Here's some statistics for the Singles chart up to the end of 2023:
Most Consecutive weeks at Number 1
Rivers Of Babylon - Boney M
14 weeks
1978
One Dance – Drake feat. WizKid and Kyla
13 weeks
2016
Despacito (Remix) - Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber
13 weeks
2017
Most Total weeks at number one
Happy - Pharrell Williams
15 weeks 2013
Most number ones for artist NOTE: A number one does not count if they are a featured artist. Duets and where the artist is the main billing only count.
U2
8
Michael Jackson
8
Mariah Carey
8
Justin Bieber
8
Katy Perry
7
Taylor Swift
7
Most weeks at number one for artist
Justin Bieber
36
Drake
32
The Beatles
32
Chris Brown
31
Ed Sheeran
31
Elton John
31
Most conecutive weeks in the chart for single
In The Air - L.A.B.
142 weeks
Catching Feelings - DRAX Project feat. Six60
88 weeks
Most weeks in chart for artist (Recorded Music Chart) - The Top 20 Note: A hit single does not count if they are a featured artist. Duets and where the artist is the main billing only count.
Artist
Weeks
This year
Last year
2 year ago
Ed Sheeran
833
1
1
1
Six60
599
2
2
2
Madonna
566
3
4
3
Rihanna
562
4
3
4
Justin Bieber
552
5
5
7
Michael Jackson
538
6
6
5
Pink
511
7
7
6
Taylor Swift
510
8
15
18
Ariana Grande
458
9
10
11
Mariah Carey
454
10
8
9
Post Malone
443
11
9
14
L.A.B.
435
12
18
--
The Weeknd
426
13
--
--
Elton John
414
14
12
8
Maroon 5
404
15
11
10
U2
390
16
13
12
Eminem
390
17
14
13
Drake
389
18
--
--
David Guetta
381
19
--
--
Chris Brown
380
20
19
19
Most singles in the chart for artist (Recorded Music Chart) - The Top 20
Artist
Singles
This year
Last year
2 Years ago
Taylor Swift
99
1
1
2
Madonna
54
2
2
1
Ed Sheeran
50
3
3
3
Drake
49
4
11
17
Michael Jackson
44
5
4
4
Justin Bieber
41
6
5
5
Elton John
41
7
6
7
Eminem
40
8
7
6
U2
39
9
8
8
Mariah Carey
38
10
9
9
Prince
38
11
10
10
Janet Jackson
36
12
12
11
Rihanna
35
13
13
12
Pink
34
14
14
13
Ariana Grande
33
15
15
14
Chris Brown
30
16
16
15
Six60
30
17
17
21
Kanye West
29
18
18
16
UB40
28
19
19
18
Beyonce
28
20
20
--
Most re-entries for artists' song
All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey
12
2020
Fairytale Of New York - The Pogues feat. Kirsty MacColl
10
2019
Titanium - David Guetta feat. Sia
9
2013
Last Christmas - Wham!
8
1984
Do They Know It's Christmas - Band Aid
8
1985
Shortest song to hit the chart
hotline (edit) - Billie Eilish
1 minute 0 seconds
2023
Spider Pig - Hans Zimmer
1 minute 4 seconds
2007
Poland - Lil Yachty
1 minute 23 seconds
2022
United States Of Whatever - Liam Lynch
1 minute 27 seconds
2003
Mathematical Disrespect - Lil Mabu
1 minute 28 seconds
2023
Shortest song to hit number one
Doja - Central Cee
1 minute 37 seconds
2022
Longest song to hit the chart
Fear Inoculum - Tool
10 minutes 21 seconds
2019
All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version)- Taylor Swift
10 minutes 13 seconds
2021
Longest song to hit number one
All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version)- Taylor Swift
10 minutes 13 seconds
2021
Lowest average song length average in a calandar year for new entries in RIANZ chart
03:16
2019
highest average song length average in a calandar year for new entriesin RIANZ chart
04:16
1994
Biggest gap for artists between entries
Bing Crosby
61 years, 8 months
Tony Bennett
61 years, 2 months
Burl Ives
60 years, 9 months
Most new singles charted for artist in a chart year NOTE: chart rules excluding collaborating artists apply
38
Taylor Swift
2023
17
Taylor Swift
2023
16
Ed Sheeran
2017
15
Scott Travis
2023
13
Olivia Rodrigo
2023
11
Michael Jackson
2009
11
Justin Bieber
2015
11
Ariana Grande
2019
11
Billie Eilish
2019
11
Taylor Swift
2022
11
Drake
2023
Most new entries in a single week for artist
19
Taylor Swift
2023
15
Taylor Swift
2023
14
Travis Scott
2023
13
Ed Sheeran
2017
10
Olivia Rodrigo
2023
9
Kendrick Lamar
2017
9
Drake
2023
Most songs in the top 10 by artist in the same chart.
