March 15, 2010

By By Gary Trust, N.Y.

With one song, two divas make history on Billboard's Mainstream Top 40 chart.

With a 2-1 rise for "Telephone," Lady Gaga and the track's featured artist Beyonce have tied the record for most No. 1s since the Nielsen BDS-based radio airplay chart launched in 1992. The pair joins Mariah Carey, who tallied six toppers between 1993 and 2005. Lady Gaga and Beyonce pass Avril Lavigne, Pink, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake, each with five No. 1s.

Beyonce first led Mainstream Top 40 with "Crazy in Love" in 2003, while Lady Gaga first appeared on the chart just 16 months ago. The latter performer, in fact, has yet to fall short of the survey's summit, reaching No. 1 on her first six tries:

Title, Chart Date Reached No. 1
"Just Dance," Jan. 24, 2009 (featuring Colby O'Donis)
"Poker Face," April 25, 2009
"LoveGame," July 25, 2009
"Paparazzi," Nov. 14, 2009
"Bad Romance," Jan. 16, 2010
"Telephone," March 27, 2010 (featuring Beyonce)

And, here is a look at Beyonce's six Mainstream Top 40 No. 1s:

Title, Chart Date Reached No. 1
"Crazy in Love," Aug. 16, 2003 (featuring Jay-Z)
"Baby Boy," Nov. 8, 2003 (featuring Sean Paul)
"Check On It," Feb. 11, 2006 (featuring Slim Thug)
"Irreplaceable," Dec. 30, 2006
"Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," Feb. 7, 2009
"Telephone," March 27, 2010, (Lady Gaga featuring Beyonce)

Concurrently with Lady Gaga's latest coronation, her label, Interscope Records, monopolizes four of the top five spots for a third consecutive week on Mainstream Top 40. The Black Eyed Peas' "Imma Be" jumps 5-2, Orianthi's "According to You" dips 3-4 and Lady Gaga?s ?Bad Romance? slips 4-5. Interscope is the only label to claim such a share of the top five, having first achieved the feat on the May 16, 2009, chart.

All charts on billboard.biz, including Mainstream Top 40, will be refreshed Thursday (March 18).

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