The Number Ones

Twenty Chart-Topping Hits That Reveal the History of Pop Music

By: Tom Breihan

Narrated by: Ray Stoney

Beloved music critic Tom Breihan's fascinating narrative of the history of popular music through the lens of game-changing #1 singles from the Billboard Hot 100.

When Tom Breihan launched his Stereogum column in early 2018, “The Number Ones”—a space in which he has been writing about every #1 hit in the history of the Billboard Hot 100, in chronological order—he figured he’d post capsule-size reviews for each song. But there was so much more to uncover. The column has taken on a life of its own, sparking online debate and occasional death threats.

The Billboard Hot 100 began in 1958, and after four years of posting the column, Breihan is still in the early aughts. But readers no longer have to wait for his brilliant synthesis of what the history of #1s has meant to music and our culture. In The Number Ones, Breihan writes about twenty pivotal #1s throughout chart history, revealing a remarkably fluid and connected story of music that is as entertaining as it is enlightening.

The Numbers Ones features the greatest pop artists of all time, from the Brill Building songwriters to the Beatles and the Beach Boys; from Motown to Michael Jackson, Prince, and Mariah Carey; and from the digital revolution to the K-pop system. Breihan also ponders great artists who have never hit the top spot, like Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and James Brown. Breihan illuminates what makes indelible ear candy across the decades—including dance crazes, recording innovations, television phenomena, disco, AOR, MTV, rap, compact discs, mp3s, social media, memes, and much more—leaving readers to wonder what could possibly happen next.

Critic reviews

“Tom Breihan’s The Number Ones is a glorious rabbit hole dive into the biggest hits in popular music, analyzing the very physics of how they became hits and taking a forensic look at what made them ‘pop.’ It’s massively enjoyable when you love the song in question, and perhaps even more so when you don’t. One of the most enjoyable books on pop to ever roar up the charts."—Edgar Wright

"Tom Breihan is an absolutely crucial chronicler of the hit parade, a madman scholar digging deep in the vaults. The Number Ones is a revelatory celebration of pop history in all its glorious weirdness, the way only Breihan could tell the tale. These are classic tunes that everybody knows, but Breihan brilliantly blows away the dust, and makes them sound fresh and new. A hell of a storyteller, and a hell of a T-Pain fan."—Rob Sheffield

Twenty For Twenty

Twenty number ones and all had interesting backstories. No need for me to quibble about why something I might have picked didn’t make Breihan’s list, he made a great case for his picks and I enjoyed some new music I hadn’t appreciated before.

A powerful read but some moments missing

I loved how informative the book was in regards to highlighting moments that changed pop history. I can’t help but notice the glaring non mention of Black Women who changed music other than Mariah Carey. Especially Whitney Houston who had 7 back to back #1 singles and is the most successful, selling Woman in music history. Many other Black artists and essential moments were missed as well. Overall, not terrible but a more full history should be told.

Some of the worst reading I’ve heard on this app

The narrator is, to put it bluntly, bad at reading. I can overlook mispronunciation of proper names or specialized jargon, but this narrator consistently gets basic high school vocabulary words wrong. For example, “decried” becomes “decreed.” Kind of an important difference, no? He trips over punctuation or ignores it outright. Was someone producing the recording session? Did anyone listen before releasing this commercially? Tom Breihan is an excellent cultural historian, and he deserves a reader (and audiobook publisher) who can do justice to his writing.

Excellent research and writing ruined by narration

Fascinating details and stories in every chapter but it is clear that the reader has no idea. I have never had a more clear distinction between someone telling a story and just reading some words.

Narrator very inept.

Was just reading the words (poorly). No sign of engagement with the story. Mispronounced “coup” as “coop” for example. Almost returned book it was so distracting. Story saved it.