Two Canadian artists are at the top of the 21st century charts.
This week, Billboard revealed the Top Hot R&B/Hip-Hop of the 21st Century lists — with Drake and The Weeknd topping two of the category’s lists.
Drake boasts the No. 1 spot on Top Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the 21st Century.
DrakeParas Griffin/Getty Images
Although he didn’t touch Billboard charts until 2009, his grip soon tightened into a stranglehold. It wasn’t just that Drake always seemed to be on the charts, but rather how he achieved plenty of simultaneous hits, balancing his own tunes with supporting features and bouncing between melodic R&B, catchy pop-tinged smashes and no-frills hip-hop, all ripe with lyrical snippets and snipes that have fed Instagram captions for years.
The results? Record-breaking: 30 No. 1s on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs — including “One Dance,” “In My Feelings,” and “God Plan” — plus 135 top 10 hits, each more than double the nearest competitor, while 15 of his projects reached the summit on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in the measurement period.
In the nearly 20 years since his 2006 mixtape Room for Improvement, Drake has amassed a major influence on pop culture with over 75 platinum singles, 51 Grammy nominations with four wins and 10 RIAA-Certified Diamond records.
Drake isn't the only Canadian on the list. Superstar singer The Weeknd is on the list at No. 3.
The WeekndKevin Mazur/Getty Images
Rising from the underground alt-R&B scene, The Weeknd honed his R&B and pop sensibilities into a global-conquering catalog. While his first Billboard chart appearances came courtesy of featured credits on tracks by Drake and Wiz Khalifa, The Weeknd soon graduated to the main attraction.
Among his top highlights are nine No. 1s on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, with brooding tracks such as “The Hills” sharing space with the crossover flash of “Can’t Feel My Face” and the Daft Punk-assisted “Starboy.” Eight No. 1s in the period on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums round out his accomplishments, with every release since 2012’s Trilogy hitting the top spot.
Speaking of The Weeknd, the Scarborough native claims No. 1 on the Top Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the 21st Century with “Blinding Lights.”
The WeekndCourtesy Photo
Ascending from the underground alt-R&B scenes of Toronto to international stardom, The Weeknd, born Abel Tesfaye, reached unprecedented stature with the glistening “Blinding Lights.”
The single spent 11 weeks at the top of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and a record 59 weeks in the top 10. The blockbuster claims history on other Billboard recaps, ruling the Top Hot 100 Songs of the 21st Century chart, announced in January, following its coronation on the Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Songs retrospective.
In his home country, the track hit No. 1 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100, notching seven weeks in the top spot. It’s a major win for one of the 21st century’s biggest pop stars.
The retrospective is based on performance on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts from January 2000 through December 2024.
Find the full list of Billboard’s Top Hot R&B/Hip-Hop of the 21st Century Charts here and here.
With files from Trevor Anderson
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