Posted October 10Oct 10 Following 9 of the top 10 last week, and 8 this week being female, I got to wondering if there had ever been a all-female Top 10, although I assumed I would have heard a lot about it if there had have been. Indeed 9 of the top 10 being fully female is a record, though due to the way I compiled this list I can't say for sure if last week's instance was the first, or if there were others.The method I used here was to identify the fully female charttoppers and then view every weekly chart which each one was at the top of. If the number two turned out to have a non-female then I didn't put that week on the list. If I found the top 2 was fully female I then carried on down until I encountered the first non-female and then counted and listed the act/srtists up to the one before the first non-female. I excluded single form being fully female if the credited artists or acts contained any non-female whatsoever, whether in the main credit or the featured part. I was little bit more lenient in the 50s due to the fact that records by female soloists in that era invariable credited the female soloist as being with some bloke's orchestra, so I ignored that orchestra part for those and focussed only on the artist(s)/act(s) preceding the orchestra credit. There is a potential first female top 3 in November 1954 that I ruled out due to the female soloist at #2 having, as far as I could tell, a male musician credited in addition to the orchestra bit rather than as part of it, but maybe some of you will think I was a bit harsh in that one instance.Here's the list:1952-1959:1953/01/16 - 2 - Jo Stafford/Kay Starr1953/01/23 - 2 - Kay Starr/Jo Stafford1954/11/05 - 2 - Vera Lynn/Rosemary Clooney1956/04/20 - 2 - Winifred Atwell/Kay Starr1956/09/14 - 2 - Doris Day/Anne Shelton1956/09/21 - 2 - Anne Shelton/Doris Day1956/09/28 - 2 - Anne Shelton/Doris Day1956/10/05 - 2 - Anne Shelton/Doris Day1960s:1965/05/27 - 2 - Sandie Shaw/Jackie Trent1965/06/03 - 2 - Sandie Shaw/Jackie Trent1970s:1977/10/29 - 2 - Baccara/La Belle Epoque1980s:1980/09/20 - 2 - Kelly Marie/Randy Crawford1985/06/29 - 2 - Sister Sledge/Madonna1985/08/17 - 2 - Madonna/Madonna1986/03/15 - 2 - Diana Ross/The Bangles1987/04/25 - 2 - Madonna/Judy Boucher1987/05/02 - 2 - Madonna/Judy Boucher1988/01/30 - 2 - Tiffany/Belinda Carlisle1988/02/13 - 2 - Tiffany/Kylie Minogue1988/02/20 - 3 - Kylie Minogue/Tiffany/Taylor Dayne1988/08/06 - 2 - Yazz/Kylie Minogue1988/08/13 - 3 - Yazz/Kylie Minogue/Kim Wilde1988/08/20 - 2 - Yazz/Kylie Minogue1988/08/27 - 2 - Yazz/Kylie Minogue1988/10/29 - 2 - Enya/Kylie Minogue/Whitney Houston1988/11/05 - 2 - Enya/Kylie Minogue1988/11/12 - 2 - Enya/Kylie Minogue/Yazz1988/11/19 - 2 - Robin Beck/Yazz/Kylie1989/05/06 - 2 - The Bangles/Kylie Minogue1989/05/13 - 2 - Kylie Minogue/The Bangles1990s:1990/02/03 - 2 - Sinead O'Connor/Kylie Minogue1990/04/21 - 2 - Madonna/Alannah Myles1990/04/28 - 2 - Madonna/Alannah Myles1991/05/25 - 3 - Cher/Crystal Waters/Beverley Craven1992/03/14 - 2 - Shakespears Sister/Shanice1992/03/21 - 2 - Shakespears Sister/Shanice1992/03/28 - 2 - Shakespears Sister/Ce Ce Peniston1995/02/18 - 2 - Celine Dion/Annie Lennox1995/02/25 - 2 - Celine Dion/Annie Lennox1997/01/04 - 2 - Spice Girls/Toni Braxton1997/01/11 - 2 - Spice Girls/Tori