (BB: 2, DG: 1, ST: 1) 5/11: Tommy Richman “Million Dollar Baby” (ST: 1, RR: 1) 5/18: Kendrick Lamar “Not Like Us” (BB: 2, ST: 6) 5/25: Post Malone & Morgan Wallen “I Had Some Help” (BB: 6, BA: 5, DG: 2, ST: 2, RR: 1) 6/3: SZA “Saturn” (RR: 1) 6/15: Eminem “Houdini” (DG: 1, ST: 1) 6/22: Sabrina Carpenter “Please Please Please” (BB: 1, ST: 2, RR: 3) 7/1: Sabrina Carpenter “Espresso” (RR: 3) 7/27: Tom MacDonald “You Missed” (DG: 1) 8/3: Jimin “Who” (DG: 2) 8/31: Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars “Die with a Smile” (DG: 2) 9/7: Sabrina Carpenter “Taste” (ST: 3) 9/16: Chappell Roan “Good Luck, Babe!” (RR: 1) 9/21: Megan Thee Stallion & RM “Neva Play” (DG: 1) 9/23: Billie Eilish “Birds of a Feather” (RR: 3) 9/28: The Weeknd “Dancing in the Flames” (DG: 1) 10/5: Jon Kahn “Fighter” (DG: 1) 10/12: Cody Johnson & Carrie Underwood “I’m Gonna Love You” (DG: 1) 11/2: Morgan Wallen “Love Somebody” (BB: 1) Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “USA: #1 Pop Songs, 1890-Present” Dave’s Music Database: “United States: Biggest #1 Songs” Dave’s Music Database: “Top 100 Songs for Each Decade” Wikipedia: “List of Billboard Number-One Singles” (1940s – present) Wikipedia: “List of Billboard Hot 100 Airplay/Radio Songs Number-One Singles” (1984 – present) Wikipedia: “List of Radio & Records/Mediabase Number-One Singles” (1973 – 9/5/2021) First posted 2/24/2021; last updated 12/28/2024.

USA: #1 Pop Songs, 1890-1899

USA’s #1 Pop Songs: 1890-1899

These are the #1 pop songs in the history of the United States pop charts from 1890 to 1899. These songs topped the pre-Hot 100 pop charts, which ran from 1890-1955. Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of weeks at #1. Click here to access a full list of #1 songs from 1890 to present. See other chart-based lists here. 1890: 8/2: U.S. Marine Band “Semper Fidelis” (2 weeks) 9/13: U.S. Marine Band “The Washington Post March” (6) 10/25: U.S. Marine Band “The Thunderer” (4) 1891: 3/7: Len Spencer “Little ‘Liza Loves You” (4) 4/4: George Washington Johnson “The Laughing Song” (10) 6/13: Russell Hunting “Michael Casey As a Physician” (4) 7;11: George Washington Johnson “The Whistling Coon” (5) 8/22: John Yorke Atlee “Listen to the Mocking Bird (aka “The Mocking Bird”)” (6) 9/19: Dan Kelly “Pat Kelly As a Police Justice” (4) 10/17: Billy Golden “Turkey in the Straw” (7) 12/5: George J. Gaskin “Drill, Ye Terriers, Drill” (5) 1892: 1/9: George J. Gaskin “Slide Kelly Slide” (3) 1/30: Len Spencer “Ta-Ra-Ra Boom-De-Ay” (8) 3/26: Manhansett Quartette “The Picture Turned to the Wall” (6) 5/7: Manhansett Quartette “Sally in Our Alley” (3) 5/28: Joe Natus “The Song That Reached My Heart” (3) 6/18: Charles Marsh “Throw Him Down, McCloskey” (3) 7/9: Russell Hunting “Michael Casey at the Telephone” (5) 8/13: Len Spencer “The Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)” (6) 9/24: Will Denny “The Pretty Red Rose” (2) 10/8: Russell Hunting “Michael Casey Taking the Census” (6) 11/19: Len Spencer “Near It” (2) 12/3: Thomas Bott “Love’s Old Sweet Song” (4) 12/31: Dan Quinn “Daddy Wouldn’t Buy Me a Bow Wow” (4) 1893: 1/28: Dan Quinn “The Bowery” (5) 3/4: George J. Gaskin “Oh Promise Me” (8) 4/29: George J. Gaskin “After the Ball” (10) 7/8: Jules Levy “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” (3) 7/29: Len Spencer “Mamie Come and Kiss Your Honey Boy” (3) 8/19: J.W. Myers “Two Little Girls in Blue” (4) 9/16: Dan Quinn “Daisy Bell (A Bicycle Built for Two)” (9) 11/18: George J. Gaskin “The Fatal Wedding” (8) 1894: 1/13: Russell Hunting “Casey As Insurance Agent” (3) 2/3: George J. Gaskin “Sweet Marie” (5) 3/10: U.S. Marine Band “The Liberty Bell” (5) 4/14: Edward M. Favor “Say Au Revoir, But Not Goodbye” (7) 6/2: Vess Ossman “Yankee Doodle” (4) 6/30: Silas Leachman “Dem Golden Slippers” (4) 7/28: George J. Gaskin “We Were Sweethearts, Nell and I” (3) 8/18: Dan Quinn “Lindley, Does You Love Me?” (3) 10/6: Dan Quinn “My Pearl Is a Bowery Girl” (4) 11/3: Russell Hunting “Casey at Denny Murphy’s Wake” (3) 11/24: Dan Quinn “And Her Golden Hair Was Hanging Down Her Back” (6) 1895: 1/5: Len Spencer “Little Alabama Coon” (5) 2/9: Dan Quinn “The Sidewalks of New York” (9) 3/21: Edward M. Favor “My Best Girl’s a New Yorker” (5) 4/13: J.W. Myers “The Sidewalks of New York” (4) 4/25: Len Spencer “The Bully (aka ‘Dat New Bully’)” (5) 5/30: Vess Ossman “Cocoanut Dance” (3) 6/15: Sousa’s Band “El Capitan March” (7) 8/1: J.W. Myers “Just Tell Them That You Saw Me” (6) 8/3: Sousa’s Band “The Washington Post March” (3) 8/24: Dan Quinn “The Band Played On” (10) 11/2: Dan Quinn “Little Lost Child” (5) 1896: 1/4: George J. Gaskin “The Sunshine of Paradise Alley” (6) 2/15: George J. Gaskin “She May Have Seen Better Days” (5) 6/20: Len Spencer with Vess Ossman “A Hot Time on the Levee” (3) 9/12: George J. Gaskin “Down in Poverty Roy” (4) 10/10: George J. Gaskin “On the Benches in the Park” (4) 11/7: Dan Quinn “In the Baggage Coach Ahead” (5) 12/12: Dan Quinn “A Hot Time in the Old Town” (7) 1897: 1/30: Len Spencer “A Hot Time in the Old Town” (3) 2/20: Len Spencer “Oh, Mr. Johnson, Turn Me Loose” (4) 3/20: Len Spencer “My Gal Is a Highborn Lady” (4) 4/17: Dan Quinn “My Mother Was a Lady” (5) 5/22: George J. Gaskin “Sweet Rosie O’Grady” (8) 7/17: Sousa’s Band “The Stars and Stripes Forever” (8) 9/11: Dan Quinn “There’s a Little Star Shining for You” (4) 11/6: George J. Gaskin “On the Banks of the Wabash” (10) 1898: 1/15: Steve Porter “On the Banks of the Wabash” (4) 2/12: Edison Male Quartette “My Old Kentucky Home” (3) 4/2: George J. Gaskin “Break the News to Mother” (7) 5/21: Cal Stewart “Uncle Josh’s Arriva in New York” (5) 6/25: Len Spencer “I Don’t Like No Cheap Man” (3) 7/16: George J. Gaskin “She Was Bred in Old Kentucky” (6) 8/27: Steve Porter “She’s More to Be Pitied Than Censured” (4) 9/24: Cal Stewart “I’m Old But I’m Awfully Tough (Laughing Song)” (3) 10/15: Dan Quinn “She Was Happy Till She Met You” (4) 11/12: Dan Quinn “At a Georgia Camp Meeting” (4) 12/10: George J. Gaskin “My Old New Hampshire Home” (10) 1899: 2/18: Arthur Collins “Kiss Me, Honey, Do” (4) 3/18: Arthur Collins “When you Ain’t Go No More Money, Well, You Needn’t Come Around” (2) 4/1: Arthur Collins “I Guess I’ll Have to Telegraph My Baby” (4) 4/29: Arthur Collins “Hello, Ma Baby” (4) 5/27: Len Spencer “Hello! Ma Baby” (6) 7/8: George J. Gaskin “My Wild Irish Rose” (3) 7/29: George J. Gaskin “My Wild Irish Rose” (6) 9/9: William F. Hooley “Gypsy Love Song” (5) 10/14: Steve Porter “A Picture No Artist Can Paint” (2) 10/28: Dan Quinn “Curse of the Dreamer” (7) 12/16: Arthur Collins “I’d Leave My Happy Home for You” (7) Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “USA: #1 Pop Songs, 1890-Present” Dave’s Music Database: “United States: Biggest #1 Songs” Dave’s Music Database: “Top 100 Songs for Each Decade” Joel Whitburn (1986). Pop Memories 1890-1954. Menomonee Falls, WI; Record Research, Inc. Pages 642-657. First posted 2/24/2021; last updated 12/1/2022.

