As the music world remembers Tupac Shakur on what would have been his 49th birthday today (June 16), Billboard revisits the artist’s legacy that he left behind on the Billboard Hot 100.
Tupac debuted on the chart in 1993 with “I Get Around,” which eventually peaked at No. 11, and went on to chart 20 additional songs on the list. He landed a No. 1 with the double-sided single “How Do U Want It/California Love,” featuring K-Ci and JoJo, which reigned for two weeks in July 1996; the double single leads our exclusive recap list of Tupac’s biggest Hot 100 hits below.
His second biggest hit on our roundup is another double-sided hit, “Dear Mama/Old School.” The single was his first top 10 hit, back in April 1995, peaking at No. 9 on the weekly tally. It also scored him a Grammy Award nomination for best rap solo performance.
In total, Tupac scored 21 hits on the Hot 100, with nine of them reaching the top 40. He most recently visited the tally in 2009 as a featured act on Keyshia Cole‘s “Playa Cardz Right.” Notably, two-thirds of his chart entries came after his death on Sept. 13, 1996 — 14 of his 21 entries debuted after his passing.
Tupac also earned five No. 1s on the Billboard 200 albums chart, starting with Me Against the World, which ruled for four weeks in 1995. The MC returned to the perch once more during his lifetime, with All Eyez On Me (two weeks, 1996). He’s since visited the penthouse with three posthumous chart-toppers: The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (one week, 1996), Until the End of Time (one week, 2001) and Loyal to the Game (one week, 2005).
Tupac’s Top 10 Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits
Rank, Title, Act, Peak Position, Peak Date
1. “How Do U Want It/California Love,” 2Pac Featuring K-Ci & JoJo, No. 1 (2 weeks), July 13, 1996
2. “Dear Mama/Old School,” 2Pac, No. 9, April 29, 1995
3. “I Get Around,” 2Pac, No. 11, October 2, 1993
4. “Keep Ya Head Up,” 2Pac, No. 12, Jan. 8, 1994
5. “Runnin (Dying to Live),” Tupac Featuring The Notorious B.I.G., No. 19, Dec. 20, 2003
6. “Thugz Mansion,” 2Pac, No. 19, Dec. 28, 2002
7. “Smile,” Scarface Featuring 2Pac & Johnny P, No. 12, July 26, 1997
8. “Do For Love,” 2Pac Featuring Eric Williams, No. 21, March 28, 1998
9. “Changes,” 2Pac, No. 32, Jan. 23, 1999
10. “So Many Tears,” 2Pac, No. 44, Aug. 5, 1995
Tupac’s Biggest Billboard Hot 100 hits chart is based on actual performance on the weekly Billboard Hot 100. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted to account for different chart turnover rates over various periods.
This article has been updated.