Lil Nas X: Old Town Road breaks records in US for longest-reigning No 1
Written by News on 30/07/2019
Lil Nas X’s hit country-trap single Old Town Road has broken the record for the longest-reigning number one single in US chart history.
For the 17th week in a row, the rapper’s track with Billy Ray Cyrus is sitting at the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
The previous record, for 16 consecutive weeks, was jointly held by Mariah Carey’s One Sweet Day, and Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber’s Despacito.
Old Town Road has been streamed 72.5 million times and downloaded 46,000 times in the US over the last seven days.
:: The longest reigning number ones in the US
- 13 April 2019: Old Town Road, Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus (17 weeks)
- 27 May 2017: Despacito, Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber (16 weeks)
- 2 December 1995: One Sweet Day, Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men (16 weeks)
- 17 January 2015: Uptown Funk, Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars (14 weeks)
- 11 July 2009: Gotta Feeling, The Black Eyed Peas (14 weeks)
- 4 June 2005: We Belong Together, Mariah Carey (14 weeks)
- 11 October 1997: Candle in the Wind/Something About the Way You Look Tonight, Elton John (14 weeks)
- 3 August 1996: Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix), Los Del Rio (14 weeks)
- 27 August 1994: I’ll Make Love to You, Boyz II Men (14 weeks)
- 28 November 1992: I Will Always Love You, Whitney Houston (14 weeks)
There are several versions of Old Town Road which have all contributed to the streaming and download totals.
Recent remixes of the track include a version featuring rapper Young Thug and “Yodelling Kid” Mason Ramsey, as well as BTS rapper RM.
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Lil Nas X – real name Montero Lamar Hill – started off as an unknown artist, releasing tracks via the music-sharing site Soundcloud. Old Town Road was first uploaded in December 2018.
The track has been in the UK singles chart for the last 18 weeks, with two weeks at number one.
Carey has congratulated the rapper on Instagram, saying: “Sending love & congrats to @lilnasx on breaking one of the longest running records in music history! We’ve been blessed to hold this record with a song that means a great deal to @BoyzIIMen and myself and has touched so many.
“Keep living your best life! One Sweet Day will always hold a special place in my heart and I want to thank anyone who’s ever told me how this song has affected them and their loved ones.”
Old Town Road was controversially removed from Billboard’s country chart in the US, despite making it into the Top 20, for allegedly not doing enough to “embrace enough elements of today’s country music”.
Some commentators believed that Billboard’s decision to take the song off the chart was down to Lil Nas X’s race.
The singer-rapper released his latest EP, 7, earlier this year which featured rapper Cardi B.
(c) Sky News 2019: Lil Nas X: Old Town Road breaks records in US for longest-reigning No 1
