European Hot 100 Singles

The chart was based on national singles sales charts in 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium (two charts separately for Flanders and Wallonia), Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

By the issue dated/week ending November 13, 2010^[update], the European Hot 100 had accumulated 400 number one hits. The final chart was published on December 11, 2010, following the news of Billboard closing their London office and letting their UK-based staff go. The final number one single on the chart was "Only Girl (in the World)" by Rihanna.

Europarade Top 30

The first attempt at a Europe-wide chart was the Europarade, which was started in early 1976 by the Dutch TROS radio network. The chart initially consisted of only six countries: the Netherlands, UK, France, Germany, Belgium and Spain. In 1979 Italy and Denmark were added and during 1980, Austria and Switzerland were included. Ireland was added as the eleventh country in October 1983. The compilers collected the top 15 records from each country and then awarded corresponding points, depending which positions between 1 and 15 each record stood at. The "Europarade" was published in Music Week from the early 1980s, and in the Dutch magazine Hitkrant. 1984 was the year in which the length of the chart was increased from a top 30 to a top 40.

Euro Hot 100

In March 1984, Music & Media magazine in Amsterdam started their own singles chart, "European Top 100 Singles", which they published in the Eurotip Sheet for the first two years until issue April 19, 1986, after which its name was changed to Music & Media from issue April 26, 1986. The chart was based on national singles sales charts in sixteen European countries: Austria, Belgium (separately for Flanders and Wallonia), Denmark, Finland, France, West Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. This chart was accumulated by taking the chart positions in each country combined with the national sales percentage of records in that particular country.

In 1986, the official Eurochart also became a music TV show on Music Box with Dutch presenter Erik de Zwart. It was known as the 'Coca-Cola Eurochart Hot 100 Singles' from May 1988 to the end of 1992. As a syndicated show, it was also introduced on UK commercial radio and was definitely being broadcast in summer-autumn 1989 and January to April 1991; however, its precise start and end dates are not known. By September, 1989, the 'Coca-Cola Eurochart Hot 100' chart was being broadcast on 65 European radio stations.

Hosted by Pat Sharp, it was broadcast on a number of stations including Radio Trent, BRMB, Viking FM and GWR FM. A TV version was broadcast on Super Channel during 1989 and 1990, and it was hosted by Dutch presenter Caroline Tensen. The Eurochart quickly gained momentum, as it started to include more countries.

Billboard became Music & Media's financial partner in 1985 and later owned the magazine. When Music & Media closed in August 2003, Billboard continued to compile the Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. The last European Hot 100 Singles chart to appear in Billboard magazine was in the issue dated December 11, 2010, but Billboard only ever published the top 20 of the chart. However, Billboard continued to publish a Euro Digital Songs chart which was a top 10 and which was discontinued after February 12, 2022.

Artists achievements

Most number-one singles

• Madonna (17)
• ABBA (13)
• Michael Jackson (10)
• Eminem (8)
• Britney Spears (6)
• Boney M. (6)
• Elton John (5)
• Rihanna (5)
• Whitney Houston (5)
• Beyoncé (4)
• Kylie Minogue (4)
• Robbie Williams (4)
• Shakira (4)

Self-replacement at number-one

• Michael Jackson

"Bad" replaced "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (October 1987)

• Spice Girls

"Say You'll Be There" replaced "Wannabe" (November 1996)

• The Black Eyed Peas

"Meet Me Halfway" replaced "I Gotta Feeling" (December 2009)

• Rihanna

"Only Girl (In the World)" replaced "Love the Way You Lie" (November 2010)

Simultaneously occupying the top of the singles and albums charts

Madonna is the artist which has scored the most simultaneous number-ones with seven singles and six albums, followed by Michael Jackson with five singles and three albums and Lady Gaga with three singles and one album.

Songs achievements

Entered at number-one

• "No Limit" by 2 Unlimited (February 11, 1993)
• "Tribal Dance" by 2 Unlimited (May 12, 1993)
• "The Real Thing" by 2 Unlimited (May 18, 1994)
• "Music" by Madonna (September 8, 2000)
• "Beautiful Day" by U2 (October 28, 2000)
• "One More Time" by Daft Punk (December 2, 2000)
• "Stan" by Eminem (featuring Dido) (December 23, 2000)
• "Angel" by Shaggy (featuring Rayvon) (July 16, 2001)
• "Can't Get You Out of My Head" by Kylie Minogue (October 6, 2001)
• "Without Me" by Eminem (June 8, 2002)
• "Me Against The Music" by Britney Spears (featuring Madonna) (November 29, 2003)
• "Toxic" by Britney Spears (March 20, 2004)
• "Yeah!" by Usher (featuring Lil Jon & Ludacris) (April 3, 2004)
• "Radio" by Robbie Williams (October 23, 2004)
• "Just Lose It" by Eminem (November 20, 2004)
• "Get Right" by Jennifer Lopez (March 5, 2005)
• "Let Me Love You" by Mario (April 9, 2005)
• "Tripping" by Robbie Williams (October 22, 2005)
• "Run It!" by Chris Brown (February 18, 2006)
• "Sorry" by Madonna (March 11, 2006)
• "Bodies" by Robbie Williams (October 31, 2009)

Most weeks at number-one

Non-English language number-ones

• "99 Luftballons" by Nena (German – April 2, 1983 for 5 weeks)
• "Rock Me Amadeus" by Falco (German – July 27, 1985 for 2 weeks)
• "Yé ké yé ké" by Mory Kanté (Mandinka – June 18, 1988 for 3 weeks)
• "Im Nin'Alu" by Ofra Haza (Hebrew – August 6, 1988 for 2 weeks)
• "Lambada" by Kaoma (Portuguese – September 23, 1989 for 15 weeks)
• "Sadeness Part I" by Enigma (French/Latin – January 12, 1991 for 9 weeks)
• "La Copa de la Vida" by Ricky Martin (Spanish – June 20, 1998 for 5 weeks)
• "Dragostea din tei" by O-Zone (Romanian – June 26, 2004 for 12 weeks)
• "Obsesión" by Aventura (Spanish – September 18, 2004 for 6 weeks)
• "Alors on danse" by Stromae (French – March 20, 2010 for 10 weeks)

These songs are partly in English, but also partly another language.

• "Macarena" by Los Del Rio (Spanish/English – June 22, 1996 for 4 weeks)
• "Time to Say Goodbye" by Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman (Italian/English – June 7, 1997 for 1 week)
• "The Ketchup Song (Asereje)" by Las Ketchup (Spanish/English – September 21, 2002 for 16 weeks)
• "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)" by Pitbull (Spanish/English – August 1, 2009 for 6 weeks)
• "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" by Shakira (featuring Freshlyground) (Fang/Xhosa/English – August 7, 2010 for 6 weeks)
• "We No Speak Americano" by Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP (Neapolitan/English – September 18, 2010 for 3 weeks)