Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club
disc jockey
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include Radio personality, radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music f ...
s to determine the most popular songs being played in
nightclub
A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music.
Nightclubs gener ...
s across the country. It was launched as the Disco Action Top 30 chart on August 28, 1976, and became the first chart by ''Billboard'' to document the popularity of dance music.
The first number-one song on the chart for the issue dated August 28, 1976, was "
You Should Be Dancing
"You Should Be Dancing" is a song by the Bee Gees, from the album ''Children of the World'', released in 1976. It hit No. 1 for one week on the American ''Billboard'' Hot 100, No. 1 for seven weeks on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart, and in S ...
" by the
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees
were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in the disco music era in ...
, spending five weeks atop the chart and the group's only number-one song on the chart.
In January 2017, ''Billboard'' proclaimed
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
as the most successful artist in the history of the chart, ranking her first in their list of the 100 top all-time dance artists.
Madonna holds the record for the most number-one songs with 50.
Katy Perry
Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on modern pop music and her Camp (style), campy style, she has been ...
holds the record for having eighteen consecutive number-one songs.
Perry's third studio album, ''
Teenage Dream'' (2010), became the first album in the history of the chart to produce at least seven number-one songs by a lead artist
[Kristine W's "The Power of Music" was the first album to produce seven number-one songs between 2009-2011 but she was not the lead on one of the songs "Walk Away", which was credited to Tony Moran featuring Kristine W.] between 2010 and 2012, a record it held solely until
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
's eighth studio album ''
Anti
Anti may refer to:
*Anti-, a prefix meaning "against"
*Änti, or Antaeus, a half-giant in Greek and Berber mythology
*A false reading of ''Nemty'', the name of the ferryman who carried Isis to Set's island in Egyptian mythology
* Áńt’į, or ...
'' produced eight chart toppers from 2016 to 2017.
Rihanna is the only artist to have achieved five number-one songs in a calendar year.
Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, which caused the closures of clubs, ''Billboard'' has temporarily suspended the chart.
The most recent number-one song on the Dance Club Songs chart for the issue dated March 28, 2020, is "
Love Hangover 2020
"Love Hangover" is a song by the Motown singer Diana Ross, recorded in 1975 and released as a single on March 16, 1976. It rose to number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and Hot-Selling Soul Singles. It also hit number one on the Record World ...
" by
Diana Ross
Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...
.
History
Dance Club Songs has undergone several incarnations since its inception in 1974. Originally a top-10 list of tracks that garnered the largest audience response in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
discothèque
A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music.
Nightclubs gener ...
s, the chart began on October 26, 1974 under the title ''Disco Action''. The chart went on to feature playlists from various cities around the country from week to week. ''Billboard'' continued to run regional and city-specific charts throughout 1975 and 1976 until the issue dated August 28, 1976, when a 30-position ''National Disco Action Top 30'' premiered. It soon expanded to 40 positions, then in 1979 the chart expanded to 60 positions, then 80, and eventually reached 100 positions from September 1979 until 1981, when it was reduced back to 80.
During the first half of the 1980s, the chart maintained 80 slots until March 16, 1985, when the Disco charts were splintered and renamed. Two charts appeared: ''Hot Dance/Disco Club Play'', which ranked club play (50 positions), and ''
Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales
In the issue dated March 16, 1985, '' Billboard'' magazine debuted its first chart devoted exclusively to 12-inch Singles Sales. The 50-position weekly ranking joined ''Billboard''s established Club Songs chart, reduced to the same 50 positions, ...
'', which ranked
12-inch single
The twelve-inch single (often written as 12-inch or 12″) is a type of vinyl ( polyvinyl chloride or PVC) gramophone record that has wider groove spacing and shorter playing time with a 'single' or a few related sound tracks on each surfac ...
(or maxi-single) sales (also 50 positions, later reduced to 10 and discontinued in 2013, since replaced by the
Dance/Electronic Digital Songs
Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales, previously Dance/Electronic Digital Songs is a weekly chart that ranks the best-selling digital dance and electronic singles in the United States, according to ''Billboard''. Although it originally started trac ...
).
On January 26, 2013, ''Billboard'' introduced the
Hot Dance/Electronic Songs
The Dance/Electronic Songs chart has been published weekly by ''Billboard'' since January 2013. It is the first chart to be published that ranks the most popular dance and electronic songs according to audience impressions, digital downloads, s ...
chart, which tracks the 50 most popular dance and electronic songs as determined by ''Billboard'' based on digital single sales, streaming, radio airplay across all formats, and club play, with Dance Club Songs serving as the club play component to the multi-metric chart.