Amos1998/03/07 - 2 - Madonna/Celine Dion1998/03/14 - 3 - Celine Dion/Natalie Imbruglia/Madonna1998/05/09 - 2 - All Saints/Madonna1998/06/06 - 2 - B*Witched/Brandy & Monica1998/10/17 - 2 - Billie/B*Witched1998/12/19 - 5 - B*Witched/Cher/Billie/Mariah Carey & Whitney Houston/Honeyz1999/10/16 - 2 - Christina Aguilera/Ann Lee1999/10/23 - 2 - Christina Aguilera/Ann Lee2000s:2000/02/05 - 2 - Gabrielle/Britney Spears2000/02/26 - 3 - All Saints/Gabrielle/Christina Aguilera2000/03/11 - 2 - Madonna/All Saints2000/11/04 - 2 - Spice Girls/Martine McCutcheon2000/12/02 - 2 - Destinys Child/LeAnn Rimes2001/08/04 - 2 - Atomic Kitten/Destinys Child2002/09/14 - 3 - Atomic Kitten/Appleton/Sugababes2002/09/28 - 2 - P!nk/Atomic Kitten2003/01/04 - 2 - Girls Aloud/The Cheeky Girls2003/01/11 - 2 - Girls Aloud/The Cheeky Girls2003/02/08 - 2 - t.A.T.u./Kelly Rowland2003/02/22 - 2 - t.A.T.u./Sinead Quinn2003/03/15 - 2 - Christina Aguilera/Dannii Minogue2004/01/24 - 2 - Michelle/Kelis2004/01/31 - 2 - Michelle/Kelis2004/06/05 - 2 - Frankee/Kelis2004/11/27 - 2 - Girls Aloud/Destinys Child2004/12/04 - 2 - Girls Aloud/Destinys Child2005/12/17 - 3 - The Pussycat Dolls/Madonna/Sugababes2006/03/04 - 2 - Madonna/Corinne Bailey Rae2006/06/17 - 2 - Nelly Furtado/Sandi Thom2006/06/24 - 2 - Nelly Furtado/Sandi Thom2007/12/22 - 2 - Eva Cassidy & Katie Melua/Leona Lewis2008/03/22 - 2 - Duffy/Leona Lewis2008/11/01 - 2 - Girls Aloud/P!nk2009/01/03 - 3 - Alexandra Burke/Leona Lewis/Beyonce2009/03/07 - 3 - Kelly Clarkson/Taylor Swift/Lady Gaga2010s:2010/11/13 - 4 - Rihanna/Cheryl Cole/Alexis Jordan/Katy Perry2011/03/26 - 2 - Nicole Scherzinger/Adele2011/04/02 - 2 - Adele/Nicole Scherzinger2012/05/12 - 2 - Tulisa/Carly Rae Jepsen2013/09/14 - 2 - Katy Perry/Ellie Goulding2014/07/12 - 2 - Ariana Grande ft Iggy Azalea2014/10/11 - 3 - Meghan Trainor/Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj/Taylor Swift2014/10/18 - 4 - Meghan Trainor/Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj/Nicki Minaj/Taylor Swift2014/10/25 - 2 - Meghan Trainor/Taylor Swift2017/09/07 - 3 - Taylor Swift/Dua Lipa/P!nk2017/09/14 - 3 - Taylor Swift/Dua Lipa/P!nk2018/11/29 - 3 - Ariana Grande/Little Mix ft Nicki Minaj2018/12/06 - 4 - Ariana Grande/Little Mix ft Nicki Minaj/Jess Glynne/Halsey2018/12/13 - 3 - Ariana Grande/Ava Max/Halsey2018/12/20 - 3 - Ariana Grande/Ava Max/Halsey2019/01/03 - 2 - Ava Max/Mariah Carey2019/01/10 - 2 - Ava Max/Ariana Grande2019/01/17 - 2 - Ava Max/Ariana Grande2019/01/24 - 2 - Ariana Grande/Ava Max2019/01/31 - 2 - Ariana Grande/Ava Max2019/02/07 - 2 - Ariana Grande/Ava Max2019/02/14 - 2 - Ariana Grande/Ava Max2019/02/21 - 2 - Ariana Grande/Ariana Grande2019/02/28 - 2 - Ariana Grande/Ariana Grande2019/11/14 - 2 - Tones & I/Dua Lipa2019/11/21 - 2 - Tones & I/Dua Lipa2019/11/28 - 3 - Tones & I/Dua Lipa/Billie Eilish2020/01/02 - 2 - Ellie Goulding/Mariah Carey2020s:2020/11/26 - 3 - Ariana Grande/Billie Eilish/Little Mix2020/12/03 - 3 - Ariana Grande/Billie Eilish/Little Mix2020/12/10 - 2 - Ariana Grande/Mariah Carey2021/01/21 - 2 - Olivia Rodrigo/Little Mix2021/02/02 - 2 - Adele/Adele2021/02/09 - 3 - Adele/Gayle/Mariah Carey2022/01/13 - 2 - Adele/Gayle2022/01/20 - 2 - Gayle/Adele2022/12/08 - 2 - Taylor Swift/Meghan Trainor2022/12/15 - 2 - Mariah Carey/Raye ft 070 Shake2023/01/26 - 4 - Miley Cyrus/Raye ft 070 Shake/Sza/Taylor Swift2023/02/02 - 4 - Miley Cyrus/Raye ft 070 Shake/Sza/Taylor Swift2023/02/09 - 3 - Miley Cyrus/Raye ft 070 Shake/Sza2023/02/23 - 4 - Miley Cyrus/Raye ft 070 Shake/Pinkpantheress/Sza2023/03/02 - 3 - Miley Cyrus/Pinkpantheress/Sza2023/03/09 - 3 - Miley Cyrus/Pinkpantheress/Sza2023/03/16 - 2 - Miley Cyrus/Pinkpantheress2023/03/23 - 2 - Miley Cyrus/Pinkpantheress2023/08/24 - 6 - Billie Eilish/Dua Lipa/Olivia Rodrigo/Taylor Swift/Peggy Gou/Olivia Rodrigo2023/08/31 - 6 - Dua Lipa/Billie Eilish/Olivia Rodrigo/Doja Cat/Taylor Swift/Peggy Gou2023/09/07 - 5 - Olivia Rodrigo/Doja Cat/Billie Eilish/Taylor Swift/Peggy Gou2023/09/14 - 5 - Doja Cat/Taylor Swift/Olivia Rodrigo/Billie Eilish/Peggy Gou2023/09/21 - 3 - Doja Cat/Olivia Rodrigo/Olivia Rodrigo2023/09/28 - 3 - Doja Cat/Olivia Rodrigo/Kenya Grace2023/10/05 - 2 - Doja Cat/Kenya Grace2023/10/12 - 3 - Doja Cat/Kenya Grace/Tate McCrae2023/11/09 - 2 - Taylor Swift/Taylor Swift2024/05/30 - 2 - Sabrina Carpenter/Billie Eilish2024/06/06 - 2 - Sabrina Carpenter/Billie Eilish2024/06/27 - 2 - Sabrina Carpenter/Sabrina Carpenter2024/07/04 - 2 - Sabrina Carpenter/Sabrina Carpenter2024/07/11 - 2 - Sabrina Carpenter/Sabrina Carpenter2024/07/18 - 2 - Sabrina Carpenter/Sabrina Carpenter2024/07/25 - 2 - Sabrina Carpenter/Sabrina Carpenter2024/08/01 - 3 - Sabrina Carpenter/Billie Eilish/Chappell Roan2024/08/08 - 3 - Sabrina Carpenter/Chappell Roan/Billie Eilish2024/08/15 - 3 - Charli XCX ft Billie Eilish/Sabrina Carpenter/Chappell Roan/Billie Eilish2024/09/05 - 4 - Sabrina Carpenter/Sabrina Carpenter/Sabrina Carpenter/Chappell Roan2024/09/12 - 5 - Sabrina Carpenter/Sabrina Carpenter/Sabrina Carpenter/Chappell Roan/Billie Eilish2024/09/19 - 3 - Sabrina Carpenter/Sabrina Carpenter/Chappell Roan2024/09/26 - 4 - Sabrina Carpenter/Chappell Roan/Sabrina Carpenter/Sabrina Carpenter2024/10/03 - 3 - Sabrina Carpenter/Chappell Roan/Sabrina Carpenter2024/10/10 - 3 - Sabrina Carpenter/Chappell Roan/Sabrina Carpenter2024/10/17 - 2 - Sabrina Carpenter/Chappell Roan2024/10/31 - 2 - Sabrina Carpenter/Gigi Perez2024/11/14 - 2 - Gracie Abrams/Gigi Perez2024/11/21 - 2 - Gracie Abrams/Gigi Perez2024/11/28 - 2 - Gracie Abrams/Gigi Perez2024/12/05 - 2 - Gracie Abrams/Gigi Perez2025/10/16 - 4 - Taylor Swift/Taylor Swift/Taylor Swift/Olivia Dean2025/10/23 - 2 - Taylor Swift/Olivia Dean2025/10/30 - 2 - Taylor Swift/Olivia Dean2025/12/04 - 4 - Taylor Swift/Raye/Olivia Dean/Olivia Dean2025/12/11 - 2 - Taylor Swift/Raye2026/01/08 - 2 - Raye/Taylor Swift2026/06/25 - 3 - Taylor Swift/Olivia Rodrigo/Olivia Rodrigo2026/09/10 - 2 - Ella Langley/Sienna Spiro2026/09/17 - 2 - Sienna Spiro/Ella Langley2026/09/24 - 2 - Sienna Spiro/Ella Langley2026/10/01 - 6 - Sienna Spiro/Ella Langley/Stella Lefty/ADELA/Dua Lipa/Olivia Rodrigo2026/10/08 - 5 - Taylor Swift/Sienna Spiro/Taylor Swift/Taylor Swift/Ella Langley2026/10/15 - 2 - Taylor Swift/Sienna SpiroLet me know if you spot any mistakes, or think I've missed anything. Edited October 10Oct 10 by DanChartFan
