From The Weeknd to The Beatles: The 10 Lead Acts to Simultaneously Hit Nos. 1 & 2 on Hot 100
On this week's Billboard Hot 100, The Weeknd finds himself sitting pretty at the No. 1 and 2 slots on the chart thanks to "Can't Feel My Face" and "The Hills." See which other nine acts achieved this…
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As you might expect, the names on this list are some of the most popular in music history: Mariah Carey, The Beatles, Bee Gees and Usher. Some of them might surprise you, though – while T.I., Akon, OutKast, the Black Eyed Peas and Nelly are certified hitmakers, it’s crazy to think they nabbed an honor that eluded superstars like Madonna and Michael Jackson.
Also, the songs that took these acts to Nos. 1 & 2 simultaneously probably aren’t the ones you’d expect. Sure, Mariah Carey was a red-hot, chart-topping juggernaut in the ’90s, but she actually earned this rare distinction in 2005. Speaking of rare distinctions, the Beatles succeeded in occupying the top five spots on the Hot 100 in April 1964 — an insane achievement that hasn’t been matched since.
Even more Fab feats: the Beatles doubled up at Nos. 1 & 2 for a record 10 weeks (all consecutively) in 1964. And, they did so with two entirely different pairs of songs, making them the only act to be Nos. 1 & 2 simultaneously with different twosomes. “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “She Loves You” were Nos. 1 & 2 for six weeks (“Want” on top for four, then “Loves” for two). The following four frames, the iconic quartet’s “Can’t Buy Me Love” reigned, with “Twist and Shout” at its No. 2 peak each week.
For more on the Weeknd’s massive week, read our complete coverage here.
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Research by Gary Trust