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2023 Billboard Number One Hits: Every Hot 100 Chart-Topper

The 2023 Billboard Number One Hits list was one of the strangest, strongest, and most genre-blending Hot 100 years of the decade. The year started with Mariah Carey’s holiday takeover, rolled into Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus, spent a long stretch under Morgan Wallen’s control, and ended with a surprise Christmas classic from Brenda Lee.

This page follows the Billboard Hot 100 issue dates for 2023, shown here as reader-friendly weekly date ranges. Because Billboard chart weeks can cross calendar years, this list includes the final carryover from late 2022 and the first carryover into January 2024.

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 playlist rankings, staff picks, or “should have been bigger” arguments. We can save those arguments for a family dinner with a Bluetooth speaker.

2023 Billboard Number One Hits by Week

  • December 25, 2022 – January 7, 2023: All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
  • January 8 – January 21, 2023: Anti-Hero – Taylor Swift
  • January 22 – March 4, 2023: Flowers – Miley Cyrus
  • March 5 – March 11, 2023: Die for You – The Weeknd & Ariana Grande
  • March 12 – March 18, 2023: Last Night – Morgan Wallen
  • March 19 – April 1, 2023: Flowers – Miley Cyrus
  • April 2 – April 8, 2023: Like Crazy – Jimin
  • April 9 – April 22, 2023: Last Night – Morgan Wallen
  • April 23 – April 29, 2023: Kill Bill – SZA
  • April 30 – July 8, 2023: Last Night – Morgan Wallen
  • July 9 – July 15, 2023: Vampire – Olivia Rodrigo
  • July 16 – July 22, 2023: Last Night – Morgan Wallen
  • July 23 – July 29, 2023: Seven – Jung Kook featuring Latto
  • July 30 – August 5, 2023: Try That in a Small Town – Jason Aldean
  • August 6 – August 19, 2023: Last Night – Morgan Wallen
  • August 20 – September 2, 2023: Rich Men North of Richmond – Oliver Anthony Music
  • September 3 – September 9, 2023: I Remember Everything – Zach Bryan featuring Kacey Musgraves
  • September 10 – September 16, 2023: Paint the Town Red – Doja Cat
  • September 17 – September 23, 2023: Vampire – Olivia Rodrigo
  • September 24 – September 30, 2023: Slime You Out – Drake featuring SZA
  • October 1 – October 14, 2023: Paint the Town Red – Doja Cat
  • October 15 – October 21, 2023: First Person Shooter – Drake featuring J. Cole
  • October 22 – November 4, 2023: Cruel Summer – Taylor Swift
  • November 5 – November 11, 2023: Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift
  • November 12 – November 25, 2023: Cruel Summer – Taylor Swift
  • November 26 – December 2, 2023: Lovin on Me – Jack Harlow
  • December 3 – December 16, 2023: Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee
  • December 17 – December 30, 2023: All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
  • December 31, 2023 – January 6, 2024: Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee

Song-by-Song Notes on the 2023 Billboard No. 1 Hits

All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You carried over from the 2022 holiday season and opened the 2023 Hot 100 calendar at No. 1. Originally released in 1994, the song had become a yearly chart powerhouse by the streaming era.

Its January return showed how holiday music had changed from seasonal radio programming into a full annual chart event. Mariah does not just visit December anymore; she has a timeshare.

Anti-Hero – Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift’s Anti-Hero returned to No. 1 in January after its huge late-2022 debut from Midnights. The song became one of Swift’s signature self-aware pop singles, pairing a sleek hook with lyrics about insecurity, fame, and self-sabotage.

It also helped keep Midnights visible deep into the next chart year, proving that a massive album launch could still produce durable Hot 100 singles after the opening-week storm passed.

Flowers – Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus debuted at No. 1 with Flowers, then kept returning to the top through the winter and early spring. The song’s disco-pop groove, self-reliance message, and instantly memorable chorus made it one of 2023’s defining pop hits.

Flowers also gave Cyrus one of the biggest singles of her career. It was a breakup song that sounded less like crying on the couch and more like watering the plants, buying yourself dinner, and changing the locks.

Die for You – The Weeknd & Ariana Grande

Die for You had an unusual path to No. 1. The original song came from The Weeknd’s 2016 album Starboy, but renewed interest and a remix with Ariana Grande helped push it to the top of the Hot 100 in 2023.

