Drake Breaks Billboard’s All-Time R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Record, Surpassing Future and The Temptations With 18 No. 1 Albums

Drake has officially made Billboard history, becoming the artist with the most No. 1 albums in the 61-year history of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and surpassing a record previously shared with Future and legendary Motown group The Temptations.

According to Billboard’s October 14, 2026, chart report, the Toronto rapper secured his record-breaking 18th No. 1 album after HABIBTI surged to the top of the chart following the release of its expanded edition, HABIBTI (FOMO).

The achievement moves Drake ahead of Future and The Temptations, who each have 17 chart-topping albums, giving him sole possession of one of the most significant records in R&B and hip-hop chart history.

What makes the milestone particularly remarkable is how Drake accomplished it. Rather than releasing an entirely new project, he returned to an existing album, added four songs and generated enough renewed streaming activity to send the record from No. 35 directly to No. 1.

In another unusual twist, Drake replaced himself at the top of the chart, with HABIBTI taking over the position previously occupied by his own album ICEMAN.

The accomplishment reinforces Drake’s position as one of the most commercially successful artists of the streaming era, with a catalog that has consistently dominated Billboard’s rankings for more than 15 years.

Drake Officially Becomes Billboard’s All-Time Leader

Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart has tracked the most popular albums in those genres since January 1965, covering generations of influential musicians and major changes in how Americans consume music.

For decades, The Temptations represented the standard for chart dominance, building their success during Motown’s historic run in the 1960s and 1970s.

The group eventually accumulated 17 No. 1 albums, a benchmark that stood for decades before contemporary hip-hop artists began challenging it.

Drake matched that total earlier in 2026 with ICEMAN, joining The Temptations at the top of the all-time list. Future also reached 17, creating a three-way tie.

Now, with HABIBTI claiming the top position on the chart dated October 17, Drake has broken that tie.

The updated all-time standings place Drake first with 18 No. 1 albums, followed by Future and The Temptations with 17 each. Jay-Z follows with 14, while Kanye West, now known as Ye, has 13.

The ranking is especially notable because it spans both R&B and hip-hop, placing Drake’s accomplishments alongside artists from different musical generations and traditions.

It also measures the number of distinct albums that have reached No. 1, rather than the total number of weeks an artist has spent in the top position.

‘HABIBTI (FOMO)’ Sends Drake Back to No. 1

The record-breaking chart performance followed the October 2 release of HABIBTI (FOMO), an expanded version of Drake’s album HABIBTI.

The deluxe edition added four songs to the original 11-track project, bringing the expanded release to 15 tracks.

The additional songs were “Solar Eclipse,” featuring Don Toliver; “Quebec”; “Cold Shoulder,” featuring Don Toliver and Yebba; and “Classic Pt 2.”

The release also extended the rollout surrounding Drake’s FOMO film, giving fans new material connected to the project.

Billboard reported that HABIBTI earned 71,000 equivalent album units in the United States during the tracking week of October 2 through October 8, according to music-data company Luminate.

That represented a 506% increase from the album’s performance during the previous tracking period.

The surge was driven overwhelmingly by streaming activity, with nearly 70,000 units attributed to on-demand streams.

For Billboard’s chart calculations, the original album and its deluxe edition are combined into one chart entry.

That means the expanded release’s performance contributed to the existing HABIBTI album rather than being counted as an entirely separate project.

The result was a dramatic 34-position jump, taking the album from No. 35 to No. 1.

Drake Replaces Himself at the Top of the Chart

One of the most striking details of the record-breaking week is that Drake’s latest No. 1 did not displace a rival artist.

It displaced Drake himself.

Before HABIBTI returned to the top position, his album ICEMAN had been leading the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

The transition made Drake the first artist to replace himself at No. 1 on the chart since May 2024, when Future and Metro Boomin achieved the same feat with their collaborative projects We Don’t Trust You and We Still Don’t Trust You.

The accomplishment highlights Drake’s ability to maintain commercial momentum across multiple projects simultaneously.

Rather than relying on one album cycle, he has kept separate releases active on the charts, with new music generating additional interest in his catalog.

ICEMAN has been especially successful. The project accumulated 14 weeks at No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, making it Drake’s longest-running leader on that particular ranking.

