Who Are The Most Successful Summer Song Singers?
Every summer—when it comes to music at least—it’s all about the music. Which song is going to be the jam that gets us through the warm weather? Which artist are we going to hear at the beach, the club, on TV, at the movies? The battle for the top summer jam is a fierce one. (VH1’s weekly battles are not for the weak.) But what about the top summer jam artists? Which singer has consistently churned out hit after hit each year? Just how many hits does Katy Perry have?
Using Billboard’s chart data of the top summer songs, we looked back on the past thirty years to figure out the top 15 singers dominating the charts and our sweaty hearts. (Please note that some artists made the list purely for being featured on other singers' songs. There's nothing wrong with that. It just shows their dominance and ability to identify hits.)
50 Cent - 3
"Just a Lil Bit," "Magic Stick" (Lil Kim), "P.I.M.P."
[mtvn_player vid="22952"]
Bryan Adams - 3
"Everything I Do (I Do It for You)," "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?," "Heaven"
Boyz II Men - 3
"End of the Road," "I'll Make Love to You," "Water Runs Dry"
[mtvn_player vid="99067"]
Eminem - 3
"Love the Way You Lie," "Not Afraid," "Without Me"
[mtvn_player vid="553550"]
Janet Jackson - 3
"Any Time Place / And On and On," "Doesn't Really Matter," That's the Way Love Goes"
[mtvn_player vid="10775"]
Madonna - 3
"Papa Don't Preach," "This Used to Be My Playground," "Who's That Girl"
[mtvn_player vid="14685"]
Beyonce - 4
"Bills Bills Bills" (Destiny's Child), "Bootylicious" (Destiny's Child), "Crazy In Love," "Jumpin' Jumpin'" (Destiny's Child)
[mtvn_player vid="21879"]
Fergie - 4
"Big Girls Don't Cry," "Boom Boom Pow" (The Black Eyed Peas), "Don't Phunk With My Heart" (The Black Eyed Peas), "I Gotta Feeling" (The Black Eyed Peas)
[mtvn_player vid="150183"]
Nelly - 4
"Cruise" (Florida Georgia Line), "Dilemma," "Hot In Herre," "Where the Party At" (Jagged Edge)
[mtvn_player vid="18281"]
Puff Daddy - 4
"Come With Me," "I Need a Girl (Part Two)," "I'll Be Missing You," "Mo Money Mo Problems" (The Notorious B.I.G.)
Will.i.am - 4
"Boom Boom Pow" (The Black Eyed Peas), "Don't Phunk With My Heart" (The Black Eyed Peas), "I Gotta Feeling" (The Black Eyed Peas), "OMG" (Usher)
[mtvn_player vid="740819"]
Mariah Carey - 5
"Always Be My Baby," "I'll Be There," "My All," "Vision of Love," "We Belong Together"
[mtvn_player vid="211552"]
Usher - 5
"Burn," "Confessions Part II," "My Way," "OMG," "U Remind Me"
[mtvn_player vid="498588"]
Katy Perry - 6*
"California Girls," "E.T.," "I Kissed a Girl," "Last Night (T.G.I.F.)," "Waking Up In Vegas," "Wide Awake"
[mtvn_player vid="659840"]
Rihanna - 7
"Disturbia," "Love the Way You Lie" (Eminem), "Pon de Replay," "Take a Bow," "Unfaithful," "Umbrella," "Where Have You Been"
[mtvn_player vid="148998"]
*Depending on how "Birthday" does this summer, Rihanna had better watch out. The singer, which has practically had a hit every summer of the past decade, gave up two potential hits last year ("Come and Get It," "We Can't Stop"). So she needs a summer hit soon!
[Photo: Getty]