Who was the first artist to have seven consecutive number-one hits?
Achieving a number-one hit isn’t the end goal for every musical artist, but it’s certainly a signal of success for many. Even David Bowie, arguably the most individualistic and otherworldly artist ever—wasn’t opposed to achieving hits, even if he spent most of his career trying to make songs that steered as far away from conventional mainstream pop as possible.
But Bowie wasn’t the only one who felt ambivalent towards commercialism. In the early days of The Police, even Sting felt unsure about Stewart Copeland’s artistic vision, worrying that their partnership would venture too far into the realm of commercialism when he wanted to focus on a more experimental sound that blended jazz, punk, and reggae genres.
For reasons unknown, an artist suddenly becoming commercial holds more gateways to judgmental quips than if they had occupied a space in popular realms all along. Throughout history, musicians have degraded other musicians for sidestepping into more successful arenas on purpose, as though adhering to convention cannot occupy the same space as artistic expression.
This was once touched upon by Rod Serling, who had his share of criticisms during a career pivot that earned disdain from some of his closest peers. “You cannot be commercial and quality. You cannot be commercial and have a preoccupation with the level of storytelling that you want to achieve. And this I have to reject,” he said, sardonically reflecting on such dichotomous claims.
However, there are many instances in history that evidence that the opposite is, in fact, true. While the charts have held spaces for some of the worst music ever, many instances are proving that genuine artistry can also be chart-topping. For instance, many names may come to mind when considering the first to have achieved more than one consecutive number-one hit, like The Beatles, who dominated the charts in the 1960s, or Michael Jackson, whose musical discography is one of the most prolific.
However, the first artist to achieve seven consecutive hits was the voice of a generation herself, Whitney Houston. The singer’s achievement broke The Beatles’ six hits with her songs ‘Saving All My Love For You’, ‘How Will I Know’, ‘Greatest Love Of All’, ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)’, ‘Where Do Broken Hearts Go’, ‘So Emotional’, and ‘Didn’t We Almost Have It All’.
Houston became a groundbreaking artist for several reasons, but her chart dominance signified a new era for pop. It showcased not only the global appeal of world-class talent, Houston’s vocal range came second to none, but also the commercial power of Black female artists in a space dominated by predominantly white male artists. Houston’s hits weren’t just commercial for the sake of gaining widespread success; they proved that artistic expression could converge with pop excellence.
That balance between artistic integrity and mainstream appeal is something that many of the greats have wrestled with over the years. For every artist who resists the pull of the charts, there is another who finds a way to use that platform to amplify their voice without compromising what made them unique in the first place.
In that sense, chart success becomes less about selling out and more about breaking through. Whether it was Bowie bending pop into something alien or Houston redefining what a pop vocalist could achieve, the best artists have always shown that popularity and creativity are not mutually exclusive, but can instead elevate each other when handled with care.
