The Billboard Hot 100 is a chart that ranks the best-performing singles of the United States. Published by Billboard magazine, the data are compiled by Nielsen SoundScan based collectively on each single's weekly physical sales and airplay. In 1998, there were 16 singles that topped the chart, in 52 issue dates.
During the year, 10 acts had achieved a first U.S. number-one single, namely: Savage Garden, Usher, Will Smith, Next, Brandy, Monica, Aerosmith, Barenaked Ladies, Lauryn Hill, and Divine. R&B singer Monica and pop singer Céline Dion both had two number-one singles in 1998.
Brandy and Monica's "The Boy Is Mine" is the longest-running single of the year, staying at number one for thirteen consecutive weeks. Other singles that had a multiple chart run includes Monica's "The First Night" with five weeks atop and Next's "Too Close", Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" and R. Kelly's "I'm Your Angel" (featuring Céline Dion) with four weeks (the latter spending two additional weeks at number one in 1999).
Chart history +KeyIndicates best-performing single of 1998 Issue dateSongArtist(s)821January 3"Candle in the Wind 1997" / "Something About the Way You Look Tonight"Elton JohnJanuary 10822January 17"Truly Madly Deeply"Savage GardenJanuary 24823January 31"Together Again"Janet JacksonFebruary 7824February 14"Nice & Slow"UsherFebruary 21825February 28"My Heart Will Go On"Céline DionMarch 7826March 14"Gettin' Jiggy wit It"Will SmithMarch 21March 28827April 4"All My Life"K-Ci & JoJoApril 11April 18828April 25"Too Close"NextMay 2May 9May 16829May 23"My All"Mariah CareyreMay 30"Too Close" Next830June 6"The Boy Is Mine"Brandy and MonicaJune 13June 20June 27July 4July 11July 18July 25August 1August 8August 15August 22August 29831September 5"I Don't Want to Miss a Thing"AerosmithSeptember 12September 19September 26832October 3"The First Night" MonicaOctober 10833October 17"One Week"Barenaked LadiesreOctober 24"The First Night" MonicaOctober 31November 7834November 14"Doo Wop (That Thing)"Lauryn HillNovember 21835November 28"Lately"Divine The Billboard Hot 100 updates its chart formula to include airplay-only songs that never had a commercial single release.836December 5"I'm Your Angel"R. Kelly and Céline DionDecember 12December 19December 26
Number-one artists + List of number-one artists by total weeks at number one Position Artist Weeks at No. 1 1 Monica 18 2 Brandy 13 3 Céline Dion 6 4 Next 5 5 Aerosmith 4 R. Kelly 7 Will Smith 3 K-Ci & JoJo 9 Elton John 2 Savage Garden Janet Jackson Usher Lauryn Hill 8 Mariah Carey 1 Barenaked Ladies Divine
See also 1998 in music List of Billboard number-one singles List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of the 1990s
References
Additional sources Fred Bronson's Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits, 5th Edition () Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2008, 12 Edition () Joel Whitburn Presents the Billboard Hot 100 Charts: The Nineties () Additional information obtained can be verified within Billboard's online archive services and print editions of the magazine.