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More than 20 years after her tragic passing at the age of just 22, Aaliyah is still making history. The late singer has just notched her very first No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart with the posthumous release “Gone” featuring Tank. Aaliyah and eight other people died in a plane crash in the Bahamas in August 2001.
According to Billboard, the track, released on Blackground Records, shot to the top of the Sept. 27 chart after a 23 percent surge in radio play during the Sept. 12–18 tracking week. It’s a long-awaited milestone for Aaliyah, who saw 14 entries on the chart during her lifetime but never claimed the top spot.
Her previous best? A soulful 1994 cover of the Isley Brothers’ “At Your Best (You Are Love),” which peaked at No. 4. Her breakout hit “Back and Forth” also reached No. 6 that same year. Across her career, she scored three Hot 100 R&B No. 1s: “Back & Forth” (1994), “If Your Girl Only Knew” (1996), and the posthumous anthem “Miss You” (2002).
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For collaborator Tank, “Gone” becomes his 10th Adult R&B Airplay No. 1, tying him with Usher and Charlie Wilson for the most among male artists. Only Alicia Keys (14), Toni Braxton (11), and Mary J. Blige (10) sit higher overall.
“This project is more than music — it’s about preserving her essence and continuing to share her light with the world.” — Blackground Records
Aaliyah’s Posthumous Legacy
This isn’t the first time an artist has brought Aaliyah’s voice back to the charts. Drake released “Enough Said” in 2012, Chris Brown sampled her for “Don’t Think They Know” in 2013, and The Weeknd’s “Poison” climbed the R&B charts in 2022.
Both “Poison” and “Gone” are expected to appear on Aaliyah’s long-teased posthumous album Unstoppable. The record was originally slated for 2022 but has been repeatedly delayed. On what would have been Aaliyah’s 46th birthday in January, Blackground told fans the project was still coming, but needed more time:
“This project is more than music — it’s about preserving her essence and continuing to share her light with the world.”
When Unstoppable finally arrives, it’s expected to feature contributions from Drake, Future, Ne-Yo, Chris Brown, and Snoop Dogg.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Sep 24, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com ’