Dave’s Faves: #1 Songs

Dave’s Faves: #1’s: 1960-2019

September 18, 1982. I can peg my fascination with music charts to that date. After listening to a local radio station’s countdown of the hits of the summer, I decided to make my own list of favorites (see original list here). I ended up revising it every few days, eventually developing my own charts which I maintained into the ‘90s. I’ve made some adjustments to those original charts. First, the charts I did from 1982 to 1994 mixed current songs with classics. I’ve revised this list to put songs in their proper place chronologically. Second, since I didn’t do charts prior to 1982 or after 1994, I’ve speculated what would have been my #1’s. Of course, I realize no one really cares about any of this but me. That’s fine. It’s my website so alongside content which (hopefully) matters to others, I get to stroke my own ego and post some content which is only important to an audience of one. In any event, you can check out the lists here if you wish: Click here to see other Dave’s Faves song lists.

Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Dave’s Faves: Song Lists” Dave’s Music Database: “Dave’s Faves: Albums/Works” Dave’s Music Database: “Dave’s Faves: Top 100 Acts” Dave’s Music Database: Other Best-of Song Lists First posted 4/28/2020; last updated 12/30/2023.

Dave’s Faves: #1 Songs in the 2010s

Dave’s Faves: #1’s: 2010-2019

September 18, 1982. I can peg my fascination with music charts to that date. After listening to a local radio station’s countdown of the hits of the summer, I decided to make my own list of favorites (see original list here). I ended up revising it every few days, eventually developing my own charts which I maintained into the ‘90s. I’ve also projected before and after those lists to create speculative lists of #1 songs for eras not covered by those original charts. You can check out those links here, but this page is focused on the #1 songs that might have been for me in the 2010s. Click here to see other Dave’s Faves song lists. 2010: Jan. 9: Toy Matinee “Blank Page” (3 wks) Jan. 30: Eddie Vedder “My City of Ruins” (3 wks) Feb. 20: Playing for Change “Biko” (2 wks) Mar. 6: Helping Haiti “Everybody Hurts” (2 wks) Mar. 20: Sheryl Crow with Kid Rock & Keith Urban “Lean on Me (live)” (4 wks) Apr. 17: Band of Horses “Laredo” (3 wks) May 8: The National “Bloodbuzz Ohio” (3 wks) May 29: Justin Currie “The Fight to Be Human” (3 wks) June 19: Michael Franti & Spearhead “The Sound of Sunshine” (4 wks) July 17: Eminem with Rihanna “Love the Way You Lie” (3 wks) Aug. 7: Mike Massé with Jeff Hall “Africa” (3 wks) Aug. 28: John Mellencamp “Easter Eve” (3 wks) Sept. 18: John Mellencamp “Save Some Time to Dream” (2 wks) Oct. 8: Cee-Lo Green “Fuck You (aka “Forget You”)” (8 wks) Nov. 27: Foster the People “Pumped Up Kicks” (3 wks) Dec. 18: Chris Difford “Goldfish” (2 wks) 2011: Jan. 1: Chris Difford “Like I Did” (3 wks) Jan. 22: Chris DIfford “1975” (2 wks) Feb 5: Adele “Rolling in the Deep” (7 wks) Mar. 26: Sandi Thom “The House of the Rising Sun” (3 wks) Apr. 16: Adele “Love Song” (3 wks) May 7: The Rainmakers “Like Dogs” (4 wks) June 11: The Rainmakers “Last Song of the Evening” (3 wks) July 2: Maroon 5 with Christina Aguilera “Moves Like Jagger” (4 wks) July 30: Gotye with Kimbra “Somebody That I Used to Know” (8 wks) Sept. 24: Keb’ Mo’ “One of These Nights” (2 wks) Oct. 8: Grouplove “Tongue Tied” (3 wks) Oct. 29: Fun. with Janelle Monáe “We Are Young” (6 wks) Dec. 10: Pearl Jam “Mother (live)” (2 wks) Dec. 24: Glen Tilbrook with Nine Below “Chat Line Larry” (2 wks) 2012: Jan. 7: Of Monsters and Men “Little Talks” (3 wks) Jan. 28: Bruce Springsteen “We Take Care of Our Own” (4 wks) Feb. 25: Chris Cornell “I Will Always Love You (live)” (4 wks) Mar. 24: Jimmy Fallon (as Neil Young) with Bruce Springsteen “Sexy and I Know It (live)” (4 wks) Apr. 21: Alabama Shakes “Hold On” (5 wks) May 26: Bruce Springsteen “Wrecking Ball” (2 wks) June 9: Bruce Springsteen “Rocky Ground” (3 wks) June 30: Willie Nelson with Lukas Nelson “Just Breathe” (8 wks) Aug. 25: The Lumineers “Ho Hey” (4 wks) Sept. 22: Jimmy Fallon (as Neil Young) with Bruce Springsteen “Whip My Hair (live)” (3 wks) Oct. 13: Bruce Springsteen “Jack of All Trades” (2 wks) Oct. 27: Psy “Gangnam Style” (3 wks) Nov. 17: Prince “Rock and Roll Love Affair” (2 wks) Dec. 1: Neil Finn “Song of the Lonely Mountain” (4 wks) Dec. 29: Heart “Stairway to Heaven (live)” (8 wks) 2013: Feb. 23: Pink “Just Give Me a Reason” (4 wks) Mar. 23: Bastille “Pompeii” (3 wks) Apr. 13: Robin Thicke with T.I. & Pharrell Williams “Blurred Lines” (6 wks) May 25: Jacob Moon “Kayleigh” / “Lavender” (live) (2 wks) June 8: Lorde “Royals” (4 wks) July 6: Grouplove “Ways to Go” (4 wks) Aug. 3: Justin Currie “Every Song’s the Same” (3 wks) Aug. 24: Sting “Practical Arrangement” (2 wks) Sept. 7: Michael Franti & Spearhead “Life Is Better with You” (4 wks) Oct. 5: Tears for Fears “Ready to Start” (3 wks) Oct. 26: Fiona Apple “Pure Imagination” (3 wks) Nov. 16: Hozier “Take Me to Church” (3 wks) Dec. 7: Pearl Jam “Sirens” (4 wks) 2014: Jan. 4: Kacey Musgraves “Follow Your Arrow” (3 wks) Jan. 25: Florida State University AcaBelles “Royals (live)” (2 wks) Feb. 8: Lorde “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” (1 wk) Feb. 15: Pharrell Williams “Happy” (5 wks) Mar. 22: U2 “Ordinary Love” (2 wks) Apr. 5: Bruce Springsteen “Don’t Change (live)” (1 wk) Apr. 12: Bruce Springsteen “Stayin’ Alive (live)” (1 wk) Apr. 19: Bruce Springsteen “Royals (live)” (1 wk) Apr. 26: Tegan & Sara with the Lonely Island “Everything Is Awesome!!!” (2 wks) May 10: Glenn Tilbrook “Ice Cream” (2 wks) May 24: Bruce Springsteen “Jump (live)” (1 wk) May 31: Keb’ Mo’ “Old Me Better” (2 wks) June 14: Sturgill Simpson “The Promise” (7 wks) Aug. 2: The War on Drugs “Under the Pressure” (8 wks) Sept. 27: Spoon “Do You” (3 wks) Oct. 18: Melissa Etheridge “What Are You Waiting For?” (3 wks) Nov. 8: New Pornographers “Dancehall Domine” (3 wks) Nov. 29: Pink Floyd “Louder Than Words” (4 wks) Dec. 27: Marc Ronson & Bruno Mars “Uptown Funk!” (5 wks) 2015: Jan. 31: Simple Minds “Let the Day Begin” (2 wks) Feb. 14: Alabama Shakes “Don’t Wanna Fight” (3 wks) Mar. 7: X Ambassadors “Renegades” (4 wks) Apr. 4: Wiz Khalifa & Charlie Puth “See You Again” (5 wks) May 9: Faith No More “Superhero” (2 wks) May 23: Courtney Barnett “Dead Fox” (4 wks) June 20: The Rainmakers “America” (2 wks) July 4: Michael Franti & Spearhead with Sonna Rele “Once a Day” (7 wks) Aug. 22: Kacey Musgraves “Family Is Family” (2 wks) Sept. 5: Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats “Son of a Bitch” (8 wks) Oct. 31: Lukas Graham “7 Years” (4 wks) Nov. 28: David Bowie “Blackstar” (2 wks) Dec. 12: Disturbed “The Sounds of Silence” (8 wks) 2016: Feb. 6: Charles Bradley “Changes” (4 wks) Mar. 5: David Bowie “Lazarus” (3 wks) Mar. 26: Bruce Springsteen “Rebel Rebel (live)” (1 wk) Apr. 2: Bruce Springsteen” Take It Easy (live)” (2 wks) Apr. 16: Sturgill Simpson “In Bloom” (8 wks) June 11: Bruce Springsteen “Purple Rain (live)” (2 wks) June 25: Paul Simon “Wristband” (3 wks) July 16: Justin Timberlake “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” (3 wks) Aug. 6: Chris Cornell “Nothing Compares 2 U (live)” (4 wks) Sept. 3: Peter Gabriel “I’m Amazing” (2 wks) Sept. 17: k.d. lang, Neko Case, & Laura Veirs “Atomic Number” (4 wks) Oct. 15: Shovels & Rope “I Know” (5 wks) Dec. 3: Artists of Then, Now & Forever “Forever Country” (4 wks) Dec. 31: LP “Lost on You” (5 wks) 2017: Feb. 4: John Mellencamp “Easy Target” (3 wks) Feb. 25: Arcade Fire with Mavis Staples “I Give You Power” (3 wks) Mar. 18: Bruce Springsteen “I’ll Stand by You” (5 wks) Apr. 22: Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers with Bruce Springsteen “That’s What Makes Us Great” (5 wks) May 27: Roger Waters “Smell the Roses” (3 wks) June 17: The XX “I Dare You” (5 wks) July 22: Roger Waters “Déjà Vu” (4 wks) Aug. 19: Justin Currie “Hey Polly” (4 wks) Sept. 16: Cage the Elephant “Whole Wide World” (2 wks) Sept. 30: Beck “Up All Night” (4 wks) Oct. 28: Kurt Vile & Courtney Barnett “Over Everything” (3 wks) Nov. 18: Keale Settle & the Greatest Showman Ensemble “This Is Me” (7 wks) 2018: Jan. 6: Brandi Carlile “The Joke” (4 wks) Feb. 3: Phoebe Bridgers “Motion Sickness” (3 wks) Feb. 24: Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit “If We Were Vampires” (5 wks) Mar. 31: Janelle Monáe “Make Me Feel” (7 wks) May 19: Brandi Carlile “The Mother” (2 wks) June 2: Weezer “Africa” (4 wks) June 30: Maroon 5 with Cardi B “Girls Like You” (6 wks) Aug. 11: Neko Case “Last Lion of Albion” (3 wks) Sept. 1: Kacey Musgraves “Kansas City Star” (5 wks) Oct. 6: Hozier with Mavis Staples “Nina Cried Power” (3 wks) Oct. 27: Lady Gaga with Bradley Cooper “Shallow” (6 wks) Dec. 8: Una Walkenhorst & Bob Walkenhorst “For Tomorrow” (3 wks) Dec. 29: Lil Nas X with Billy Ray Cyrus “Old Town Road” (7 wks) 2019: Feb. 16: Michael Franti & Spearhead “This World Is So Fucked Up But I Ain't Ever Givin' Up on It” (4 wks) Mar. 16: Michael Franti & Spearhead “You’re Number One” (3 wks) Apr. 6: AJR “Birthday Party” (4 wks) May 4: Sheryl Crow & Johnny Cash “Redemption Day” (7 wks) June 22: Bruce Springsteen “Hello Sunshine” (3 wks) July 13: Alan Parsons “As Lights Fall” (3 wks) Aug. 3: Bruce Springsteen “Sundown” (4 wks) Aug. 31: Keb’ Mo’ “This Is My Home” (7 wks) Oct. 19: Brittany Howard “Stay High” (3 wks) Nov. 9: The Who “All This Music Must Fade” (4 wks) Dec. 7: The Weeknd “Blinding Lights” (8 wks) Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Dave’s Faves: Song Lists” Dave’s Music Database: “Dave’s Faves: Albums/Works” Dave’s Music Database: “Dave’s Faves: Top 100 Acts” Dave’s Music Database: Other Best-of Song Lists First posted 5/1/2020; last updated 2/22/2024.