That surpassed Take Care, which spent 12 weeks at No. 1, and For All the Dogs, which logged 11 weeks.

With HABIBTI now joining the list, Drake’s total of chart-topping albums has reached a level no other artist has achieved since the chart began.

Drake’s 18 No. 1 Albums Span More Than 15 Years

Drake’s first No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart came in July 2010 with his debut studio album, Thank Me Later.

That release marked the beginning of an extraordinary run that would carry him through several different eras of the music business, from the dominance of digital downloads to the rise of subscription streaming.

His second studio album, Take Care, reached No. 1 in December 2011 and spent 12 weeks atop the chart, becoming one of the defining releases of his early career.

Over the following years, projects including Nothing Was the Same, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, Views, More Life and Scorpion continued his commercial success.

Drake also earned No. 1 placements through collaborative projects, including What a Time to Be Alive with Future, Her Loss with 21 Savage and $ome $exy $ongs 4 U with PARTYNEXTDOOR.

His compilation and mixtape releases have contributed to the total as well, illustrating how his commercial reach extends beyond traditional studio albums.

The latest achievement is especially notable because Drake’s 18 chart-topping projects have accumulated over a period of approximately 16 years, while The Temptations established their record during a much earlier era of the recording industry.

The record is not limited to rap albums. It encompasses the broader R&B and hip-hop category, giving Drake the highest total among artists whose careers span soul, contemporary R&B and hip-hop.

Drake Also Breaks More Billboard Records With Two Songs

The album milestone was not Drake’s only chart achievement during the October 17 tracking week.

His new collaboration with Don Toliver, “Solar Eclipse,” reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, extending Drake’s record to 33 chart-topping songs on that ranking.

The song also reached No. 1 on the Hot R&B Songs chart, giving Drake his 10th leader on that list.

For Don Toliver, the performance represented his first No. 1 on both the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot R&B Songs charts.

Meanwhile, “Quebec,” another addition to the HABIBTI (FOMO) deluxe edition, reached No. 1 on the Hot Rap Songs chart.

That achievement gave Drake his 33rd No. 1 on the rap-specific songs ranking, extending another record.

Taken together, the results demonstrate how the expanded album generated success across several Billboard charts simultaneously.

The new songs were not simply additions designed to attract renewed attention to an older release. They became major chart performers in their own right, helping drive the album’s return to No. 1.

The Temptations’ Historic Record Finally Falls

Drake’s accomplishment also brings renewed attention to the extraordinary longevity of The Temptations’ record.

The legendary Motown group first established itself as the leading act on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in July 1966, when Gettin’ Ready became its third No. 1 album.

The group continued expanding its total throughout the following decade, eventually reaching 17 No. 1 albums with A Song for You in May 1975.

For generations, that achievement remained one of the defining benchmarks of R&B chart success.

The Temptations helped shape American popular music with recordings such as “My Girl,” “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” and “Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me),” establishing a legacy that extended far beyond commercial rankings.

Drake’s new record does not diminish that legacy. Instead, it illustrates how the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart has evolved across six decades, from Motown’s dominance to the modern streaming era.

It is also worth noting that Billboard’s methodology has changed over time. Earlier chart rankings relied on album sales, while today’s rankings incorporate streaming-equivalent and track-equivalent album activity.

Those changes make direct comparisons between eras complicated, even as the official record remains a significant historical distinction.

What the Record Means for Drake’s Legacy

The latest milestone arrives at a time when Drake’s commercial performance continues to be closely scrutinized following years of high-profile competition, public disputes and debate over his position in hip-hop.

Yet the Billboard figures provide a measurable indication of his sustained popularity.

With 18 No. 1 albums, Drake now stands alone atop a chart that has included some of the most influential performers in Black American music history.

His latest success also reflects the effectiveness of a release strategy built around multiple projects, expanded editions and sustained streaming engagement.

The HABIBTI (FOMO) deluxe release demonstrates how a relatively small collection of new songs can renew interest in an existing album and dramatically change its chart performance.

For Drake, the strategy delivered something more substantial than another successful streaming week: an outright all-time Billboard record.

With HABIBTI now officially recognized as his 18th No. 1 album, the Toronto superstar has moved beyond Future and The Temptations to become the most successful artist in the history of Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart by number of chart-topping titles.

And with multiple projects still active on the charts, the record may continue to grow.