American Idol season 19 judge Katy Perry has a total of nine number-one songs on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, making her one of the most popular singers of all time. Back in 2001, Katy Perry still went by her legal name, Katheryn Hudson, and was mostly focused on releasing gospel music. Consequently, Katy released the pop-rock gospel album Katy Hudson in 2001, which was not a big success. A few years - and lots of rebranding - later, the Katy Perry we've come to know and love emerged with the One Of The Boys album released in 2008.
It was with the One Of The Boys album that Katy Perry solidified her career as a popstar. Ever since, she has released as many as four other albums that found lots of commercial success: 2010's Teenage Dream, 2013's Prism, 2017's Witness, and 2020's Smile. Most of these albums included several hit songs, particularly the Teenage Dream era, which included six of Katy's nine number-one songs on the Hot 100 charts from Billboard. So, let's take a deep dive into all the #1 hits that Katy Perry has released over the years.
"I Kissed A Girl"
Katy Perry's original hit song, which launched her career for years to come, was "I Kissed A Girl" from the One Of The Boys album. This lead single charted on the Billboard Hot 100 in July 2008, and it went on to become the #1 song in the country.
"California Gurls" Featuring Snoop Dogg
After Katy Perry's massive success with "I Kissed A Girl", certain music biz insiders wondered if she would go on to become a one-hit wonder. However, the Teenage Dream album proved that Katy's career would have lots of longevity, and it all started with the single "California Gurls". The song first charted on Billboard in June 2010, and it went on to top the Hot 100 chart.
"Teenage Dream"
Katy's record-breaking streak on Teenage Dream kept going with the release of the album's title track. As a single, "Teenage Dream" charted on Billboard in September 2010, and it also reached the number-one spot on the Hot 100 chart.
"Firework"
After three cheery, lighthearted hit songs, Katy Perry put a lot of effort behind "Firework", which had the potential to become a powerful anthem for her career as a popstar. Thankfully, everything worked out, and "Firework" also became a #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart around December 2010.
"E.T." Featuring Kanye West
The fourth single off of Teenage Dream was a collaboration with none other than Kanye West. At the time, anything Katy Perry touched turned into gold, and "E.T." was yet another #1 song for her career. The single reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts in April 2011.
"Last Friday Night"
Katy Perry's fifth consecutive #1 hit song on the Billboard Hot 100 was "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)", turning Teenage Dream into one of the most successful pop albums in history. The song charted in August 2011.
"Part Of Me"
In 2012, Katy Perry reissued Teenage Dream with three new songs, calling it the Complete Confection edition. The lead single of that reissue, "Part Of Me", was yet another #1 song for Katy, charting on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 2012.
"Roar"
To kick off a new era with the launch of the Prism album, Katy Perry selected "Roar" as the lead single. Unsurprisingly at the time, "Roar" made its way to the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 charts around September 2013.
"Dark Horse" Featuring Juicy J
Katy's most recent number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100 reached the top of the charts in February 2014. "Dark Horse", which featured rapper Juicy J, also came from the Prism album.
American Idol season 19 airs Sundays & Mondays at 8 pm ET/PT on ABC.
Sources: Billboard