Dave’s Faves: #1 Songs in the 2000s

First posted 4/29/2020.

Dave’s Faves: #1’s: 2000-2009

September 18, 1982. I can peg my fascination with music charts to that date. After listening to a local radio station’s countdown of the hits of the summer, I decided to make my own list of favorites (see original list here). I ended up revising it every few days, eventually developing my own charts which I maintained into the ‘90s. I’ve also projected before and after those lists to create speculative lists of #1 songs for eras not covered by those original charts. You can check out those links here, but this page is focused on the #1 songs that might have been for me in the 2000s. 2000: Jan. 1: David Baerwald “A Friend Like Our Dear Stranger” (2 wks) Jan. 15: Kid Rock “Only God Knows Why” (3 wks) Feb. 5: D’Angelo “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” (4 wks) Mar. 4: 3 Doors Down “Kryptonite” (2 wks) Mar. 18: Moby “Natural Blues” (5 wks) Apr. 22: Lee Ann Womack & Sons of the Desert “I Hope You Dance” (4 wks) May 20: Creed “With Arms Wide Open” (3 wks) June 10: Stone Temple Pilots “Sour Girl” (4 wks) July 8: No Doubt “Simple Kind of Life” (4 wks) Aug. 5: Aha “Barely Hanging On” (3 wks) Aug. 26: Fuel “Hemorrhage (In My Hands)” (3 wks) Sept. 16: Arnold McCuller “Free Bird” (3 wks) Oct. 17: Arnold McCuller & Paul Giamatti “Try a Little Tenderness” (2 wks) Oct. 21: Eminem with Dido “Stan” (3 wks) Nov. 11: Nelly Furtado “I’m Like a Bird” (2 wks) Nov. 25: Kevin Gilbert “Certifiable #1 Smash” (2 wks) Dec. 9: Kevin Gilbert “Suit Fugue (Dance of the A&R Men)” (2 wks) Dec. 23: Incubus “Drive” (3 wks) 2001: Jan. 13: Roger Waters “Each Small Candle (live)” (3 wks) Feb. 3: Uncle Kracker “Follow Me” (3 wks) Feb. 24: Train “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)” (2 wks) Mar. 10: U2 “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of” (2 wks) Mar. 24: Gorillaz “Clint Eastwood” (3 wks) Apr. 14: Bruce Springsteen “American Skin (41 Shots) (live)” (3 wks) May 5: Eve 6 “Here’s to the Night” (2 wks) May 19: Staind “It’s Been Awhile” (3 wks) June 9: Amanda Ghost “Silver Lining” (3 wks) June 30: Five for Fighting “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” (3 wks) July 21: Afro-Celt System with Peter Gabriel “When You’re Falling” (2 wks) Aug. 4: Tricky with Ed Kowalczyk & Hawkman “Evolution Revolution Love” (3 wks) Aug. 25: Bruce Springsteen “Land of Hope and Dreams (live)” (2 wks) Sept. 8: Glen Tilbrook “Interviewing Randy Newman” (2 wks) Sept. 22: Tori Amos “’97 Bonnie and Clyde” (1 wk) Sept. 29: Limp Bizkit with Johnny Reznik “Wish You Were Here (live)” (2 wks) Oct. 13: Sheryl Crow “Safe and Sound (live)” (2 wks) Oct. 27: Bruce Springsteen “My City of Ruins (live)” (2 wks) Nov. 10: John Mayer “No Such Thing” (3 wks) Dec. 1: Alan Jackson “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning” (4 wks) Dec. 29: The White Stripes “Hotel Yorba” (3 wks) 2002: Jan. 19: Puddle of Mudd “Blurry” (2 wks) Feb. 2: Dixie Chicks “Travelin’ Soldier” (4 wks) Mar. 2: Pink “Don’t Let Me Get Me” (3 wks) Mar. 23: Noa “Eye in the Sky” (2 wks) Apr. 6: Jack Johnson “Flake” (2 wks) Apr. 20: Indigo Girls “Bitterroot” (2 wks) May 4: Del Amitri “Jesus Saves” (3 wks) May 25: Moby “We Are All Made of Stars” (4 wks) June 22: Badly Drawn Boy “Something to Talk About” (3 wks) July 13: Bruce Springsteen “The Rising” (3 wks) Aug. 3: Robert Plant “One More Cup of Coffee” (1 wk) Aug. 10: Eminem “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” (2 wks) Aug. 24: Bruce Springsteen “Empty Sky” (3 wks) Sept. 14: Avril Lavigne “Sk8r Boi” (3 wks) Oct. 5: Eminem “Lose Yourself” (5 wks) Nov. 9: Pink “Family Portrait” (3 wks) Nov. 30: Kid Rock with Sheryl Crow “Picture” (3 wks) Dec. 21: U2 “The Hands That Built America” (2 wks) 2003: Jan. 4: Beck “Lost Cause” (3 wks) Jan. 25: Evanescence with Paul McCoy “Bring Me to Life” (5 wks) Mar. 1: Chris Difford “No Show Jones” (2 wks) Mar. 15: Eminem “Sing for the Moment” (3 wks) Apr. 5: Bangles “Song for a Good Son” (1 wk) Apr. 12: Blur “Out of Time” (3 wks) May 3: Lucinda Williams “Righteously” (4 wks) May 31: Live “Heaven” (3 wks) June 21: Eagles “Hole in the World” (4 wks) July 19: John Mellencamp “To Washington” (3 wks) Aug. 9: Fountains of Wayne “Stacy’s Mom” (4 wks) Sept. 6: Michael Franti & Spearhead “Everyone Deserves Music” (3 wks) Sept. 27: OutKast “Hey Ya!” (4 wks) Oct. 25: Foo Fighters “Darling Nikki” (2 wks) Nov. 8: David Bowie “New Killer Star” (1 wk) Nov. 15: Johnny Cash Hurt (4 wks) Dec. 13: Pearl Jam “Man of the Hour” (3 wks) 2004: Jan. 3: Evanescence “My Immortal” (1 wk) Jan. 10: Bob Walkenhorst “Primitivo Garcia” (2 wks) Jan. 24: Michael Andrews & Gary Jules “Mad World” (4 wks) Feb. 21: Blink-182 “I Miss You” (3 wks) Mar. 13: Viktor Krauss & Alison Krauss “Big Log” (1 wk) Mar. 20: Indigo Girls “Tether” (1 wk) Mar. 27: Jason Mraz “Curbside Prophet” (3 wks) Apr. 17: Beck “Everybody’s Gotta Learn Sometime” (4 wks) May 15: Jet “Look What You’ve Done” (1 wk) May 22: Mindy Smith “Come to Jesus” (3 wks) June 12: Sting “Stolen Car (Take Me Dancing)” (2 wks) June 26: Glenn Tilbrook “Hot Shaved Asian Teens” (2 wks) July 10: Tim McGraw “Live Like You Were Dying” (3 wks) July 31: Bruce Hornsby “Gonna Be Some Changes Made” (4 wks) Aug. 28: Bowling for Soup “1985” (4 wks) Sept. 25: Velvet Revolver “Fall to Pieces” (2 wks) Oct. 9: The Killers “All These Things That I’ve Done” (3 wks) Oct. 30: Tears for Fears “The Devil” (2 wks) Nov. 13: David Baerwald “If Wishes Were Horses” (2 wks) Nov. 27: Green Day “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” (3 wks) Dec. 18: Eminem “Mosh” (3 wks) 2005: Jan 8: Eminem “Mockingbird” (2 wks) Jan. 22: Damien Rice “The Blower’s Daughter” (3 wks) Feb. 12: Eminem “Like Toy Soldiers” (3 wks) Mar. 5: Bright Eyes “Road to Joy” (4 wks) Apr. 2: U2 “Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own” (3 wks) Apr. 23: KT Tunstall “Black Horse & the Cherry Tree” (5 wks) May 28: The Killers “Ruby Don’t Take Your Love to Town” (1 wk) June 4: Styx “Blue Collar Man @ 2120” (2 wks) June 18: U2 “Original of the Species” (2 wks) July 2: Green Day “Wake Me Up When September Ends” (4 wks) July 30: Nine Inch Nails “Only” (3 wks) Aug. 20: David Baerwald “Why Not Me” (2 wks) Sept. 3: Coldplay “Fix You” (2 wks) Sept. 17: Death Cab for Cutie “Soul Meets Body” (3 wks) Oct. 8: Sandi Thom “I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker” (4 wks) Nov. 5: Dixie Chicks “I Hope” (2 wks) Nov. 19: Berlin “Scream” (1 wk) Nov. 26: Alanis Morissette “Crazy” (3 wks) Dec. 17: Youth Group “Forever Young” (3 wks) 2006: Jan. 7: Nine Inch Nails “Every Day Is Exactly the Same” (3 wks) Jan. 28: Jack Johnson “Upside Down” (3 wks) Feb. 18: Blue October “Hate Me” 3 wks) Mar. 11: Sheryl Crow with Sting “Always on Your Side” (2 wks) Mar. 25: Gnarls Barkley “Crazy” (4 wks) Apr. 22: Dresden Dolls “Sing” (4 wks) May 20: Red Hot Chili Peppers “Hard to Concentrate” (3 wks) June 10: David Baerwald “I Won’t Back Down” (3 wks) July 1: Sierra Swan “Mother” (2 wks) July 15: Stone Sour “Through Glass” (3 wks) Aug. 5: Death Cab for Cutie “I Will Follow You into the Dark” (4 wks) Sept. 2: Melissa Etheridge “I Need to Wake Up” (2 wks) Sept. 16: Blue October “Into the Ocean” (3 wks) Oct. 7: Pearl Jam “Gone” (2 wks) Oct. 21: U2 with Green Day “The Saints Are Coming” (2 wks) Nov. 4: Amy Winehouse “Rehab” (3 wks) Nov. 25: Tim Finn “Salt to the Sea” (2 wks) Dec. 9: John Mellencamp “Our Country” (2 wks) Dec. 23: Pink with Indigo Girls “Dear Mr. President” (4 wks) 2007: Jan. 20: Mika “Grace Kelly” (4 wks) Feb. 17: Mika “Over My Shoulder” (2 wks) Mar. 3: Viktor Krauss with Shawn Colvin “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” (2 wks) Mar. 17: John Mellencamp “Rodeo Clown” (3 wks) Apr. 7: Plain White T’s “Hey There Delilah” (3 wks) Apr. 28: Alanis Morissette “My Humps” (2 wks) May 12: Pearl Jam “Love Reign O’er Me” (2 wks) May 26: John Mellencamp “Rural Route” (2 wks) June 9: Chris Cornell “Billie Jean” (3 wks) June 30: Bruce Springsteen “When the Saints Go Marching In (live)” (2 wks) July 14: Marillion “Most Toys’ (2 wks) July 28: Crowded House “Silent House” (4 wks) Aug. 25: Velvet Revolver “The Last Fight” (2 wks) Sept. 8: Bruce Springsteen “Radio Nowhere” (4 wks) Oct. 6: Hooters “Morning Buzz” (2 wks) Oct. 20: Eddie Vedder “Hard Sun” (3 wks) Nov. 10: Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova “Falling Slowly” (3 wks) Dec. 1: Barenaked Ladies “The Big Bang Theory Theme” (2 wks) Dec. 15: Mika “Happy Ending” (1 wk) Dec. 22: Bruce Springsteen “Magic” (2 wks) 2008: Jan. 5: Hooters “White Jeans” (2 wks) Jan. 19: Eddie Vedder “Guaranteed” (2 wks) Feb. 2: Eddie Vedder “Long Nights’ (2 wks) Feb. 16: Bruce Springsteen “Terry’s Song” (1 wk) Feb. 23: Eagles “No More Walks in the Wood” (2 wks) Mar. 8: Adele “Chasing Pavements” (2 wks) Mar. 22: Sheryl Crow “Lullaby for Wyatt” (2 wks) Apr. 5: Adele “Hometown Glory” (3 wks) Apr. 26: Jack Johnson “Sleep Through the Static” (2 wks) May 10: Death Cab for Cutie “I Will Possess Your Heart” (3 wks) May 31: Chris Difford “Fat As a Fiddle” (3 wks) June 21: Chris Difford “On My Own I’m Never Bored” (2 wks) July 5: R.E.M. “Hollow Man” (2 wks) July 19: John Mellencamp “If I Die Sudden” (4 wks) Aug. 16: The Gaslight Anthem “The ’59 Sound” (4 wks) Sept. 13: Toni Childs “I Saw God in the Supermarket” (2 wks) Sept. 27: The Airborne Toxic Event “Sometime Around Midnight” (3 wks) Oct. 18: Bruce Springsteen “The Wrestler” (2 wks) Nov. 1: Eddie Vedder “All the Way” (3 wks) Nov. 22: Marillion “Half-Full Jam” (3 wks) Dec. 13: Adele “To Make You Feel My Love” (3 wks) 2009: Jan. 3: Playing for Change “Stand by Me” (4 wks) Jan. 31: Tim Finn “The Saw & the Tree” (2 wks) Feb. 14: Peter Gabriel with Hot Chip “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” (3 wks) Mar. 7: Bruce Springsteen “Outlaw Pete” (3 wks) Mar. 28: Glenn Tilbrook “Still” (2 wks) Apr. 11: U2 “Moment of Surrender” (2 wks) Apr. 25: The Decemberists “The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid” (3 wks) May 16: Queensrÿche “Home Again” (4 wks) June 13: Perpetuum Jazzile “Africa” (4 wks) July 11: Black Eyed Peas “I Gotta Feeling” (5 wks) Aug. 15: Shawn Colvin “Crazy” (3 wks) Sept. 5: Bruce Springsteen “London Calling (live)” (3 wks) Sept. 26: Train “Hey, Soul Sister” (4 wks) Oct. 24: Kevin Gilbert “Tired Old Man” (4 wks) Nov. 21: Kevin Gilbert “Bitter Souvenir” (2 wks) Dec. 5: Pearl Jam “Breathe” (5 wks)

