Nicki Minaj Inches Closer to Aretha Franklin & Taylor Swift for Most Hot 100 Hits by Women

Minaj lands her 68th appearance as featured on Ariana Grande’s «Side to Side.»

Ariana Grande and featured artist Nicki Minaj cycle onto the Billboard Hot 100(dated Sept. 17) at No. 31 with «Side to Side,» the chart’s highest debut of the week.

After their cardio-intensive performance of the track on the MTV Video Music Awards Aug. 28, partly on stationary bikes, and the premiere of its similarly themed official video Aug. 29, the reggae-leaning track speeds onto the Streaming Songs chart at No. 17 with 10 million U.S. streams, up 1,157 percent, in the week ending Sept. 1, according to Nielsen Music. On Digital Songs, it debuts at No. 26 (29,000 sold, up 2,744 percent from 1,000 sold the week before)

The song arrives as Minaj’s 68th Hot 100 hit, moving her to within five of Aretha Franklin’s record for the most among women (73) and one shy of runner-up Taylor Swift’s total (69). («Side» is Grande’s 21st Hot 100 title.)

Here is an updated look at the women with the most Hot 100 visits, dating to the chart’s Aug. 4, 1958 inception:

73, Aretha Franklin
69, Taylor Swift
68, Nicki Minaj
57, Madonna
57, Rihanna
56, Dionne Warwick
53, Beyonce
53, Connie Francis
48, Brenda Lee
47, Mariah Carey

Notably, Minaj has been credited as a lead artist on 26 of her Hot 100 entries, or 38 percent. Swift has been the lead on 66 of her 69 charted titles (96 percent) and Franklin, all 73 of hers (with much of her career predating years in which featured billings became common).

Among all acts, the cast of Fox’s Glee leads with 207 Hot 100 entries, followed by Lil Wayne (132) and Drake (126). Franklin is in 10th place among all acts, Swift is 12th and Minaj is 13th.

CREDITS TO BILLBOARD.-