“Crazy in Love” became Beyoncé’s first Billboard Hot 100 number-one hit as a solo artist.
The song was released in 2003 as the lead single from Dangerously in Love. Its combination of Beyoncé’s vocal performance, Jay-Z’s rap, and the prominent Chi-Lites horn sample helped make it an immediate commercial success.
Before her solo breakthrough, Beyoncé had already reached number one as part of Destiny’s Child. “Crazy in Love” established that she could achieve the same level of chart success independently, rather than only through the group.
Other Beyoncé solo singles later topped the Hot 100, including “Baby Boy,” “Irreplaceable,” and “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).” Those songs are therefore plausible alternatives, but they were not her first solo number-one.