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Bruno Mars Ties One Of The Top R&B Artists Of All Time
Hollywood & Entertainment Bruno Mars Ties One Of The Top R&B Artists Of All Time By Hugh McIntyre ,
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Hugh McIntyre covers music, with a focus on the global charts. Follow Author Aug 17, 2026, 10:15am EDT --:-- / --:-- This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more . This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more . Summary Bruno Mars’s “I Just Might” reaches a milestone 30 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot R&B Songs chart, tying SZA’s “Kill Bill” as the fourth-longest-running leader in the ranking’s history. The 'The Romantic' single also holds atop the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs tally for a twenty-third week, breaking its tie with Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” and claiming second place alone on that all-time list.
When Bruno Mars returned earlier this year with “I Just Might,” the lead single from his then-upcoming solo album The Romantic , he hit a home run. The track appealed to both R&B fans and top 40 pop lovers, which has become the singer-songwriter’s specialty.
Months after “I Just Might” dropped, and even a long time following the release of The Romantic , the track is still counted as one of the biggest in America. Each week, Mars continues to dominate several R&B-leaning rankings published by Billboard , and every time he scores another frame in the top spot with “I Just Might,” both the track and the man behind it make history again.
“I Just Might” is steady at No. 1 on the Hot R&B Songs chart this week. As of this period, “I Just Might” has now spent a milestone 30 weeks in charge of the tally, which focuses entirely on the most-consumed R&B cuts in the nation.
“I Just Might” is now tied as the fourth-longest-running No. 1 in the history of the Hot R&B Songs chart. Mars’s smash matches SZA’s “Kill Bill,” which also managed an even 30 frames in charge between 2022 and 2023.
The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” still holds the all-time record on the Hot R&B Songs ranking, and it may continue to do so for quite some time. The multigenre smash – it’s really more of a pop and dance track, but not according to Billboard – held on for 48 frames between 2020 and 2021.
Last year, Leon Thomas scored the biggest hit of his career as “Mutt” held court at No. 1 for 34 weeks. SZA has also seen one of her own hits perform even better than “Kill Bill.” “Snooze” dominated the R&B list for 32 stints beginning its run in 2023.
Mars has collected five No. 1 hits on the Hot R&B Songs chart. Amazingly, all of them have topped the tally for double-digit frames.
His second-longest-running ruler is “That’s What I Like,” which spent an even 20 turns in charge. The smash is tied with several other tracks, including a pair of The Weeknd singles and Drake’s “One Dance” with Wizkid and Kyla, among the seventh-longest-running champions in the history of the ranking.
“Leave the Door Open,” one of Mars’s singles as one-half of Silk Sonic with Anderson .Paak, spent 14 weeks at No. 1. “Finesse,” one of his multiple successful collaborations with Cardi B, racked up an even dozen moments in the spotlight back in 2018, while “Smokin Out the Window” – another Silk Sonic track – held on for 11.
“I Just Might” also makes history by remaining at No. 1 on another closely-related roster. On the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart – which also includes hip-hop and rap music, in addition to R&B works – the single is steady in first place for a twenty-third frame.
That total helps Mars’s cut break its tie with Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” which stopped ruling after 22 weeks. “I Just Might” now solely claims the honor of being the second-longest-running champion in the history of the tally.
Lamar and SZA still hold the record. Their Grammy-winning duet “Luther” occupied the uppermost rung for 31 frames before ending its historic run last year.
“I Just Might” appears on a dozen Billboard charts this week. While it only leads the Hot R&B Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs tallies, the single holds within the top 10 on several other lists.
The smash sits at No. 2 on both the Adult Contemporary and Adult Pop Airplay rankings. It slips one peg to No. 4 on the R&B Streaming Songs tally and is a non-mover at No. 5 on the Radio Songs roster following an impressive run at No. 1.
I Just MightBruno MarsBillboard's Hot R&B SongsSZA'sKill Bill
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