Taylor Swift Beats Rihanna And Drake For A New Spot In The History Books

BusinessHollywood & EntertainmentTaylor Swift Beats Rihanna And Drake For A New Spot In The History BooksByHugh McIntyre,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Hugh McIntyre covers music, with a focus on the global charts.Follow AuthorJun 16, 2026, 08:00am EDTSummaryTaylor Swift’s new single “I Knew It, I Knew You” debuts at No. 1, giving the superstar her fifteenth chart-topper and helping her break out of a tie with Rihanna and Drake for the third-most leaders in history. The song opens with huge sales, streaming and radio numbers, and it marks Swift’s third No. 1 of 2026, following “The Fate of Ophelia” and “Opalite.” She now trails only the Beatles and Mariah Carey when it comes to the artists with the most No. 1 hits ever. Show More Taylor Swift's "I Knew It, I Knew You" becomes her milestone fifteenth No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — the third-most rulers of all time. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 02: Taylor Swift attends the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards on February 02, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)Getty Images for The Recording Academy2026 has been an enormously successful period for Taylor Swift, though it's not as if she ever has a quiet year anymore. The singer-songwriter finds herself back on top of the Billboard Hot 100, the chart company's list of the most popular songs in America, as her latest single "I Knew It, I Knew You" debuts in first place. The tune helps the global superstar make history in several fashions, and perhaps most importantly, it allows Swift to advance on the ranking of artists that have scored the most leaders in the more than half-century-long history of the most competitive songs tally in the United States. With one more championship to her credit, Swift pushes past two of the most successful hitmakers of the past two decades, including one who matched the country and pop...