When Old Town Road by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus hit the charts, it didn't just climb - it smashed the record for the longest-running #1 song in Billboard Hot 100 history. This country-rap track spent 19 weeks at the top spot, leaving classics like "Despacito" and "One Sweet Day" in the dust.
The Record-Breaking Song: Old Town Road
Imagine a song that started as a TikTok joke and became a global phenomenon. That's exactly what happened with "Old Town Road." Lil Nas X, then a 20-year-old unknown artist, released the track in December 2018. It went viral on TikTok after he used the hashtag #OldTownRoadChallenge. Within weeks, it was climbing the charts. By April 2019, it hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. And it didn't leave. For 19 straight weeks, it dominated the top spot - a record no song had ever achieved before. Before "Old Town Road," the longest-running #1 song was "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, which spent 16 weeks at #1 in 2017. "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men held the record for 16 weeks back in 1995. But "Old Town Road" shattered both records, proving how streaming and social media were changing music forever.
How It Dominated the Charts
"Old Town Road" didn't just climb the charts - it redefined them. The song blended country and hip-hop in a way that confused radio stations at first. Country radio initially refused to play it, calling it "too hip-hop." Lil Nas X responded by releasing a remix with Billy Ray Cyrus, a country music legend. This move made the song eligible for country charts, where it also hit #1. The crossover appeal was massive. Streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music saw huge spikes. In its peak week, "Old Town Road" got over 100 million streams globally. TikTok videos using the song hit 1.5 billion views. Billboard's chart rules changed to include streaming data more heavily, and "Old Town Road" became the first song to benefit from these new rules. Its 19-week run wasn't just luck; it was a perfect storm of viral marketing, genre-blending, and perfect timing.
Breaking Down the Numbers: Top Chart-Toppers
| Song | Artist(s) | Weeks at #1 | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Town Road | Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus | 19 | 2019 |
| Despacito | Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, Justin Bieber | 16 | 2017 |
| One Sweet Day | Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men | 16 | 1995 |
| I Will Always Love You | Whitney Houston | 14 | 1992 |
| Uptown Funk | Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars | 14 | 2015 |
This table shows why "Old Town Road" stands out. The 19-week run is more than double the time most songs spend at #1. For comparison, "Uptown Funk" and "I Will Always Love You" both held the top spot for 14 weeks. "Despacito" and "One Sweet Day" tied at 16 weeks. But "Old Town Road" stayed longer than all of them. What's fascinating is how it did this. Before 2019, songs rarely stayed at #1 for more than 10 weeks. The average #1 song only lasted 5-7 weeks. "Old Town Road" broke that pattern completely. Its success proved that streaming and social media could create chart dominance in ways radio-only eras never could.
Why This Record Matters Today
The "Old Town Road" record isn't just a fun fact - it's a turning point in music history. Before 2019, Billboard charts were dominated by radio airplay. Songs needed heavy rotation on FM stations to climb the charts. But streaming changed everything. With platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube, songs could go viral without radio support. TikTok made it even easier. A catchy 15-second clip could send a song to #1 overnight. "Old Town Road" was the first song to fully leverage this new system. Its 19-week run showed that artists could build massive followings online and translate that into chart success. Today, nearly all #1 hits come from streaming and social media. The song also broke genre barriers. Country radio initially rejected it, but the remix with Billy Ray Cyrus made it acceptable. This crossover success paved the way for future genre-blending hits like "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" by Shaboozey, which also hit #1 in 2024. "Old Town Road" proved that music doesn't need to fit into one box. It's a lesson for artists today: innovation beats tradition.
Common Misconceptions About the Record
Many people think "Old Town Road" was the first song to hit 19 weeks at #1. But that's not the full story. Before 2019, Billboard had different chart rules. Songs like "How Do I Live" by LeAnn Rimes (1997) and "I Will Always Love You" (1992) spent more weeks on the chart overall, but not all at #1. "How Do I Live" stayed on the chart for 69 weeks but only spent 1 week at #1. "I Will Always Love You" spent 14 weeks at #1 but 38 weeks total on the chart. "Old Town Road" is unique because it held the top spot for 19 straight weeks - no other song has done that. Another myth is that it was a country song. While the remix with Billy Ray Cyrus helped it cross over, the original version was a hip-hop track with country influences. Billboard eventually classified it as a country song for chart purposes, but its sound was always a blend. The real story is about how streaming and social media changed the game. "Old Town Road" didn't just break records - it rewrote the rules.
What's Next for Chart Records?
With "Old Town Road" holding the record since 2019, many wonder if it will ever be broken. In 2024, Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" spent 18 weeks at #1 - just one week short of the record. It came close, but not close enough. Streaming habits are changing again. Shorter attention spans mean songs rise fast but fall faster. TikTok hits often peak in 3-4 weeks before dropping off. This makes long chart runs harder than ever. The last song to spend more than 10 weeks at #1 was "Flowers" by Miley Cyrus in 2023, which lasted 11 weeks. For "Old Town Road" to be beaten, a song would need to stay relevant for nearly 20 weeks straight. That's rare in today's music landscape. But who knows? With new platforms like AI-generated music and virtual reality concerts, the next record-breaker might come from an unexpected place. For now, "Old Town Road" remains the undisputed king of chart longevity.
What song has been #1 the longest in history?
"Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus holds the record for the longest run at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It spent 19 consecutive weeks at the top spot in 2019, beating the previous record of 16 weeks held by "Despacito" and "One Sweet Day".
Why did "Old Town Road" stay at #1 for so long?
Its success came from a perfect mix of TikTok virality, streaming dominance, and genre-blending appeal. The song went viral on TikTok with over 1.5 billion views, then got a remix with country star Billy Ray Cyrus. This crossover made it playable on both country and pop radio, while streaming services drove massive numbers. Billboard's chart rules at the time prioritized streaming data, which helped the song stay on top longer than any radio-driven hit could.
Was "Old Town Road" a country song?
No. The original version was a hip-hop track with country influences. Country radio initially refused to play it, calling it "too hip-hop." The remix with Billy Ray Cyrus helped it cross over to country charts, but the song's sound was always a blend of genres. Billboard later classified it as country for chart purposes, but its success came from breaking genre barriers entirely.
Has any song come close to breaking the "Old Town Road" record?
Yes. In 2024, Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" spent 18 weeks at #1 - just one week short of the record. Before that, Miley Cyrus's "Flowers" spent 11 weeks at #1 in 2023. But no song has come close to 19 weeks since "Old Town Road" set the record. Today's streaming habits make long chart runs harder than ever, as songs often peak quickly and fade fast.
How does the Billboard Hot 100 chart work today?
Today's Billboard Hot 100 uses a mix of streaming data, radio airplay, and digital sales. Streaming counts for about 75% of the chart, with radio and sales making up the rest. Each stream from services like Spotify and Apple Music counts as a fraction of a sale. Radio plays are weighted by audience size. This system favors viral hits that get massive streaming numbers, which is why songs like "Old Town Road" and "A Bar Song" dominated for so long.
