LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 23: Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus attend the 2019 BET Awards at ... [+]
Here’s a sentence Americans who pay attention to what’s happening on the charts have become accustomed to reading: Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Old Town Road” is No. 1...again. The country-trap smash has now ruled the Hot 100 for 14 consecutive turns, which is something only a handful of songs have managed in the all-encompassing chart’s half-century-long history.
With a fourteenth stint at the top of the tally to its credit, “Old Town Road” is now tied with seven other titles as the second-longest-running No. 1 hit in U.S. history.
As if leading the charge for 14 weeks and claiming one of the second-longest-running leaders in history wasn’t enough, Lil Nas X is surely feeling great about matching the legendary runs of the following tracks, all of which have lived on for years as favorites, and which are remembered as some of the most successful cuts ever released: Whitney Houston’s "I Will Always Love You," Los Del Rio’s "Macarena," Boyz II Men’s "I'll Make Love to You," Elton John’s "Candle in the Wind 1997" / "Something About the Way You Look Tonight," Mariah Carey’s "We Belong Together," the Black Eyed Peas’ "I Gotta Feeling" and Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ "Uptown Funk.”
Still in first place when it comes to the longest stay on the throne are both Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber's "Despacito" and Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men's "One Sweet Day," both of which controlled the tally for 16 weeks.
“Old Town Road” is still performing well when it comes to most metrics, so chances are it will collect at least a fifteenth week at No. 1 when the chart refreshes once again in a few days. At that point, something very strange will happen. Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’ collaborative cut will hold steady as the second-longest-running No. 1 in Hot 100 history, even though it’s tacked on another frame, while the other seven tracks mentioned above will all be demoted to the third-longest-running No. 1s in history.
