Hits that debuted No.1 on Hot100

[Just A Holy Fool 2,168]

1 hour ago, Mr S said:

They are all after 1995. Why wasn't this possible before 1995?

I’m not exactly sure why, but I believe there was a major change in how points were calculated that year. It’s very fitting MJ was the first to do it!

[Jnick8 495]

No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the general public. 
-My father always said

This list is surprising 🤕

[Anderson123 34,276]

1 hour ago, Mr S said:

They are all after 1995. Why wasn't this possible before 1995?

Just looking at the list, either the tracking started around that time, points counted different or maybe because songs used to rely on radio stations playing them and people requesting so not a lot of these debuted at #1 unless it were a very established artist like MJ, Mariah, Elton, Whitney and the anticipation was real. “I’ll Be Missing You” is a song dedicated to Notorious BIG which was a huge loss to hip hop culture, Celine and Aerosmith released songs from big movies, etc. 

[Doot 2]

I like 16/43. 

[Oyster 2,458]

ariana is so impressive 

[moonsago 5,876]

8 hours ago, Phlop said:

Born This Way was actually #1 for 5 weeks

They were talking about the 8 songs THIS year 

[Luke78619 22,665]

On 9/7/2020 at 10:41 AM, Lazzarus said:

And out of them 8, only WAP had more then one week at the top (two weeks to be exact) 

Isn’t BTS #1 for a second week? 

[Lazzarus 2,411]

1 hour ago, Luke78619 said:

Isn’t BTS #1 for a second week? 

Yeah, it is now

[Blown Away 5,218]

On 9/7/2020 at 11:44 AM, Blastertoyo said:

Tootsie Slide is above Rain On Me 

 

I cannot believe One Sweet Day debuted at #1 and then just stayed there for 16 weeks 

I think it was able to stay there because it had big radio numbers already by the time it debuted.

Back then a song needed to have a physical CD out in order to chart. Many record labels would push a song on the radio and then when it had built up enough airplay they would release the CD, which would make the single debut quite high on the Hot 100. Many labels just pressed a relatively small batch of CD singles (around 500 000 copies), so they would debut high as their airplay was on its peak and then the song would slide down the charts as their airplay would decline and the CD ran out of stock.

I think that with Mariah they released the single when airplay was high but far from its peak. That way the song would get to #1 early thanks to big sales and as sales would decline her popularity on the radio would keep her at #1 for a while.

That tactic also worked for Fantasy. For Honey it did too, but I think that the CD for that song was released closer to when it peaked in airplay.

In 1999 songs were allowed to chart even if they didn't have a CD single out for sale and Mariah never had a #1 debut again. If that rule was still in place now Heartbreaker probably would've been her fourth #1 debut and Touch My Body would've been her fifth #1 debut.

If I'm wrong, please correct me.

[Economy 45,721]

Wow 6 of them were this year

[Ronnie 5,360]

It’s so much easier to debut at #1 now than before.