There have been four major charts in the Rock Era--Popular, Adult Contemporary, R&B, and Country, and of the course the latter three are all components of the Popular, or main chart. There are hundreds of examples when a song has been #1 on two of these charts at the same time. Most recently, Taylor Swift has been #1 on the AC and Popular charts with "Mine" and "You Belong To Me", and Lady Antebellum has topped the AC and Country charts with "Need You Now". But to do it on three charts at the same time? Another story.
It is indeed quite rare in the 59-year history of the Rock Era that a song has been so special that it #1 on three charts simultaneously. Here are the only 11 times it has occurred:
1956: "Don't Be Cruel"/"Hound Dog"--Elvis Presley
Elvis did it again the following year with another all-time classic. "All Shook Up" was #1 on the Popular, R&B and Country charts on May 11, 1957.
This great song held down #1 on the Hot 100, Easy Listening (now Adult Contemporary), and Country charts on both November 20 and November 27 of 1961.
Charles topped the Hot 100, Easy Listening, and R&B charts with "I Can't Stop Loving You" on July 3 and July 10.
It was another 16 years until someone could pull this off, and the Commodores were the act to do it. Their great song led the way on the Hot 100, Adult Contemporary, and R&B charts simultaneously on August 19, 1978.
"Lady", written by Lionel Richie, was #1 on the Hot 100, Adult Contemporary, and Country charts on November 22.
Richie and Ross combined for this #1 smash on the Hot 100, Adult Contemporary, and R&B charts for three weeks: September 5 through September 19 of 1981.
The two stars topped the Hot 100, Adult Contemporary and Country charts on both October 29 and November 5.
This was a historic time for several reasons. On November 12, it marked the first time in the history of the Rock Era that one three-chart champ ("Islands In the Stream") was replaced by another ("All Night Long". By reaching #1 on three charts simultaneously on November 12 (Hot 100, Adult Contemporary, and R&B), Richie became the only person in history to become a three-chart champ three times (for "Three Times A Lady" in 1978 as a member of the Commodores, for "Endless Love" with Diana Ross, and his solo smash. Richie also had achieved this amazing and rare feat four times as a songwriter, having also written Kenny Rogers' three-chart champion "Lady" in 1980. Richie also became the only artist in history to score a simultaneous #1 on three charts for four consecutive weeks, topping all three charts from November 12 through December 3 of 1983. The latter record still stands to this day.
But Richie wasn't done, scoring a three-chart champion with this all-time classic. "Hello" led the way on the Hot 100, Adult Contemporary, and R&B charts on May 12. It was the fourth time Richie had accomplished the feat (see above), and the fifth song he had written to become a three-chart champ, both of which are all-time records that still stand. Richie also tied Elvis Presley as the only artists of the Rock Era to score two three-chart champs (the others were a combination of solo and duets or solo and group songs.)
After that flurry of activity, it would be another nine years before someone could achieve this rare feat. Whitney Houston's monumental smash was #1 on the Hot 100, Adult Contemporary and R&B charts on December 19th and 26th of 1993 and January 2nd and 16th of 1994.
That was the last time someone has achieved a simultaneous #1 on three of the four major music charts--it has now been 21 years and counting.
On the subject of being #1 on all four charts at the same time, no one has ever achieved this. However, "The End Of The World" by Skeeter Davis is the only song in history to reach the Top Five on all four major charts. She hit #1 on the Easy Listening chart, #2 on the Hot 100 chart, #2 Country, and #4 on the R&B chart in 1963.
It is indeed quite rare in the 59-year history of the Rock Era that a song has been so special that it #1 on three charts simultaneously. Here are the only 11 times it has occurred:
Elvis's double-sided smash was #1 on the Popular chart for eleven weeks, #1 for nine weeks on the Country chart, and #1 for six weeks on the R&B chart. For three of those weeks (September 15, October 20 and October 27), Elvis occupied the #1 spot on all three charts at the same time.
1957: "All Shook Up"--Elvis Presley
Elvis did it again the following year with another all-time classic. "All Shook Up" was #1 on the Popular, R&B and Country charts on May 11, 1957.
1961: "Big Bad John"--Jimmy Dean
This great song held down #1 on the Hot 100, Easy Listening (now Adult Contemporary), and Country charts on both November 20 and November 27 of 1961.
1962: "I Can't Stop Loving You"--Ray Charles
Charles topped the Hot 100, Easy Listening, and R&B charts with "I Can't Stop Loving You" on July 3 and July 10.
1978: "Three Times A Lady"--Commodores
It was another 16 years until someone could pull this off, and the Commodores were the act to do it. Their great song led the way on the Hot 100, Adult Contemporary, and R&B charts simultaneously on August 19, 1978.
1980: "Lady"--Kenny Rogers
"Lady", written by Lionel Richie, was #1 on the Hot 100, Adult Contemporary, and Country charts on November 22.
1981: "Endless Love"--Diana Ross & Lionel Richie
Richie and Ross combined for this #1 smash on the Hot 100, Adult Contemporary, and R&B charts for three weeks: September 5 through September 19 of 1981.
1983: "Islands In The Stream"--Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton
The two stars topped the Hot 100, Adult Contemporary and Country charts on both October 29 and November 5.
1983: "All Night Long (All Night)"--Lionel Richie
This was a historic time for several reasons. On November 12, it marked the first time in the history of the Rock Era that one three-chart champ ("Islands In the Stream") was replaced by another ("All Night Long". By reaching #1 on three charts simultaneously on November 12 (Hot 100, Adult Contemporary, and R&B), Richie became the only person in history to become a three-chart champ three times (for "Three Times A Lady" in 1978 as a member of the Commodores, for "Endless Love" with Diana Ross, and his solo smash. Richie also had achieved this amazing and rare feat four times as a songwriter, having also written Kenny Rogers' three-chart champion "Lady" in 1980. Richie also became the only artist in history to score a simultaneous #1 on three charts for four consecutive weeks, topping all three charts from November 12 through December 3 of 1983. The latter record still stands to this day.
1984: "Hello"--Lionel Richie
But Richie wasn't done, scoring a three-chart champion with this all-time classic. "Hello" led the way on the Hot 100, Adult Contemporary, and R&B charts on May 12. It was the fourth time Richie had accomplished the feat (see above), and the fifth song he had written to become a three-chart champ, both of which are all-time records that still stand. Richie also tied Elvis Presley as the only artists of the Rock Era to score two three-chart champs (the others were a combination of solo and duets or solo and group songs.)
1993: "I Will Always Love You"--Whitney Houston
After that flurry of activity, it would be another nine years before someone could achieve this rare feat. Whitney Houston's monumental smash was #1 on the Hot 100, Adult Contemporary and R&B charts on December 19th and 26th of 1993 and January 2nd and 16th of 1994.
That was the last time someone has achieved a simultaneous #1 on three of the four major music charts--it has now been 21 years and counting.
On the subject of being #1 on all four charts at the same time, no one has ever achieved this. However, "The End Of The World" by Skeeter Davis is the only song in history to reach the Top Five on all four major charts. She hit #1 on the Easy Listening chart, #2 on the Hot 100 chart, #2 Country, and #4 on the R&B chart in 1963.
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