The Billboard Hot 100 is a chart that ranks the best-performing songs of the United States. Its data, published by Billboard magazine and compiled by Nielsen SoundScan, is based collectively on each single's weekly physical and digital sales, as well as airplay. Throughout 2012, a total of 12 singles claimed the number-one position. Although 13 singles topped the chart, singer Rihanna's "We Found Love", featuring Calvin Harris, had previously spent eight weeks atop the chart in late 2011, and thus excluded.
In 2012, six acts achieved their first US number-one single, either as a lead artist or a featured guest: Fun, Janelle Monáe, Gotye, Kimbra, Carly Rae Jepsen and Taylor Swift. Two collaboration singles topped the chart, "We Are Young" and "Somebody That I Used to Know". Throughout the year, no musical acts achieved multiple number-one singles. Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know", featuring Kimbra, became the year's biggest-selling single, topping the Billboard Year-End Hot 100.
Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" and Maroon 5's "One More Night" tied for the longest-running number-one single of the year, both spending nine consecutive weeks atop the chart. Gotye and Kimbra's "Somebody That I Used to Know" was the second longest-running one, topping the Hot 100 for eight consecutive weeks. Both Fun's "We Are Young and Bruno Mars' "Locked Out of Heaven" spent a total of six weeks at number one, while Rihanna's "Diamonds", Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" and Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together", tied with three weeks atop the chart. "Diamonds" is Rihanna's twelfth Hot 100 number-one single, tying her with Madonna and The Supremes as the artists with the fifth-most number ones in the chart's history.
Chart history
+KeyIndicates best-performing single of 2012 Issue dateSongArtist(s)Ref.1010January 7"Sexy and I Know It"LMFAOJanuary 14reJanuary 21"We Found Love"Rihanna featuring Calvin HarrisJanuary 281011February 4"Set Fire to the Rain"AdeleFebruary 111012February 18"Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)"Kelly ClarksonFebruary 251013March 3"Part of Me"Katy PerryreMarch 10"Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)"Kelly Clarkson1014March 17"We Are Young"Fun featuring Janelle MonáeMarch 24March 31April 7April 14April 211015April 28"Somebody That I Used to Know" Gotye featuring KimbraMay 5May 12May 19May 26June 2June 9June 161016June 23"Call Me Maybe"Carly Rae JepsenJune 30July 7July 14July 21July 28August 4August 11August 181017August 25"Whistle"Flo Rida1018September 1"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together"Taylor SwiftSeptember 8reSeptember 15"Whistle"Flo RidareSeptember 22"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together"Taylor Swift1019September 29"One More Night" Maroon 5October 6October 13October 20October 27November 3November 10November 17November 241020December 1"Diamonds" RihannaDecember 8December 151021December 22"Locked Out of Heaven" Bruno MarsDecember 29
Number-one artists + List of number-one artists by total weeks at number one Position Artist Weeks at No. 1 1 Carly Rae Jepsen 9 Maroon 5 3 Gotye 8 Kimbra 5 Fun 6 Janelle Monáe 7 Rihanna 5 8 Kelly Clarkson 3 Taylor Swift 10 LMFAO 2 Calvin Harris Adele Flo Rida Bruno Mars 15 Katy Perry 1
See also 2012 in American music List of Billboard number-one singles List of Billboard Hot 100 top-ten singles in 2012 List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of the 2010s
Notes A Rihanna achieved two number-one singles in 2012, "We Found Love" and "Diamonds". However, the former was excluded from the count because it previously topped the Hot 100 in late 2011. B "Locked Out of Heaven" spent two weeks atop the Hot 100 in 2012 and four weeks in 2013. Combined, the single peaked at number one on the chart for a total of six weeks.
References
External links Hot 100 chart at Billboard