Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road," featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, claims one of the most prized records in the Billboard Hot 100's 60-year history as it spends an unprecedented 17th week at No. 1.

"Road" bests the previous record of 16 weeks first achieved by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men's "One Sweet Day," in 1995-96, and later matched by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's "Despacito," featuring Justin Bieber in 2017.

Let's run down the top 10 of this history-making week on Hot 100 (dated Aug. 3), which blends all-genre U.S. streaming, radio airplay and digital sales data. All charts will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (July 30).

With a 17th week atop the Hot 100 for "Old Town Road," here's an updated leaderboard of the 10 longest-leading No. 1s in the chart's archives:

Weeks at No. 1, Title, Artist, Date Reached No. 1
17, "Old Town Road," Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus, April 13, 2019
16, "Despacito," Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber, May 27, 2017
16, "One Sweet Day," Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men, Dec. 2, 1995
14, "Uptown Funk!," Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, Jan. 17, 2015
14, "I Gotta Feeling," The Black Eyed Peas, July 11, 2009
14, "We Belong Together," Mariah Carey, June 4, 2005
14, "Candle in the Wind 1997"/"Something About the Way You Look Tonight," Elton John, Oct. 11, 1997
14, "Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)," Los Del Rio, Aug. 3, 1996
14, "I'll Make Love to You," Boyz II Men, Aug. 27, 1994
14, "I Will Always Love You," Whitney Houston, Nov. 28, 1992


"Road" takes its place in Hot 100 history alongside notable record-setters. Among the most distinguished achievements, The Beatles boast the most No. 1s (20), Carey has spent the most time at No. 1 (79 weeks) while, upon the chart's 60th anniversary last August, Chubby Checker's classic "The Twist" claimed the top spot on the Hot 100's Greatest of All Time retrospective chart.

As on the Hot 100, "Road" (on Columbia Records) leads the Streaming Songs chart for a 17th week, another record-breaking mark, topping the 16-week run of "Despacito." "Road" rules Streaming Songs with 72.5 million U.S. streams, down 16%, in the week ending July 25, according to Nielsen Music. "Road" set the record for the top streaming week (143 million) following the April 5 arrival of its remix solely with Cyrus (who has been billed on 16 of the song's 17 weeks atop the Hot 100) and claims nine of the 11 biggest streaming frames to date, including the top three.

Helping its total this week, a meta-named "Week 17 Version" video of "Road" premiered on July 19. The clip truncates the song’s official music video, released May 17, by removing various skits that feature guest cameos from Chris Rock and others.

To help his week 18 chances, Lil Nas X unleashed yet another remix of “Road,” this time alongside RM of BTS, at the tail end of the latest tracking week, which closed July 25. That version, “Old Town Road (Seoul Town Road Remix)” will see its full impact on the following week’s Hot 100. The “Seoul” remix is, per Lil Nas X’s tweet shortly before its release, the “last one i PROMISSEE.” The RM collaboration marks the fourth official reworking of the viral smash, following turns by Cyrus; Diplo; and Young Thug and Mason Ramsey.

Back to this week: "Road" spends a 13th frame atop the Digital Song Sales chart with 46,000 downloads sold (up 1%) in the week ending July 25. On Radio Songs, where it reached No. 2, "Road" backtracks 10-14, with 47 million audience impressions, down 12%, in the week ending July 28. "Road" concurrently leads the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts for a 17th week each and the Songs of the Summer chart for a ninth frame, having led the list each week since its annual return after Memorial Day.

https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8524235/lil-nas-x-old-town-road-longest-number-one-hot-100

Still ain't heard it all the way though, thankfully. Good for Mariah and Boyz II Men for having two notches in the Top Ten each.

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I think Lil Nas X should recruit Boyz II Men too if he does the rumored Mariah Carey remix of OTR. They're criminally underrated in the pop respect canon despite their wild successes and the weight of these accomplishments many years later. Maybe they can go to the end of Old Town Road lol

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Plus they're from Philly so I gotta give them extra love

I haven't heard the song or different variations of the song all the way thru, either.

Do you all think the days of black male singers and rappers having to stay in the closet in order to have a successful career are over? I know people were predicting the popularity of the song collapsing after he came out but it hasn't seemed to have had any effect.

Thanks for posting that list. I thought Bryan Adams "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)" (1991?)was one of the longest running hits but maybe it is 13 weeks or something juuuust left off the summary.

You cant compare nowadays with 20 or more years ago, it's completely different times and different levels. The shit that sits many weeks on top wouldnt have entered the top 20 when music was still a thing.

