Kendrick Lamar & SZA’s ‘Luther’ Hits No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100

“Luther,” on pgLang/Interscope/ICLG, totaled 46.7 million radio airplay audience impressions, 45.2 million official streams (up 6% in each metric week-over-week) and 6,000 sold (down 27%) in the U.S. Feb. 14-20.

The track ascends 2-1 on the Streaming Songs chart, becoming Lamar’s seventh leader and SZA’s third; 6-4 in its second week on Digital Song Sales; and 7-6 for a new best on Radio Songs (led by its rise to No. 1 on the Rhythmic Airplay chart; it’s also top 10 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Adult R&B Airplay and top 15 on Pop Airplay).

Here’s a recap of Lamar’s six Hot 100 No. 1s:

Notably, Lamar has achieved his four latest Hot 100 No. 1s in a span of just 11 months. That’s the fastest accumulation of four leaders since BTS needed 10 months and one week to reign with “Life Goes On,” “Butter,” “Permission To Dance” and “My Universe,” with Coldplay, in December 2020-October 2021.

Among male soloists, Lamar lands the shortest stretch of four Hot 100 leaders since Justin Timberlake tallied four in September 2006-April 2007. With one of Timberlake’s No. 1s as a featured act, Lamar is the first male to earn the honor all in lead roles in over 35 years: since Michael Jackson notched five, all from his album Bad, over nine months and two weeks in 1987-88.

Plus, both “Luther” and “Squabble Up” are from Lamar’s album GNX, released in December. The set is the first to generate multiple Hot 100 No. 1s since Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine spun off “Yes, And?” and “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” in January-March 2024.

And, here are SZA’s three Hot 100 leaders:

(A potential peace-maker, SZA now, thus, boasts Hot 100 No. 1s with both Lamar and Drake.)

“Luther” samples Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn’s cover of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s “If This World Were Mine.” The original hit No. 27 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (then named Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles) in 1968; Vandross and Lynn’s remake reached No. 4 on the chart (then Hot Black Singles) in 1982.

While Vandross, who passed in 2005, never topped the Hot 100 as a credited artist, his voice has appeared on multiple No. 1s – now spanning over 46 years. Prior to “Luther,” Twista’s “Slow Jamz,” featuring Ye (formerly Kanye West) and Jamie Foxx, led the chart dated Feb. 21, 2004. The track samples Vandross’ cover of Dionne Warwick’s 1964 hit “A House Is Not a Home,” from his 1981 debut album, Never Too Much. Plus, he sang backup on Stevie Wonder’s 1985 No. 1 “Part Time Lover” and Chic’s 1978-79 six-week No. 1 disco classic “Le Freak.”

As a billed artist, Vandross earned five top 10s among 25 career Hot 100 entries, between 1981 and 2003, hitting a No. 2 high in 1994 with his and Mariah Carey’s remake of Lionel Richie and Diana Ross’ 1981 nine-week No. 1, “Endless Love.” On Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, he scored seven No. 1s among 27 top 10s. He also won eight Grammy Awards, including song of the year (with Richard Marx) for “Dance With My Father” in 2004.

As for Lynn, she charted four Hot 100 entries as a credited act in 1979-84, led by her breakthrough No. 12 hit “Got to Be Real.” The dance nugget also hit No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, where she has netted two leaders among five top 10s.

With “Luther” supplanting “Not Like Us,” now at No. 2, atop the Hot 100, Lamar is the first artist to rule with different songs in consecutive weeks since Taylor Swift, whose “Cruel Summer” led the Nov. 18, 2023-dated chart a week after “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]” debuted at No. 1. Before that, BTS’ “Butter” replaced the group’s “Permission To Dance” at No. 1 in July 2021. Among solo males, the last to achieve the feat before Lamar? Drake, whose “Nice for What” gave way to “In My Feelings” in July 2018.

“Luther” concurrently rebounds a spot for a ninth week at No. 1 on both the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts, which use the same methodology as the Hot 100. The song became Lamar’s seventh No. 1 on each genre chart and SZA’s fourth and first on the respective rankings.

Drake debuts two tracks in the Hot 100’s top 10: “Gimme a Hug,” at No. 6, and “Nokia,” at No. 10. The songs start with 24.5 million and 20.2 million streams, respectively. Plus, “Nokia” sold 16,000 and debuts as Drake’s 14th No. 1 on Digital Song Sales, breaking him out of a tie with Justin Bieber for the most among solo males. (Overall, Drake ties Rihanna for third place; Taylor Swift leads with 29 No. 1s, followed by Nicki Minaj with 16.)

Drake pushes his career total to 80 Hot 100 top 10s, extending his record for the most in the chart’s history.

Most Hot 100 Top 10s:

Below “Luther” and “Not Like Us” on the Hot 100, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile” rebounds 4-3 following five nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 beginning in January. It adds a third week atop Radio Songs (63 million, down 1%).

Lamar’s “TV Off,” featuring Lefty Gunplay, dips 3-4 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 2, and “Squabble Up” holds at No. 5.

In a Hot 100 first, the same label has the entire top five in consecutive weeks: all are again on Interscope/ICLG, with Lamar and Gaga signed to the label. (“Die With a Smile” is a shared Interscope and Atlantic release.)

ROSÉ and Bruno Mars’ “APT.” keeps at No. 7 on the Hot 100 after hitting No. 3.

Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” drops 6-8 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 2. It tops the multimetric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Alternative Songs charts for a 29th week each.

Plus, Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” teeters 8-9 on the Hot 100, following its record-tying 19 weeks at No. 1 beginning last July. It rules the multimetric Hot Country Songs chart for a 35th week, one-upping Sam Hunt’s “Body Like a Back Road,” in 2017, to become the list’s sole second-longest-leading title; Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line’s “Meant To Be” led for 50 weeks in 2017-18.

Additional reporting by Trevor Anderson and Keith Caulfield.