The Top Music Artist Every Year Since the 1960s

Published: January 11, 2024 by Retha Lombard

Get ready for a musical journey, through six and a half decades of chart-topping artists. We explore the top artist, reveal their number of Hot 100 entries, their total reign on the charts, and the song that propelled them to stardom.

Many of the artists on this list may be familiar names, while others might be new favorites you’ve yet to discover. Witness the rise of legends like Elvis, and Michael Jackson and the newest stars like Drake and Morgan Wallen.

To determine the top artists by year, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on song performance on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Artists were ranked based on an inverse point system wherein a song at No. 1 for a week is worth 100 points, a song at No. 2 for a week is worth 99 points, and so on, up to a week at No. 100 worth 99 points. Artists were only ranked based on the performance of their songs within a given year. Chart data is through December 30, 2023. (For more recent artists, click to read about the top music artists from the 2000s.)

Here is the list of the top artist every year since 1958:

1958: The Everly Brothers

Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 5 songs
Total time on charts: 46 weeks
Top song: “Bird Dog” (No. 2 for 3 weeks)
Runner-up artists: Ricky Nelson, Tommy Edwards, Cozy Cole

1959: Lloyd Price

Source: Photo by Don Paulsen/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

American R&B singer Lloyd Price in concert at the Apollo Theatre, New York City, circa 1965. (Photo by Don Paulsen/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Hot 100 entries: 6 songs
Total time on charts: 79 weeks
Top song: “Stagger Lee” (No. 1 for 4 weeks)
Runner-up artists: Connie Francis, Frankie Avalon, Fats Domino

1960: Connie Francis

Source: lonestar / Flickr

Hot 100 entries: 8 songs
Total time on charts: 101 weeks
Top song: “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool” (No. 1 for 2 weeks)
Runner-up artists: Brenda Lee, Bobby Rydell, The Everly Brothers

1961: Elvis Presley

Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 7 songs
Total time on charts: 83 weeks
Top song: “Surrender” (No. 1 for 2 weeks)
Runner-up artists: Chubby Checker, Connie Francis, Brenda Lee

1962: Elvis Presley

Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 10 songs
Total time on charts: 80 weeks
Top song: “Return To Sender” (No. 2 for 5 weeks)
Runner-up artists: Chubby Checker, Ray Charles, Brenda Lee

1963: The Beach Boys

Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

Top artist: The Beach Boys
Hot 100 entries: 7 songs
Total time on charts: 76 weeks
Top song: “Surfin’ U.S.A.” (No. 3 for 1 week)
Runner-up artists: Chubby Checker, The 4 Seasons, Ray Charles

1964: The Beatles

Source: Michael Webb / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 29 songs
Total time on charts: 221 weeks
Top song: “Twist And Shout” (No. 2 for 4 weeks)
Runner-up artists: The Dave Clark Five, The 4 Seasons, The Beach Boys

1965: The Beatles

Source: John Pratt / Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 8 songs
Total time on charts: 83 weeks
Top song: “Help!” (No. 1 for 3 weeks)
Runner-up artists: Herman’s Hermits, Cher, The Supremes

1966: The Beatles

Source: Fox Photos / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 8 songs
Total time on charts: 63 weeks
Top song: “We Can Work It Out” (No. 1 for 3 weeks)
Runner-up artists: The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys

1967: The Monkees

Source: NBC Television / Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 6 songs
Total time on charts: 57 weeks
Top song: “Daydream Believer” (No. 1 for 4 weeks)
Runner-up artists: Nancy Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, The Buckinghams

1968: Aretha Franklin

Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 9 songs
Total time on charts: 78 weeks
Top song: “(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You’ve Been Gone” (No. 5 for 5 weeks)
Runner-up artists: Marvin Gaye, The Union Gap, Gary Puckett

1969: Creedence Clearwater Revival

Source: Evening Standard / Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 7 songs
Total time on charts: 68 weeks
Top song: “Down On The Corner/Fortunate Son” (No. 3 for 1 week)
Runner-up artists: The Temptations, James Brown, Elvis Presley

1970: Neil Diamond

Source: Christopher Polk / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 7 songs
Total time on charts: 77 weeks
Top song: “Cracklin’ Rosie” (No. 1 for 1 week)
Runner-up artists: Jackson 5, The Guess Who, Elvis Presley

1971: David Cassidy

Source: Rick Diamond / Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 1 song
Total time on charts: 49 weeks
Top song: “Cherish” (No. 9 for 3 weeks)
Runner-up artists: James Brown, Carpenters, Three Dog Night

1972: Al Green

Source: Photo by Ron Sachs-Pool/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 06: Singer Al Green, one of the five recipients of the 2014 Kennedy Center Honors, waits to pose for a group photo following a dinner hosted by United States Secretary of State John F. Kerry at the U.S. Department of State on December 6, 2014 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Ron Sachs-Pool/Getty Images)

Hot 100 entries: 5 songs
Total time on charts: 54 weeks
Top song: “Let’s Stay Together” (No. 1 for 1 week)
Runner-up artists: Cher, Nilsson, Michael Jackson

1973: Gladys Knight and the Pips

Source: David Redfern / Redferns via Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 5 songs
Total time on charts: 73 weeks
Top song: “Midnight Train To Georgia” (No. 1 for 2 weeks)
Runner-up artists: Elton John, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder

1974: Elton John

Source: David Redfern / Redferns via Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 3 songs
Total time on charts: 59 weeks
Top song: “Bennie And The Jets” (No. 1 for 1 week)
Runner-up artists: Gladys Knight And The Pips, Charlie Rich, John Denver

1975: John Denver

Source: David Warner Ellis / Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 3 songs
Total time on charts: 55 weeks
Top song: “I’m Sorry” (No. 1 for 1 week)
Runner-up artists: Freddy Fender, Eagles, Linda Ronstadt