My ears bled when i heard that dispacio-or-whatever-it's-called-thing - or better: the first 20 seconds of it. But i did yesterday try that Old Town Road, and while not being my thing (due to rapping not having a place in a country song), it's far from being that annoying as many of today's "music".

TheFman said:

due to rapping not having a place in a country song

Charlie Daniels was rapping in country songs long before Lil Nas X was born (Uneasy Rider, Devil Goes Down To Georgia, etc). C.W. McCall's Convoy is pretty much rapping too. Others country singers like Jerry Reed & Johnny Cash had songs with rap cadences too. The Belamy Brothers had a song in the 1980s called Country Rap.

I'm not much into country these days, but this is a catchy song and I like it.

"Old Town Road" is just "Wild Wild West 2019"

MotownSubdivision said:

Haven't heard the song beyond the first line nor have I tried to but it's already better than that stupid Despacito song. I for the life of me cannot understand what people saw in that garbage.

I must admit that "Despacito" song was totally lost on me too, but I like "Old Town Road".

I really like this song and think it is cute and catchy, a "guilty pleasure" for me.

A pretty awful list for the most part. But i will say you cannot compare the era's and how music was consumed that is just FACT regardless of how many buy a 99cent single or stream basically without having to go purchase the thing shows the difference right there, some on this list people actually went out and bought the single which most of the time were 1.99 and up so this is why when i hear records being broken, by Drake and Nicki Minaj etc....I dont even look at it because music is so irrelevant to people now and when you look at actual sales compared to the amount of people there are, you realize that someone can have tons of number ones and most people have not even heard the songs.

Uptown Funk. Yay. The rest. Eh.

lastdecember said:

you realize that someone can have tons of number ones and most people have not even heard the songs.

But does the average person today know many of the #1s from 1895-1980? The 1st really big recorded hit was by George W. Johnson in the 1890s. That was when the singer/band had to record each 78 individually, there was no recording tape. So for a popular song, the artists might record hundreds or thousands of versions. Each copy was unique.

lastdecember said:

A pretty awful list for the most part. But i will say you cannot compare the era's and how music was consumed that is just FACT regardless of how many buy a 99cent single or stream basically without having to go purchase the thing shows the difference right there, some on this list people actually went out and bought the single which most of the time were 1.99 and up so this is why when i hear records being broken, by Drake and Nicki Minaj etc....I dont even look at it because music is so irrelevant to people now and when you look at actual sales compared to the amount of people there are, you realize that someone can have tons of number ones and most people have not even heard the songs.

‘Old Town Road’ Co-Writer: Billy Ray Cyrus ‘Didn’t Know What a Fendi Sports Bra Was’
By Shirley Ju | August 9, 2019 | Variety

Since Lil Nas X dropped “Old Town Road” on April 5, the rap-country-pop hit has shattered records (18 weeks at No. 1 and counting) to become one of the biggest songs of all-time. But without Billy Ray Cyrus jumping on the remix, a confluence of ingenuity and opportunity, would the song have soared so high?

Cyrus got some help with his verses from songwriter-turned-artist Jozzy. The Memphis native describes herself as a “sister, songwriter, an auntie, a daughter, an avid smoker, an avid feminist, and just a person who really loves music.”

Jozzy, who counts Three 6 Mafia, Juicy J and Project Pat among her influences, first caught the ears of producer Timbaland. Originally linked to work with the industry veteran for two weeks in Miami, she ended up staying five years. She later collaborated with Missy Elliott in Atlanta and moved to Los Angeles in 2018, landing credits on tracks by Coldplay, Pharrell Williams, 21 Savage, Chris Brown and Usher, as well as film soundtracks for “Deadpool 2” and “The Fate of the Furious.”

Variety caught up with Jozzy to talk about her process and how she arrived at “Old Town Road.”

Timbaland is one of your biggest influences, what did you learn about songwriting from him?
I learned a lot of life things. I learned it’s really how you treat people in the industry that dictates a lot of good and bad. He taught me how to go off of feelings. At the time when I got with Timb, it was 2012 and the world was very pop. Being 20 years old then, it was like I was trying to do what was cool. I could write pop, so it was pointless. They taught me how to do me.

When Lil Nas X’s people came to you with “Old Time Road,” what was your initial reaction hearing it?
I thought it was dope as f–k, because he was a black dude from Atlanta. Young Thug did a country song a long time ago [“Family Don’t Matter”], so I was waiting for somebody to come and try to do it the real way. When I first heard it, I was, like, “oh yeah.” I loved what he was doing. I loved him talking about a Wrangler. I loved that he still kept it black — ‘cause we black — but still making other people feel comfortable. But I didn’t know it was going to be this big.

