Rihanna’s “We Found Love” Ties Adele Single For Longest Run At #1 In 2011

Robbie Daw | December 14, 2011 2:07 pm

When “We Found Love”, Rihanna’s glowstick-ready pair-up with Scottish DJ/producer Calvin Harris, arrived in the latter half of September, critics were pretty much smitten with the upbeat dance track. As was the public — the single soared to the top of Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart, where it has now racked up seven weeks at #1. It’s a lengthy stay that is only matched by Adele’s Grammy-nominated “Rolling In The Deep” in 2011. Technically, Adele still rules as far as most weeks overall spent at the top of the Hot 100 this year. The London singer racked up 12 weeks between “Rolling And The Deep” and her five-week run with “Someone Like You”. Rihanna now has a grand total of eight weeks at #1 in 2011, with “We Found Love” and her short, seven-day stay with “S&M”.

Katy Perry actually comes in second place when it comes to overall weeks (nine) at #1 this year. “Firework” topped the Hot 100 for two non-consecutive weeks, while “E.T.” was #1 for five and “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” capped the chart for two.

Still, no other single was #1 (up to this point — there’s still one more Billboard chart week left in the year) for as long as “Rolling In The Deep” and “We Found Love”. Seven weeks is actually Rihanna’s longest amount of time spent at the top of the Hot 100, and she’s achieved it twice before, with “Umbrella” and her feature on Eminem’s “Love The Way You Lie”.

Coming in just behind Adele and RiRi’s songs, Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” and LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem” managed to hold down the chart throne for six weeks each in 2011.

Meanwhile, Katy Perry also sets a milestone this week, as “The One That Got Away” leaps from #9 to #4 on the main singles chart. Teenage Dream now joins only George Michael’s Faith and Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 as albums that have produced six singles to crack the Top 5 on the Hot 100.