On March 31, 2020, due to the
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
pandemic, which caused the closures of clubs, ''Billboard'' temporarily suspended the chart.
Statistics and ''Record World'' data
Although the disco chart began reporting popular songs in New York City nightclubs, ''Billboard'' soon expanded coverage to feature multiple charts each week which highlighted playlists in various cities such as
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
,
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
,
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
,
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
,
Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
,
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
and
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
(among others). During this time, ''Billboard'' rival publication ''
Record World
''Record World'' magazine was one of the three main music industry trade magazines in the United States, along with '' Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 under the name ''Music Vendor'', but in 1964 it was changed to ''Record Wo ...
'' was the first to compile a dance chart which incorporated club play on a national level. Noted ''Billboard'' statistician
Joel Whitburn
Joel Carver Whitburn (November 29, 1939 – June 14, 2022) was an American author and music historian, responsible for setting up the Record Research, Inc. series of books on record chart placings.
Early life
Joel Carver Whitburn was born in Wau ...
has since "adopted" ''Record World''s chart data from the weeks between March 29, 1975 and August 21, 1976 into ''Billboard''s club play history. For the sake of continuity, ''Record World''s national chart is incorporated into both Whitburn's ''Dance/Disco'' publication (via his Record Research company) as well as the 1975 and 1976 number-ones lists.
With the issue dated August 28, 1976, ''Billboard'' premiered its own national chart (''National Disco Action Top 30'') and their data is used from this date forward.
Artist achievements
Top 10 artists of all-time (1976–2016)
Most number ones
Most consecutive number-ones
Most number-ones in a calendar year
Quickest collection of first 10 number-ones
Song achievements
Most weeks at number one
Shortest climbs to number one
Longest climbs to number one
*19th week — "
Wordy Rappinghood
"Wordy Rappinghood" is the debut single by American new wave band Tom Tom Club, from their 1981 self-titled debut album. It uses part of a traditional Moroccan children's song and game, "A Ram Sam Sam", made popular by the 1971 Rolf Harris re ...
"/"
Genius of Love
"Genius of Love" is a 1981 hit song by Tom Tom Club from their 1981 eponymous debut album. It reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Disco Top 80 chart.
Background
"Genius of Love" is Tom Tom Club's second single. Although the album had not ...
" by
Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club is an American new wave band founded in 1981 by husband-and-wife team Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth and as a side project from Talking Heads. Their best known songs include "Wordy Rappinghood", "Genius of Love", and a cover of T ...
*19th week — "
Walking on a Dream Walking on a Dream may refer to:
* ''Walking on a Dream'' (album), a 2008 album by Empire of the Sun
** "Walking on a Dream" (song), the album's title track
{{Disambiguation ...
" by
Empire of the Sun
''Empire of the Sun'' is a 1984 novel by English writer J. G. Ballard; it was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Like Ballard's earlier short story "The Dead Time" (published in the anthology '' ...
*17th week — "
Losing It" by
Fisher
Fisher is an archaic term for a fisherman, revived as gender-neutral.
Fisher, Fishers or The Fisher may also refer to:
Places
Australia
*Division of Fisher, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives, in Queensland
*Elect ...
*16th week — "
The Look of Love" by
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
*16th week — "
Most Precious Love
"Most Precious Love" is a 2004 house song produced, written and recorded by the American duo Blaze, featuring the musical collective ensemble U.D.A.U.F.L. (the acronym for Underground Dance Artists United For Life), with vocals performed by sing ...
" by
Blaze presents
U.D.A.U.F.L.
U.D.A.U.F.L. is the acronym for Underground Dance Artists United For Life, a collaboration of Dance music acts put together by the producer duo known as Blaze.
The acts that make up this project are Kenny Bobien, Joi Cardwell, Arnold Jarvis, Ult ...
featuring
Barbara Tucker
Barbara Tucker (born March 19, 1967), is an American house and soul singer, songwriter and choreographer born in Brooklyn, New York, US. Tucker had six No. 1 hits on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart in the 1990s and into the 2000s, and seve ...
*16th week — "
Where Have You Been
"Where Have You Been" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna, from her sixth studio album, ''Talk That Talk'' (2011) serving as the fifth single. The song was written by Ester Dean, Geoff Mack, Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald, Henry "Cirkut" Walt ...