Michael Jackson: A Retrospective, 1969-2009

Michael Jackson A Retrospective: 1969-2009

Born: Michael Joseph Jackson When: August 29, 1958 Where: Gary, Indiana Died: June 25, 2009 Early Years: R&B/pop singer/songwriter and dancer Michael Jackson was born the seventh of nine children. From an early age, his talents for music and dancing had become apparent. His father, steelworker Joe Jackson, was a strict, “often ill-tempered disciplinarian” AMG who saw to his children living a very regimented life. Because his mother was a Jehovah’s Witness, the children were also largely sheltered from the outside world. In 1962, Joe created a family musical group with his three oldest sons. Michael joined the next year, “quickly establishing himself as a dynamic stage performer. His dead-on mastery of James Brown’s dance moves and soulful, mature-beyond-his-years vocals made him a natural focal point, especially given his incredibly young age.” AMG For more about Michael’s career, read the comments about the albums highlighted on this page. Sales: Album Sales (in millions): 89.0 US, 500.0 world Singles Sales (in millions): 79.38 world Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Michael Jackson DMDB encyclopedia entry for The Jackson 5/The Jacksons Top 100 Songs MichaelJackson.com (official site) Facebook Wikipedia DMDB Podcast: Michael Jackson’s Thriller: The 40th Anniversary DMDB blog: (7/6/2009). “Michael Jackson: Icon or Ick?”

Awards:

Studio Albums (1979-2001): Song titles are followed by the dates they charted (if applicable) and chart peaks. Click for codes to charts. The raised letter codes refer to the compilations on which they song is featured (see below).