What did you know about Billy Ray Cyrus at the time?
“Hannah Montana,” of course. My momma used to think he was hot as f–k. She loved him, that’s all I really knew. … That’s why I was more open to do it, because it was, like, “This is for my momma.”

Where do you start?
Well it was one of those things where I didn’t want him to talk about anything country. It was like, “Bro, no moonshine, no cigarettes, no red cup in hand… since Lil Nas X is stepping into your world, step into his world.” So Fendi sports bras, Maserati sports cars, “hat down cross town living like a rockstar.”

What inspired the lyrics?
It’s culture. Our culture is flashy. Everything we do is flashy, so that inspired those lyrics.

What was the dynamic in the studio?
Man, it was cool. It was hot. We were smoking, we were relaxed. He was nervous because he was excited. You an OG and it’s your time to come back. You came back with a f–king bang! It was a vibe for me, almost as if I went in there and freestyled the melody. We wrote the song in 15 minutes, it was really easy.

Are you a country fan?
Not at all. [Laughs.] I’m from Memphis so it’s easy for me know those pockets. I’m a clown. I’m a jokester so I be doing the little country twang anyways, just playing around.

Do you get sick of hearing it?
Yeah… I’m sick of hearing it, but I can’t be like that because this is my blessing. I’ll be like “Jozzy, chill out.” But if this was anybody else’s song, I’d be like “yo, cut that sh– off!”

What lyric are you most proud of?
“Baby’s got a habit / Diamond rings and Fendi sports bra / Riding down Rodeo in my Maserati sports car.” That’s the hardest bar of 2019.

What was Billy Ray’s reaction when you said it?
Billy was lit, I’m telling you. His wife, Tish, was such a supporter. She was, like, “Bae, you gotta say that.” He didn’t know what a Fendi sports bra was. Then I said, “Your wife has one.” She’s, like, “Yeah I got one!” I was, like, “Bro, just say it.”

You said in a previous interview, “no one would have given that dude the swag I gave him.” What is the swag you gave him?
I just gave him authenticity. I feel like people would’ve tailored it to be what Lil Nas did. People would’ve probably tried to take Lil Nas’ melody and give it to him. I wanted the music to stop. A music break in a country song so you could hear hat down cross town. Just the twang.

What are your thoughts of it being the biggest song of all-time?
It’s amazing. I’m just so blessed I’m part of it, because I follow in the footsteps of Missy Elliott, The Dream, all of the songwriters who became artists. This is my very first No. 1. For me to get my first No. 1 and for it to be this massive and be in the history books, it’s, like, damn, I’ve accomplished what all of the greats want to accomplish. Now it’s time to go stupid on my artist sh–. That’s where I’m at mentally. Like: “All right, job well done, now let’s go.”

Talk about transitioning from songwriting to your own career as an artist…
The best part is people accepting it. Even artists. I saw Uzi in New York and he’s, like, “I saw your video with Wayne, that sh–’s crazy.” For artists to give me the respect, them not seeing me as just a songwriter, now I’m building my fanbase.

Was your plan always to be an artist and songwriting was a way to get there?
I started out songwriting, then I went to the artist thing with my boy Wizz Dumb. We did this tape called 2090s because we were doing R&B and Timb wasn’t on R&B at the time. I really always wanted to be a songwriter, but then I stayed with Missy for a month at her crib. She’s, like, “Jozzy, in order for you to get your sound out, you may have to be an artist.” That’s when I started taking it more serious with the artistry, because people weren’t messing with my sound. Now I have DaniLeigh on my shit, Jacquees, everyone’s f–king with it.

How did you link with Lil Wayne?
I was at Hit Factory in Miami around 2014 when I first met him. Then I met him again with Polow Da Don because I wrote Monica’s single that she put out, it was dope. Wayne wanted to signed me as an artist … to Young Money probably two or three years ago. He didn’t want to ever put me in that situation, because he was in a bad situation. He’s, like, “Jozzy, I always saw it in you; I always wanted you to do this; whatever you need from me.” I was, like, “Yo, Wayne, I got these songs. How about that favor?” That’s how it happened. He chose “Sucka Free.”

What defines “sucka”?
Sucka sh– is when you try to hard. Thank God my homies and people I’m around, we’re just us. Just don’t try to be anything you’re not.

Just visited my sister on Saturday and she was playing a country sounding R&B song.

I asked her if that was the Lil Nas X song and she said no it was another song. She asked and

sounded surprised when she asked if I never heard the song and I said no. She said don't ever

tell anybody that and said even our mother knew the song. I told her you know I don't listen to the radio and when I do it rarely is for long or it is one of the old school R&B stations as I'm too busy. I don't listen to radio stations that play current R&B/hip hop hybrid music. She told me the

kids loved it. I listened to it and it doesn't move me but I think it's cool that it seems to be a song

that is popular among the masses. I never knew who this cat was but would get pop up articles on google on my phone about him.

