List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2004 (U.S.)

The Billboard Hot 100 is a chart that ranks the best-performing singles of the United States. Published by Billboard magazine, the data are compiled by Nielsen SoundScan based collectively on each single's weekly physical sales and airplay. In 2004, there were 11 singles that topped the chart. Although there were 12 singles that claimed the top spot in the 52 issues of the chart, hip hop duo Outkast's "Hey Ya!" began its peak position in 2003, and is thus excluded.

In 2004, 13 acts achieved their first U.S. number-one single, either as a lead artist or featured guest, including Fantasia Barrino, Ciara, Jamie Foxx, Lil Jon, Petey Pablo, Pharell and Kanye West. Barrino and Ciara were the only acts to have earned a number-one debut single this year. R&B singer Usher had four number-one singles that appeared in the 2004 issues, and Outkast had two. During the year, seven collaboration singles reached the number-one position, tying the record set in 2003.^[1]

Usher's "Yeah!" is the longest-running number-one single of 2004, remaining in that position for 12 straight weeks.^[2] It is followed by his other single "Burn", whose streak on the top spot reached eight non-consecutive weeks.^[3] Other singles with extended chart runs include Ciara's "Goodies", which features Petey Pablo, and Usher's "My Boo", a duet with Alicia Keys, each topping the chart for seven and six weeks, respectively.

Usher is the most successful act in 2004 in terms of chart performance.^[4][5] He had four singles that topped the Billboard Hot 100: "Yeah!, "Burn", "Confessions Part II", and "My Boo"; he is the only act in 2004 to have earned multiple number-one singles. Usher broke the record set by pop band The Beatles, who had three consecutive number-one singles in 1964.^[6] Overall, Usher had 28 weeks on top in a calendar year, becoming the first act to have achieved such an extended chart run on the Billboard Hot 100.^[7] The feat broke the record set by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra in 1940; their records spent 26 consecutive weeks at the top spot of Record Buying Guide, a jukebox chart Billboard magazine published in the late 1930s and early '40s.^[8] "Yeah!" is the best-performing single of the calendar year, having topped the Top Hot 100 Hits of 2004.^[9]

It should also be noted that every artist to top the chart in 2004 was African-American (Terror Squad is a group with some African-American members), and every song was R&B or hip hop. 2004 remains the only year to have these qualities. Due to the huge number of R&B and hip hop songs crossing over and topping the Hot 100 chart in 2004, Billboard created the spinoff Pop 100 chart the year after (now discontinued).

Chart history

See also

• 2004 in music
• List of number-one hits (United States)
• Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2004

References