Mariah Carey, Rihanna and Alicia Keys

Billboard celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Hot 100 in 2008 by listing the top 100 most successful acts in the history of the lineup. Now, just 5 years later, an updated ranking has been issued and it features some surprising developments, specifically involving the positions of many of the current so called dominant acts.

With 20 #1 singles and countless other hits to their credit, The Beatles maintain their position at #1 on the top Hot 100 artists list. Madonna continues to lead all solo acts in the #2 slot whereas Mariah Carey inches into the top 5 by leap-frogging one of her American idols, Stevie Wonder.

However, the real shockers appear lower on the top 100 where Rihanna, who only started her career in 2005, blasts into the top 20 at #15. In fact, bolstered by her 12 #1 singles, she is now a single spot behind Usher (#14) and outranks several acts who have been in the industry for much longer, including Prince (#18), Diana Ross (#25) and R. Kelly (#69).

Beyonce, on the other hand, holds a much less impressive slot on the on top 100 at #46 but she still overshadows her former group, Destiny’s Child, which hold on at #76. Other notable appearances include Lady Gaga at #81, Chris Brown at #78, Pink at #52 and Katy Perry at #39.

Let’s recap a few key records held by some of the artists featured on the top 100 list. The Beatles have the most #1 songs of any act with 20 hits whereas Mariah Carey is ranked second with 18. Conversely, Carey trumps the fab four by 79 weeks at the chart summit – The Beatles are her closet rivals with 59 – and along with Boyz II Men, she has the longest-running #1 song in Hot 100 history. “One Sweet Day” reigned for 16 weeks in 1995.

Who scored the most Hot 100 hits during the last 55 years? Believe it or not, that title belongs to the cast of Glee, who notched 206  entries while Lil Wayne ranks at #2 with 119. Finally, Madonna placed the most top 10 songs on the chart (38) with The Beatles in the #2 spot (34).

The top 100 is based on actual performance on the Hot 100 from August 1958 through July 2013. Songs are ranked with an inverse point system where weeks at #1 earn the greatest value. As a result of changes in chart methodology over the last 55 years – the inclusion of Nielsen Entertainment airplay monitoring, point-of-sales tracking and streaming data – certain eras are weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates over various periods. This top 100 artist lineup is based on the same point system but aggregates all titles for each act that charted over the course of his/her career.

See the full list of the top 100 artists in Hot 100 history below:

1. The Beatles
2. Madonna
3. Elton John
4. Elvis Presley
5. Mariah Carey
6. Stevie Wonder
7. Janet Jackson
8. Michael Jackson
9. Whitney Houston
10. The Rolling Stones
11. Paul McCartney/Wings
12. Bee Gees
13. Chicago
14. Usher
15. Rihanna
16. The Supremes
17. Daryl Hall John Oates
18. Prince
19. Rod Stewart
20. Olivia Newton-John
21. Aretha Franklin
22. Marvin Gaye
23. Phil Collins
24. Billy Joel
25. Diana Ross
26. The 4 Seasons
27. The Temptations
28. Donna Summer
29. The Beach Boys
30. Lionel Richie
31. Neil Diamond
32. The Carpenters
33. Boyz II Men
34. The Jackson 5
35. Connie Francis
36. Brenda Lee
37. Barbra Streisand
38. Kenny Rogers
39. Katy Perry
40. Bryan Adams
41. Cher
42. The Black Eyed Peas
43. George Michael
44. Bobby Vinton
45. John Mellencamp
46. Beyonce
47. Three Dog Night
48. Huey Lewis & The News
49. Gloria Estefan
50. Bon Jovi
51. Ray Charls
52. Pink
53. Chubby Checker
54. Foreigner
55. Kool & The Gand
56. Rick Nelson
57. Duran Duran
58. The Commodores
59. Eagles
60. Paula Anka
61. TLC
62. Barry Manilow
63. Dionne Warwick
64. Gladys Knight & The Pips
65. Heart
66. The Everyly Brothers
67. Bobby Darin
68. James Brown
69. R. Kelly
70. Paula Abdul
71. Nelly
72. Alicia Keys
73. Richard Marx
74. Starship
75. Kelly Clarkson
76. Destiny’s Child
77. Linda Ronstadt
78. Chris Brown
79. Celine Dion
80. The Miracles
81. Lady Gaga
82. Bruno Mars
83. Bob Seger
84. Fleetwood Mac
85. Beil Sedaka
86. Bruce Springsteen
87. Taylor Swift
88. The Pointer Sisters
89. John Denver
90. Four Tops
91. Tony Orlando & Dawn
92. Kanye West
93. 50 Cent
94. Maroon 5
95. The 5th Dimension
96. Captain & Tennille
97. Andy Gibb
98. Air Supply
99. Roy Orbison
100. The Spinners

Watch the video for Rihanna’s “Umbrella” below:

Thoughts?