Madonna vs. Rihanna: Who Has More Hits?

[Janhova's Witness]

Based on the Hot 100.

#1s:
Madonna - 12
Rihanna - 14

Weeks at #1:
Madonna - ??? (Not in top 10 artists)
Rihanna - 60

Top Tens:
Madonna - 38 (Record holder)
Rihanna - 31

Top 40s:
Madonna - 49
Rihanna - 49

[irice22]

Madonna I'd say. Aren't many of Rihanna's numbers features?

Not to downplay features or anything... but yeah I guess I'm downplaying features.

[Monarca]

For now Madonna, but Rihanna might become the greatest very soon!

[Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ]

Rihanna. I'm not objective because I know like 20 songs by Madonna VS Rihanna's 60-70...and considering Rihanna is only 29, she will have more hits in 5-10 years, but for me it's Rihanna.

[Agent Yoncé]

Madonna.

[Deleted]

Love Riri
But Madonna's career has pulled off numerous hits plus memorable music videos that have stood the test of time.
Vogue, Material Girl, Like A Virgin, Like A Prayer, Holiday, etc

[🇯🇲 lucy88 🇯🇲]

Dec 28, 2017 14:38:28 GMT -5 @mirza said:

Love Riri
But Madonna's career has pulled off numerous hits plus memorable music videos that have stood the test of time.
Vogue, Material Girl, Like A Virgin, Like A Prayer, Holiday, etc

Agreed.

[jdanton2]

Madonna had her first hit in 1983 vs Rihanna in 2005 so Madonna has the advantage .

[Deleted]

They're both such massive stars with incredible chart stats - I'd agree to call it even simply because time will tell the whole story years from now. Until then, it's just a back and forth that could go either way, especially given Rihanna's number of featured billings. I do think features should count, but in a head to head, it's difficult to totally ignore the "featuring Rihanna" element. It comes down to how we choose to look at it.

Rihanna makes a very solid case for why her features should be counted - she's generally a very prominent part of the song. That said, she's agreeing to be a featured artist in these cases, so that to me implies she's ok with not getting what is considered equal billing. Madonna has only been a feature on one Hot 100 song, right - Me Against the Music?

Then there's the whole thing about what "featuring" actually means. By definition it means "playing a major part", so.... lol. Can of worms.

[Unhinged]

Madonna

[jenglisbe]

Madonna clearly has more hits as of now. Rihanna could of course pass her with time.

And I personally also view feartured credits as meaning less than hits with someone as a lead artist.

Dec 28, 2017 11:05:15 GMT -5 Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ said:

Rihanna. I'm not objective because I know like 20 songs by Madonna VS Rihanna's 60-70...and considering Rihanna is only 29, she will have more hits in 5-10 years, but for me it's Rihanna.

But someone having hits isn't about what you as a specific listener now. A "hit" is something very different than a song liked/known by 1 person.

[Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ]

^ Yeah, I know, that's why I said "I'm not objective". I know and like more Rihanna's songs and I think Madonna was not successful in her first 12 years just like Rihanna is. Not fair to compare these two.

[kcdawg13]

Statistically Rihanna has more hits than Madonna if you count Top 20 hits as well, but for the Top 10 Madge has more. Honestly I'd say Rihanna just because I enjoy her music more than Madonna's.

[Libra]

Dec 28, 2017 2:39:44 GMT -5 Janhova's Witness said:

Weeks at #1:
Madonna - ??? (Not in top 10 artists)

32, though this is skewed by 9 of her 12 coming during a period/chart methodology of quicker turnover. Yes Like a Virgin spent 6 weeks there, but then the next #1 song to even spend that long there would not come until 6 & 1/2 years later (1991's "(Everything I Do) I Do it For You").

Which is really only a roundabout way of saying that the Weeks at #1 statistic should be taken for what it is worth.

I'll co-sign with the sentiment of Madonna still having the slight edge while Rihanna has more than enough room/likely career duration with which to pass her.

[Deleted]

Incomparable. Madonna hits are like ten times more substantive, memorable and iconic than Rihanna or basically any artist outside of a few. I hate comparing someone of Madonna's ilk to any superstar of today. What's next are we gonna compare Bruno Mars to MICHAEL . Mind you I say this as a fan of Rihanna and Bruno but it's not just about where a hit song landed on the charts it's about how memorable those songs are.

[Deleted]

Let the late great veterans rest in peace.

[Juanca]

Madonna
It's important to keep in mind that we are talking about substantive different chart methodologies as well so it's hard to compare apples to oranges.
Into the groove would've likely been a number one. Beautiful stranger a top 10 at least; Rescue Me, Don't cry..., Ray of light would've had higher peaks; Spotlight would've been a top 40; etc., etc.
M has only had one credited feature, MATM; but she also has an uncredited feature top 20 in Sidewalks talk.

[Choco]

Madonna but Rihanna is getting there.

[Raccoon]

I feel like I'm too young to answer. The only Madonna songs I know are 4 Minutes and Like A Prayer

[Ling-Ling]

Madonna currently. I'm just basing that on the numbers, trying to keep things like "Madonna's hits are more substantive and iconic" out of it. Madonna has the luxury of time. We have no idea how many more hits Rihanna will rack up or how her music will be viewed twenty years from now. We may look at "Umbrella" or "Diamonds," etc. the same way we look at some of Madonna's classics decades from now.

[Deleted]

Jan 11, 2018 8:29:40 GMT -5 Ling-Ling said:

Madonna currently. I'm just basing that on the numbers, trying to keep things like "Madonna's hits are more substantive and iconic" out of it. Madonna has the luxury of time. We have no idea how many more hits Rihanna will rack up or how her music will be viewed twenty years from now. We may look at "Umbrella" or "Diamonds," etc. the same way we look at some of Madonna's classics decades from now.

Agreed.  I'm on board with the "Madonna has more classics" argument, but I recognize that is likely the result of more time passing by (both distance of time and her having been around longer).  Plus, the way music and videos are marketed and consumed are so different today compared to the 80s and 90s - so it's tricky to compare.  In the 80s, every song Madonna put out was a big hit and the videos were events, etc, so if you lived through that it almost seems incomparable to anything else.  Same with Mariah in the 90s.

I look forward to the day when Rihanna is on the oldies stations to hear which songs make the cut.  I hear many of Madonna's hits - she's a tentpole of the current oldies format for sure. Rihanna will likely be in a similar position in another 15-20 years.

[jenglisbe]

Jan 9, 2018 23:19:55 GMT -5 kcdawg13 said:

Honestly I'd say Rihanna just because I enjoy her music more than Madonna's.

Another one. This to me is what is wrong is wrong in the world; too few people are able to separate their own opinion from general reality.

[jenglisbe]

Let's also keep in mind that one of Madonna's more enduring hits - "Into the Groove" - isn't even part of her top 10s/40s because it wasn't allowed to chart at the time.

[NeRD]

Lol isn't obvious by the numbers?

The good sis Holiday Guy always kept us up to date with these things. Where is he at btw?