Timeline
Rihanna grew up in Barbados and after moving to the US in 2005 while still in her late teens, she was able to get a recording contract with Jay-Z’s Def Jam Recordings and had one of the biggest hits of that summer with a debut LP soon following.
2005 (# 10 Singles Artist of the Year)
JUNE
- Rihanna hit the Top 40 with “Pon De Replay.”
JULY
- Rihanna hit the Top 10 with “Pon De Replay.”
AUGUST
- Rihanna released her debut LP Music Of The Sun
SEPTEMBER
- Rihanna hit #1 for a week with “Pon De Replay.”
OCTOBER
- Rihanna topped the Billboard Hot Dance Music Club Play chart and Dance Radio Airplay chart with “Pon De Replay.”
- Rihanna hit the Top 40 with “If It’s Lovin’ That You Want.”
DECEMBER
- Rihanna hit the Top 10 with “If It’s Lovin’ That You Want.”
![]()
2006
JANUARY
- Music Of The Sun was certified gold.
- The single “Pon De Replay” was certified 2x platinum.
FEBRUARY
- Rihanna hit the Top 40 with “SOS.”
- The single “Pon De Replay” was certified 3x platinum.
MARCH
- Rihanna hit the Top 10 with “SOS.”
APRIL
- Rihanna hit #1 for 2 weeks with “SOS.”
- Rihanna topped the Billboard Dance Airplay chart with “SOS.”
- Rihanna released her next LP A Girl Like Me.
MAY
- Rihanna hit the Top 40 with “Unfaithful.”
- Rihanna topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Pop 100 chart, Hot Dance Club Play chart, and Hot Digital Songs chart with “SOS.”
- Rihanna topped the Canadian LP chart with A Girl Like Me.
JUNE
- Rihanna hosts the Red Carpet for the MTV Movie Awards in Culver City.
- Rihanna makes live performance appearances on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live and NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
- Rihanna hits the Top 10 with “Unfaithful.”
- Rihanna kicks off a major 6-week North American summer club tour presented by Clinique Happy.
JULY
- Rihanna performs three hit songs on NBC’s Today Show.
- Rihanna guest stars on the ABC daytime drama All My Children
AUGUST
- Universal Pictures releases the mega-successful direct-to-DVD cheerleader sequel, Bring It On: All Or Nothing, in which Rihanna made her movie debut cameo as herself.
SEPTEMBER
- Rihanna performs on Fashion Rocks alongside Sir Elton John
NOVEMBER
- Rihanna won a MTV Europe Music Award for Best R&B Artist.
- Rihanna hit the Top 40 with Sean Paul with “Break It Off.”
DECEMBER
- Rihanna topped the Billboard Year-End Charts as the Top Pop Artist – Female (singles & albums), Top Hot 100 Singles Artist – Female, Top Pop 100 Artist, and with the Top Hot Dance Airplay Track (”SOS”).
![]()
2007
FEBRUARY
- Rihanna topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart with “We Ride.”
- Rihanna hit the Top 10 with Sean Paul with “Break It Off.”
APRIL
- Rihanna hit the Top 40 with Jay-Z with “Umbrella.”
MAY
- Rihanna topped the UK and Canada singles chart with Jay-Z with “Umbrella.”
JUNE
- Rihanna hit the Top 10 and #1 with Jay-Z with “Umbrella.”
- Rihanna topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Hot Digital Songs chart, Hot Digital Tracks chart, Hot Dance Airplay chart, and Pop 100 chart with Jay-Z with “Umbrella.”
- Rihanna released Good Girl Gone Bad.
- Rihanna could be heard on Fabolous’ LP From Nothin’ To Somethin’ on the track “First Time.”
- Rihanna topped the UK and Canadian LP charts with Good Girl Gone Bad.
- Rihanna hit the Top 40 with “Shut Up And Drive.”
JULY
- Rihanna topped the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart and Hot Dance Club Play chart with Jay-Z with “Umbrella.”
- On July 7th, Rihanna performed at the Live Earth concert in Japan. The 7-continent concert organized by Al Gore brought together over 100 artists to perform and raise the world’s awareness about the climate crisis and how to make a difference to help the environment and the world.
AUGUST
- Rihanna hit the Top 10 with “Shut Up And Drive.”
SEPTEMBER
- Rihanna topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart with “Don’t Stop The Music.”
- Rihanna won 2 MTV Video Music Awards for Video of the Year and Monster Single of the Year (”Umbrella” with Jay-Z) and was nominated for Best Direction ( Chris Applebaum) (”Umbrella” with Jay-Z) and Female Artist of the Year
- Rihanna featuring Ne-Yo – “Hate That I Love You” (CD Single) Rihanna hit the Top 40 with Ne-Yo with “Hate That I Love You.”
