Published: September 20, 2026 · 2:15 AM EDT
The Disney and Pixar soundtrack single climbs to No. 1 on the U.S. pop radio chart as Swift extends her all-time records for chart-topping hits and total weeks at the summit
Taylor Swift has extended her record on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart as “I Knew It, I Knew You,” her original song from Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5, climbs two positions to No. 1 on the chart dated September 26, 2026.
The achievement gives Swift her 16th career No. 1 on Pop Airplay, extending her lead among all artists since the chart began in October 1992. Bruno Mars follows with 13 chart-toppers, while Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Maroon 5, Katy Perry and Rihanna each have 11.
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Swift also extends her record to 52 cumulative weeks at No. 1 across her Pop Airplay hits. She previously surpassed Katy Perry’s former record of 47 weeks. The ranking measures weekly song plays across approximately 150 mainstream Top 40 radio stations in the United States, using Mediabase data supplied to Billboard by Luminate.
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The new achievement follows another Billboard radio record set by Swift in August, when the same song became her 16th No. 1 on Adult Pop Airplay, moving her ahead of Maroon 5.
“I Knew It, I Knew You” was released in June 2026 through Walt Disney Records. Written and produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff, the song was created for Toy Story 5 and inspired by the character Jessie.
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The recording also appears on the film’s soundtrack, including a Japanese Paper Jacket CD edition scheduled for September 25, featuring a picture-disc design, poster-style booklet and additional collector material.
The single previously debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Swift’s 15th career chart-topper on the all-genre ranking. It also became the first song from a Pixar film to reach No. 1 on the Hot 100.
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Beyond Pop Airplay, the track has topped Billboard’s Radio Songs, Adult Pop Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts, while reaching No. 2 on Country Airplay.
The song’s presence across pop and country radio also connects with Swift’s recent reflections on her early musical influences. During an August 2026 Grammy Museum retrospective, she discussed her Nashville beginnings and revisited songs including “Tim McGraw” and “I Knew You Were Trouble.”
Read: Taylor Swift Revisits Country Roots, “Tim McGraw” and “I Knew You Were Trouble” at Grammy Museum
With its latest Pop Airplay achievement, the Toy Story 5 single adds another radio milestone to Swift’s 2026 chart history, extending her lead on a ranking where she has accumulated 16 No. 1 hits and 52 weeks at the top.
The milestone also arrives during a year in which Swift has received major recognition for her songwriting. Following her June induction into New York’s Songwriters Hall of Fame, she is scheduled to enter the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in October.
Read: Taylor Swift Makes Songwriting History in 2026 With Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction
Watch Taylor Swift – I Knew It, I Knew You (from Toy Story 5) on YouTube
Written by Gino Alache – Music Journalist
IMAGE CREDIT: Getty