Here's a list of number ones on the NZ Albums Chart:
2 Jan 22
Six60 – Six60
8 (total 26)
27 Feb 23
The Pacifier Album – Shihad*
1
6 Mar 23
Six60 – Six60
1 (total 27)
13 Mar 23
And Out Of The Void Came Love – The Veils
1
20 Mar 23
Six60 – Six60
1 (total 28)
27 Mar 23
V – Unknown Mortal Orchestra
1
3 Apr 23
Six60 – Six60
3 (total 31)
24 Apr 23
First XV – Sons Of Zion
2
8 May 23
Grace – Moses Mackay
1
15 May 23
Playthings (EP) – Playthings
1
22 May 23
First XV – Sons Of Zion
1 (total 3)
29 May 23
Space Waltz – Space Waltz
1
5 June 23
Ceremony – Tiny Ruins
1
12 June 23
First XV – Sons Of Zion
2 (total 5)
26 June 23
Shake That Skinny Ass All The Way To Zygerton – Troy Kingi
1
3 July 23
First XV – Sons Of Zion
8 (total 13)
28 Aug 23
The Buddhafinder – Tadpole+
1
4 Sept 23
First XV – Sons Of Zion
4 (total 17)
2 Oct 23
Burn It Up – Bulletbelt
1
9 Oct 23
Home Brew: 11th Anniversary Edition – Home Brrew^
1 (total 5)
16 Oct 23
First XV – Sons Of Zion
1 (total 18)
23 Oct 23
Tyranny Of Distance – Beastwars
1
30 Oct 23
First XV – Sons Of Zion
2 (total 20)
13 Nov 23
Mermaidens – Mermaidens
1
20 Nov 23
First XV – Sons Of Zion
1 (total 21)
27 Nov 23
Time Wasters: Soundtrack To Current Day Meanderings – Troy Kingi
1
4 Dec 23
Horse Power: 20th Anniversary Edition – The Phoenix Foundation
1
11 Dec 23
Gotham (EP) – Nauti
1
18 Dec 23
Run It Back – Home Brew
1
25 Dec 23
Introducing L.A.B – L.A.B.
1
* Could have been number one for two weeks in 2002 if the NZ Album Chart had been published. + Was number one in 2000 for one week but before the NZ Album chart was first published. ^ Home Brew was last number one in 2012. Last edited:
The 2023 chart year started off the same as previous years with new singles and albums struggling to get past a single week, whilst older entries refused to leave. That all changed on 24 April with the new catalogue charts. The new rules allowed for an entry to chart no more than 18 months (78 weeks). After that, it switches to the catalogue chart. An older entry can still cross over to the mainstream charts in special circumstances such as the death of an artist or the physical or digital reissue of an older title, but not a touring artist. This will be for no more than 10 weeks before it returns to the Catalogue chart. Christmas singles and albums are also eligible to return to mainstream charts. Strangely though, the total number of weeks are collective rather than kept separate for both charts. For statistical reasons, I’m not including chart weeks from catalogue chart entries. So, how did this affect the mainstream charts? For four months prior to the new rules there were 17 one-week singles and 19 albums. After the new chart rule, 36 singles and 40 albums lasted just one week in four months. So, no change there. It wasn’t helped by another chart rule change. Previously a maximum of four new singles per artist were allowed to enter the weekly chart. Now it’s unlimited. Five times before years end an artist was allowed to monopolise the chart. In two weeks Taylor Swift broke two chart records: most new entries in a single week and most to leave the chart in a single week. Kiwis had a terrible year with only two new singles in the Top 40. That’s also a new record and a long way from 1982 when we had 50. There’s plenty of good local music out there, but we don’t support it. Another broken record was for shortest single. That track was hotline (edit) by Billie Eilish which lasted just one minute. The Beatles and Rolling Stones gave us surprise new music. Now And Then by The Beatles spent just one week in the singles chart at #17 despite topping charts overseas. Trying to buy a physical copy could possibly contribute to that as it took me six weeks to track down a copy. The Rolling Stones, however, topped the chart with Hackney Diamonds. Their first new music since 2005 didn’t disappoint despite single Angry failing to chart. Re-issue albums continue to please with 18 long players entering the Top 40. Most of these were due to the vinyl revolution which continues to become more popular. Other older artists to appear with new music came from Depeche Mode, Brian Eno, Everything But The Girl, Peter Gabriel, Home Brew, Matchbox Twenty, Dolly Parton and Strawpeople just to mention a few. Finally, I’ve noticed some artists getting more objectionable lyrically. Artists like Nicki Minaj or the number one Lovin’ On Me by Jack Harlow are continuing to lower the bar. I spoke to the censorship board but they were not interested in checking lyrical content. We’ve come a very long way in banning music. Once a song like Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds by The Beatles from 1967or Gimme Hope Jo’anna by Eddie Grant from 1988 were banned, now it seems it’s anything goes.
