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2014 Billboard Number One Hits: Every Hot 100 Chart-Topper

The 2014 Billboard Number One Hits list captured a pop chart in transition. Hip-hop, EDM-pop, retro soul, reggae-pop, giant ballads, and personality-driven pop all took turns at No. 1, while Pharrell Williams’ Happy became the year’s defining Hot 100 hit.

This page follows the Billboard Hot 100 issue dates for 2014, shown here as reader-friendly weekly date ranges. Because Billboard chart weeks can cross calendar years, this list begins with Eminem and Rihanna’s late-2013 carryover and continues into early January 2015 with Taylor Swift’s Blank Space.

The Billboard Hot 100 ranks the most popular songs in the United States using streaming activity, radio airplay, and sales. These are official Billboard No. 1 songs, not personal favorites, playlist picks, or “that song played in every store while you were trying to buy toothpaste” rankings.

2014 Billboard Number One Hits by Week

  • December 29, 2013 – January 11, 2014: The Monster – Eminem featuring Rihanna
  • January 12 – February 1, 2014: Timber – Pitbull featuring Kesha
  • February 2 – March 1, 2014: Dark Horse – Katy Perry featuring Juicy J
  • March 2 – May 10, 2014: Happy – Pharrell Williams
  • May 11 – May 31, 2014: All of Me – John Legend
  • June 1 – July 19, 2014: Fancy – Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX
  • July 20 – August 30, 2014: Rude – Magic!
  • August 31 – September 13, 2014: Shake It Off – Taylor Swift
  • September 14 – November 8, 2014: All About That Bass – Meghan Trainor
  • November 9 – November 22, 2014: Shake It Off – Taylor Swift
  • November 23, 2014 – January 10, 2015: Blank Space – Taylor Swift

Song-by-Song Notes on the 2014 Billboard No. 1 Hits

The Monster – Eminem featuring Rihanna

Eminem and Rihanna opened the 2014 Billboard Hot 100 calendar with The Monster, a late-2013 carryover that continued their successful run of collaborations. The song paired Eminem’s self-reflective verses with Rihanna’s huge pop hook, making it a natural follow-up to their earlier chart chemistry on Love the Way You Lie.

Its early-January run gave 2014 a superstar start before the year quickly moved into dance-pop, pop-rap, and one extremely cheerful Pharrell takeover.

Timber – Pitbull featuring Kesha

Pitbull and Kesha reached No. 1 with Timber, a country-flavored dance-pop party track with a harmonica hook that stood out immediately. The song fit perfectly into early-2010s club-pop radio, where big choruses and novelty instrumental hooks could still dominate.

It was not subtle, but subtle was not exactly the assignment. Timber sounded like a dance floor wearing cowboy boots, bought five minutes ago.

Dark Horse – Katy Perry featuring Juicy J

Katy Perry’s Dark Horse, featuring Juicy J, spent four weeks at No. 1 in early 2014. The song mixed trap-pop production, a moody hook, and Perry’s pop polish into one of the biggest hits from her album Prism.

Its success showed how hip-hop production textures were becoming more common inside mainstream pop. Katy Perry did not abandon pop spectacle; she just gave it a darker beat and a little extra bass.

Happy – Pharrell Williams

Pharrell Williams’ Happy became the defining Billboard No. 1 song of 2014, spending 10 weeks at the top of the Hot 100. Originally connected to Despicable Me 2, the song turned into a worldwide feel-good anthem with handclaps, soul-pop energy, and an instantly recognizable chorus.

The song was also Billboard’s top Hot 100 song of 2014. It was sunny, simple, and unavoidable, which is either pop perfection or a test of retail employees’ patience, depending on how often they heard it.

All of Me – John Legend

John Legend reached No. 1 with All of Me, a piano ballad inspired by his relationship with Chrissy Teigen. The song became one of the decade’s signature wedding and first-dance songs, powered by a direct lyric and an emotional vocal performance.

Its three-week run showed that classic romantic ballads still had a place at the top of the Hot 100 during a year dominated by bigger rhythmic and dance-driven hits.

Fancy – Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX

Iggy Azalea and Charli XCX reached No. 1 with Fancy, one of 2014’s biggest pop-rap hits. The song’s minimalist beat, sharp hook, and Clueless-inspired video helped make it a full pop-culture moment.