" by
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
*16th week — "
Right Now" by
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
featuring
David Guetta
Pierre David Guetta ( , ; born 7 November 1967) is a French DJ and music producer. He has over 10 million album and 65 million single sales globally, with more than 10 billion streams. In 2011, 2020 and 2021, Guetta was voted the number one D ...
Sources:
Biggest jump to number one
* (27-1) ''
Thriller'' (all cuts) by
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
Number-one songs covered by different artists
* "
The Boss" —
Diana Ross
Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...
(1979),
The Braxtons
The Braxtons are an American musical quintet consisting of singer Toni Braxton and her younger sisters, Traci Braxton, Towanda Braxton, Trina Braxton, and Tamar Braxton. Despite being commercially unsuccessful, the group's first single, " Goo ...
(1997),
Kristine W
Kristine Elizabeth Weitz, widely known by her stage name Kristine W, is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and entrepreneur. She is most widely known as a Electronic dance music, dance music artist. Born and raised in Pasco, W ...
(2008), and again Diana Ross (2019).
*"
You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)
"You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" is a 1978 song by American disco/ R&B singer Sylvester. It was written by James Wirrick and Sylvester, and released as the second single from Sylvester's fourth album, ''Step II'' (1978). The song was already a l ...
" —
Sylvester
Sylvester or Silvester is a name derived from the Latin adjective ''silvestris'' meaning "wooded" or "wild", which derives from the noun ''silva'' meaning "woodland". Classical Latin spells this with ''i''. In Classical Latin, ''y'' represented a ...
(1978)
and
Byron Stingily
Byron Stingily is an American R&B and house-music singer born in Chicago, Illinois, known for his falsetto voice. He is now a part-time principal at a school in Chicago while still performing.
Career
Stingily had several hit records in the 1 ...
(1998)
*"
Back to Life" —
Soul II Soul
Soul II Soul are a British musical collective formed in London in 1988. They are best known for their two major hits; 1989's UK number five and US number eleven " Keep On Movin'", and its follow-up, the UK number one and US number four " Back to ...
(1989) and
Hilary Roberts
Hilary Lacey Roberts is an American singer, songwriter and philanthropist. She was born in Denver, Colorado and currently resides in Dallas, Texas. Her single "There for You" (2018) proved a success and became her first top-ten single on the ''Bi ...
(2019).
*"
Keep on Jumpin'" —
Musique
Musique is the French word for music.
Musique may also refer to:
Music
*Musique (disco band), a 1970s studio band produced by Patrick Adams
*Musique, a British dance act consisting of Moussa Clarke and Nick Hanson best known for their 2001 song ...
(1978) and
Todd Terry
Todd Norton Terry (born April 18, 1967) is an American DJ, record producer and remixer in the genre of house music.
Musical career
Todd Terry was influential in moving House music beyond the early Chicago house sound of 1984–86. He crossed ...
with
Martha Wash
Martha Elaine Wash (born December 28, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, and producer. Known for her distinctive and powerful voice, Wash first achieved fame as half of the Two Tons O' Fun, who sang backing vocals for the disco si ...
&
Jocelyn Brown
Jocelyn Lorette Brown (born November 25, 1950), sometimes credited as Jocelyn Shaw, is an American R&B and dance singer. Although she has only one ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart entry solely in her name, she has an extensive background in the musi ...
(1996)
Album achievements
Most number-one songs from one album
Records and other achievements
*
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
holds the record for the most chart hits, the most top-twenty hits, the most top-ten hits and the most total weeks at number one (75 weeks).
*
Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler (; (born 8 May 1975) is a Spanish singer and songwriter. He started his recording career in the mid-1990s on the Mexican indie label Fonovisa and became the bestselling Spanish-language act of the decade. By the ...
,
Dave Audé
Dave Audé (born Oct 12, 1969) is an American Disc jockey, DJ, Record producer, producer and remixer. He operates his own label Audacious Records, and is known for having more number ones than any other producer on the ''Billboard'' Dance Club S ...
,
Pitbull
Pit bull is a term used in the United States for a type of dog descended from bulldogs and terriers, while in other countries such as the United Kingdom the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The term was f ...
, and
David Guetta
Pierre David Guetta ( , ; born 7 November 1967) is a French DJ and music producer. He has over 10 million album and 65 million single sales globally, with more than 10 billion streams. In 2011, 2020 and 2021, Guetta was voted the number one D ...
are tied with 14 number-ones on the chart, the most among male artists.
