Billboard Hot 100 songs of all time: What Really Happened to Music History

Honestly, the math behind what makes a song "huge" is kinda terrifying. Most people think the Billboard Hot 100 songs of all time are just the ones that stayed at #1 the longest. You’d think Mariah Carey or Lil Nas X would be sitting at the very top of the mountain forever. But Billboard doesn’t play it that way. Their "Greatest of All Time" ranking is this massive, complex formula that rewards longevity over quick, explosive peaks.

It’s basically a points system. A song gets points for every single week it’s on the chart, and those points are weighted based on its position.

The Weeknd vs. The Twist

For decades, Chubby Checker’s "The Twist" was the undisputed king. It was the only song to hit #1 in two completely different years (1960 and 1962). That weird fluke gave it a legendary point total that seemed untouchable. Then came 2019. The Weeknd dropped "Blinding Lights," and the music world shifted.

"Blinding Lights" didn't just stay at #1 for a long time. It stayed everywhere for a long time. It broke the record for most weeks in the top five (43 weeks) and the top ten (57 weeks). By the time it finally fell off the Hot 100 after 90 weeks, it had accumulated enough math-fueled points to finally dethrone Chubby Checker.

Why Billboard Hot 100 songs of all time are so hard to predict

You can't just buy your way to the top of the all-time list. Since the chart started in 1958, the rules have changed so much it’s almost like comparing different sports. In the 60s, it was all about physical 45rpm records and radio DJs. Today? It’s a messy mix of TikTok virality, Spotify premium streams, and YouTube views.

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Billboard’s "Greatest of All Time" list (last fully updated in late 2021, with data continuously shifting) looks something like this:

1. "Blinding Lights" – The Weeknd (2019)
2. "The Twist" – Chubby Checker (1960/1962)
3. "Smooth" – Santana feat. Rob Thomas (1999)
4. "Mack the Knife" – Bobby Darin (1959)
5. "Uptown Funk!" – Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars (2015)
6. "How Do I Live" – LeAnn Rimes (1997)
7. "Party Rock Anthem" – LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock (2011)
8. "I Gotta Feeling" – The Black Eyed Peas (2009)
9. "Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)" – Los Del Rio (1996)
10. "Shape of You" – Ed Sheeran (2017)

Notice anything weird?

The Beatles aren't in the top ten. Michael Jackson isn't there. Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You"—arguably one of the most famous songs ever—doesn't make the cut.

This happens because the Billboard Hot 100 songs of all time list prioritizes "chart life." LeAnn Rimes' "How Do I Live" never even hit #1! It peaked at #2. But it stayed on the chart for 69 weeks, which was an insane run for the late 90s. That endurance matters more to Billboard’s calculators than a song that hits #1 for two weeks and then vanishes.

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The Mariah Carey Factor

If we were just talking about #1 hits, Mariah Carey would be the queen of the universe. In 2026, her "All I Want for Christmas Is You" finally hit a record-breaking 22 weeks at #1.

But because that song only appears for a few weeks every December, it actually struggles to climb the "all-time" list. It’s a seasonal sprint, not a marathon. To be the greatest of all time, you need to be the song that people are listening to in June, October, and February for two years straight.

The "Uptown Funk" Era and the 2010s Takeover

Something changed around 2012. Billboard started counting streaming data. Suddenly, songs like "Uptown Funk!" and "Shape of You" weren't just radio hits; they were background noise for an entire generation.

When you look at the top ten list, half of the songs are from the 2000s or later. Is the music better? Not necessarily. But the way we consume it—looping a playlist on Spotify while we sleep—inflates the numbers. The charts are becoming less diverse because a few "super-songs" like "Blinding Lights" or Taylor Swift's recent 2026 chart-topper "The Fate of Ophelia" take up all the oxygen.

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How to use this for your own playlists

If you're trying to build a "greatest hits" collection that actually reflects history, don't just look at who is #1 today.

• Look for the "slow burners": Songs like "Heat Waves" by Glass Animals didn't hit #1 until their 59th week on the chart. Those are the ones with real staying power.
• Check the Year-End charts: A song that is #1 in December might not be as big as a song that was #5 all through the summer.
• Watch the "Recurrent" rules: Billboard eventually kicks songs off the chart if they fall too low after 20 weeks. If a song survives that "purge," it’s a legitimate heavyweight.

The Billboard Hot 100 songs of all time are a snapshot of what America couldn't stop listening to, whether they liked the song or not. Sometimes it’s a masterpiece like "Mack the Knife." Sometimes it’s the "Macarena."

To keep your finger on the pulse, keep an eye on the total weeks on chart (WOC) for current hits. Any song crossing the 50-week mark is likely entering the all-time history books, regardless of whether it ever hit the top spot. Use the Billboard Chart Archive to compare your favorite artist's longevity against the "points" of the current top ten.