Boney James Becomes First Artist to Notch 20 No. 1s on Smooth Jazz Airplay Chart

Gary Trust
·2 min read
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Boney James becomes the first act to amass 20 No. 1s on Billboard’s Smooth Jazz Airplay chart. The venerable saxophonist reaches the milestone as featured on “Cigar Lounge” by Big Mike Hart, who leads with his first chart entry.

James, born in Lowell, Mass., and raised in New Rochelle, N.Y., first topped the tally with “The Total Experience,” featuring George Duke, for four weeks beginning in November 2006. His latest leader is his fifth this decade and first since “Bring It Back,” featuring Dontae Winslow, ruled for a week in October 2022.

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The Smooth Jazz Airplay chart, which began in October 2005, ranks songs by weekly plays on 15 smooth jazz radio stations monitored by Mediabase, with data provided to Billboard by Luminate.

Most Smooth Jazz Airplay No. 1s:

  • 20, Boney James

  • 14, Gerald Albright

  • 13, Richard Elliot

  • 12, Brian Culbertson

  • 11, Rick Braun

  • 11, Paul Brown

  • 11, Paul Hardcastle

  • 10, Cindy Bradley

  • 10, Nick Colionne

  • 10, Euge Groove

  • 10, Dave Koz

James made his Billboard chart debut when his introductory LP, Trust, entered the Contemporary Jazz Albums list dated July 4, 1992. The set reached No. 8 that August, marking his first of 18 top 10s, encompassing all his entries on the ranking. He boasts nine No. 1s and most recently reached No. 2 with Detour in October 2022. On the genre-wide Jazz Albums chart, he has also earned 18 top 10s, including six No. 1s.

“Cigar Lounge” became Sacramento, Calif., native Hart’s first Billboard chart entry when it debuted on the Smooth Jazz Airplay chart dated Feb. 24.

Notably, Smooth Jazz Airplay becomes the 12th Billboard radio chart, of 25 total currently published, on which an act has notched 20 or more No. 1s. Drake has achieved the most leaders on any such survey: 45, on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay.

All Billboard charts dated April 20 will update Tuesday, April 16, on Billboard.com.

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