The 1 Artist Who Spent Five or More Weeks at No. 1 in 1990 (and a Few Who Came Close)

The year 1990 was the dawn of a new decade. Soon, there would be gangsta rappers and grunge artists on MTV screens and selling out at record stores. But before all that could happen, there was a plucky pop star making a name for herself. While the era of the 1990s was capped by names like Britney Spears and Mandy Moore, it was another rising singer who kicked it all off.

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Here below, we wanted to dive into the year singer Mariah Carey had in 1990 and also shine a light on a few of the artists who were in her Billboard Hot 100 wake. Indeed, this is the one artist who spent five or more weeks at No. 1 in 1990 and a few who came close.

[RELATED: The 3 Artists Who Scored 5 or More No. 1 Hits in the 2000s]

Janet Jackson/Sinéad O’Connor/Stevie B (4 Weeks)

While artists like Paula Abdul, New Kids on the Block, Madonna, and Michael Bolton earned the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1980 for three weeks, they were outdone by Janet Jackson, Sinéad O’Connor, and Stevie B. Each spent four weeks at No. 1. Stevie B’s “Because I Love You (The Postman Song) and Sinéad O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” got them there. Meanwhile Janet Jackson had two No. 1 songs in 1980 that together were on top for four weeks, “Escapade” and “Black Cat.”

Mariah Carey (7)

While there were 25 artists that hit No. 1 for at least a week in 1980, it was the glamorous Mariah Carey who did it for the most weeks with seven. Her track “Vision of Love” matched Stevie B and Sinéad O’Connor for longest-running No. 1 song at four weeks. Carey, who earned her first-ever No. 1 in 1980 (along with 14 other artists like Michael Bolton, Sinéad O’Connor, Stevie B, Vanilla Ice, and Jon Bon Jovi), landed on top with two songs that year. She, Janet Jackson, and Wilson Phillips were the only acts to achieve that feat on the year. And Carey did it with “Vision of Love” and “Love Takes Time.” It was the beginning of a career that would see Carey earn a whopping 19 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 songs throughout her still-evolving career. She has the most chart-topping songs by a solo artist and is second only to The Beatles in total No. 1 songs.

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