1976: Bee Gees

Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 3 songs
Total time on charts: 53 weeks
Top song: “Love So Right” (No. 3 for 4 weeks)
Runner-up artists: Captain & Tennille, Daryl Hall John Oates, Gary Wright

1977: Fleetwood Mac

Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 4 songs
Total time on charts: 64 weeks
Top song: “Dreams” (No. 1 for 1 week)
Runner-up artists: Leo Sayer, KC And The Sunshine Band, Eagles

1978: Andy Gibb

Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 4 songs
Total time on charts: 73 weeks
Top song: “(Love Is) Thicker Than Water” (No. 1 for 2 weeks)
Runner-up artists: Bee Gees, Olivia Newton-John, Billy Joel

1979: Donna Summer

Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 4 songs
Total time on charts: 93 weeks
Top song: “Hot Stuff” (No. 1 for 3 weeks)
Runner-up artists: Chic, Kenny Rogers, Earth, Wind & Fire

1980: Kenny Rogers

Source: David Redfern / Redferns via Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 4 songs
Total time on charts: 57 weeks
Top song: “Lady” (No. 1 for 6 weeks)
Runner-up artists: Air Supply, Olivia Newton-John, Queen

1981: Hall and Oates

Source: Gustavo Caballero / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 3 songs
Total time on charts: 75 weeks
Top song: “Private Eyes” (No. 1 for 2 weeks)
Runner-up artists: REO Speedwagon, Kenny Rogers, Sheena Easton

1982: John Cougar Mellencamp

Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 2 songs
Total time on charts: 58 weeks
Top song: “Hurts So Good” (No. 2 for 4 weeks)
Runner-up artists: Stevie Wonder, Daryl Hall John Oates, Rick Springfield

1983: Michael Jackson

Source: George Rose / Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 6 songs
Total time on charts: 113 weeks
Top song: “Billie Jean” (No. 1 for 7 weeks)
Runner-up artists: Culture Club, Lionel Richie, Duran Duran

1984: Lionel Richie

Source: John Sciulli / Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 4 songs
Total time on charts: 77 weeks
Top song: “Hello” (No. 1 for 2 weeks)
Runner-up artists: Cyndi Lauper, Huey Lewis & The News, Prince

1985: Phil Collins

Source: Elsa / Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 4 songs
Total time on charts: 83 weeks
Top song: “Separate Lives” (No. 1 for 1 week)
Runner-up artists: Madonna, Bryan Adams, Wham!

1986: Janet Jackson

Source: Christopher Polk / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 3 songs
Total time on charts: 68 weeks
Top song: “What Have You Done For Me Lately” (No. 4 for 1 week)
Runner-up artists: Billy Ocean, Miami Sound Machine, Madonna

1987: Madonna

Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Moviepix via Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 4 songs
Total time on charts: 66 weeks
Top song: “Open Your Heart” (No. 1 for 1 week)
Runner-up artists: Expose, U2, George Michael

1988: George Michael

Source: MJ Kim / Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 4 songs
Total time on charts: 74 weeks
Top song: “One More Try” (No. 1 for 3 weeks)
Runner-up artists: INXS, Def Leppard, Michael Jackson

1989: New Kids On The Block

Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 5 songs
Total time on charts: 97 weeks
Top song: “You Got It (The Right Stuff)” (No. 3 for 1 week)
Runner-up artists: Bobby Brown, Paula Abdul, Milli Vanilli

1990: Janet Jackson

Source: Francois Nel / Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 5 songs
Total time on charts: 84 weeks
Top song: “Escapade” (No. 1 for 3 weeks)
Runner-up artists: Phil Collins, Wilson Phillips, Taylor Dayne

1991: Mariah Carey

Source: Scott Barbour / Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 3 songs
Total time on charts: 73 weeks
Top song: “Emotions” (No. 1 for 3 weeks)
Runner-up artists: Amy Grant, C+C Music Factory, Whitney Houston

1992: En Vogue

Source: Scott Gries / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 3 songs
Total time on charts: 74 weeks
Top song: “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It)” (No. 2 for 3 weeks)
Runner-up artists: TLC, Boyz II Men, Genesis

1993: SWV

Source: Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 19: (L-R) Lelee of SWV, Tamar Braxton, and Coko and Taj of SWV attend Soul Train Awards 2023 on November 19, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET)

Hot 100 entries: 4 songs
Total time on charts: 80 weeks
Top song: “Weak” (No. 1 for 2 weeks)
Runner-up artists: Whitney Houston, Shai, Janet Jackson

1994: Ace of Base

Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 3 songs
Total time on charts: 104 weeks
Top song: “The Sign” (No. 1 for 6 weeks)
Runner-up artists: Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Toni Braxton

1995: Hootie & The Blowfish

Source: Paul Hawthorne / Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 3 songs
Total time on charts: 96 weeks
Top song: “Hold My Hand” (No. 10 for 3 weeks)
Runner-up artists: TLC, Boyz II Men, Real McCoy

1996: Mariah Carey

Source: Tommaso Boddi / Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 1 song
Total time on charts: 65 weeks
Top song: “Always Be My Baby” (No. 1 for 2 weeks)
Runner-up artists: LL Cool J, Celine Dion, La Bouche

1997: Puff Daddy

Source: Rich Fury / Getty Images

Hot 100 entries: 2 songs
Total time on charts: 115 weeks
Top song: “I’ll Be Missing You” (No. 1 for 11 weeks)
Runner-up artists: Mase, 112, Spice Girls

1998: Ma$e

Source: Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 25: Ma$e performs onstage during the Pre-GRAMMY Gala and GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Sean Diddy Combs on January 25, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)