2005 Billboard Number One Hits: Every Hot 100 Chart-Topper
The 2005 Billboard Number One Hits list was dominated by R&B, hip-hop, pop comebacks, digital sales momentum, and one of Mariah Carey’s most important chart years. Mario opened the year with a smooth R&B ballad, 50 Cent and Kanye West brought rap crossovers to No. 1, Gwen Stefani made digital-download history, Carrie Underwood arrived from American Idol, and Mariah Carey owned the year with We Belong Together.
This page follows the Billboard Hot 100 issue dates for 2005, shown here as reader-friendly weekly date ranges. Because Billboard chart weeks can cross calendar years, this list begins with Mario’s late-2004 carryover and continues into early January 2006 with Mariah Carey’s Don’t Forget About Us.
The Billboard Hot 100 ranks the most popular songs in the United States using radio airplay, sales, and later streaming activity. These are official Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 songs, not pop-only, rock-only, airplay-only, R&B-only, download-only, or “that song was absolutely on everyone’s burned CD” rankings.
2005 Billboard Number One Hits by Week
- January 1 – February 26, 2005: Let Me Love You – Mario
- March 5 – April 30, 2005: Candy Shop – 50 Cent featuring Olivia
- May 7 – May 28, 2005: Hollaback Girl – Gwen Stefani
- June 4 – June 25, 2005: We Belong Together – Mariah Carey
- July 2 – July 2, 2005: Inside Your Heaven – Carrie Underwood
- July 9 – September 10, 2005: We Belong Together – Mariah Carey
- September 17 – November 19, 2005: Gold Digger – Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx
- November 26 – December 24, 2005: Run It! – Chris Brown featuring Juelz Santana
- December 31, 2005 – January 7, 2006: Don’t Forget About Us – Mariah Carey
Song-by-Song Notes on the 2005 Billboard No. 1 Hits
Let Me Love You – Mario
Mario opened the 2005 Billboard Hot 100 calendar with Let Me Love You, a smooth R&B ballad that had begun its No. 1 run at the end of 2004. The song spent nine weeks at No. 1 and became Mario’s biggest pop crossover hit.
Its long run helped set the tone for a year when R&B and hip-hop crossover songs controlled much of the Hot 100. It was soft, polished, and very persuasive for a song that was basically making its case in real time.
Candy Shop – 50 Cent featuring Olivia
50 Cent reached No. 1 with Candy Shop, featuring Olivia, and held the top spot for nine weeks. The song followed the massive success of 50 Cent’s earlier hits and helped keep G-Unit’s commercial momentum strong in the mid-2000s.
Its slow groove, memorable hook, and radio-friendly production made it one of the year’s biggest rap-R&B crossovers. Subtlety was not exactly on the menu, but the register kept ringing.
Hollaback Girl – Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani reached No. 1 with Hollaback Girl, one of the most recognizable pop singles of 2005. The song’s cheerleader chant, minimalist beat, and spelling-hook chorus made it instantly memorable.
It also became the first song to sell one million digital downloads in the United States, a major milestone in the shift from physical singles to digital music buying. The bananas were memorable, but the download record was the real chart-history fruit basket.
We Belong Together – Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey’s We Belong Together became the defining Billboard Hot 100 song of 2005. It spent 14 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 and was Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 song, marking one of the biggest comeback moments in modern pop and R&B history.
The song’s emotional vocal, polished production, and radio dominance helped restore Carey to the center of pop culture during The Emancipation of Mimi era. It was not just a hit; it was a career reset with excellent breath control.
Inside Your Heaven – Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood debuted at No. 1 with Inside Your Heaven after winning the fourth season of American Idol. The song interrupted Mariah Carey’s long run for one week.
Its No. 1 debut showed the enormous chart power American Idol still had in the mid-2000s. Underwood would soon become a major country star, but her first big Billboard moment came directly from the Idol finale machine.