October 10Oct 10 I haven’t read all the way through this yet, but it is shocking how rarely it happened in the 60s and 70s!I guess there were a lot of female singers, such as ABBA and Olivia Newton John, who released singles alongside men.So 1957-1984 (almost 19 years) it only happened 4 times. Madonna clearly was the inspiration that led to the change.And 1988 - the year that I got into music - was the year that this feat became quite common - and it is impressive how many times Kylie featured in the list from that year. Edited October 10Oct 10 by GreyAsh
October 10Oct 10 Author 3 minutes ago, GreyAsh said:I haven’t read all the way through this yet, but it is shocking how rarely it happened in the 60s and 70s!I guess there were a lot of female singers, such as ABBA and Olivia Newton John, who released singles alongside men.It seems like once rock'n'roll hit in 1956/57 the industry became very male heavy, and as you say females often appeared on singles with males rather than truly on their own., which was still happening a fair bit in the 2000s and 2020s with female soloist's tracks often have a male rapper on. I also got the impression that any major female artists that were able to get big hits in the 1956-1984/5 era seemed to be intentionally releasing a few weeks apart from each other, perhaps not wishing to compete against each other. One thing notable on the list is what I'm thinking of as the 'Madonna effect' because as soon as she started being big and being able to have more than one single concurrently in the top 10, in about mid 1985, it seemed to open the floodgates for multiple females to be having big hits in the same week as each other. Things seemed to have notably gone up a gear again in both 2018 and 2023. Edited October 10Oct 10 by DanChartFan
October 10Oct 10 Author I forgot to add that in the case of 'Yazz and the Plastic Population' my understanding is that the Plastic Population were fictional, as that bit was apparently added to Yazz's credit purely to ensure that people in the US did not confuse her with Yazoo (who had to be called Yaz in the US for legal reasons I think). I have thus ruled 'Yazz and the Plastic Population' to be one person, Yazz, and to thus be fully female.
October 11Oct 11 On 10/10/2026 at 10:31, DanChartFan said:I forgot to add that in the case of 'Yazz and the Plastic Population' my understanding is that the Plastic Population were fictional, as that bit was apparently added to Yazz's credit purely to ensure that people in the US did not confuse her with Yazoo (who had to be called Yaz in the US for legal reasons I think). I have thus ruled 'Yazz and the Plastic Population' to be one person, Yazz, and to thus be fully female.No, the Plastic Population was basically just Coldcut (who produced it) demanding a credit on the record.
October 11Oct 11 35 minutes ago, Stephen Emmett said:No, the Plastic Population was basically just Coldcut (who produced it) demanding a credit on the record.Hmmm - but on ‘Doctorin’ The House’ Coldcut were credited separately to the Plastic Population - suggesting they are not the same entity.
October 11Oct 11 Coldcut were indeed the Plastic Population, I think as it was Yazz's first release as lead act they wanted to help her and jokingly called themselves plastic population after the sample at the end of the track "Doctorin The House" instead of Coldcut. I take the point of the credit on "Doctorin the house" and I don't why they, in essence, credited themselves twice.
Create an account or sign in to comment