Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You” becomes her milestone fifteenth No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — the third-most rulers of all time. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 02: Taylor Swift attends the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards on February 02, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Getty Images for The Recording Academy
2026 has been an enormously successful period for Taylor Swift, though it’s not as if she ever has a quiet year anymore. The singer-songwriter finds herself back on top of the Billboard Hot 100, the chart company’s list of the most popular songs in America, as her latest single “I Knew It, I Knew You” debuts in first place.
The tune helps the global superstar make history in several fashions, and perhaps most importantly, it allows Swift to advance on the ranking of artists that have scored the most leaders in the more than half-century-long history of the most competitive songs tally in the United States. With one more championship to her credit, Swift pushes past two of the most successful hitmakers of the past two decades, including one who matched the country and pop musician only a few weeks ago.
Taylor Swift Scores Her Fifteenth Hot 100 No. 1
“I Knew It, I Knew You” is Swift’s milestone fifteenth No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. According to Billboard, the track starts atop the roster with huge numbers when it comes to the chart’s three metrics: sales, streams and radio airplay.
In its first seven days of availability, “I Knew It, I Knew You” sold 87,000 copies between digital downloads and physical formats. The track was played more than 27 million times on streaming platforms, and thanks to its immediate promotion at both pop and country radio, the cut reached an audience of more than 46 million people across the U.S.
Here are all of Taylor Swift’s No. 1s on the Billboard Hot 100.
- “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)”
- “Anti-Hero”
- “Bad Blood” with Kendrick Lamar
- “Blank Space”
- “Cardigan”
- “Cruel Summer”
- “Fortnight” with Post Malone
- “I Knew It, I Knew You”
- “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)”
- “Look What You Made Me Do”
- “Opalite”
- “Shake It Off”
- “The Fate of Ophelia”
- “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”
- “Willow”
Taylor Swift Passes Rihanna and Drake
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 10: Rihanna attends the Savage X Fenty Celebration of Lavish Lace Debut at Nordstrom Century City on October 10, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Savage X Fenty)
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Savage X Fenty
With another ruler now included in her discography, Swift sits alone and claims the third-most No. 1s of all time. She lands behind only the Beatles and Mariah Carey, but it will be a while – perhaps years – before she catches up to either of them. The Beatles continue to hold as the act with the most leaders of all time, with an even 20, while Carey is just one champion behind the band.
Taylor Swift Breaks a Three-Way Tie
Before “I Knew It, I Knew You,” Swift was tied for the third-most No. 1s with both Rihanna and Drake. The latter of those two artists added his fourteenth leader only about a month ago when “Janice STFU,” the latest single from one of his three recently released albums, Iceman, debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100. The trio of artists only sat side-by-side-by-side for three weeks.
Taylor Swift Has Sent Three Songs to No. 1 in 2026
“I Knew It, I Knew You” is Swift’s third song to land at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2026 alone. After Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” ended its annual resurgence on the chart dated January 3, which reflected consumption in late December, Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia,” the lead single from her 2025 album The Life of a Showgirl, returned to the top spot for another two frames. A little more than a month later, the second promotional cut from that project, “Opalite,” surged to the top spot, where it wound up spending only one week.