*
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
became the first artist to earn 4 number-ones on the chart in a year (2007), a feat she repeated a record 3 additional times before becoming the first act to earn 5 number-ones in a year (2017) as well.
*
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
scored three number-ones in a single year seven times (1985, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2012, 2015, 2019), making her the first and most act to do so.
*
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
became the first act to have two songs in the top three on March 5, 2011. Her song "
Better than Today
"Better Than Today" is a song recorded by Australian singer Kylie Minogue for her eleventh studio album, ''Aphrodite'' (2010). The track was originally written and produced by Nerina Pallot and Andy Chatterley for Pallot's 2009 extended play, ...
" was number-one while "
Higher
Higher may refer to:
Music
* The Higher, a 2002–2012 American pop rock band
Albums
* ''Higher'' (Ala Boratyn album) or the title song, 2007
* ''Higher'' (Ezio album) or the title song, 2000
* ''Higher'' (Harem Scarem album) or the title song ...
", a song by
Taio Cruz
Jacob Taio Cruz (; born Adetayo Ayowale Onile-Ere, 23 April 1980), better known professionally as Taio Cruz (stylized TΛIO CRUZ), is an English singer, songwriter and record producer from London, England, currently based in Los Angeles. In 200 ...
on which Minogue features, was number three. On July 28, 2016,
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
became the second act to achieve this when her songs "
Kiss It Better
"Kiss It Better" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna for her eighth studio album, ''Anti'' (2016). It was written and produced by Jeff Bhasker and Glass John, with additional writing by Teddy Sinclair and Rihanna. The song was serviced to rad ...
" and "
Needed Me
"Needed Me" is a song by Barbadian singer and songwriter Rihanna from her eighth studio album, ''Anti'' (2016). It was written by Rihanna, Brittany Hazard, Charles Hinshaw and Derrus Rachel together with its producer DJ Mustard and its co-prod ...
" were number one and three concurrently, however it made her the first act to have two songs in the top three as the lead act on both.
David Guetta
Pierre David Guetta ( , ; born 7 November 1967) is a French DJ and music producer. He has over 10 million album and 65 million single sales globally, with more than 10 billion streams. In 2011, 2020 and 2021, Guetta was voted the number one D ...
was the third to earn this distinction during the chart week of November 24, 2018, when "(It Happens) Sometimes", under his alias Jack Back, was number two, while his "Don't Leave Me Alone" collaboration with Anne-Marie was number three.
*
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
was the first artist in the chart's history to have 2 studio albums with 5 number-one songs each topping the chart, respectively; from her eighth studio album
Music
Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...
and her ninth studio album
American Life
''American Life'' is the ninth studio album by American singer Madonna. It was released on April 21, 2003, by Maverick and Warner Bros. Records. The album, produced by the singer and Mirwais Ahmadzaï, features references to many parts of Ame ...
;
Katy Perry
Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on modern pop music and her Camp (style), campy style, she has been ...
has since surpassed this record, achieving 7 number-ones from her third studio album
Teenage Dream, and 5 number-ones from her fourth,
Prism
Prism usually refers to:
* Prism (optics), a transparent optical component with flat surfaces that refract light
* Prism (geometry), a kind of polyhedron
Prism may also refer to:
Science and mathematics
* Prism (geology), a type of sedimentary ...
*The first
12-inch single
The twelve-inch single (often written as 12-inch or 12″) is a type of vinyl ( polyvinyl chloride or PVC) gramophone record that has wider groove spacing and shorter playing time with a 'single' or a few related sound tracks on each surfac ...
made commercially available to the public was "
Ten Percent
''Ten Percent'' is the debut studio album recorded by American male vocal quartet Double Exposure, released in 1976 on the Salsoul label.
History
The album features the title track, which peaked at No.2 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart, No. 54 on ...
" by
Double Exposure
In photography and cinematography, a multiple exposure is the superimposition of two or more exposures to create a single image, and double exposure has a corresponding meaning in respect of two images. The exposure values may or may not be ide ...
in 1976.
*The first number one on ''Billboard''s Disco Action chart was "
Never Can Say Goodbye
"Never Can Say Goodbye" is a song written by Clifton Davis and originally recorded by The Jackson 5. The song was originally written and intended for the Supremes; however, Motown decided it would be better for the Jackson 5. It was the first s ...
" by
Gloria Gaynor
Gloria Gaynor ( née Fowles; born September 7, 1943) is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits "I Will Survive" (1978), " Let Me Know (I Have a Right)" (1979), " I Am What I Am" (1983), and her version of "Never Can Say Goodbye" ( ...
in 1974.