The song’s climb showed how older album tracks could become fresh chart stories through streaming, fan rediscovery, TikTok attention, and the right superstar remix.

Last Night – Morgan Wallen

Morgan Wallen’s Last Night became the biggest Hot 100 song of 2023, spending 16 total weeks at No. 1. It was the year’s longest-running chart-topper and finished as Billboard’s top Hot 100 song of the year.

The song mixed country storytelling with pop-friendly production and streaming-era replay value. It also made clear that country music was not just visiting the Hot 100; it had pulled into the driveway and left the truck running.

Like Crazy – Jimin

Jimin’s Like Crazy debuted at No. 1 in April, making him the first BTS member to top the Hot 100 as a solo artist. The song blended sleek synth-pop with a moody, late-night atmosphere.

Its chart success demonstrated the strength of BTS’s global fan base, even as members released solo projects. The group identity mattered, but Jimin’s solo moment had its own sound and personality.

Kill Bill – SZA

SZA reached No. 1 with Kill Bill, one of the biggest songs from her album SOS. The title referenced Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill films, while the song itself mixed dark humor, wounded romance, and a deceptively smooth melody.

The track became SZA’s first Hot 100 No. 1 as a lead artist and helped confirm SOS as one of the major R&B/pop albums of the era.

Vampire – Olivia Rodrigo

Olivia Rodrigo’s Vampire debuted at No. 1 as the lead single from Guts. The song started as a dramatic piano ballad before exploding into full pop-rock theater, which fit Rodrigo’s growing identity as both songwriter and emotional detonator.

Its chart performance showed that Rodrigo’s breakthrough with Sour had not been a one-album surprise. She returned with teeth. Yes, the pun was sitting right there.

Seven – Jung Kook featuring Latto

Jung Kook’s Seven, featuring Latto, debuted at No. 1 and became one of the biggest global pop crossover moments of 2023. Its polished production, English-language hook, and international fan support made it a fast-moving streaming hit.

The song also gave Jung Kook a major solo Hot 100 milestone outside BTS, while Latto added another high-profile chart moment to her growing mainstream résumé.

Try That in a Small Town – Jason Aldean

Jason Aldean’s Try That in a Small Town reached No. 1 during a summer when country music had an unusually strong Hot 100 presence. The song drew major public attention and controversy, which helped fuel discussion around its chart run.

Its week at No. 1 also came during a stretch when country songs occupied major chart positions, showing how powerful the genre had become in mainstream chart conversation.

Rich Men North of Richmond – Oliver Anthony Music

Oliver Anthony Music’s Rich Men North of Richmond became one of 2023’s most unexpected No. 1 stories. The song arrived from outside the usual major-label pop machine and connected through online sharing, working-class frustration, and viral attention.

Its debut at No. 1 made it a rare example of a political-leaning folk-country song reaching the very top of the Hot 100. It was not glossy pop, but it absolutely found the microphone.

I Remember Everything – Zach Bryan featuring Kacey Musgraves

Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves reached No. 1 with I Remember Everything, a spare and emotionally heavy country duet. The song blended Bryan’s raw songwriting style with Musgraves’ understated vocal presence.

Its success was another sign that country and Americana-leaning songs could compete at the highest level of the Hot 100 in 2023. Not every No. 1 had to sound built for a dance floor; some sounded built for a quiet drive home.

Paint the Town Red – Doja Cat

Doja Cat’s Paint the Town Red became one of 2023’s biggest rap-pop crossover hits. Built around a sample of Dionne Warwick’s Walk On By, the song mixed cool confidence, internet-ready hooks, and a slick villain-era pop image.

It gave Doja Cat another major Hot 100 moment and became the first rap song in more than a year to top the chart.

Slime You Out – Drake featuring SZA

Drake and SZA teamed up for Slime You Out, which debuted at No. 1 in late September. The song paired Drake’s moody relationship writing with SZA’s vocal presence, creating a chart-topping collaboration between two of the biggest streaming-era artists.

It also gave SZA her second Hot 100 No. 1 of the year after Kill Bill, making 2023 a particularly strong chart year for her.

First Person Shooter – Drake featuring J. Cole

First Person Shooter debuted at No. 1 in October and brought Drake and J. Cole together at the top of the Hot 100. The song became especially notable because it gave J. Cole his first No. 1 single.

The track’s title sounded like a video game, but the chart story was pure rap scoreboard. Drake added another No. 1, and J. Cole finally got the top spot after years of elite-level respect.