Compilations: A76 1976 triple LP of Anthology (covers 1969-75) A77 1977 double LP of Anthology (covers 1969-75) A86 1986 double CD of Anthology (covers 1969-82) A00 2000 double CD of Anthology (covers 1969-75) EJ The Essential Jacksons (covers 1976-89, released 2004) HB HIStory Begins (covers 1979-1991, released 1995) NO Number Ones (covers 1978-2003, released 2003) EA The Essential Michael Jackson: North American Edition (covers 1969-2001, released 2005) Top 100 Songs These are the top Michael Jackson songs as ranked by the DMDB. Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. * Jackson 5, ** The Jacksons. Noted below are songs which hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (US), Cashbox (CB), R&B chart (RB), adult contemporary chart (AC), UK chart (UK), Canadian chart (CN), and Australian chart (AU DMDB Top 1%: 1. Billie Jean (1982) #1 US,CB,RB,UK, CN,AU 2. Beat It (1982) #1 US,CB,RB,CN 3. We Are the World (U.S.A. for Africa, 1985) #1 US, CB, AC, UK, CN, AU 4. I Want You Back * (1969) #1 US,CB,RB 5. Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough (1979) #1 US,CB,RB,AU 6. I’ll Be There * (1970) #1 US,CB,RB 7. Thriller (1982) 8. ABC * (1970) #1 US,CB,RB 9. Say, Say, Say (with Paul McCartney, 1983) #1 US,CB,CN 10. Black or White (1991) #1 US,CB,UK,CN,AU 11. Rock with You (1979) #1 US,CB,RB DMDB Top 2%: 12. Remember the Time (1991) #1 CB,RB 13. The Way You Make Me Feel (1987) #1 US,CB,RB DMDB Top 5%: 14. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) (1982) 15. Man in the Mirror (1987) #1 US,CB,RB 16. Bad (1987) #1 US,CB,RB 17. Ben (1972) #1 US,AU 18. Somebody’s Watching Me (Rockwell w/ Michael Jackson, 1984) #1 RB 19. You Are Not Alone (1995) #1 US,CB,RB,UK 20. The Love You Save * (1970) #1 US,CB,RB 21. Shake Your Body Down to the Ground ** (1978) 22. Smooth Criminal (1987) 23. I Just Can’t Stop Loving You (with Siedah Garrett, 1987) #1 US,CB,RB,AC,UK 24. Got to Be There (1971) #1 CB 25. The Girl Is Mine (with Paul McCartney, 1982) #1 RB,AC 26. Rockin’ Robin (1971) #1 CB 27. Dancing Machine * (1973) #1 CB,RB 28. Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (1982) #1 CN DMDB Top 10%: 29. Scream (with Janet Jackson, 1995) 30. Earth Song (1995) #1 UK 31. State of Shock ** (with Mick Jagger, (1984) 32. She’s Out of My Life (1979) 33. Heal the World (1991) 34. Dirty Diana (1987) #1 US,CB 35. Human Nature (1982) 36. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town * (1970) 37. Will You Be There? (1991) 38. Off the Wall (1979) 39. Never Can Say Goodbye * (1971) 40. Love Never Felt So Good (w/ Justin Timberlake, 2014) 41. Enjoy Yourself ** (1976) 42. In the Closet (1991) #1 CB,RB 43. Farewell My Summer Love (1973) 44. Jam (1991) DMDB Top 20%: 45. You Rock My World (2001) 46. They Don’t Care About Us (1995) 47. Another Part of Me (1987) #1 RB 48. Eat It (Weird Al Yankovic parody of “Beat It,” 1984) 49. Torture ** (1984) 50. Ease on Down the Road (with Diana Ross, 1978) 51. Can You Feel It ** (1980) 52. Who Is It (1991) 53. Mama’s Pearl * (1970) #1 CB 54. Come Together (1988) 55. One Day in Your Life (1975) #1 UK 56. Heartbreak Hotel (This Place Hotel) ** (1980) 57. Blame It on the Boogie ** (1978) 58. Blood on the Dance Floor (1997) #1 UK 59. Stranger in Moscow (1995) 60. Lovely One ** (1980) Beyond the DMDB Top 20%: 61. Lookin’ Through the Window * (1972) 62. I Wanna Be Where You Are (1971) 63. With a Child’s Heart (1973) 64. We’re Almost There (1975) 65. Little Bitty Pretty One * (1972) 66. Show You the Way to Go ** (1976) #1 UK 67. Who’s Lovin’ You * (1969) 68. Hold My Hand (with Akon, 2010) 69. Tell Me I’m Not Dreaming (w/ Jermaine Jackson, 1984) 70. Childhood (1995) 71. I Am Love * (1974) 72. Ain’t No Sunshine (1971) 73. Don’t Matter to Me (w/ Drake, 2018) 74. Sugar Daddy * (1971) 75. Maybe Tomorrow * (1971) 76. Corner of the Sky * (1972) 77. Hallelujah Day * (1973) 78. Just a Little Bit of You (1975) 79. Walk Right Now ** (1980) 80. Leave Me Alone (1987) 81. Eaten Alive (w/ Diana Ross, 1985) 82. Goin’ Places ** (1977) 83. Get It (with Stevie Wonder, 1987) 84. Body ** (1984) 85. Whatever You Got, I Want * (1974) 86. Forever Came Today * (1975) 87. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus * (1970) 88. The Girl Is Mine 2008 (with will.i.am., 2008) 89. Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ 2008 (with Akon, 2008) 90. Fat (Weird Al Yankovic parody of “Bad,” 1988) 91. Give in to Me (1991) 92. Smile (1995) 93. Get It Together * (1973) 94. Butterflies (2001) 95. The Man (with Paul McCartney, 1983) 96. This Is It (with the Jacksons, 2009) 97. You Can’t Win (1978) 98. One More Chance (2003) 99. Gone Too Soon (1991) 100. Happy (1973)

Anthology The Jackson 5/Michael Jackson/Jermaine Jackson

Recorded: 1969-1975 Released: June 15, 1976 Peak: 84 US, -- UK, -- CN, -- AU Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.06 UK, 0.75 world (includes US and UK) Genre: pop/R&B Rating: 4.425 out of 5.00 (average of 14 ratings)

Tracks: J5 = Jackson 5, MJ = Michael Jackson, JJ = Jermaine Jackson I Want You Back (J5, 10/7/69, 1 BB, 1 CB, 1 GR, 2 HR, 1 RB, 2 UK, 2 CN, 77 AU, 4 DF) EA, A76, A77, A86, A00 Who’s Lovin’ You (J5, 10/7/69, 48 RB, 36 UK, 5 DF) A86, A00 ABC (J5, 2/24/70, 1 BB, 1 CB, 1 GR, 1 HR, 1 RB, 8 UK, 3 CN, 14 AU, 2 DF) EA, A76, A77, A86, A00 Don’t Know Why I Love You (J5, album cut, 5/8/70) A76, A86 I Found That Girl (J5, album cut, 5/8/70) A76, A86, A00 The Young Folks (J5, album cut, 5/8/70) A00 I’ll Bet You (J5, album cut, 5/8/70) A00 The Love You Save (J5, 5/16/70, 1 BB, 1 CB, 4 GR, 1 HR, 1 RB, 7 UK, 8 CN, 59 AU, 9 DF) EA, A76, A77, A86, A00 I’ll Be There (J5, 8/28/70, 1 BB, 1 CB, 1 GR, 1 HR, 24 AC, 1 RB, 4 UK, 10 CN, 31 AU, 2 DF) A76, A77, A86, A00 Goin’ Back to Indiana (J5, album cut, 9/8/70) A76, A86, A00 Darling Dear (J5, album cut, 9/8/70) A00 Mama’s Pearl (J5, 1/7/71, 2 BB, 1 CB, 8 GR, 2 HR, 2 RB, 25 UK, 3 CN) A76, A77, A86, A00 Never Can Say Goodbye (J5, 3/16/71, 6 BB, 2 BA, 1 CB, 5 GR, 2 HR, 1 RB, 33 UK, 14 CN, 77 AU, 20 DF) A76, A77, A86, A00 Maybe Tomorrow (J5, 7/9/71, 20 BB, 16 CB, 26 GR, 18 HR, 3 RB, 22 CN) A76, A86, A00 Got to Be There (MJ, 10/7/71, 4 BB, 1 CB, 2 GR, 4 HR, 14 AC, 4 RB, 5 UK, 3 CN, 83 AU, 7 DF) A76, A77, A86, EA I’m So Happy (J5, recorded 10/71) A00 Sugar Daddy (J5, 11/23/71, 10 BB, 6 CB, 10 GR, 7 HR, 3 RB, 11 CN) A76, A77, A86, A00 Rockin’ Robin (MJ, 2/17/72, 2 BB, 1 CB, 2 GR, 2 HR, 2 RB, 3 UK, 13 CN, 16 AU, 6 DF) A76, A77, A86, EA Love Song (J5, recorded 3/72) A00 Little Bitty Pretty One (J5, 4/4/72, 13 BB, 5 CB, 21 GR, 7 HR, 8 RB, 24 CN, 47 AU) A76, A77, A86, A00 It’s Great to Be Here (J5, album cut, 4/12/71) A00 I Wanna Be Where You Are (MJ, 5/2/72, 16 BB, 7 CB, 30 GR, 10 HR, 2 RB, 57 CN) A76, A77, A86 Lookin’ Through the Windows (J5, 6/23/72, 16 BB, 15 CB, 31 GR, 19 HR, 5 RB, 9 UK, 69 UK) A76, A77, A86, A00 Ben (MJ, 8/5/72, 1 BB,2 CB, 6 GR, 2 HR, 3 AC, 5 RB, 7 UK, 6 CN, 1 AU, 8 DF) A76, A77, A86, NO, EA Ain’t No Sunshine (MJ, 8/19/72, 8 UK) A77 That’s How Love Goes (JJ, 9/16/72, 46 BB, 23 RB) A76, A77, A86 Corner of the Sky (J5, 10/21/72, 18 BB, 12 CB, 25 GR, 18 HR, 9 RB, 35 CN) A76, A86, A00 Daddy’s Home (JJ, 12/9/72, 9 BB, 7 CB, 3 GR, 6 HR, 3 RB, 3 CN, 27 AU, 12 DF) A76, A77, A86, A00 Doctor My Eyes (J5, 2/2/73, 9 UK) A77, A00 Hallelujah Day (J5, 2/26/73, 28 BB, 21 CB, 34 GR, 31 HR, 20 UK, 31 AU) A76, A77, A86, A00 Touch (J5, album cut, 3/29/73) A00 Morning Glow (MJ, album cut, 4/13/73) A77 Get It Together (J5, 8/3/73, 28 BB, 24 CB, 36 HR, 2 RB, 88 CN) A76, A77, A86, A00 Skywriter (J5, 8/24/73, 25 UK, 87 AU) A76, A77, A86 Hum Along and Dance (J5, album cut, 9/21/73) A00 Music and Me (MJ, 10/73, --) A77 Dancing Machine (J5, 2/19/74, 2 BB, 1 CB, 4 GR, 1 HR, 4 RR, 1 RB, 53 UK, 2 CN) A76, A77, A86, A00 The Boogie Man (J5, 4/26/74, 58 UK) A76, A77, A86 The Life of the Party (J5, 11/29/74, --) A77, A00 I Am Love (J5, 12/23/74, 15 BB, 18 CB, 34 GR, 17 HR, 39 RR, 5 RB, 45 CN) A76, A77, A86, A00 Whatever You Got, I Want (J5, 10/1/74, 38 BB, 27 CB, 58 HR, 3 RB, 25 CN) A76, A77, A86, A00 We’re Almost There (MJ, 2/17/75, 54 BB, 57 CB, 50 HR, 7 RB, 46 UK, 69 CN) A76, A77, A86 Just a Little Bit of You (MJ, 5/17/75, 23 BB, 30 CB, 28 HR, 4 RB, 43 CN) A76, A77, A86 Body Language (Do the Love Dance) (J5, album cut, 5/15/75) A76, A86 Forever Came Today (J5, 6/10/75, 60 BB, 55 CB, 57 HR, 6 RB, 79 CN) A76, A77, A86, A00 All I Do Is Think of You (J5, 11/5/75, 50 RB) A76, A86, A00 Let’s Get Serious (JJ, 3/22/80, 9 BB, 9 CB, 30 GR, 17 HR, 1 RB, 8 UK, 24 AU, 11 DF) A86 You’re Supposed to Keep Your Love for Me (JJ, 7/12/80, 34 BB, 46 CB, 72 HR, 32 RB) A86 Let Me Tickle Your Fancy (JJ, 7/24/82, 18 BB, 22 CB, 33 GR, 5 RB) A86 Recording dates unknown: Love Don’t Want to Leave (JJ) A76, A86 Teenage Symphony (J5) A86 I Hear a Symphony (J5) A86 I Was Made to Love Her (J5) A86 Medley: Sing a Simple Song/Can You Remember (live) (J5) A00 Mama, I Got a Brand New Thing (Don’t Say No) (J5) A00 It’s Too Late to Change the Time (J5) A00 We’re Here to Entertain You (J5) A00 About the Album: In 1968, Michael and his brothers were signed to Motown as The Jackson 5. Michael was only eleven years old when they released their debut single, I Want You Back. That song – and the group’s next three singles (ABC, The Love You Save, and I’ll Be There) all went to #1, making them the first group in pop history to reach the top with their first four singles. By 1972, Michael released his first solo album while continuing to work with his brothers. He had top-five hits with Got to Be There and a cover of Bobby Day’s Rockin’ Robin and had his first #1 with Ben. The latter was “the title song from a children’s thriller about a young boy who befriends Ben, the highly intelligent leader of a gang of homicidal rats. Given the subject matter, the song was surprisingly sincere and sentimental, and even earned an Oscar nomination.” AMG

