Women’s History Month: 25 Historic No. 1 Songs By Black Women

MTV20: Live and Almost Legal - Aaliyah — Evan Agostini

“Not everybody has that to their credit — it’s difficult to get,” once said by Mariah Carey to her American Idol co-judge Nicki Minaj. The comment was mostly made in shade — what a feud that was! — but also in reference to a common goal of all musicians: achieving a number one song on the Billboard Hot 100. Thankfully both of those hit-making divas have made it to the top of the chart since then, even breaking records with their respective bangers. More on that later.

With Women’s History Month on the mind, we felt a need to shoutout another Black woman with a historic number 1 song on the Hot 100: none other than the late great Aaliyah! On March 21, 2000, the artist lovingly known as Baby Girl released her first and only number one song with the Romeo Must Die soundtrack single, “Try Again.” When the Timbaland-produced song eventually topped the chart during the week of June 17, it also gained the title as Billboard’s first song in history to reach number 1 solely based on airplay without any sales factored in. It would go on to win two trophies later that year at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, including the top honor for “Best Female Video.”

25 years later to the day, “Try Again” still sounds fresh and stands as just one of many examples of why Aaliyah will always be considered the Queen of Urban Pop.

Even though Aaliyah’s star was prematurely dimmed back in 2001 with her tragic death at the age of 22, replay strength of songs like “Try Again” has kept her legacy prospering for well over two decades. Despite being alive for less than a year since it began on January 1, 2001, the Queen Of The Damned actress landed within the top 50 on Billboard.com’s recent list of top female artists of the 21st century. It was a great reminder of how impactful Black women have been for decades when it comes to creating the sound of our culture. Hip-hop and R&B have always been rooted in Black identity, and we’ll always have an appreciation for the melanated ladies who’ve shared their soulful voices and lyrical prowess for our entertainment.

In honor of Women’s History Month, we put together a list to highlight some standout moments in music history where Black women not only achieved a number 1 hit but also broke records in the process. From the formative years of Motown during the reign of Diana Ross to the current domination of genre-bending superstar Beyoncé, you’ll find that some of the greatest chart-topping hits over time have been made by a Black female artist. Shoutout to the sistas!

Keep scrolling for a Women’s History Month tribute to the many Black female musicians, much like Aaliyah did 25 years ago with “Try Again,” who topped the Billboard Hot 100 and made history in the process:

The Shirelles – “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” (1960)

First Black girl group to go #1 on the Hot 100.

The Supremes – “I Hear a Symphony” (1965)

The Supremes achieve most #1 songs (4) released in a calendar year (1965) by a female group.

Aretha Franklin – “Respect” (1967)

Only Black woman in the Top 25 “Songs of the Century.”

Roberta Flack – “Killing Me Softly with His Song” (1973)

Longest-running #1 record of 1973.

Diana Ross – “Love Hangover” (1976)

Held the title of most #1 records by a female artist for 12 years.

Tina Turner – “What’s Love Got To Do With It” (1984)

Best-selling single of 1984 released by a woman.

Dionne Warwick & Friends – “That’s What Friends Are For” (1985)

Biggest-selling single of 1986.

Janet Jackson – “Love Will Never Do (Without You)” (1990)

Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 became the first album in history to produce Hot 100 #1 hits within three separate calendar years (1989; 1990; 1991).