4 min read
Photo: HotNewHipHop
Drake just made Billboard history. And he did it by breaking a record that stood for sixty years.
His album HABIBTI climbed to number one on Billboard’s Top R&B and Hip Hop Albums chart this week. That marks his eighteenth number one on that chart, the most of any artist in history.
Major Takeaways
Drake earned his 18th No. 1 on Billboard’s Top R&B Hip Hop Albums chart with HABIBTI, a new all time record.
He passed Future and The Temptations, who held the record since 1966.
The surge came after the October 2 deluxe release HABIBTI FOMO, which added four new tracks.
The Record Falls
The Temptations held or shared this record since July 1966. Sixty years. Nobody touched it. Not Michael Jackson. Not Aretha Franklin. Not Jay Z.
Drake tied it, then he broke it. HABIBTI jumped from number 35 all the way to the top spot after the deluxe edition dropped on October 2.
The deluxe, titled HABIBTI FOMO, added four new songs to the original track list. That was enough to send the album to number one with 71,000 equivalent album units in a single tracking week.
Future now sits in second place with 17 number ones, tied with The Temptations. Jay Z follows with 14, and Ye has 13.
The Temptations set their final piece of the record with A Song for You in May 1975. Think about that. That album came out before hip hop was even born. It survived the rise of rap, the streaming era, and every Drake competitor for five decades.
Their reign on this chart began in July 1966, back when the chart itself was barely a year old. Billboard launched the ranking in 1965. The Temptations were there at the start, and they stayed on top for sixty years.
Why This Matters
Love him or hate him, Drake’s run is unmatched in modern music. Eighteen number one albums on this chart. Nobody else is close.
This is bigger than a chart position. The Top R&B Hip Hop Albums chart has been the measuring stick for Black music since 1965. Owning the all time record on that chart means your name sits above The Temptations, above Aretha, above Michael.
That is the weight of what happened this week.
The deluxe edition strategy worked exactly as planned. Four new tracks, including Solar Eclipse featuring Don Toliver, gave fans a reason to run the album back up. Solar Eclipse also extended Drake’s record on the Hot R&B Hip Hop Songs chart, marking his 33rd number one there.
The new tracks on the deluxe include Solar Eclipse with Don Toliver, Quebec, Cold Shoulder featuring Don Toliver and Yebba, and Classic Pt 2. Solar Eclipse gave Don Toliver his first number one on the songs chart.
HABIBTI also reached number seven on the UK Albums chart, proving the record run is not just an American story. Drake’s reach is global, and this milestone landed on both sides of the Atlantic.
Photo: WHO Magazine
The Bigger Picture
HABIBTI was released in May and peaked at number two on the overall Billboard 200. The album’s return to the top of the genre chart shows Drake’s staying power in an era when attention spans are short.
Drake has also announced a world tour for 2027. There are rumors circulating about a possible Coachella headlining slot next April, though nothing is confirmed.
The timing could not be better. Hip hop just spent the last two years debating its biggest stars and their legacies. Drake answered with numbers. You can argue about verses and battles all day, but eighteen number ones is a fact nobody can take away.
For young Black artists watching, the lesson is longevity. Drake has been dropping chart topping albums for well over a decade. He adapted to streaming, he adapted to the deluxe era, and he keeps finding ways to bring fans back to the music.
For the culture, this is a milestone worth celebrating. A kid from Toronto who came up through the mixtape era now holds the most number one albums in the history of Billboard’s R&B and hip hop chart.
Sixty years of history. One name on top. Drake.
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