People kind of forget that it was not unusual for R&B acts to record country songs in the 70's. The Pointer Sisters, Rufus and Chaka, Ray Charles, Tina Turner, Millie Jackson. I'm sure there are several that I missed. Since hip-hop has replaced R&B as the dominant music in black culture, it will be interesting to see if other artists in that genre will follow the Lil Nas X trend of blending hip-hop and country.

kitbradley said:

Since hip-hop has replaced R&B as the dominant music in black culture, it will be interesting to see if other artists in that genre will follow the Lil Nas X trend of blending hip-hop and country.

He's not really the first rapper to do that though. Others like Sir Mix-A-Lot, Rappin' Duke, Nelly, Bubba Sparxxx, & Cowboy Troy have done it in the past. Kool Moe Dee's Wild Wild West video had a western theme. There's an entire sub-genre called hick hop that's been around for a few years now. Hick hop has probably not gotten mainstream promotion because there tends to be confederate flag imagery in some of the videos.

kitbradley said:

People kind of forget that it was not unusual for R&B acts to record country songs in the 70's. The Pointer Sisters, Rufus and Chaka, Ray Charles, Tina Turner, Millie Jackson. I'm sure there are several that I missed. Since hip-hop has replaced R&B as the dominant music in black culture, it will be interesting to see if other artists in that genre will follow the Lil Nas X trend of blending hip-hop and country.

The Gap Band being from Tulsa, OK doing a few songs with a country feel and wearing

the Cowboy outfits on stage.

phunkdaddy said:

kitbradley said:

People kind of forget that it was not unusual for R&B acts to record country songs in the 70's. The Pointer Sisters, Rufus and Chaka, Ray Charles, Tina Turner, Millie Jackson. I'm sure there are several that I missed. Since hip-hop has replaced R&B as the dominant music in black culture, it will be interesting to see if other artists in that genre will follow the Lil Nas X trend of blending hip-hop and country.

The Gap Band being from Tulsa, OK doing a few songs with a country feel and wearing

the Cowboy outfits on stage.

^Wow they giving out-the-box one hitters the cover now?

CynicKill said:

^Wow they giving out-the-box one hitters the cover now?

I'd rather see him on the cover than Beyonce. If I see her on the cover of one more magazine

I think he deserves the cover. He is a gay, black rapper with a hit song on the country charts. That is a first. Also, looking at the chart history of this song, I didn't realize how big of an international song this is. It has topped a lot of international charts.

kitbradley said:

CynicKill said:

^Wow they giving out-the-box one hitters the cover now?

I'd rather see him on the cover than Beyonce. If I see her on the cover of one more magazine

I think he deserves the cover. He is a gay, black rapper with a hit song on the country charts. That is a first. Also, looking at the chart history of this song, I didn't realize how big of an international song this is. It has topped a lot of international charts.

I don't want to take away from his accomplishments but getting the cover of TIME as a musician used to be a BIG deal. It was really hard to get the cover.

And I do think it's a nice song but I put it in the Macarena/Gangum Style catagory.

CynicKill said:

kitbradley said:

I'd rather see him on the cover than Beyonce. If I see her on the cover of one more magazine

I think he deserves the cover. He is a gay, black rapper with a hit song on the country charts. That is a first. Also, looking at the chart history of this song, I didn't realize how big of an international song this is. It has topped a lot of international charts.

I don't want to take away from his accomplishments but getting the cover of TIME as a musician used to be a BIG deal. It was really hard to get the cover.

And I do think it's a nice song but I put it in the Macarena/Gangum Style catagory.

CynicKill said:

kitbradley said:

I'd rather see him on the cover than Beyonce. If I see her on the cover of one more magazine

I think he deserves the cover. He is a gay, black rapper with a hit song on the country charts. That is a first. Also, looking at the chart history of this song, I didn't realize how big of an international song this is. It has topped a lot of international charts.

I don't want to take away from his accomplishments but getting the cover of TIME as a musician used to be a BIG deal. It was really hard to get the cover.

And I do think it's a nice song but I put it in the Macarena/Gangum Style catagory.

I 100% agree that it should go in the "Macarena" category of songs. But, again, being an out gay, black male rapper experiencing this kind of success is the bigger story here because it has never happened before and it shows the continuation of the world evolving. I don't know if hip-hop is evolving as quickly. I don't follow the genre but I did read some headlines where there were a couple of rappers who felt he should have stayed in the closet. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that probably is the genreal consensus of a lot of folk in the hip-hop world.