COACHELLA, CA - APRIL 17: Kanye West performs on stage during the third day of Coachella Valley ... [+]
Kanye West rules the Hot 100 this week for the first time in 13 years. The rapper’s “Carnival,” a collaboration with Ty Dolla $ign, Rich the Kid, and Playboi Carti, rises one spot to claim the throne on the ranking of the most-consumed songs in the U.S. The track helps West–who now also goes by Ye–make history on the tally and join a club of some of the most successful men in the music industry.
As “Carnival” summits the Hot 100, West’s stretch of No. 1 hits on the chart now runs a little more than 20 years. That’s an impressive wining streak, and one that only a handful of musicians have managed in the past. Looking only at solo male acts, the controversial rapper is in some pretty amazing company.
West is only the fifth solo male artist to hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 and then do so again 20 years later, according to Billboard. He joins Elton John, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and Rod Stewart in this specific showing of popularity and longevity.
Among that group, John’s streak is the longest. He first topped the Hot 100 in 1973, and his latest ruler emerged in 1998. His stretch is just under a quarter-century, and he’s continued to rack up smashes since then.
Looking only at soloists, Jackson, Wonder, and Stewart all appear very close to one another. They spaced out their initial Hot 100 champions and their last ones–at least so far–by 22 years. They are separated from one another by only a few months, with Jackson leading the trio.
West first controlled the Hot 100 back in February of 2004, and he narrowly makes it into this 20-year club. If “Carnival” had ruled just one month prior, the hip-hop artist’s stretch would have been just under the two-decade mark.
“Carnival” debuted at No. 3 on the Hot 100 a little less than a month ago, and since then, it’s not only continued to perform well, it’s improved. The track first lifted to the runner-up rung, where it was held back from running the show by two-week champion “Texas Hold ‘Em” by Beyoncé. Now, that country tune has fallen from No. 1, while West and his collaborators jump into first place.
West’s latest No. 1 on the Hot 100 is a major milestone for him, and not just because it’s been 20 years since he first peaked in first place. The song marks his first ruler since he nearly destroyed his career by sharing a series of anti-Semitic remarks online and in interviews. While he may have lost his brand deals and many in the music industry won’t touch him, it seems the public–at least some of it–doesn’t seem to mind.