*The first number one on ''Billboard''s National Disco Action Top 30 was "
You Should Be Dancing
"You Should Be Dancing" is a song by the Bee Gees, from the album ''Children of the World'', released in 1976. It hit No. 1 for one week on the American ''Billboard'' Hot 100, No. 1 for seven weeks on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart, and in S ...
" by the
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees
were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in the disco music era in ...
in 1976.
*Until February 2020,
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
has the record for most number-one songs in any Billboard chart with her record-extending 50 number-ones toping the Billboard Dance Club Songs Chart.
*From the dance chart's inception until the week of February 16, 1991, several (or even all) songs on an
EP,
album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
or 12-inch single could occupy the same position if more than one track from a release was receiving significant play in clubs (for example, Donna Summer charted several full-length albums, both
Chaka Khan
Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Qu ...
and
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
have hit number one with remix albums). Chart entries like this were especially prevalent during the
disco
Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
era, where an entire side of an album would contain several songs segued together seamlessly to replicate a night of dancing in a club. Beginning with the February 23, 1991 issue, the dance chart became "song specific," meaning only one song could occupy each position at a time.
*Because of the former policy allowing multiple songs to occupy one position at the same time, there have been three instances when not only multiple songs were at number one, but the songs were performed by different artists. In all scenarios this was due to the tracks being included in film
soundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' ...
s. In 1978, four tracks from ''
Thank God It's Friday'' (
Donna Summer
LaDonna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the " Queen of Disco", while her mus ...
,
Pattie Brooks
Pattie Brooks (sometimes credited as Patti Brooks and Patty Brooks) is an American singer most frequently associated with the disco era. She was born in Fort Riley, Kansas to a military family. Her first break came in 1968 when she auditioned fo ...
,
Love & Kisses
Love & Kisses is a 1970s disco group assembled by European producer Alec Costandinos, with a variety of male and female singers.
After collaborating on Cerrone's debut album ''Love In C Minor'' (1976), Costandinos assembled Love & Kisses in ...
,
Sunshine
Sunlight is a portion of the electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun, in particular infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light. On Earth, sunlight is scattered and filtered through Earth's atmosphere, and is obvious as daylight when th ...
); in 1980, three tracks from ''
Fame'' (two by
Irene Cara
Irene Cara Escalera (March 18, 1959 – November 25, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and actress of Black, Puerto Rican and Cuban descent. Cara rose to prominence for her role as Coco Hernandez in the 1980 musical film '' Fame'', and f ...
and one by
Linda Clifford
Linda Clifford (born 1944) is an American R&B, disco and house music singer who scored hits from the 1970s to the 1980s, most notably "If My Friends Could See Me Now", " Bridge over Troubled Water", " Runaway Love" and " Red Light".
Career ...
); and in 1985, two songs from ''
Beverly Hills Cop
''Beverly Hills Cop'' is a 1984 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Martin Brest, screenplay by Daniel Petrie Jr., story by Danilo Bach and Daniel Petrie Jr., and starring Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley, a street-smart Detroit cop who ...
'' (
Patti LaBelle
Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B singer, actress and businesswoman.
LaBelle is referred to as the " Godmother of Soul".
She began her career in the early 1960s as lead singe ...
,
Harold Faltermeyer
Hans Hugo Harold Faltermeier (born 5 October 1952) is a German musician, composer and record producer.
Faltermeyer is best known for composing the "Axel F" theme for the feature film ''Beverly Hills Cop'', an influential synth-pop hit in the 1 ...
) hit number one together.
*
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
additionally became the first act to have scored at least one No. 1 on the Dance Club Songs chart in five separate decades since the chart's inception in 1976, having tallied 9 in the 1980s, 13 in the '90s, 18 in the 2000s, 9 in the '10s and, now, one (so far) in the '20s.
*
The Trammps
The Trammps are an American disco and soul band, who were based in Philadelphia and were one of the first disco bands.
The band's first major success was their 1972 cover version of "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart", while the first disco tr ...
are the only act to replace themselves at number one (issue date June 5, 1976, "That's Where the Happy People Go" → "Disco Party").
*The longest running number-ones on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart are "
Bad Luck" by
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes were an American soul and R&B vocal group. One of the most popular Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s, the group's repertoire included soul, R&B, doo-wop, and disco. Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in ...
in 1975 and the album ''
Thriller'' by
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
. Both entries spent eleven weeks in the top spot.
