Where Does Zedd Rank Among the Top ‘Z’ Artists in Billboard Chart History?
In the past two years alone, we've seen top 20 hits scored on the Billboard Hot 100 by Zara Larsson, Zay Hilfigerrr & Zayion McCall, Zayn and Zedd. But where do these artists rank among the top "Z"…
Despite historically being one of the least-used letters in the English language, mid-’10s pop music has proven to be a veritable golden age for artists whose names start with the letter “Z.” In the past two years alone, we’ve seen top 20 hits scored on the Billboard Hot 100 by Zara Larsson, Zay Hilfigerrr & Zayion McCall, Zayn, and of course, recent Billboard cover star Zedd.
But where do these artists rank among the top “Z” artists in Hot 100 history? Well, we at Billboard crunched the numbers, and we’ve come up with both the 15 top “Z” artists — defined as artists with a first name, last name, or group name starting with the letter “Z,” though stopping short of including artists like JAY-Z or Led Zeppelin — as well as the top 15 Hot 100 songs credited to “Z” artists. Read on below, and let’s see if Zendaya, Zacari or Zion & Lennox end up joining their ranks in the years to come.
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The below lists are based on actual performance on the weekly Billboard Hot 100, since the chart’s inception in August 1958 through the Aug. 19, 2017 ranking. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, certain eras are weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates over various periods. The artist tally utilizes the same point system and adjusted weighting as the songs list, but aggregates all titles for each act that charted over the course of its career.
Top 15 “Z” Artists:
1. ZZ Top
2. The Zombies
3. Zac Brown Band
4. Zager & Evans
5. Zayn
6. Zhané
7. Zedd
8. Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs
9. Zay Hilfigerrr & Zayion McCall
10. Robin Zander
11. Warren Zevon
12. Pia Zadora
13. Frank Zappa
14. Zapp & Roger
15. Zara Larsson
Top 15 Songs By “Z” Artists (With Hot 100 Peak Position & Date):
1. Zager & Evans, “In the Year 2525” (No. 1, 6 weeks, 7/12/69)
2. The Zombies, “She’s Not There” (No. 2, 12/12/64)
3. Zayn, “Pillowtalk” (No. 1, 1 week, 2/20/16)
4. Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs, “Stay” (No. 1, 1 week, 11/21/60)
5. Cam’Ron feat. Juelz Santana, Freekey Zeekey & Toya, “Hey Ma” (No. 3, 11/2/02)
6. The Zombies, “Time of the Season” (No. 3, 3/29/69)
7. Zayn & Taylor Swift, “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker)” (No. 2, 3/4/17)
8. ZZ Top, “Sleeping Bag” (No. 8, 12/14/85)
9. Zay Hilfigerrr & Zayion McCall, “Juju on That Beat (TZ Anthem)” (No. 5, 12/10/16)
10. Zhané, “Hey Mr. D.J.” (No. 6, 10/30/93)
11. ZZ Top, “Legs” (No. 8, 7/21/84)
12. Zedd & Alessia Cara, “Stay” (No. 7, 5/6/17)
13. Ariana Grande feat. Zedd, “Break Free” (No. 4, 8/30/14)
14. Ann Wilson & Robin Zander, “Surrender to Me” (No. 6, 3/11/89)
15. Zedd feat. Foxes, “Clarity” (No. 8, 8/17/13)
