With her 18th chart-topper, American pop diva Mariah Carey has passed "The King of Rock 'n' Roll" Elvis Presley for the biggest number of No. 1 singles on the Billboard singles chart, according to Billboard magazine Thursday.

Carey's "Touch My Body" reached first place on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. She is now second only to the Beatles, who have 20 chart-toppers.

The 38-year-old pop singer herself was thrilled by the news. She said this is the most enjoyable point of her nearly two-decade old career.

"That's a completely different era and time ... I'm just feeling really happy and grateful."　

"Touch My Body" is the first single off of Carey's upcoming album "E = MC2," due out April 16.　

Like her 2005 Grammy-winning disc "The Emancipation of Mimi," Carey said "E = MC2" continues her sense of freedom and rebirth: "It's like emancipation of Mariah Carey to the second power and beyond."

If Carey enjoys more success with tracks from the new album, she could conceivably pass the Beatles by the end of the year.

Another Elvis milestone was passed this week by Madonna, who earned the 37th top 10 hit of her career with the single "4 Minutes."

(Xinhua/Agencies April 3, 2008)