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 airplays. The year started out with "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men and ended with "Un-Break My Heart" by Toni Braxton. There were nine singles that peaked atop the charts, but if "One Sweet Day" is excluded from the count (as the song had its peak in the previous year), the total would be eight, the second lowest for a single year, along with 2005 and 2015. The longest running number-one single of 1996 is "Macarena" (Bayside Boys Mix), which stayed at the top for 14 weeks.
That year, 8 acts earned their first number one song, such as Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, 2Pac, K-Ci & JoJo, Dr. Dre, Roger Troutman, Toni Braxton, Los del Río, and Blackstreet. Mariah Carey, Dr. Dre and Toni Braxton were the only acts to hit number one more than once, with each of them hitting number one twice.
Chart history +KeyThe yellow background indicates the #1 song on Billboards 1996 Year-End Chart of Pop Singles. Issue dateSongArtist(s)804January 6"One Sweet Day"Mariah Carey and Boyz II MenJanuary 13January 20January 27February 3February 10February 17February 24March 2March 9March 16805March 23"Because You Loved Me"Céline DionMarch 30April 6April 13April 20April 27806May 4"Always Be My Baby" Mariah CareyMay 11807May 18"Tha Crossroads"Bone Thugs-n-HarmonyMay 25June 1June 8June 15June 22June 29July 6808July 13"How Do U Want It" / "California Love"2Pac featuring K-Ci & JoJo / featuring Dr. Dre and Roger TroutmanJuly 20809July 27"You're Makin' Me High" / "Let It Flow"Toni Braxton810August 3"Macarena" (Bayside Boys Mix)Los del RíoAugust 10August 17August 24August 31September 7September 14September 21September 28October 5October 12October 19October 26November 2811November 9"No Diggity"Blackstreet featuring Dr. DreNovember 16November 23November 30812December 7"Un-Break My Heart" Toni BraxtonDecember 14December 21December 28
Number-one artists + List of number-one artists by total weeks at number one Position Artist Weeks at No. 1 1 Los Del Rio 14 2 Mariah Carey 13 3 Boyz II Men 11 4 Bone Thugs-n-Harmony 8 5 Céline Dion 6 Dr. Dre 7 Toni Braxton 5 8 Blackstreet 4 9 2Pac 2 K-Ci & JoJo Roger Troutman
See also 1996 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.