Rihanna’s 14 #1 Singles: Revisited, Reviewed & Ranked

5. “Rude Boy” Year: 2010 Stay At #1: 5 weeks

Big, bouncy and brash af, “Rude Boy” is the sexiest jewel in RiRi’s chart crown: Irresistible. Ear-wormy. I-fucking-conic. The music video is a true masterpiece, marrying the vibrancy of island imagery and downtown NYC art with the evergreen appeal of erotically straddling taxidermy. Icier and more in control than ever, the Battleship commander coolly demands nothing less than the best sex in the history of mankind, over and over. — JONATHAN RIGGS

4. “Only Girl (In The World)” Year: 2010 Stay At #1: 1 week

By 2010, Rihanna was more than ready to ditch the darker themes of albums past and focus on her place in the sun with fifth studio album Loud. Dropped at the  heart of the EDM movement, “Only Girl (In The World)” was an idyllic lead single for Ri, giving her a more up-tempo, brighter vibe (thanks to that incredible team called Stargate), while also giving her a great opportunity to really flex her chops. It also marked a turning point in her song content.

Considering the singer’s previous brutal public break up with Chris Brown and everything that came with it, it was refreshing to see Rihanna searching for love rather than condemning it. While “Only Girl” seemed (and sounded) like lightning in a bottle, it only spent a week atop the singles chart. However, the track was a chart-topping success in over 20 countries, further cementing Rihanna’s place as a worldwide superstar. — KATHY IANDOLI

3. “Diamonds” Year: 2012 Stay At #1: 3 weeks

So much of the singer’s discography is concerned with adult themes, but in many ways “Diamonds” feels like Rihanna’s first truly “adult” song, sung from a place of maturity and power. This elegant, elegiac gem reflects both its songwriter, Sia, and Rihanna’s adventurous musical spirit.

With little more than the repetition of a simple phrase in Little Miss Sunshine’s unmistakable voice, “Diamonds” sparkles to an emotional climax we can’t deny but still can’t explain. What does it mean — and how does it feel — to “shine bright like a diamond”? This song makes us ache to know. — JONATHAN RIGGS

2. “We Found Love” (featuring Calvin Harris) Year: 2011 Stay At #1: 10 weeks

Let’s quickly address the obvious and move on: Yes, the gentleman in the video for  “We Found Love” does eerily resemble Chris Brown. Given the undertone of the track, that was entirely apropos casting.

The song, off Rihanna’s sixth studio album Talk That Talk (and Calvin Harris’ LP 18 Months), features and is produced by Harris and continued Ri’s head-first dive into dance music. She wouldn’t stick with the genre too too long, but this song did last a good solid 10 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

A testament to love in the midst of chaos, the song did feel like a subtle revival of her romance with Brown, as the track suggests finding love in a “hopeless place” (which would arguably be, let’s say, following a very bitter breakup). Considering Chris Brown also appeared on a track off Talk That Talk — a remix of “Birthday Cake” — the rumor mill was churning as fast as radio was adding “We Found Love” to rotation. — KATHY IANDOLI