Taylor Swift Set A Chart Record That Seems Nearly Impossible To Beat

Taylor Swift is the queen of Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart, the main ranking of the top-performing titles at pop radio in the U.S. She earned this crown some time ago, but recently, she furthered her lead over all other artists–even the most successful in the tally’s history. Based on her continued performance, and a quick glance at those that are closest to her, it seems that Swift’s record might not be beaten anytime soon–or possibly ever.

Last week, Swift collected her milestone thirteenth No. 1 single on the Pop Airplay when “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) [From The Vault]” jumped into first place. The tune rose from No. 3 to the summit, and in doing so, it gave the singer another important win on the competitive roster.

Swift is now two No. 1s ahead of her closest competitors on the ranking of the musicians who have reached the top spot on the Pop Airplay most frequently. Three artists–Rihanna, Katy Perry, and Maroon 5–are tied for second place. That trio of superstars have all accrued 11 champions, and the gap between them and Swift is widening.

Of that bunch, Maroon 5 has reached No. 1 on the Pop Airplay chart most recently, but it’s been years since they added to their total. The pop band’s last leader was back in February 2020, when “Memories” earned one frame in charge of the list.

It’s been a decade since Perry last sat at No. 1 on the same ranking. Her smash “Dark Horse” with Juicy J holds as her most recent leader, and it galloped to the peak position almost exactly 10 years ago, to the month.

Rihanna’s most recent No. 1 on the Pop Airplay chart is the oldest of the three stars mentioned here. She collected a pair of rulers in 2013, the last year she hit the top spot. In May, she and Mikky Ekko pushed “Stay” to the highest rung. Then, just weeks before 2014 rolled around, she joined Eminem on “The Monster,” which also spent a short time in charge.

Swift is already in the lead by two No. 1 songs, and she’s far from done racking up wins. Next month, she’ll deliver her new album The Tortured Poets Department, and while no singles have been spun off of the set yet–none have been announced, actually–there’s a very good chance she’ll earn at least one more leader on the Pop Airplay chart, which will further her lead again.