Off the Wall Michael Jackson

Released: August 10, 1979 Peak: 3 US, 116 RB, 5 UK, 4 CN, 12 AU, 8 DF Sales (in millions): 8.0 US, 1.97 UK, 20.0 world (includes US + UK) Genre: pop/R&B/dance Rating: 4.418 out of 5.00 (average of 29 ratings)

Tracks: Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough (7/10/79, 1 US, 1 RB, 3 UK, 3 CN, 1 AU, 4x platinum) EJ, HB, NO, EA Rock with You (11/3/79, 1 US, 1 RB, 21 AC, 7 UK, 3 CN, 4 AU, 2x platinum) HB, NO, EA Working Day and Night Get on the Floor Off the Wall (2/2/80, 10 US, 5 RB, 7 UK, 11 CN, 94 AU, platinum) EA Girlfriend (7/16/80, 41 UK) She’s Out of My Life (4/18/80, 10 US, 43 RB, 4 AC, 3 UK, 15 CN, 17 AU, gold) HB, EA I Can’t Help It It’s the Falling in Love Burn This Disco Out About the Album: In 1976, Michael and his brothers (except Jermaine) left Motown for Epic Records and became known as The Jacksons. In 1978, he starred alongside Diana Ross in the musical The Wiz, a retelling of The Wizard of Oz featuring an all-black cast. He met Quincy Jones doing the movie and tapped him to produce his 1979 album Off the Wall. It was “an immaculately crafted set of funky disco-pop, smooth soul, and lush, sentimental pop ballads” AMG that became only the second album in history (after Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours) to produce four top-ten songs (including the #1 hits Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough and Rock with You) on the Billboard Hot 100. Read more on the DMDB page for this album.

Triumph The Jacksons

Released: September 26, 1980 Peak: 10 US, 12 RB, 13 UK, 7 CN, 13 AU Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, -- UK, 3.0 world (includes US + UK) Genre: pop/R&B Rating: 4.124 out of 5.00 (average of 12 ratings)

Tracks: Can You Feel It (3/5/81, 77 BB, 75 CB, 68 HR, 30 RB, 6 UK, 17 DF) EJ, EA Lovely One (9/26/80, 12 BB, 10 CB, 13 GR, 9 HR, 12 RR, 2 RB, 29 UK) EJ Your Ways Everybody Heartbreak Hotel (aka “This Place Hotel”) (12/6/80, 22 BB, 21 CB, 25 GR, 19 HR, 2 RB, 44 UK, 27 DF) EJ Time Waits for No One Walk Right Now (6/27/81, 73 BB, 76 CB, 74 HR, 50 RB, 7 UK, 35 DF) EJ Give It Up Wondering Who About the Album: Considering that this was sandwiched in between Michael Jackson’s biggest blockbuster solo efforts, it’s surprising this wasn’t bigger than it was. While Off the Wall and Thriller produced eleven top-ten hits and sold more than 90 million copies, this album stalled at #10, produced zero top-ten hits, and sold a mere three million copies (decent, but paltry compared to MJ’s solo output).

Thriller Michael Jackson

Released: November 30, 1982 Peak: 137 US, 137 RB, 18 UK, 113 CN, 111 AU, 15 DF Sales (in millions): 33.0 US, 4.27 UK, 72.4 world (includes US + UK) Genre: pop/R&B/dance Rating: 4.582 out of 5.00 (average of 31 ratings)

Tracks: Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (Michael Jackson) [6:02] (5/27/83, 5 US, 6 CB, 2 RR, 5 RB, 8 UK, 1 CN, 25 AU, sales: 1.2 million) HB, EA Baby Be Mine (Rod Temperton) [4:20] The Girl Is Mine (Michael Jackson) [3:41] (with Paul McCartney, 10/18/82, 2 US, 3 CB, 4 RR, 1 RB, 1 AC, 8 UK, 8 CN, 4 AU, sales: 1 million, airplay: 1 million) HB, EA Thriller (Rod Temperton) [5:57] (11/19/83, 4 US, 4 CB, 11 RR, 24 AC, 3 RB, 42 AR, 10 UK, 3 CN, 3 AU, sales: 9.52 million) HB, NO, EA Beat It (Michael Jackson) [4:18] (2/26/83, 13 US, 12 CB, 11 RR, 11 RB, 14 AR, 3 UK, 13 CN, 2 AU, sales: 7.95 million) HB, NO, EA Billie Jean (Michael Jackson) [4:54] (1/22/83, 17 US, 16 CB, 12 RR, 9 AC, 19 RB, 11 UK, 12 CN, 15 AU, sales: 9.5 million) HB, NO, EA Human Nature (Steve Porcaro/John Bettis) [4:07] (7/3/83, 7 US, 10 CB, 2 RR, 2 AC, 27 RB, 11 CN, 63 AU, sales: 1 million) EA P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) (James Ingram/Quincy Jones) [3:58] (9/19/83, 10 US, 15 CB, 10 RR, 37 AC, 46 RB, 11 UK, 17 CN, 40 AU, sales: 2.25 million) EA The Lady in My Life (Rod Temperton) [4:59] About the Album: In the 1980s, Michael Jackson reached superstar status, thanks to his 1982 Thriller album. It “refined the strengths of Off the Wall; the dance and rock tracks were more driving, the pop tunes and ballads softer and more soulful, and all of it was recognizably Michael.” AMG It was the first album in history to generate seven top-ten songs and went on to become the biggest selling album of all time. The album’s success was fueled in part by breaking down the racial barrier on MTV with “elaborately conceived video clips that revolutionized the way music videos were made.” AMG The video for Thriller is widely celebrated as the top video of all time. He also cemented his iconic status when he introduced his moonwalk dance on Motown’s 25th anniversary television special on May 16, 1983. He snagged a record eight Grammys for Thriller and landed a huge endorsement deal with Pepsi. Toward the tail-end of Thriller’s monumental chart run, he also landed another #1 hit with Say, Say, Say, a 1983 duet with Paul McCartney. Thriller is featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Albums of All Time while two of its songs, Billie Jean and Beat It, are featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era 1954-1999. Read more on the DMDB page for this album.

