1998 Hit 'The Boy is Mine' Spent 13 Weeks at No. 1

On this day in 1998, Brandy and Monica were dominating the Billboard Hot 100 with their breakout hit, "The Boy is Mine". Released as the lead single for both artists' upcoming albums, the song was a massive commercial success that defined radio for the entire year.

The song marked the first No. 1 hit for both artists, who had broken into the spotlight around a similar time with their acclaimed debut albums. This single, however, pushed them to a whole other level of international fame that neither had experienced before.

The song peaked at No. 1 in Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom (on the Hip-Hop/R&B charts), making it one of the most widespread hits of 1998. Impressively, the song also received plenty of praise from music critics, who generally enjoyed the midtempo instrumentals and charming vocal harmonies.

"The Boy is Mine" received lots of attention for its similarities to "The Girl is Mine" by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson-another duet in which the singers argue over the affections of their loved one. There had already been media speculation of a rivalry between Brandy and Monica, and this single took advantage of that free marketing.

The song quickly became the best-selling single of 1998 and spent an incredible 13 weeks at No. 1, dethroning "Too Close" by Next and ultimately losing its place to "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith. It was in the pole position from June to August, making it the undisputed anthem of the summer.

"The Boy is Mine" was also boosted by a high-profile music video directed by Joseph Kahn, which starred the two singers alongside actor Mekhi Phifer. The video was quickly picked up by MTV and became a staple of the channel; it was later nominated for Video of the Year at the MTV Awards.

The song has since become engrained in pop culture, with Brandy and Monica remaining two of the best-known R&B stars of this era. The duo reunited in 2012 for "It All Belongs to Me", which unfortunately didn't even chart on the Hot 100.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jul 8, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published July 8, 2026 at 4:09 AM.