BARRY LEVINE: Rock ‘n’ roll stats … climbing to No. 1

This nation’s three major sports leagues – Major League Baseball, the National Football League and National Basketball Association – all use statistics to generate interest among fans.

Among baseball’s basic stats are ERA, strikeouts and won-lost record for pitchers and hits, home runs and RBIs for hitters.

The NFL uses rushing yards, TD passes and receptions.

The NBA employs scoring, rebounds and assists to promote its players.

Rock ‘n’ Roll also uses stats.

Guess who has the most No. 1 hits?

If you guessed Elvis Presley, you would not be right. Presley collected 18 No. hits from 1956 until 1972. The Beatles set the record with 20 No. 1 hits from 1964 until 1970.

Their hits were a record six in 1964: “I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” “She Loves You,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “Love Me Do,” “A Hard Day’s Night” and “I Feel Fine.” Their other No. 1 hits were “Eight Days A Week,” “Ticket to Ride,” “Yesterday,” “We Can Work It Out,” and “Help!” in 1965. Also were “Paperback Writer” in 1966, “Penny Lane,” “All You Need Is Love” and “Hello Goodbye” in 1967; “Hey Jude” in 1968; “Get Back” and “Come Together” in 1969, and “Let It Be” and “The Long and Winding Road” in 1970.

Presley’s No. 1 hits remained at the top for a total of 79 weeks. Mariah Carey’s songs remained there for 61 weeks, two more than The Beatles. The only other group to spend 50 or more weeks at No. 1 were Boys II Men, who were there for 50 weeks.

Mariah Carey’s and Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day” set a record for remaining No. 1 for 16 weeks.

Four songs — “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston in 1992, “I’ll Make Love to You” by Boyz II Men in 1994, “Macarena” by Los Del Rio in 1996 and “Candle in the Wind” by Elton John in 1997 — were all at the top for 14 weeks.

While The Beatles accomplished their amazing feat in six years, it took Presley 13 years to amass his No. 1 hits. They were “Heartbreak Hotel,” “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Hound Dog” and “Love Me Tender” in 1956. Others included “Too Much,” “All Shook Up,” “Teddy Bear” and “Jailhouse Rock” in 1957. He also topped the charts with “Don’t” and “Hard Headed Woman” in 1958; “A Big Hunk of Love” in 1959; “Stuck On You,” “It’s Now Or Never” and “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” in 1960; “Surrender” in 1961; “Good Luck Charm” in 1962, and “Suspicious Minds” in 1969.

The Beatles’ record of No. 1 hits probably will never be surpassed. Mariah Carey is third with 15, while the late Michael Jackson is fourth with 13 and Madonna and The Supremes are tied for fifth with 12.

While there have been more than 300 No. 1 hits during the rock era, only 12 have debuted at No. 1.

They are “You Are Not Alone,” by Michael Jackson, “Fantasy” by Mariah Carey and “Exhale” by Whitney Houston in 1995; “One Sweet Day” by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men in 1996; “I’ll Be Missing You” by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans, “Honey” by Mariah Carey and “Candle In the Wind” by Elton John in 1997.

Also kicking off their chart run at No. 1 were “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion, “I Don’t Want to Miss A Thing” by Aerosmith, “Doo Wop” by Lauren Hill, “I’m Your Angel” by R. Kelly and Celine Dion in 1998, and “This Is the Night” by Clay Aiken in 2008.

Even though these 12 songs debuted at No. 1, only four other songs have leaped more than 20 notches into the top spot. Kelly Clarkson’s “A Moment Like This” jumped from 52 to No. 1 in 2002. The Beatles’ “Can’t Buy Me Love” leaped from 27 to 1 in 1964. Brandy and Monica’s “This Boy Is Mine” jumped from 23 to 1 in 1998. Usher’s “U Remind Me” rose from 21 to 1 in 2001.

While those four made the biggest jumps to No. 1, eight songs made the biggest falls from the top.

Billy Preston’s “Nothing From Nothing” and Dionne Warwick & the Spinners’ “Then Came You” both fell from No. 1 to No. 15 in 1974. Dropping from No. 1 to No. 12 were Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sounds of Silence,” in 1966; Barry White’s “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe,” Andy Kim’s “Rock Me Gently” Stevie Wonder’s “You Haven’t Done Nothin,’ ” Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet,” and John Lennon’s “Whatever Gets You Through the Night,” all in 1974.

Paul McCartney, who is still performing today, has written the most No. 1 songs with 32. His ex-Beatle bandmate, John Lennon, is second with 26. The only other writer with more than 15 No. 1 hits is Barry Gibb with 16.

Santana holds the record for the longest wait from the debut of his first single in 1970 to his No. 1 hit, “Maria, Maria” in 2000. Aerosmith is second with 24 years and 10 months. Tina Turner is third with 24 years. Meatloaf and Johnny Mathis are fourth and fifth, respectively, with 22 in 21 years.

The subject matter of these smash hits is as varied as their recording artists and span the years of the rock era.