Victory The Jacksons

Released: July 2, 1984 Peak: 4 US, 3 RB, 3 UK, 1 CN, 9 AU, 5 DF Sales (in millions): 2.0 US, 0.1 UK, 7.0 world (includes US + UK) Genre: pop/R&B Rating: 3.377 out of 5.00 (average of 12 ratings)

Tracks: Torture (7/20/84, 17 BB, 16 CB, 16 GR, 14 RR, 12 RB, 26 UK, 32 AU, 21 DF) Wait One More Chance Be Not Always State of Shock [with Mick Jagger] (6/5/84, 3 BB, 3 CB, 3 GR, 3 RR, 4 RB, 42 AR, 14 UK, 10 AU, 2 DF) EJ We Can Change the World The Hurt Body (10/27/84, 47 BB, 30a RB, 94 UK, 34 DF) About the Album: In 1984, Michael Jackson had become the biggest star on the planet, thanks to the blockbuster success of his Thriller album. It set high expectations for his reunion tour and album with his brothers. Victory is the only Jacksons’ album to feature all six brothers and is the last to feature Michael Jackson. Since the group’s last album, 1980’s Triumph, Michael became a superstar with 1982’s Thriller which translated into a mega-tour in support of the Victory album. It “is a competent album of slick contemporary R&B, occasionally goosed toward greatness by the appearance of one of pop music's most identifiable voices. Which is the same thing you can say about nearly the entire Jackson 5/Jacksons catalog.” WR The album isn’t so much a collective effort by the brothers as it is solo songs (at least one from each brother) cobbled together. Michael is featured on State of Shock alongside Mick Jagger. Jermaine duets with Michael on Torture. “The tracks by other group members went virtually ignored.” WR Videos were done for “Torture” and Body; neither Michael nor Jermaine appeared in either one. WR William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

Bad Michael Jackson

Released: August 31, 1987 Peak: 16 US, 118 RB, 11 UK, 11 CN, 2 AU, 5 DF Sales (in millions): 10.0 US, 3.9 UK, 35.0 world (includes US + UK) Genre: pop/R&B/dance Rating: 4.284 out of 5.00 (average of 25 ratings)

Tracks: Bad (9/19/87, 1 US, 3 UK, 1 RB, 33 AC) HB, NO, EA The Way You Make Me Feel (11/21/87, 1 US, 3 UK, 1 RB, 9 AC) HB, NO, EA Speed Demon Liberian Girl (7/15/89, 13 UK) Just Good Friends (with Stevie Wonder) Another Part of Me (7/23/88, 10a US, 15 UK, 1 RB, 44 AC) EA Man in the Mirror (2/6/88, 1 US, 21 UK, 1 RB, 2 AC) HB, NO, EA I Just Can’t Stop Loving You (with Siedah Garrett) (8/8/87, 1 US, 1 UK, 1 RB, 1 AC, sales: ½ million) HB, NO, EA Dirty Diana (5/7/88, 1 US, 4 UK, 2a RB) NO, EA Smooth Criminal (11/12/88, 7 US, 8 UK, 2 RB) NO, EA Leave Me Alone (2/25/89, 2 UK) EA * * bonus track on CD About the Album: By this stage in Michael’s career, he was tabloid fodder. Rumors swirled that his “soft-spoken, still girlish voice” AMG was due to hormone treatments. It was said that he slept in a hyperbaric chamber to slow the aging process. He was said to have purchased the skeleton of John Merrick, the Elephant Man. He “bought a large ranch in California which he dubbed Neverland and filled it with amusement park rides and animals…which…fueled the public’s perception of him as a somewhat bizarre eccentric obsessed with recapturing his childhood.” AMG He “bought a large ranch in California which he dubbed Neverland, and filled it with amusement park rides and animals…which…fueled the public’s perception of him as a somewhat bizarre eccentric obsessed with recapturing his childhood.” AMG He underwent several cosmetic surgeries, which spurred accusations that he was deliberately trying to look whiter. He later revealed that he had vitiligo, a condition in which destroys skin pigmentation. Musically, he co-wrote “We Are the World” in 1985 with Lionel Richie. The charity single to benefit starving people in Africa became one of the most successful songs of all time. Jackson would also make music headlines when he bought the rights to the Beatles catalog that year, a move that cost him his friendship with Paul McCartney. He also “re-entered the studio with Quincy Jones to begin the near-impossible task of crafting a follow-up to Thriller.” AMG While it didn’t sell as much as its predecessor (no album has), it was still a blockbuster that was fueled by “a lengthy world tour that featured a typically spectacular, elaborate stage show” AMG Read more on the DMDB page for this album.

The Essential Jacksons The Jacksons

Recorded: 1976-1989 Released: March 9, 2004 Peak: -- US, -- UK, -- CN, 78 AU Sales (in millions): -- Genre: pop/R&B Rating: 4.314 out of 5.00 (average of 7 ratings)

Tracks: (1) Enjoy Yourself (2) Show You the Way to Go (3) Goin’ Places (4) Find Me a Girl (5) Blame It on the Boogie (6) Shake Your Body Down to the Ground (7) Lovely One (8) Heartbreak Hotel (aka “This Place Hotel”) (9) Can You Feel It (10) Walk Right Now (11) State of Shock (with Mick Jagger) (12) 2300 Jackson Street (13) Nothin’ That Compares 2 U (14) Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough (live) Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums: Enjoy Yourself (9/29/76, 6 BB, 4 CB, 14 GR, 7 HR, 10 RR, 2 RB, 42 UK, 21 DF) EJ, EA Show You the Way to Go (1/6/77, 28 BB, 45 CB, 34 GR, 35 HR, 6 RB, 1 UK) EJ Goin’ Places (10/8/77, 52 BB, 55 CB, 61 HR, 8 RB, 26 UK) EJ Find Me a Girl (album cut, 10/8/77) EJ Blame It on the Boogie (9/2/78, 54 BB, 63 CB, 55 HR, 3 RB, 8 UK, 4 AU) EJ, EA Shake Your Body Down to the Ground (12/8/78, 7 BB, 5 CB, 3 GR, 3 HR, 6 RR, 3 RB, 4 UK, 59 AU, 13 DF) EJ, EA 2300 Jackson Street (3/16/89, 76 UK) EJ Nothin’ That Compares 2 U (6/3/89, 77 BB, 33 UK, 89 AU) EJ About the Album: In 1976, the Jackson 5 left Motown and signed a deal with Epic Records. Jermaine Jackson left the group and was replaced by his brother Randy. They renamed themselves The Jacksons. This collection covers their tenure with Epic Records.

Dangerous Michael Jackson

Released: November 26, 1991 Peak: 14 US, 112 RB, 11 UK, 3 CN, 16 AU, 9 DF Sales (in millions): 8.0 US, 1.98 UK, 32.0 world (includes US + UK) Genre: pop/R&B/dance Rating: 4.105 out of 5.00 (average of 25 ratings)

Tracks: Jam (7/11/92, 21a US, 13 UK, 3 RB) Why You Wanna Trip on Me In the Closet (4/25/92, 5a US, 8 UK, 1 RB, sales: ½ million) EA She Drives Me Wild Remember the Time (1/25/92, 1a US, 3 UK, 1a RB, 15 AC, sales: ½ million) HB, EA Can’t Let Her Get Away Heal the World (12/5/92, 24a US, 2 UK, 62 RB, 9 AC) HB, EA Black or White (11/23/91, 1 US, 1 UK, 3 RB, 23 AC, sales: 1 million) HB, NO, EA Who Is It? (7/25/92, 14 US, 10 UK, 6 RB) EA Give in to Me (2/27/93, 2 UK) Will You Be There? (7/10/93, 6a US, 9 UK, 53 RB, 5 AC, sales: ½ million) EA Keep the Faith Gone Too Soon (12/18/93, 33 UK) Dangerous EA About the Album: Jackson took another hiatus after 1987’s Bad, finally returning four years later with Dangerous. He turned to new jack swing producer Teddy Riley to update his sound. The now self-dubbed “King of Pop” launched the new album with an elaborate video for Black and White, which generated controversy because of a sequence in which Jackson “shouted, grabbed his crotch, and smashed car windows in a bizarre display that seemed at odds with the song’s harmonious message.” AMG Read more on the DMDB page for this album.

HIStory Begins Michael Jackson

Recorded: 1978-1991 Released: June 20, 1995 Peak: 12 US, 11 UK, 15 CN, 13 AU, 12 DF Sales (in millions): 7.0 US, 1.2 UK, 22.0 world (includes US and UK) Genre: pop/R&B/dance Rating: 3.896 out of 5.00 (average of 25 ratings)

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

Tracks: (1) Billie Jean (2) The Way You Make Me Feel (3) Black or White (4) Rock with You (5) She’s Out of My Life (6) Bad (7) I Just Can’t Stop Loving You (with Siedah Garrett) (8) Man in the Mirror (9) Thriller (10) Beat It (11) The Girl Is Mine (with Paul McCartney) (12) Remember the Time (13) Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough (14) Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (15) Heal the World About the Album: In the four years since his last album, Michael’s name never seemed to leave the tabloids. People raised eyebrows over the revelation that he often invited children to his house for sleepovers. In 1993, he was accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy who was a frequent visitor to Neverland. While no criminal charges were ever filed, he paid the family a settlement estimated to be 18 to 20 million dollars. Many thought it “was tantamount to an admission of guilt;” AMG “in the court of public opinion, the charges seemed all too plausible: Jackson was near-universally perceived as a weirdo.” AMG His marriage to Lisa Marie Presley in 1994 was seen as “a desperate ploy to rehabilitate his image,” AMG a charge which gained more credence when the couple broke up just 19 months later. Back on the musical front, Michael released History in 1995. The collection was comprised of two discs – one was a new studio album while the other was a collection of his post-Motown solo material. It included nine #1 songs, but still overlooked his #1 hits Say, Say, Say and Dirty Diana.

