List of records of the USA

This page lists national records achieved by people, groups or institutions from the United States of America, or achievements within a contest or chart limited to the USA, for instance the Billboard music charts.

Music

Number-ones

  • Most #1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100: 20 (The Beatles)
  • Most #1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 by a Male Artist: 17 (Elvis Presley)
  • Most #1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 by a Female Artist: 17 (Mariah Carey)
  • Most #1 albums for a female artist: 8 (Barbra Streisand)
  • Most #1 songs from a single album (male): 5 (Bad by Michael Jackson)
  • Most #1 songs from a single album (female): 4 (Mariah Carey's Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston's Whitney, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, and Paula Abdul's Forever Your Girl)
  • Most songs to debut at #1 on the Hot 100: 3 (Mariah Carey)
  • Consecutive singles by new artist to hit #1: 6 (the Beatles 1964)
  • Most consecutive singles to reach #1: 10 (Elvis Presley)
  • Most #1 covers: 4 (Whitney Houston)
  • Most #1 songs during the Christmas Season: 3 (Mariah Carey)
  • Oldest female Singer at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100: Cher (52 years) ("Believe")

Length

  • Most weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100: 16 ("One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men)
  • Most weeks at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100: 11 ("Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" by Whitney Houston)
  • Most cumulative weeks at #1 by a female artist on the Billboard Hot 100: 77 (Mariah Carey)
  • Most cumulative weeks at #1 by a male artist on the Billboard Hot 100: 79 (Elvis Presley)
  • Most cumulative weeks at #1 on the Billboad 200 by a female artist: 50 (Whitney Houston)
  • Most cumulative weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in a single year (male): 28 (Usher)
  • Most cumulative weeks at #1 on Billboard Hot 100 in a single year (female): 19 (Christina Aguilera)
  • Longest time spent on Billboard charts by a single album: The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd (591 consecutive weeks, 1,380 total. On Best seller list for 741.)
  • Longest run at #1 by a female Solo Artist on the Billboard Hot 100: 14 weeks (tie: "We Belong Together" by Mariah Carey and "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston)
  • Longest run at #1 by a male group on the Billboard Hot 100: 14 weeks "I'll Make Love To You" (Boys II Men)
  • Longest run at #1 by a Female Group on the Billboard Hot 100: 11 weeks Independent Women Part I (Destiny's Child)
  • Artist with the most albums to stay at #1 on the Billboard 200 for over 10 weeks: Whitney Houston (3 albums)
  • Artist(s) with the Most Songs to stay over 10 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100: Boys II Men (3 songs)
  • Male Artist with the Most Songs to stay over 10 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100: Carlos Santana (2 songs)
  • Female Artist with the Most Songs to stay over 10 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100: Mariah Carey (2 songs)
  • Longest time spent on Billboard Rap/Hip Hop chart top 25 by a group: 48 weeks (Wu Tang Clan)
  • Longest run at #1 on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart: 25 weeks ("La Tortura") (Shakira featuring Alejandro Sanz)
  • Longest time spent at #1 on the Billboard Gospel Albums Chart: The Preacher's Wife (Whitney Houston)
  • Longest stay at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay: 18 weeks (Iris) (Goo Goo Dolls)
  • Longest stay at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay Chart for a Solo artist: 16 weeks (We Belong Together) (Mariah Carey)
  • Longest stay at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales Chart: 14 weeks (I Will Always Love You) (Whitney Houston)
  • Longest stay at #1 on the Billboard Hot Hip/R&B Tracks Chart: 15 weeks (Be Without You) (Mary J Blige)

Sales

  • Best selling album by a solo female artist: The Bodyguard (Whitney Houston)

Best Selling French Album of all time: D'eux (Celine Dion)

  • Best Selling Album Artist: Garth Brooks (based on RIAA shipments)
  • Best Selling Female Album Artist: Barbra Streisand (based on RIAA shipments)
  • Best Selling Album Male Artist: Garth Brooks (67,402,000)(based on retail sales of Soundscan Era)
  • Best Selling Female Album Artist: Mariah Carey (49,937,000)(based on retail sales of Soundscan Era)
  • Best Selling Group Album Artist : Beatles (55,695,000)(based on retail sales of Soundscan Era)
  • Best Selling debut album by a Female Artist: ...Baby One More Time (Britney Spears) (14x Platinum)
  • Best Selling single in a week: Hips Don't Lie (Shakira feat. Wyclef Jean)
  • Best Selling Christmas Album: "Noel" (Josh Groban))
  • Best Selling Christmas Album by a Female Artist: Merry Christmas (album) (Mariah Carey) (5x Platinum)
  • Best selling album by a Latin artist on the Billboard Pop 200 List in its first week of release: (Dreaming of You) (Selena) (321,000 copies)
  • Artist with the Best Selling version of The Star Spangled Banner: Whitney Houston (Platinum)
  • Female artist with the most albums to sell over 9 million units: Tie: Shania Twain, Whitney Houston, and Mariah Carey
  • Best Selling Gospel album: The Preacher's Wife (Whitney Houston)
  • Female Artist with the Most Diamond Certified albums: Shania Twain (3 albums)
  • Fastest Selling Female Artist: Britney Spears (1,319,922 copies in first week sales and 587,009 copies in first day)
  • Best Selling Artist in a week: Britney Spears (3,074,500 with 6 albums)
  • Fastest Selling R&B Artist: Usher Raymond (1.1 million copies in first week sales)
  • Fastest Selling Female R&B Artist: Alicia Keys (743,000 copies in first week sales)
  • Fastest Selling Female Debut R&B Artist: Ashanti (504,000 copies in first week sales)
  • Best Selling Holiday-themed digital Single: All I Want For Christmas Is You (500, 000 downloads) (Mariah Carey)

Miscellaneous

  • Most Platinum Singles for a Female Arist: 13 (Mariah Carey)
  • Largest Initial Certification made by the RIAA: 6x Platinum (the Bodyguard Soundtrack)
  • Most Consecutive Top 10 debuts on the Billboard 200 Chart: 10 (Mariah Carey)
  • Most Consecutive Top 5 debuts on the Billboard 200 Chart: 9
  • Song with the Most Measured Airplay Impressions on American Radio: No Scrubs (TLC) (228 million listeners)
  • Only Female Artist to occupy the #1 and #2 positions on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart simultaneously: Mariah Carey (We Belong Together and Shake It Off)
  • Most Successful Virtual Band: Gorillaz
  • Artist with the most albums on The Billboard 200.Led Zeppelin Had 6 albums in the Billboard 200, In 1975, While at #1, They also had all 9, of there albums chart, in 1980,after there Drummers death,
  • Artist to have a number #1 song each year of a decade on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart: Mariah Carey (1990-2000) (15 total)