When Tom Breihan launched his Stereogum column in early 2018, "The Number Ones"—a space in which he has been writing about every #1 hit in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 in chronological order—he figured he'd post capsule-size reviews for each song. But there was so much more to uncover. In The Number Ones, Breihan writes about twenty pivotal #1s throughout chart history, revealing a remarkably fluid and connected story of music that is as entertaining as it is enlightening.