*"
One Word
"One Word" is a song by British singer Kelly Osbourne, released as the first and only single from her second studio album, ''Sleeping in the Nothing'' (2005), in May 2005. Unlike the pop-punk sound Osbourne sported in the past, "One Word" is a sy ...
" by
Kelly Osbourne
Kelly Michelle Lee Osbourne (born 27 October 1984) is an English television personality, singer, actress, model, and fashion designer. The daughter of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, she appeared on the reality show ''The Osbournes'' (2002–2005) w ...
made chart history on June 18, 2005 when it became the first song to simultaneously top the Hot Dance Club Songs, Hot Dance Singles Sales and Hot Dance Airplay charts.
*
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
is also the first act ever to score as many as 50 No. 1s on any single Billboard chart, extending her record over
George Strait
George Harvey Strait Sr. (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer. Strait is considered one of the most influential and popular recording artists of all time. In the 1980s, he was credited for ...
, who has earned 44 leaders on Hot Country Songs.
*
LeAnn Rimes
Margaret LeAnn Rimes Cibrian (born August 28, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She originally rose to success as a country music artist at age 13 with 1996's "Blue". She has since crossed over into pop, contemporary Chris ...
became the first
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
artist to have topped both the ''Billboard'' country chart and the Hot Dance Club Songs chart. Rimes, who had several remixes of her country hits reach the dance chart, achieved that distinction during the week of February 28, 2009, when the
electronic dance music remix
A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...
es of her 2008 single "
What I Cannot Change
"What I Cannot Change" is a song written by Darrell Brown, and co-written and recorded by American country artist LeAnn Rimes. The song was released to country radio in August 2008 as the third and final single from her ninth studio album, ''Famil ...
" reached number one.
*
Olivia Newton-John
Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one singles on the ...
and
Chloe Lattanzi
Chloe Rose Lattanzi (born January 17, 1986) is an American-Australian singer and actress.
Biography Personal life
Lattanzi was born on January 17, 1986, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of the lat ...
's collaboration with Dave Audé, "
You Have to Believe
"You Have to Believe" is a 2015 electronic dance song produced by American DJ/remixer/producer Dave Audé, featuring vocals from Australian singer/songwriter/actress Olivia Newton-John and her daughter, singer/actress Chloe Lattanzi, who co-wrote ...
", which reached number one in its November 21, 2015 issue, made history for Newton-John and Lattanzi, as they became the first mother-daughter duo to reach number one on this chart as well as picking up their first number ones at Dance Club Songs as well, although Newton-John had charted four times prior to this.
*
Sting
Sting may refer to:
* Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger
* Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself
Fictional characters and entities
* Sting (Middle-eart ...
has the distinction of being the only artist to reach number one twice on this chart with a song he recorded and re-recorded, as his original version of "
Stolen Car (Take Me Dancing)
"Stolen Car (Take Me Dancing)" is a song by Sting, released as the third single from his album ''Sacred Love'' on 26 April 2004. It topped the Dance Club Songs chart in the United States in August 2004. A remix of the song featuring will.i.am of ...
" featuring
Twista
Carl Terrell Mitchell (born November 27, 1973), better known by his stage name Twista (formerly Tung Twista), is an American rapper and record producer. He is best known for his Chopper (rap), chopper style of rapping and for once holding the t ...
reached that position in 2004, and again in 2016 as a featured duet with
Mylène Farmer
Mylène Jeanne Gautier (; born 12 September 1961), known professionally as Mylène Farmer (), is a Canadian-born French singer, songwriter, occasional actress, writer, and entrepreneur. Having sold more than 30 million records in France, she is ...
for "
Stolen Car". In both cases, they were also remixed by Dave Audé, which is another first on this chart that a remixer reached number one with a song he remixed twice.
Footnotes
:
:
See also
*
List of Billboard number-one dance club songs
This is a list of number-one dance hits as recorded by ''Billboard'' magazine's Dance Club Songs chart – a weekly national survey of popular songs in U.S. dance clubs. It began on October 26, 1974, under the title ''Disco Action'' chart. It is c ...
*
*
*
Dance Singles Sales
In the issue dated March 16, 1985, ''Billboard'' magazine debuted its first chart devoted exclusively to 12-inch Singles Sales. The 50-position weekly ranking joined ''Billboard''s established Club Songs chart, reduced to the same 50 positions, ...
Reference notes
References
External links
Current Billboard Dance Club Songs chart
{{Billboard
Billboard charts
Dance-pop