Fancy spent seven weeks at No. 1 and made Iggy Azalea one of the year’s most visible breakout artists. Charli XCX’s hook did plenty of heavy lifting too; that chorus came in dressed for the chart job.

Rude – Magic!

Canadian band Magic! reached No. 1 with Rude, a reggae-pop hit built around a marriage-proposal storyline and an easy summer hook. The song spent six weeks at No. 1 during July and August.

Its success showed how a relaxed, sunny groove could still cut through a chart filled with massive pop personalities. The title said Rude, but the sound was mostly beach-chair polite.

Shake It Off – Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift debuted at No. 1 with Shake It Off, the lead single from 1989. The song announced her full pop transformation with horns, a bright chorus, and a message about ignoring critics and public noise.

It spent two weeks at No. 1 in its first run, then returned later in November. The song was playful, loud, and clearly built to tell the world that Swift’s country-pop transition was no longer a transition. It was the new address.

All About That Bass – Meghan Trainor

Meghan Trainor’s debut single All About That Bass spent eight weeks at No. 1 and became one of 2014’s biggest breakout hits. The song mixed retro doo-wop flavor, modern pop production, and a body-confidence message that made it instantly memorable.

Its long run also showed how quickly a new artist could become a major pop presence with the right hook, image, and radio-friendly personality. The bass was not the only thing that arrived loudly.

Blank Space – Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift’s Blank Space replaced her own Shake It Off at No. 1, giving her one of the biggest chart moments of the 1989 era. The song turned media stereotypes about Swift’s dating life into a sleek, satirical pop single.

Its run began in late 2014 and continued into January 2015, making it the bridge between the 2014 and 2015 Billboard chart years. The song was clever, catchy, and proof that sometimes the best response to a caricature is to write it better than everyone else.

Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Stories of 2014

Happy Owned the Year

Happy by Pharrell Williams spent 10 weeks at No. 1 and finished as Billboard’s top Hot 100 song of 2014. Its connection to Despicable Me 2, upbeat sound, and massive radio and streaming presence made it the year’s clearest chart signature.

Taylor Swift Fully Entered Her Pop Era

Taylor Swift reached No. 1 with both Shake It Off and Blank Space. Those songs launched the 1989 era and confirmed her shift from country-pop superstar to full mainstream pop force.

Retro Sounds Were Everywhere

Happy, All About That Bass, and All of Me all drew from older musical traditions in different ways. Soul-pop, doo-wop flavor, and classic piano balladry all found room at No. 1 during a very modern chart year.

Pop-Rap Had a Strong Year

Dark Horse, Fancy, and The Monster showed how common pop-rap partnerships and hip-hop production had become at the top of the Hot 100. The sound of No. 1 pop was getting more rhythmic, more collaborative, and more genre-blended.

Soundtracks and Videos Helped Shape the Chart

Happy grew from its Despicable Me 2 connection, while Fancy used a memorable Clueless-inspired video to become one of the year’s most recognizable pop moments. In 2014, a song’s visual identity still mattered.

2014 Billboard Number One Hits Trivia

  • Happy by Pharrell Williams was Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 song of 2014.
  • Happy spent 10 weeks at No. 1, the longest Hot 100 run of any 2014 chart-topper.
  • Taylor Swift replaced herself at No. 1 when Blank Space took over from Shake It Off.
  • All About That Bass gave Meghan Trainor her first Hot 100 No. 1.
  • All of Me gave John Legend his first Hot 100 No. 1.
  • Fancy gave Iggy Azalea and Charli XCX a major U.S. breakthrough.
  • Rude made Magic! one of the year’s biggest one-hit pop stories.
  • Blank Space carried the 2014 chart year into January 2015.

Why the 2014 Billboard Number One Hits Matter

The 2014 Billboard Number One Hits list showed a pop chart balancing old-school hooks with newer streaming-era momentum. Pharrell brought soul-pop cheer, John Legend delivered a traditional piano ballad, Meghan Trainor revived retro-pop flavor, and Taylor Swift moved decisively into modern pop.

The year also showed how broad the Hot 100 had become. Rap features, reggae-pop, EDM-party energy, romantic ballads, movie-connected songs, and satirical superstar pop all reached No. 1. The chart was no longer defined by one clean pop sound.

For chart fans, 2014 was a year of bright hooks, big personalities, and a few songs that seemed built to live forever in commercials, weddings, trailers, and department-store speakers. Whether that is a blessing or a very catchy endurance test depends on the song.

Sources

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