OCTOBER
- Rihanna hit the Top 10 with Ne-Yo with “Hate That I Love You.”
- The single “Umbrella” was certified 2x platinum, “Unfaithful” was certified platinum, and “Pon De Replay” was certified gold.
NOVEMBER
- Good Girl Gone Bad was certified platinum.
- Rihanna won an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist. Rihanna also performed at the ceremony.
DECEMBER
- “Don’t Stop The Music” (Single) Rihanna topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart with “Shut Up And Drive.”
- Rihanna hit the Top 40 with “Don’t Stop The Music.”
- “Umbrella” was the top song of the year in the UK.
- Rihanna topped the Billboard Year-End Charts with the Top Hot Dance Airplay Track (”Umbrella”)
![]()
2008
FEBRUARY
- Rihanna hit the Top 10 with “Don’t Stop The Music.”
- Rihanna won a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (”Umbrella” with Jay-Z), and was nominated for n Record of the Year (”Umbrella” with Jay-Z), Best Dance Recording (”Don’t Stop The Music”), and Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group (”Hate That I Love You” with Ne-Yo). Rihanna performed at the ceremony.
MARCH
- Rihanna hit the Top 40 with “Take A Bow” from the up-coming re-release of the LP Good Girl Gone Bad.
MAY
- Maroon 5 featuring Rihanna – “If I Never See Your Face Again” (Single)
- Rihanna hit the Top 10 with “Take A Bow.”
- Rihanna topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Hot Digital Tracks chart, and Hot Digital Songs chart with “Take A Bow.”
- Rihanna topped the UK and Canadian singles chart with “Take A Bow.”
- Rihanna hit the Top 40 helping out Maroon 5 with “If I Never See Your Face Again.”
JUNE
- Rihanna hit #1 for 5 weeks with “Take A Bow.”
- Rihanna – Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded (CD/DVD) Rihanna released Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded with the additional tracks “Take A Bow,” “If I Never See Your Face Again” with Maroon 5 and “Disturbia.”
- Rihanna hit the Top 40 with “Disturbia.”
JUNE
- Rihanna topped the Billboard Pop 100 Airplay chart and Hot 100 Airplay chart with “Take A Bow.”
AUGUST
- Rihanna – “Disturbia” (Single)
- Rihanna hit the Top 10 with “Disturbia.”
- Rihanna topped the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart (for the first time) and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart with “Take A Bow.”
- Rihanna topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Hot Digital Songs chart, and Hot Digital Tracks chart with “Disturbia.”
- Good Girl Gone Bad was certified 2x platinum.
- Artists Stand Up For Cancer – “Just Stand Up” (Single)
- The single “Hate That I Love You” was certified gold.
SEPTEMBER
- Rihanna topped the Billboard Pop 100 chart, Hot Dance Club Play chart, Hot Dance Airplay chart with “Disturbia.”
- The video for “Take A Bow” was nominated for 2 MTV Video Music Awards for Best Female Video and Best Direction (Anthony Mandler). Rihanna performed at the ceremony.
- Rihanna hit #1 for 4 weeks with “Disturbia.”
- T.I. featuring Rihanna – “Live Your Life” (Single)
- Rihanna hit the Top 40 as part of Artists Stand Up For Cancer with the charity single “Just Stand Up!”
OCTOBER
- Rihanna topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Hot Digital Tracks chart, and Hot Digital Songs chart helping out T.I. with “Live Your Life.”
- Rihanna topped the Billboard Pop 100 Airplay chart with “Disturbia.”
- Rihanna – “Rehab” (Single)
- Rihanna hit the Top 40 helping out T.I. with “Live Your Life.”
NOVEMBER
- Rihanna hit the Top 40 with “Rehab.”
- Rihanna hit the Top 10 helping out T.I. with “Live Your Life.”
- Rihanna topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Hot 100 Airplay chart, and Hot Rap Tracks chart helping out T.I. with “Live Your Life.”
- Rihanna won 2 American Music Awards for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist and and Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist.
DECEMBER
- Rihanna topped the Billboard Pop 100 chart and Pop 100 Airplay chart helping out T.I. with “Live Your Life.”
- Rihanna hit #1 helping out T.I. with “Live Your Life.”
- Rihanna was nominated for 3 Grammy Awards including Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals (”If I Never See Your Face Again” with Maroon 5), Best Dance Recording (”Disturbia”), and Best Music Video, Long Form (Good Girl Gone Bad Live).





































