It’s officially happened. Drake has now passed Michael Jackson for the most Billboard No. 1 hits by a solo male artist after “Janice STFU” from his new album Iceman hit the top spot.
For years, Drake and Michael Jackson were tied with 13 Billboard No. 1 records. But now Drake officially moves ahead with 14 chart-topping hits, tying him with Taylor Swift and Rihanna overall. The only act still ahead of Drake now is The Beatles with 17 No. 1 records.
As soon as the news broke, Drake celebrated on Instagram by posting an edited photo of Michael Jackson wearing the “Iceman” hairstyle before flexing in the caption about “records broken” and “carrying the game.” Fans immediately flooded social media debating whether the moment should even count in the same conversation as Michael Jackson’s era.
A huge wave of MJ fans pushed back hard, arguing Michael achieved his records without streaming, TikTok promotion, or modern playlisting. Others pointed out that Michael reached his Billboard milestones with fewer releases overall. But Drake supporters are firing back saying numbers are numbers, and regardless of era, breaking a record of this magnitude is historic.
What’s making the debate even louder is the fact that many fans didn’t originally expect “Janice STFU” to become the breakout hit from Iceman. Tracks like “Shebang,” “Too Hard for the Radio,” and “Whisper My Name” were getting more early hype online. But after Drake publicly used “Janice STFU” in a viral collaboration with a content creator, fans started realizing that was clearly the single he planned to push the hardest.
Now attention is already shifting to Drake’s next move. According to close collaborator Bendadon, Drake is preparing to hit the road for a major tour following the album release. That immediately sparked another huge argument online: can Drake finally pull off a full stadium tour?
Some fans say it’s ridiculous to even question it after Drake sold out multiple arena nights in the same cities for years. Others believe Drake’s music works better in large arenas than giant stadiums, arguing artists like Travis Scott fit stadium energy more naturally.
Still, many people online think the criticism has become more about anti-Drake bias than reality. Supporters pointed out that Drake consistently sells out consecutive arena dates, something few artists in music history can do at his level.
Whether people like it or not, Drake just added another historic achievement to his career. And judging from the reaction online, the Kendrick vs Drake era still has fans choosing sides nearly two years later.
