4 of the First Songs To Ever Debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100

Having a No. 1 song is an accomplishment in itself. But it’s even more impressive when a song debuts at the top of the charts. While some songs steadily climb the charts after their release and work their way up, others make it there pretty much immediately.

The Hot 100 chart first began in 1958. And of all the singles featured, only 87 have debuted at No. 1. The first songs to do so all came in 1995, and the sudden spike can be attributed to the fact that labels began releasing singles on the same day each week–at the time, Tuesday, which has since been changed to Friday.

“You Are Not Alone” by Michael Jackson

The very first song to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100 was “You Are Not Alone” by Michael Jackson. This track comes from his album HIStory, released in 1995. It was his 13th and last No. 1 single in the US. “You Are Not Alone” was one of his most successful releases, too. It sold 1.6 million copies in the US and four million worldwide and was certified Platinum. Before its release, Jackson’s double A-sides “Scream” and “Childhood” debuted at No. 5, the highest Billboard debut up to that point.

“Fantasy” by Mariah Carey

Just a few weeks after Michael Jackson became the first artist to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100, Mariah Carey topped the charts with “Fantasy”. This pop hit was the lead single from her album Daydream. Carey was the first female and second artist to ever have a debut single on the Hot 100. “Fantasy” was her 9th No. 1 single overall. It was the highest-selling single since Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You,” with 229,000 copies sold in its first week.

“Exhale (Shoop Shoop)” by Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston’s track “Exhale (Shoop Shoop),” from the soundtrack to the film Waiting to Exhale, which she starred in, became the third single to debut at the top of the charts in November 1995. Although Houston originally wanted to remain focused on her acting and didn’t intend to contribute to the soundtrack, she was persuaded by the song’s producer, Babyface. “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)” was also Houston’s 11th and final No. 1 single, plus it won the Grammy for Best R&B Song.

“One Sweet Day” by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men

Mariah Carey debuted at the top of the charts a second time in 1995, with “One Sweet Day,” a collaboration with Boyz II Men inspired by the AIDS crisis, that December. The track stayed at No. 1 for a record-breaking 16 weeks, making it the biggest hit of the 90s and one of the longest-running No. 1 songs in history–and that record wasn’t broken until over 20 years later. The accomplishment also made Carey the first artist to have two singles debut at No. 1.

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