Quincy Jones was a trailblazing producer, songwriter and composer – and those are just three of the many hats he donned in his seven decades in the business. Jones left his stamp on the Billboard charts with an impressive discography of his own performing work and as an integral collaborator with iconic singers such as Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson.
Jones’ peerless career began as an arranger, musician and bandleader in the 1950s, but he scored a prominent breakthrough on the Billboard Hot 100 as the producer of Lesley Gore’s Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “It’s My Party” in 1963. The next time he captured the top spot, producing Jackson’s “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” in 1979, it kicked off one of the most successful partnerships in music history. The hitmakers’ collaborations yielded defining blockbusters, Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad – and saw Jackson become the King of Pop, earning a combined nine Hot 100 No. 1s between the three albums, and the middle title remains one of the best-selling albums of all time.
While the Jackson-Jones tunes are most familiar to audiences, Jones achieved many more successes on the Hot 100, including helming the No. 1 smash “We Are The World” in 1985 and hits from George Benson (“Give Me the Night”), Aretha Franklin (“Angel”) and Donna Summer (“State of Independence” and “The Woman in Me”).
As the industry and music fans worldwide pause to remember the titan and his fundamental role in shaping the sound of pop music, here’s a review of the icon’s 20 biggest hits as a producer on the Hot 100.
Quincy Jones’ Biggest Billboard Hot 100 hits as a producer are based on weekly performance on the Billboard Hot 100 chart through Nov. 2, 2024. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower spots earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates during various periods.
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Lesley Gore, “She’s A Fool”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 5
Peak Date: December 7, 1963 -
Michael Jackson, “Thriller”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 4
Peak Date: March 3, 1984 -
The Brothers Johnson, “Strawberry Letter 23”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 5
Peak Date: September 24, 1977 -
Michael Jackson, “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 5
Peak Date: July 16, 1983 -
Lesley Gore, “You Don’t Own Me”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 2
Peak Date: June 1, 1964 -
George Benson, “Give Me the Night”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 4
Peak Date: September 27, 1980 -
Michael Jackson, “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1
Peak Date: October 13, 1979 -
Michael Jackson, “Dirty Diana”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1
Peak Date: July 2, 1988 -
Michael Jackson, “Bad”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for two weeks
Peak Date: October 24, 1987 -
The Brothers Johnson, “I’ll Be Good To You”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 3
Peak Date: July 10, 1976 -
Michael Jackson with Siedah Garrett, “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1
Peak Date: September 19, 1987 -
Lesley Gore, “It’s My Party”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for two weeks
Peak Date: June 1, 1963 -
Michael Jackson, “The Way You Make Me Feel”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1
Peak Date: January 23, 1988 -
Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney, “The Girl Is Mine”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 2
Peak Date: January 8, 1983 -
Michael Jackson, “Man In the Mirror”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for two weeks
Peak Date: March 26, 1988 -
Patti Austin with James Ingram, “Baby Come To Me”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for two weeks
Peak Date: February 19, 1983 -
Michael Jackson, “Rock With You”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for four weeks
Peak Date: January 19, 1980 -
Michael Jackson, “Beat It”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for three weeks
Peak Date: April 30, 1983 -
USA for Africa, “We Are the World”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for four weeks
Peak Date: April 13, 1985 -
Michael Jackson, “Billie Jean”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for seven weeks
Peak Date: March 5, 1983
