Most number one singles by a songwriter (US/UK) The most successful songwriters in terms of number one singles are John Lennon (1940-80) and Paul McCartney (b. 18 Jun 1942).
1. Paul McCartney. Sir James Paul McCartney initially rose to fame as the bass player, songwriter, and vocalist for The Beatles. He and John Lennon formed the most successful songwriting partnership in history.
The Beatles have the most No. 1 hits of all time: 20. Though unclear for how long, the Beatles still reign supreme as the artist with the most No. 1 songs of all time.
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942) is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles (1960–1970) and Wings (1971–1981), McCartney is the most commercially successful songwriter in the history of popular music, according to Guinness World Records.
Most number one singles by a songwriter (US/UK)
McCartney is credited as the writer on 32 number one hits in the US to Lennons 26 (with 23 co-written), whereas Lennon authored 29 UK number ones to McCartney's 28 (25 co-written).
Despite Harrison's accolade, Paul McCartney achieved the greatest chart success through the sheer quantity of music he has released. Macca was the most prolific Beatle whose solo career outlasted the other Beatles, especially both John Lennon and George Harrison, whose lives were taken from them far too early.
According to Guinness World Records, Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" (1942) as performed by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single worldwide, with estimated sales of over 50 million copies.
Abel Tesfaye, more commonly known as The Weeknd, is statistically the most popular musician on the planet, and no one else even comes close. The 33-year-old Canadian singer's success has seen him set two new Guinness World Records titles: Most monthly listeners on Spotify – 111.4 million (as of 20 March 2023)
The richest songwriter in the world is Paul McCartney with a net worth of $1.2 billion. Paul was initially a member of The Beatles before transitioning into a solo career that was as much successful as the band. He still earns royalties from songs he did with his band-mates in addition to sales from his solo singles.
They've put Bob Dylan at number one, followed by Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits (with Kathleen Brennan), Paul McCartney, Leonard Cohen, Brian Wilson, Elvis Costello, Joni Mitchell and Prince.
As of June 2023, "Blinding Lights" (2019) by Canadian singer the Weeknd is the most-streamed song of all time on Spotify, while "Dance Monkey" (2019) by Australian singer-songwriter Tones and I is the most-streamed song by a female artist.
Pop superstar Miley Cyrus' catchy song 'Flowers' has become the fastest song to reach a billion streams on Spotify. Taking to her Instagram account, Cyrus paid tribute to her fans, sharing a video featuring the song and a caption reading: “Thanks a billion, I love you”.
Seven years ago, Drake became the first artist to have a song reach one billion plays on Spotify with his smash "One Dance," from the 2016 album "Views." As the streaming service has grown, songs can generate huge streaming numbers quickly.
An elite 12 artists have achieved top 10 placements on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart in four or more decades, led by Andy Williams and Michael Jackson, with top 10 ranks in five decades each.
The Beatles' other singer-songwriter icon, Paul McCartney, surpassed his fellow millionaire band members to become a billionaire, and to this day is the richest rock star of all time.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, British rock band The Beatles are top of the list for best-selling artists worldwide, with 183 million units certified sales. Second is Garth Brooks with over 157 million units sales, followed by Elvis Presley with 139 million units.
Drake with 30 passed The Beatles, who have 29, for the record over the list's 64-year history. The Beatles held the top-five mark for 55 years, having last reached the region in 1970 with 'The Long and Winding Road'/'For You Blue', which spent two weeks at Number 1.