Taylor Swift has scored another Billboard Hot 100 milestone after “Patient Zero” debuted at No. 1 on the chart.
The song gives Swift her 16th Hot 100 No. 1, moving her further into third place on the all-time list behind The Beatles with 20 and Mariah Carey with 19. “Patient Zero” also ends Ella Langley’s record-setting run at the top. Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” falls to No. 2 after spending a record 24 weeks at No. 1.
The track is one of four new songs on The Life Of A Showgirl: The Encore, the deluxe edition of Swift’s 2025 album released on September 25.
The other three new songs also entered the Hot 100’s top five. “Cleveland!” opened at No. 3, “Babylon” at No. 4 and “Pink Clouding” at No. 5.
Swift’s album also returns to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for a 13th week, with all versions combined.
“Patient Zero” becomes Swift’s 10th song to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100, tying Drake for the most No. 1 debuts in the chart’s history.
The song recorded 34.5 million official US streams, 28.5 million radio audience impressions and 65,000 sales between September 25 and October 1.
It also becomes Swift’s 12th No. 1 on the Streaming Songs chart and her record-extending 33rd No. 1 on Digital Song Sales.
The track reached No. 16 on Radio Songs.
Swift now has 74 Hot 100 top 10s, the most among female artists and second overall behind Drake’s 90.
With “Patient Zero”, The Life Of A Showgirl now has 14 Hot 100 top 10s across its original and deluxe editions. That gives the album the most top 10 hits from a single album in Hot 100 history.
Swift previously set the record with Midnights in 2022, which became the first album to place 10 songs in the Hot 100 top 10. She repeated the feat with The Tortured Poets Department in 2024.
Swift also becomes the first artist since Kendrick Lamar in 2024 to score three new Hot 100 No. 1s in a single year.
Her other 2026 chart-toppers are “I Knew It, I Knew You” and “Opalite.”
“Patient Zero” gives Swift her 50th career week at No. 1 on the Hot 100, making her the sixth artist to reach the milestone.
Only Mariah Carey, Rihanna, The Beatles, Drake and Boyz II Men have also spent at least 50 weeks at the top.
Swift now has 11 Hot 100 No. 1s in the 2020s, extending her lead over Drake and Ariana Grande, who each have eight.
The song also extends Swift’s overall Hot 100 totals to 182 top 40 hits and 281 chart entries, both the highest figures among women.
Swift co-wrote and co-produced “Patient Zero” with Max Martin and Shellback.
The collaboration gives Martin his 31st Hot 100 No. 1 as a songwriter and his record-extending 29th as a producer. Shellback now has 13 No. 1s as a songwriter and 12 as a producer.
The trio previously worked together on Swift’s 1989 album, which produced three Hot 100 No. 1s.
Swift’s new chart success follows the release of the “Patient Zero” music video, which she directed and stars in alongside Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell. The video premiered during the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards on September 27.
Elsewhere in this week’s Hot 100 top 10, Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” drops to No. 2 after its record run.
Stella Lefty’s “Boston” falls to No. 6, Morgan Wallen’s “Been By Now” drops to No. 7 and Ariana Grande’s “Hate That I Made You Love Me” falls to No. 8.
Olivia Rodrigo’s “Stupid Song” climbs back into the top 10 at No. 9, while Tame Impala and JENNIE’s “Dracula” rounds out the top 10 at No. 10.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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