# How many hits does R Kelly have in his career? - Canonical: https://33rdsquare.com/how-many-hits-does-r-kelly-have-in-his-career/ - Published: 2023-10-21 - Author: Lillie Gabler - Categories: [Tips](https://33rdsquare.com/category/home/tips/) --- ## Understanding R. Kelly‘s Massive Hit Catalog and Chart Dominance Hi there! As a fellow music fan, I wanted to provide you with a comprehensive guide to R. Kelly‘s extensive catalog of hit songs and his overall chart dominance over the last 30+ years. I‘ve done some deep research into the stats, awards, milestones, and accolades of his career that I think you‘ll find insightful. Let‘s dive in! ### By The Numbers – R. Kelly‘s Hits, Sales and Streams The numbers speak for themselves – R. Kelly has amassed an absolutely massive amount of hits across multiple charts and formats. Here are some key statistics: - 16 top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart - 5 #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 - 25 top 10 hits on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart - 15 #1 singles on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart - 27 #1 singles on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart - Over 150 million records sold worldwide - Over 1 billion on-demand audio/video streams in the US as of 2018 His most commercially successful album globally is TP-2.com, which sold 6 million copies worldwide in 2000. But his single biggest hit to date is "I Believe I Can Fly" from 1996, which sold over 10 million copies worldwide and remains one of the best-selling singles of all time. In the US alone, he has achieved over 125 million audio and video streams as of 2022 according to Luminate (formerly Nielsen Music). His dominance on the R&B radio airplay charts is especially impressive, with a record-setting 27 #1 singles notched there. ### R. Kelly‘s 16 Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 Hits Let‘s take a closer look at all 16 of R. Kelly‘s top 10 smashes on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart, the definitive measure of a hit pop single: 1. "Bump N‘ Grind" (1994) – #1 for 12 weeks 2. "You Remind Me of Something" (1995) – #4 3. "Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)" with Ronald Isley (1995) – #4 4. "I Can‘t Sleep Baby (If I)" (1996) – #5 5. "I Believe I Can Fly" (1996) – #2 for 4 weeks 6. "Gotham City" (1997) – #9 7. "I‘m Your Angel" with Celine Dion (1998) – #1 for 6 weeks 8. "If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time" (1999) – #2 9. "The World‘s Greatest" (2002) – #7 10. "Ignition (Remix)" (2002) – #2 for 2 weeks 11. "Step in the Name of Love" (2003) – #9 12. "Happy People" (2004) – #2 13. "In The Kitchen" (2005) – #16 14. "Same Girl" with Usher (2007) – #20 15. "Number One" with Keri Hilson (2009) – #8 16. "When a Woman Loves" (2010) – #10 "Bump N‘ Grind" and his duet with Celine Dion "I‘m Your Angel" are notably his longest running #1 hits, each spending 12 and 6 weeks at the summit respectively. ### Breakdown of R. Kelly‘s 15 R&B Chart-Toppers Switching over to the R&B charts, R. Kelly has amassed a whopping 15 #1 singles: - "Bump N‘ Grind" (1994) - "Your Body‘s Callin" (1994) - "You Remind Me of Something" (1995) - "Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)" with Ronald Isley (1995) - "I Can‘t Sleep Baby (If I)" (1996) - "I Believe I Can Fly" (1996) - "Gotham City" (1997) - "I‘m Your Angel" with Celine Dion (1998) - "If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time" (1999) - "The World‘s Greatest" (2002) - "The Storm Is Over Now" with Ronald Isley (2002) - "Step in the Name of Love" (2003) - "PYT (Pretty Young Thing)" with Michael Jackson (2010) - "When a Woman Loves" (2010) - "Share My Love" (2012) "Step in the Name of Love" holds the longevity record, topping the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for a whopping 17 weeks in 2003. ### How R. Kelly Stacks Up to Michael Jackson‘s #1 Hits R. Kelly‘s chart numbers are certainly impressive, but how does he compare to the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson? In terms of #1 Billboard Hot 100 hits, Jackson is far ahead with 13 chart-toppers to R. Kelly‘s 5. On the R&B charts, Jackson notched 17 #1 hits compared to Kelly‘s 15. Additionally, Jackson‘s total singles discography on the Hot 100 stands at 43 entries versus 33 