HIStory Continues Michael Jackson

Released: June 20, 1995 Peak: 12 US, 11 UK, 15 CN, 13 AU, 12 DF Sales (in millions): 7.0 US, 1.2 UK, 22.0 world (includes US and UK) Genre: pop/R&B/dance Rating: 3.896 out of 5.00 (average of 25 ratings)

Tracks: Scream (with Janet Jackson) (5/31/95, 5 US, 2 RB, 32 AC, 3 UK, sales: 1.0 m) They Don’t Care about Us (4/20/96, 30 US, 10 RB, 4 UK) Stranger in Moscow (11/16/96, 91 US, 50 RB, 4 UK) This Time Around (7/1/95, 23a RB) Earth Song (12/9/95, 1 UK) NO D.S. Money Come Together You Are Not Alone (8/12/95, 1 US, 1 RB, 7 AC, 1 UK, sales: 1.0 m) NO, EA Childhood Tabloid Junkie 2 Bad History Little Susie Smile About the Album: The first disc for Michael Jackson’s HIStory is a retrospective covering his biggest hits from 1979 to 1992 while the second disc – called HIStory Continues – is entirely new material, “which also happens to be the first material he released since being accused of child molestation. HIStory Continues is easily the most personal album Jackson has recorded. References to the scandal permeate almost every song, creating a thick atmosphere of paranoia.” STE “If Jackson’s music had been the equal of Thriller or Bad, the nervous, vindictive lyrics wouldn’t have been quite as overbearing. However, HIStory Continues reiterates musical ideas Jackson had been exploring since Bad. Jackson certainly tries to stay contemporary, yet he has a tendency to smooth out all of his rougher musical edges with show-biz schmaltz.” STE “Occasionally, Jackson produces some well-crafted pop that ranks with his best material: R. Kelly’s You Are Not Alone is seductive, Scream improves on the slamming beats of his earlier single Jam, and Stranger in Moscow is one of his most haunting ballads.” STE “You Are Not Alone” gave MJ another career highlight when it became the first song to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100. Nevertheless, HIStory Continues stands as his weakest album since the mid-‘70s.” STE Overall, though, the HIStory album underperformed, at least partly due to people being unwilling to plop down the extra cost of a double-CD collection that featured a disc of material most fans already owned. STE All Music Guide review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Invincible Michael Jackson

Released: October 30, 2001 Peak: 11 US, 14 RB, 11 UK, 1 CN, 11 AU Sales (in millions): 2.1 US, 0.3 UK, 10.0 world (includes US + UK) Genre: pop/R&B/dance Rating: 3.043 out of 5.00 (average of 17 ratings)

Tracks: Unbreakable (2/19/02, --) Heartbreaker Invincible Break of Dawn NO Heaven Can Wait (3/2/02, 70a RB) You Rock My World (9/8/01, 9a US, 11a RB, 2 UK) NO, EA Butterflies (11/3/01, 14 US, 2a RB) Speechless 2000 Watts You Are My Life Privacy Don’t Walk Away Cry (12/4/01, 25 UK) The Lost Children Whatever Happens Threatened About the Album: Jackson married Debbie Rowe, a nurse, in 1996. They had two children, son Prince Michael Jackson, Jr. and daughter Paris Michael Katherine Jackson. They divorced in late 1999. In 2001, MJ was back with another album. The album title Invincible came across as wishful thinking as this was not the same person who’d captivated the world in the 1980s. Hhis “fading reputation as a trailblazer, a truly ugly public scandal, and swirling rumors about his diminishing finances, along with a huge wait between albums…resulted in Jackson being deep down in the hole, needing to surge back out with a record that not only proved his talents, but his staying power.” STE “So, faced with a make-or-break record…he’s reined in by a desire to prove himself” STE “with a dogged, near-maniacal desire to craft something hip enough for the clubs and melodic enough for mainstream radio…Since he was exceptionally talented and smart enough to surround himself with first-rate collaborators, this does pay off on occasion, even when it feels a little too calculated or when it feels a little padded.” STE “Ultimately, the record runs too long, losing steam halfway through, as it turns to a series of rants about Privacy or a deadly stretch of uncomfortably treacly, sub-‘Man in the Mirror’ songs about The Lost Children, or when he says that he can’t change the world by himself on Cry.” STE “Fortunately, Jackson was clever enough to front-load this record, loading the first seven songs with really good, edgy dance numbers – even the opening Unbreakable isn’t sunk by the creepy resurrection of Biggie Smalls – and lovely ballads, highlighted by Break of Dawn and Butterflies with its Bacharach-styled horns.” STE “Even if these are too self-conscious and a little mechanical (which they are), they still have a spark and sound better than anything Jackson had done since Dangerous. That’s not enough to make Invincible the comeback Jackson needed – he really would have had to have an album that sounded free instead of constrained for that to work – but it does offer a reminder that he could really craft good pop. If only he had been fueled, not constrained, by his obsessions, this could have been really interesting.” STE STE All Music Guide review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Number Ones Michael Jackson

Recorded: 1978-2003 Released: November 17, 2003 Peak: 16 US (catalog chart), 12 UK, 11 CN, 2 AU Sales (in millions): 5.3 US, 3.0 UK, 11.0 world (includes US and UK) Genre: pop/R&B/dance Rating: 4.313 out of 5.00 (average of 21 ratings)

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

Tracks: (1) Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough (2) Rock with You (3) Billie Jean (4) Beat It (5) Thriller (6) I Just Can’t Stop Loving You [w/ Siedah Garrett] (7) Bad (8) Smooth Criminal (9) The Way You Make Me Feel (10) Man in the Mirror (11) Dirty Diana (12) Black or White (13) You Are Not Alone (14) Earth Song (15) You Rock My World (16) Break of Dawn (17) One More Chance (18) Ben [live] Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums: One More Chance (10/25/03, 83 US, 40 RB, 5 UK) NO * chart information for original studio version About the Album: Jackson’s HIStory collection mistakenly paired a new studio album with a compilation. Number Ones is a more appropriately free-standing greatest-hits set which “was released in the wake of the 2000 blockbuster Beatles 1, which rewrote the rules of modern-day hits collections from major artists.” STE The album doesn’t completely follow the #1 rule, including songs like Break of Dawn, which was never even a single, and “the requisite previously unreleased song, the OK slow jam One More Chance.” STE It also omits “Say, Say, Say,” Jackson’s 1983 #1 hit with Paul McCartney. There are also plenty of important top-ten hits which are overlooked, including “Off the Wall” and She’s Out of My Life” from 1979’s Off the Wall, “The Girl Is Mine” and “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” from Thriller, “Remember the Time” from Dangerous, and “Scream” from HIStory. It would also be nice to see “Tell Me I’m Not Dreamin’,” MJ’s 1984 duet with his brother Jeramine that garnered enough radio airplay that it would have been a top-ten hit had it been released as a single. It all makes it apparent that “the perfect Michael Jackson hits collection has yet to be assembled.” STE Regardless of its imperfections, Number Ones was a multi-platinum, #1 album. In the wake of Jackson’s death in 2009, the album soared back to the top, although in the United States it was technically classified as a catalog album and ineligible for the Billboard album chart at the time. In MJ’s personal life, he continued to court controversy since the release of the History album. His nose caved in from a botched cosmetic surgery, he dangled his eleven-month old baby (nicknamed Blanket) over a hotel balcony in Germany, and was accused again (although acquitted in 2005) of child molestation.

The Essential Michael Jackson Michael Jackson/The Jackson 5/The Jacksons

Recorded: 1969-2001 Released: July 19, 2005 Peak: 33 US, 17 UK, 4 CN, 17 AU Sales (in millions): 4.0 US, 1.76 UK, 8.43 world (includes US and UK) Genre: pop/R&B/dance Rating: 4.336 out of 5.00 (average of 8 ratings)

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

Tracks, Disc 1 (North American version): (1) I Want You Back (2) ABC (3) The Love You Save (4) Got to Be There (5) Rockin’ Robin (6) Ben (7) Enjoy Yourself (8) Blame It on the Boogie (9) Shake Your Body Down to the Ground (10) Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough (11) Rock with You (12) Off the Wall (13) She’s Out of My Life (14) Can You Feel It (15) The Girl Is Mine (16) Billie Jean (17) Beat It (18) Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (19) Human Nature (20) P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) (21) Thriller Tracks, Disc 2 (North American version): (1) Bad (2) I Just Can’t Stop Loving You (3) Leave Me Alone (4) The Way You Make Me Feel (5) Man in the Mirror (6) Dirty Diana (7) Another Part of Me (8) Smooth Criminal (9) Black or White (10) Heal the World (11) Remember the Time (12) In the Closet (13) Who Is It (14) Will You Be There (15) Dangerous (16) You Are Not Alone (17) You Rock My World About the Album: This is certainly a more comprehensive collection than either HIStory Begins or Number Ones because it expands to a two-disc set and covers Michael’s material with his brothers in the Jackson 5. However, there are still some maddening omissions such as the Jackson 5’s #1 hit “I’ll Be There,” MJ’s 1983 #1 hit with Paul McCartney “Say, Say, Say,” the Jacksons’ 1984 top-five hit with Mick Jagger “State of Shock,” and MJ’s duet with sister Janet on 1995’s “Scream” (a top-five hit). Certainly an artist of MJ’s stature is hard to anthologize in a mere two discs, but at least some of these songs could have made the cut instead of songs like “Leave Me Alone” and “Dangerous.” Michael wouldn’t release a new studio album again in his lifetime. In 2009, he racked up a potential $400 million for a series of 50 concert dates at London’s O2 concert venue. Sadly, however, he died from cardiac arrest on June 25, 2009. The documentary, This Is It, was released to capture his rehearsals for the intended comeback concert. It became the biggest-grossing music documentary of all time and was accompanied by a chart-topping soundtrack.

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Michael Jackson DMDB encyclopedia entry for The Jackson 5/The Jacksons Dave’s Music Database: Acts’ Profile Pages and Best-of Lists AMG Steve Huey, All Music Guide page for Michael Jackson STE All Music Guide review of Number Ones by Stephen Thomas Erlewine Wikipedia page for Number Ones Wikipedia page for The Essential First posted 8/29/2010; last updated 5/8/2024.