Elite Club of Women With 4 Top 10 Hits From Their Debut Album

Billboard is like the Holy Bible of the recording industry. To be charted in it is such a big thrill for any artist as not everyone has that “luck” or the opportunity to be ranked in any of its chart. To be recognized is just a little icing on top of the cake. But to be included in an “exclusive club” with other artists for having the same feat is simply an honor.

Here’s a list of female artists who had at least four Hot 100 Top 10 songs from a debut album for us to give a big round of applause. . .

Artist: CYNDI LAUPER Album: "SHE'S SO UNUSUAL" Year: 1984

Cyndi Lauper became the first female – and first artist overall – to generate four Hot 100 top 10s (in fact they are all Top 5) from a debut album with “She’s So Unusual.” The collection yielded the No. 2-peaking “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” “Time After Time” (No. 1, two weeks), “She Bop” (No. 3) and “All Through the Night” (No. 5) in 1984. Not to mention that these songs are in constant rotation on the chart from one song to another.

When the lattermost song reached the top 10 the week of Nov. 17, 1984, founding Chart Beat author Paul Grein noted that Lauper bested debut albums by the Beatles, Culture Club and Lionel Richie, each of whom racked a trio of Hot 100 top 10s from their first releases.

Artist: WHITNEY HOUSTON Album: "WHITNEY HOUSTON" Year: 1985-86

Whitney Houston or “The Voice” started with “You Give Good Love” ranking No. 3 and charted three consecutive No. 1 songs later that includes “Saving All My Love For You”, “How Will I Know” and  “Greatest Love of All”.

Artist: DEBBIE GIBSON Album: "OUT OF THE BLUE" Year: 1987-88

Before the time of Britney & Christina rivalry or Lady Gaga-Ke$ha era, there was that Tiffany-Debbie Gibson neck-to-neck competition after the Cyndi Lauper-Madonna mania. But Debbie Gibson was able to beat Tiffany for this feat as she yielded four Top 10 (in fact Top 5 like Cyndi Lauper): “Only In My Dreams” and “Shake Your Love” both No. 4, “Out Of The Blue” No. 3 and the No. 1 ballad “Foolish Beat”.

Artist: TAYLOR DAYNE Album: "TELL IT TO MY HEART" Year: 1987-88

The same year with Debbie when a Tina Turner voice-like singer came in, Taylor Dayne. Her debut album, “Tell It To My Heart” spawned No. 7 hits “Tell It To My Heart” and “Prove Your Love”, the No. 3 ballad “I’ll Always Love You” and “Don’t Rush Me” at No. 2.

Artist: PAULA ABDUL Album: "FOREVER YOUR GIRL" Year: 1989-90

Before she became an American Idol judge, Paula Abdul enjoyed on top of the charts while it lasts with her hit songs that cemented her singing career: “(It’s Just) The Way That You Love Me” No. 3 and her four consecutive No. 1’s—“Straight Up”, “Forever Your Girl”, my personal favorite “Cold Hearted” and “Opposites Attract” with The Wild Pair.

Artist: MARIAH CAREY Album: "MARIAH CAREY" Year: 1990-91

Then in 1990 came in the one of the most successful divas ever, Mariah Carey. Like Paula Abdul, she’s the other one in this league to have yielded four consecutive No. 1 songs in a row: “Vision Of Love”, “Love Takes Time”, “Someday” and “I Don’t Wanna Cry”.

Artist: CHRISTINA AGUILERA Album: "CHRISTINA AGUILERA" Year: 1999-00

Britney Spears may have beaten out more Christina Aguilera in terms of record sales but in terms of being record-breaking, Christina ousted Britney for this feat for having four Top 3 songs from a debut album: the No. 1 songs “Genie In A Bottle” and “What A Girl Want”, No. 3 “I Turn To You” and her other No. 1 and final song from the album, “Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)”.

Artist: BEYONCE Album: "Dangerously In Love" Year: 2003-04

Trying her luck as a solo artist, Beyonce Knowles did it with flying colors. She had 2 back-to-back No. 1 songs both with featured artists: “Crazy In Love” with Jay-Z and “Baby Boy” with Sean Paul, a No. 4 “Me, Myself and I” and a No. 3 hit, “Naughty Girl”.

Artist: FERGIE Album: "THE DUTCHESS" Year: 2006-07

Proving that Beyonce’s not the only to break from their group, Fergie became “The Dutchess” of her own with stunning five Top 5 hits: the No. 1 “London Bridge”, No. 2 “Fergalicious” feat. will.i.am, two back-to-back No. 1 hits “Glamorous” feat. Ludacris and another personal favorite, “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and wrapping up her debut album is her No. 5 hit (and another personal likey song of mine which in my opinion deserves the No. 1 position) “Clumsy”.

Artist: LADY GAGA Album: "THE FAME" Year: 2009

“The Fame” really made Lady Gaga the most famous and most talked about persona by 2009. Starting off with a sleeper hit before finally emerging the top spot in 2009 with “Just Dance” then followed by the infectious and another super likey fave song of mine, the No. 1 hit “Poker Face”, “Love Game” followed at No. 5  then “Paparazzi” at No. 6.

Artist: KE$HA Album: "ANIMAL" Year: 2009-10

And just recently, joining the roster is Ke$ha: “Tik Tok” went No. 1 (9 weeks), “Blah Blah Blah” feat. 3OH!3 at No. 7, “Your Love Is My Drug” No. 4 and her song that made her part of this league is her No. 8 hit, “Take It Off”.

Source: Billboard

Special Notes

• Cyndi Lauper still holds the title of “The First Artist” to have had four Top 5 singles from a debut album with each song constantly rotating from the chart in 1984
• Paula Abdul and Mariah Carey are the only women to bank four No. 1s a piece from a maiden album
• Paula Abdul and Fergie are the only women to net five Top 10 (actually Top 5) hits from their first efforts
• Out of the eleven albums, three are self-titled: “Whitney Houston”, “Mariah Carey” and “Christina Aguilera” and all three artists have powerful soprano voices (or in the case of Whitney, used to).
• The genre or style of music of each album/artist also varies: Cyndi’s New Wave/Pop/Punk; Whitney’s Pop/Soul; Debbie’s Teen Pop; Taylor’s Pop/Dance/Freestyle; Paula’s Pop/Dance/New Jack Swing; Mariah’s Pop/R&B; Christina’s Bubblegum Pop; Beyonce’s R&B; Fergie’s Hip Hop; Lady Gaga Electropop/R&B; Ke$ha’s Electropop/Hip Hop
• All songs from these debut albums have accompanying music videos except for one, Cyndi Lauper’s “All Through The Night”. Reason for not having one was that they want to test the market of a song without any accompanying music video. And did it work? Yes! “All Through The Night” charted at No. 5…without any official music video. Another first from the legendary, Ms. Cyndi Lauper.