How Many Times Has Drake Topped The Billboard Hot 100?
As one of rap music's biggest heavyweights, Drake quickly made his mark on pop culture. Before topping the charts, he pursued a short-lived acting career where he portrayed a recurring role in "Degrassi: The Next Generation" and appeared in "Soul Food," per IMDb.
In an interview with i-D magazine in 2012, the "In My Feelings" hitmaker revealed why he shifted from a young actor to a musician. "With acting you're dependent on so much other stuff that you don't control and I don't like that," he said before explaining that a lot of it appears to be based on luck. He continues, "With music, I go to the studio, I record the song, if it works it works, if it doesn't it doesn't. That's how music is and I like that formula way better, than depending on other people." The Grammy Award winner admitted that he can envision himself returning to his old occupation when the music stops connecting with his audience "the way it used to."
At the 2022 Billboard Music Awards, Drake was honored with the Artist of the Decade award for his endless accolades in just over 10 years. But, how many times has he reached the No. 1 spot on the US Hot 100 singles chart?
Drake has just as many chart-toppers as Whitney Houston
Drake has achieved a lot of global hits over the past number of years. While many would assume that "Hotline Bling," "Started From The Bottom," and "Hold On, We're Going Home" may have contributed to his long list of chart-topping hits in the US, they haven't.
Drake's very first No. 1 singles on US Hot 100 chart were in fact songs he featured on. In 2010, he teamed up with his ex-flame Rihanna to release the banger "What's My Name?" At the time, it was Drake's first time experiencing a chart-topper States side. However, being the powerhouse recording artist that she is, it was already Rihanna's eighth No. 1 hit, per Billboard. Drake's second chart-topping single was also with RiRi for her song "Work" in 2016, where it stayed at No. 1 for 9 strong weeks. That same year, Drake finally reached the top spot with his own song, "One Dance," which remained at that position for 10 weeks. From here out, Drake has remained unstoppable.
In 2018, Drake's three singles from his "Scorpion" album all reached No. 1 and stayed there for multiple months – "God's Plan," "Nice For What," and "In My Feelings" – as well as his collab with Travis Scott, "Sicko Mode." Chart-toppers in the following years include "Toosie Slide," "Laugh Now Cry Later," "What's Next," "Way 2 Sexy," and most recently, 2022's "Wait for U" with Future and Tems. As of this writing, Drake has just as many No. 1 singles as Whitney Houston, 11.
Drake has broken many records
At this point, Drake's only competition is himself. With the number of records he holds and has broken, it's safe to say that Drake's crown is securely placed. To date, he currently has more top 20 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 and surpassed The Beatles' record for the most top 5 hits on the same chart. "Ok I broke my records for the month now me and @stake need you to do your thing Bitcoin," he said in reaction to the news on Instagram.
In 2021, his "Scary Hours 2" EP entered the Hot 100 chart and helped the "Make Me Proud" hitmaker create a new historic record. With the lead single "What's Next" debuting at No. 1 and the other two remaining tracks "Wants and Needs" and "Lemon Pepper Freestyle" entering the same chart at No. 2 and 3, he became the first-ever artist to have three songs debut in the top three simultaneously on the Hot 100, according to Billboard. As noted in the VT at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards, it was revealed that Drake has spent more weeks on the Hot 100 than Elvis Presley, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, and Michael Jackson and is the most streamed artist of all time. Overseas in the UK, Drake's "One Dance" became the longest-running single of the digital age, since 2004, per The Official Charts.
It seems there won't be any need for Drake to return to acting anytime soon.