for Kelly. And Jackson‘s estimated worldwide album sales ranging from 350-750 million units eclipse Kelly‘s 150 million. So while R. Kelly stands as an R&B/hip-hop titan in his own right, Jackson‘s massive commercial heights put him on a different level in terms of overall pop chart dominance. ### R. Kelly‘s Songwriting Successes for Other Stars Aside from his solo hits, R. Kelly has seen major success as a songwriter behind the scenes for other artists: - Michael Jackson – "You Are Not Alone" (1995). R. Kelly‘s first high-profile songwriting credit, this ballad hit #1. - Whitney Houston – "I Look to You" (2009). The title track from Whitney‘s comeback album that Kelly co-wrote. - Celine Dion – "I‘m Your Angel" (1998). Kelly co-wrote and sang on this chart-topping duet. - Lady Gaga – "Do What U Want" (2013). Kelly co-wrote this controversial single for Gaga. - Jennifer Hudson – "Where You At" (2011). A top 40 R&B hit penned by Kelly. - Britney Spears – "Outrageous" (2004). Kelly co-wrote the title track from Britney‘s album. - Usher – "Same Girl" (2007). Kelly co-wrote and appeared on this collaboration. - Justin Bieber – "PYD" (2013). Kelly co-wrote the racy R&B song for Bieber. - Aaliyah – "Age Ain‘t Nothing But a Number" (1994). The provocative title track written and produced by Kelly for Aaliyah‘s debut. He may not get enough credit for it, but R. Kelly‘s songwriting for other stars represents a significant part of his success story. ### Breaking Down R. Kelly‘s Major Music Awards For an artist as accomplished as R. Kelly, you can imagine the awards piled up fast. Here‘s a rundown of some of his major accolades: - **Grammys** – 3 wins including Best Male R&B Vocal ("I Believe I Can Fly"), Best R&B Song ("I Believe I Can Fly"), and Best Song for Visual Media ("I Believe I Can Fly"). 20 total nominations. - **Billboard Music Awards** – R&B Artist of the Year (1996), R&B Album Artist of the Decade (2009). Over 30 wins total. - **BET Awards** – Lifetime Achievement Award (2019), multiple wins for Best Male R&B Artist. - **Soul Train Awards** – Sammy Davis Jr. Entertainer of the Year (Multiple Years), Best R&B/Soul Album Male (Multiple Years). - **NAACP Image Awards**– Outstanding Album (Multiple Years), Outstanding Male Artist (Multiple Years). - **American Music Awards** – Favorite Male R&B/Soul Artist (Multiple Years). - **MOBO Awards** – Best International Act (Multiple Years). With honors across the board from the Grammys, AMAs, and NAACP Image Awards, R. Kelly has been rightfully recognized by every major music institution. ### Breaking Down R. Kelly‘s Career Milestones Let‘s quickly recap some of the key moments and achievements that have defined R. Kelly‘s 30+ year career: - **First album Born Into The 90‘s released in 1992** - **"Bump N‘ Grind" hits #1 on the R&B and Pop charts in 1994** - **R. Kelly solo debut album goes platinum in 1995** - **Writes "You Are Not Alone" for Michael Jackson in 1995** - **"I Believe I Can Fly" off Space Jam is a global smash hit in 1996** - **Secretly marries Aaliyah in 1994 (later annulled)** - **Headlines Vibe magazine‘s first music tour in 1998** - **TP-2.com album sells 6 million copies worldwide in 2000** - **Performs at benefit concert after 9/11 in 2001** - **Major allegations made against Kelly in Surviving R. Kelly documentary in 2019** - **Jailed in 2022 on federal sex crime convictions** Some definite highs and lows throughout his lengthy time in the spotlight! ## Conclusion – Remembering R. Kelly‘s Hit Legacy There‘s no denying R. Kelly‘s massive impact on R&B and hip-hop over the past 30 years. The statistics speak for themselves: - 16 Hot 100 top 10 singles - 25 R&B/Hip-Hop top 10 singles - Over 20 R&B #1 hits - 150 million records sold - 3 Grammy Awards - Numerous other Billboard, BET, and AMA wins He collaborated with music legends like Michael Jackson and Celine Dion, while also penning hits for today‘s biggest stars. Despite his legal issues and controversies, the catchy hit machine that is R. Kelly secured his place among the R&B greats long ago. I hope this guide gave you some deeper insight into the huge breadth of his chart-topping catalog! Let me know if you have any other music questions in the future. --- Source: [How many hits does R Kelly have in his career?](https://33rdsquare.com/how-many-hits-does-r-kelly-have-in-his-career/)