Gold Digger – Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx
Kanye West spent 10 weeks at No. 1 with Gold Digger, featuring Jamie Foxx. Built around an interpolation of Ray Charles’ I Got a Woman, the song became one of the biggest rap-pop crossover hits of the decade.
The song gave Kanye West his first Hot 100 No. 1 as a lead artist and became one of the signature singles from Late Registration. It was funny, sharp, instantly quotable, and just dangerous enough to make group sing-alongs awkward at weddings.
Run It! – Chris Brown featuring Juelz Santana
Chris Brown debuted at No. 1 with Run It!, featuring Juelz Santana. The song introduced Brown as a teenage R&B-pop performer with dance appeal, radio polish, and a strong connection to mid-2000s club sounds.
Its five-week run made Brown the first male artist since Montell Jordan in 1995 to send his debut single to No. 1 on the Hot 100. It was a major launch moment for a new R&B star.
Don’t Forget About Us – Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey closed the 2005 Billboard Hot 100 year with Don’t Forget About Us, which carried into January 2006. The song became Carey’s 17th Hot 100 No. 1, tying her with Elvis Presley for second place among acts with the most No. 1 songs at that time.
Its year-end arrival confirmed how strong Carey’s 2005 comeback had been. After We Belong Together owned the year, Don’t Forget About Us made sure nobody did.
Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Stories of 2005
Mariah Carey Owned the Year
We Belong Together spent 14 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 and became Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 song of 2005. Carey also closed the year with Don’t Forget About Us, making her the only artist with more than one Hot 100 No. 1 during the year.
Gold Digger Became Kanye West’s First Lead No. 1
Gold Digger spent 10 weeks at No. 1 and gave Kanye West his first Hot 100 chart-topper as a lead artist. The song’s Jamie Foxx feature and Ray Charles connection made it one of the year’s most recognizable crossover singles.
Digital Downloads Started Changing the Chart
Hollaback Girl became the first song to sell one million digital downloads in the United States. That milestone helped mark the Hot 100’s shift into the download era, before streaming would later reshape it again.
American Idol Still Had Huge Chart Power
Carrie Underwood’s Inside Your Heaven debuted at No. 1 after her American Idol win. The song’s one-week run was brief, but it showed how much immediate sales power the show could generate.
R&B and Hip-Hop Dominated the Top
Mario, 50 Cent, Mariah Carey, Kanye West, Chris Brown, and Carey again controlled much of the 2005 Hot 100 year. The chart leaned heavily into R&B, hip-hop, and pop crossover sounds.
2005 Billboard Number One Hits Trivia
- We Belong Together by Mariah Carey was Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 song of 2005.
- We Belong Together spent 14 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1.
- Gold Digger spent 10 weeks at No. 1 and gave Kanye West his first Hot 100 No. 1 as a lead artist.
- Let Me Love You and Candy Shop each spent nine weeks at No. 1.
- Hollaback Girl became the first song to sell one million digital downloads in the United States.
- Inside Your Heaven gave Carrie Underwood a No. 1 debut after her American Idol win.
- Run It! introduced Chris Brown with a No. 1 debut single.
- Mariah Carey was the only artist with more than one Hot 100 No. 1 during 2005.
- Don’t Forget About Us closed 2005 and carried into the 2006 Billboard chart year.
Why the 2005 Billboard Number One Hits Matter
The 2005 Billboard Number One Hits list showed the Hot 100 moving from the physical-single and airplay era into the digital-download age. Hollaback Girl made that shift obvious, while R&B and hip-hop crossovers kept dominating the top of the chart.
The year also belonged to Mariah Carey. We Belong Together was both a massive commercial hit and a major comeback story, while Don’t Forget About Us gave her another No. 1 before the year ended.
For chart fans, 2005 was a year of comeback power, download milestones, rap crossovers, and one very famous spelling lesson. The Hot 100 was changing fast, but the biggest songs still needed strong hooks, big radio presence, and a reason for people to hit replay.
