Lil Nas X's 'Old Town Road' Rules Billboard Hot 100 for 18th Week, Lil Tecca's 'Ran$om' Reaches Top 10
8/5/2019 by Gary TrustNoam Galai/Getty Images for BuzzFeed
Lil Nas X performs on stage during Internet Live By BuzzFeed at Webster Hall on July 25, 2019 in New York City.
"Road" extends its record reign on the Hot 100 and ties for the longest command on both the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts.
Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road," featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, extends its record run atop the Billboard Hot 100, leading the list for an 18th week.
A week ago, "Road" rewrote the mark for the most time atop the chart, as, with a 17th frame at No. 1, it bested "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, featuring Justin Bieber, and "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men, which ruled for 16 weeks each, in 2017 and 1995-96, respectively.
Elsewhere in the latest Hot 100's top 10, Lil Tecca makes his first visit to the region, as "Ran$om" surges from No. 19 to No. 10.
Let's run down the top 10 of this history-making week on Hot 100 (dated Aug. 10), which blends all-genre U.S. streaming, radio airplay and digital sales data. All charts will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Aug. 6).
With an 18th week atop the Hot 100 for "Old Town Road," here's a look at the 10 longest-leading No. 1s in the chart's 61-year archives:
Weeks at No. 1, Title, Artist, Date Reached No. 1
18, "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
As on the Hot 100, "Road" (on Columbia Records) leads the Streaming Songs chart for a record-padding 18th week, with 67.4 million U.S. streams, down 7%, in the week ending Aug. 1, 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 17 of the song's 18 weeks atop the Hot 100) and claims nine of the 11 biggest streaming frames to date, including the top three.
"Road" concurrently spends a 14th week atop the Digital Song Sales chart, up 3% to 47,000 downloads sold in the week ending Aug. 1. The track breaks out of a four-way tie for the second-most weeks spent atop the tally, trailing only "Despacito," which ruled for 17 weeks. (The Chainsmokers' " Closer," featuring Halsey, in 2016; Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk!," featuring Bruno Mars, in 2015; and Flo Rida's "Low," featuring T-Pain, in 2007-08, led for 13 weeks each.)
Aiding its profile, a new remix of "Road" featuring RM of BTS, dubbed "Old Town Road (Seoul Town Road Remix)," was released July 24 and, thus, its first full streaming and sales tracking week (July 26-Aug. 1) is reflected on the latest, Aug. 10-dated Hot 100. The RM remix is the fourth official reworking of "Road," following releases with Cyrus; Diplo; and Young Thug and Mason Ramsey.
On Radio Songs, where it reached No. 2, "Road" retreats 14-17, with 43.8 million audience impressions, down 6%, in the week ending Aug. 4.
Meanwhile, "Road" leads the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts for an 18th week each, tying for the longest command in the history of each tally. On Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, the track matches the 18-week domination of Drake's "One Dance," featuring WizKid and Kyla, in 2016. On Hot Rap Songs, "Road" equals the 18-week rules of Drake's "Hotline Bling" (2015-16); Iggy Azalea's "Fancy," featuring Charli XCX (2014); and Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott's "Hot Boyz," featuring NAS, EVE and Q-Tip (1999-2000). (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs began as an all-encompassing genre chart in October 1958 and Hot Rap Songs launched in March 1989.)
"Road" additionally tops the Songs of the Summer chart for a 10th frame, having led the list each week since its annual return after Memorial Day.
Billie Eilish's "Bad Guy" notches an eighth total week at its No. 2 Hot 100 high, as it holds at No. 2 on Streaming Songs (45.9 million, down 10%), No. 4 on Radio Songs (93.3 million, up 4%) and No. 5 on Digital Song Sales (20,000, down 10%).
Looking up at "Road" the entire time that it has ranked at No. 2 on the Hot 100, "Bad Guy" is (as of now) the 10th non-No. 1 in the chart's history to peak at the runner-up spot for at least eight weeks. Here's a recap of the No. 2-peaking songs to spend the most time in second place:
Weeks Peaking at No. 2, Title, Artist, Peak Date
10, "Work It," Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, Nov. 16, 2002
10, "Waiting for a Girl Like You," Foreigner, Nov. 28, 1981
9, "You're Still the One," Shania Twain, May 2, 1998
9, "I Love You Always Forever," Donna Lewis, Aug. 4, 1996
8, "Bad Guy," Billie Eilish, June 8, 2019
8, "Thinking Out Loud," Ed Sheeran, Jan. 31, 2015
8, "I Don't Wanna Know," Mario Winans feat. Enya & P. Diddy, April 24, 2004
8, "Back at One," Brian McKnight, Nov. 20, 1999
8, "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here," Deborah Cox, Dec. 5, 1998
8, "If I Ever Fall in Love," Shai, Nov. 21, 1992
As for the continued Hot 100 rule of "Road," both it and "Bad Guy" dip by 6% in overall metrics, as the former sports a 1.2-to-1 points difference over the latter for a second consecutive week.
Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello's "Senorita" keeps at No. 3 on the Hot 100, after debuting at its No. 2 high on the chart dated July 6. The duet claims the Hot 100's top Airplay Gainer award for a second week, up 22% to 81.4 million in radio reach.
Lizzo's "Truth Hurts" rises 5-4 for a new best Hot 100 rank, swapping spots with Khalid's No. 3-peaking "Talk" (4-5), which leads Radio Songs for an eighth week (133 million, down 1%) and Hot R&B Songs for a 15th week.
Chris Brown's "No Guidance," featuring Drake, blasts 11-6 for a new Hot 100 peak, after debuting at its prior No. 9 highpoint in June. Following the premiere of the song's nine-minute official video on July 26, the track charges with dual top Streaming and Sales Gainer honors on the Hot 100, as it jumps 10-3 on Streaming Songs (39.8 million, up 64%) and 36-10 on Digital Song Sales (13,000, up 120%).
On Radio Songs, "No Guidance" ascends 13-10 (51 million, up 10%), marking Brown's 16th top 10, and first since "Don't Wake Me Up" in 2012. Drake scores his 22nd Radio Songs top 10, extending his record for the most among males dating to the chart's December 1990 inception; overall, only Rihanna (29) and Mariah Carey (23) have earned more.
Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber's No. 2-peaking "I Don't Care" slips 6-7 on the Hot 100; Post Malone's "Goodbyes," featuring Young Thug, drops 7-8, after debuting at its No. 3 peak three weeks earlier; and Jonas Brothers' former one-week No. 1 "Sucker" descends 8-9.
Rounding out the Hot 100's top 10, Lil Tecca makes his first trip to the tier, as "Ran$om" roars 19-10. With its official video directed by Cole Bennett, the first Hot 100 entry for the 16-year-old Queens, New York-based rapper (real name: Tyler Sharpe) continues its sprint up Streaming Songs, climbing 7-4 (38.5 million, up 36%). It also gains by 59% to 6.1 million airplay audience and 50% to 4,000 sold.
Find out more Hot 100 news on Billboard.com this week, and, for all chart news, you can listen (and subscribe) to Billboard's Chart Beat Podcast and Pop Shop Podcast and follow
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billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram. And again, be sure to visit Billboard.com tomorrow (Aug. 6), when all charts, including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh.
