Rihanna breaks The Beatles' US chart record for total number of weeks spent at Number One

Rihanna has beaten The Beatles' US record for the total number of weeks spent at Number One.

The singer's recent hit 'Work', featuring Drake, is currently top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts for the ninth week running, giving her an overall sum of 60 weeks at Number One with 14 songs.

That's one more week at the top than The Beatles. The singer is now second behind Mariah Carey who has spent 79 weeks at Number One overall.

But unlike The Beatles who never had chart topping singles featuring other artists, both Rihanna and Carey have had numerous Number One singles featuring collaborations with other singers.

'Live Your Life', which spent six weeks at number one in 2008, was performed by T.I. with Rihanna appearing as a guest vocalist.

Similarly, other chart toppers including 'Monster' and 'Love the Way You Lie' were both performed by Eminem, but featured her singing the choruses.

Mariah Carey also has some collaborations counted among her 79-week total. Her duet with Boyz II Men, 'One Sweet Day', spent 16 weeks at Number One in 1995 and 1996.

The most popular songs by The Beatles in the US were 'Hey Jude', which spent nine weeks at Number One in 1968, and 'I Want To Hold Your Hand', which topped the charts for seven weeks in 1964.