Cruel Summer – Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift’s Cruel Summer had one of the strangest paths to No. 1 in recent pop history. Originally released on Lover in 2019, the song became a fan favorite and surged years later during Swift’s massive Eras Tour.

By reaching No. 1 in 2023, Cruel Summer became proof that album tracks can have second lives when fans, touring momentum, radio, and streaming all line up. Sometimes the hit just takes the scenic route.

Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift

Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) debuted at No. 1 after the release of 1989 (Taylor’s Version). The song was part of the “From the Vault” material, giving fans a new track connected to one of Swift’s most commercially important eras.

It also briefly replaced Cruel Summer at No. 1 before Cruel Summer returned, creating one of the year’s most Taylor-heavy chart moments.

Lovin on Me – Jack Harlow

Jack Harlow’s Lovin on Me reached No. 1 in December and carried his chart momentum into the next year. The song’s compact structure, playful bounce, and easy hook made it a streaming-friendly hit.

It was one of those modern pop-rap singles that did not need a long runway. It got in, got catchy, and got out before anyone could overthink it.

Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee

Brenda Lee’s Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree became one of the biggest chart stories of late 2023. Originally released in 1958, the holiday classic reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 65 years later.

The song’s December success made Brenda Lee the oldest artist to top the Hot 100 and gave the modern holiday-chart season a second heavyweight next to Mariah Carey. The Christmas chart battle officially needed extra tinsel.

Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Stories of 2023

Morgan Wallen Dominated the Year

Last Night was the longest-running No. 1 song of 2023 and Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 leader. Its 16-week run showed how strongly country music had crossed into the all-format pop chart.

Miley Cyrus Had the Biggest Pop Comeback Moment

Flowers gave Miley Cyrus one of the defining pop hits of her career. The song’s self-love message, disco-pop sound, and worldwide success made it a major cultural and chart moment.

Country Music Took Over the Hot 100 Conversation

Country and country-adjacent songs were everywhere in 2023. Last Night, Try That in a Small Town, Rich Men North of Richmond, and I Remember Everything all reached No. 1, creating one of the strongest country chart years in modern Hot 100 history.

Taylor Swift Had Three Different No. 1 Songs in the Same Calendar Year

Taylor Swift topped the Hot 100 in 2023 with Anti-Hero, Cruel Summer, and Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version). Those songs came from different Swift album eras, which made her 2023 chart story especially unusual.

Holiday Songs Became Year-End Chart Giants

Mariah Carey opened and closed parts of the 2023 chart calendar with All I Want for Christmas Is You, while Brenda Lee’s Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree finally reached No. 1 after decades of holiday airplay and pop-culture familiarity.

2023 Billboard Number One Hits Trivia

  • Last Night by Morgan Wallen spent 16 total weeks at No. 1, the longest run of any 2023 Hot 100 chart-topper.
  • Flowers by Miley Cyrus spent eight weeks at No. 1 and became one of the biggest pop singles of the year.
  • Like Crazy made Jimin the first BTS member to reach No. 1 on the Hot 100 as a solo artist.
  • Seven gave Jung Kook a solo Hot 100 No. 1, with Latto featured on the track.
  • Kill Bill gave SZA her first Hot 100 No. 1 as a lead artist.
  • First Person Shooter gave J. Cole his first Hot 100 No. 1.
  • Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree reached No. 1 65 years after its 1958 release.
  • Two Christmas classics hit No. 1 during the date range covered here: Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You and Brenda Lee’s Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.

Why the 2023 Billboard Number One Hits Matter

The 2023 Billboard Number One Hits told the story of a chart year where old rules felt loose. Country had a massive year, pop superstars still moved the chart instantly, rap collaborations created headline moments, and holiday songs became unavoidable No. 1 contenders again.

The year also showed how songs could reach the top through very different paths. Flowers felt like a classic pop smash, Rich Men North of Richmond felt like a viral protest moment, Cruel Summer took four years to complete its climb, and Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree took 65.

For chart fans, 2023 was part country boom, part pop comeback, part Swift marathon, and part holiday time machine. The Hot 100 rarely sounded predictable, which made the year much more interesting than a straight countdown.

Sources

Related posts:

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  3. 2023 Music Hits: Top Songs, Radio Favorites, and Pop Classics
  4. The Billboard Number One Hits of 2024