The voice, it always comes down to the voice. Especially when discussing Mariah Carey. She’s made plenty of headlines for whom she’s dated (Derek Jeter), divorced (Tommy Mottola), and denied having a relationship with (Eminem). But the New York native is a modern day Diana Ross, full of flair and able-bodied talent. She’s up, and then she’s down. And now she’s up again. Waaay up.

The songstress netted her 18th number one single with “Touch My Body,” moving past Elvis Presley as the most dominant solo performer of all time.

“I really can never put myself in the category of people who have not only revolutionized music but also changed the world,” Carey told The Associated Press from London on Tuesday. “That’s a completely different era and time. I’m just feeling really happy and grateful.”

She also fielded what must have been a very tactful question about how the feat relates to her gender and ethnicity. “For me, in my mind the accomplishment is just that much sweeter,” she said. “In terms of my ethnicity, always feeling like an outsider, always feeling different. For me it’s about saying, ‘Thank you Lord, for giving me the faith to believe in myself when other people had written me off.’ I want to encourage anyone else out there who feels like maybe they can’t overcome an obstacle, I feel like I’m living proof, never lose your faith. I’m seriously a grateful individual right now.”

The Beatles stand as number one overall with 20 Billboard Top 100 number one hits. (The Beatles are a group, Mariah solo, etc).

After the jump, a list of Carey’s collaborators and colleagues. See just how far she is from the rest of the pack:

Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, and Mary J. Blige: Carey is often compared to these three divas, but between these ladies, they collectively have 16 number one hits, falling two short of Carey’s historic total.

Janet Jackson: Not as big of a voice as Carey, but Jackson’s slick dance moves and familiar name scored her plenty of big hits, but she’s still eight behind, with her last number one, “All For You,” coming in 2001.

R.Kelly: Among her male peers, Kells seems like the obvious choice, but the Pied Piper of R&B only has two number one hits, one of which he shares with Dion, for their duet “I’m Your Angel.”