3 of the Longest-Running No. 1 Hits of All Time

This week, Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” surpassed Mariah Carey’s eternal holiday hit, “All I Want For Christmas Is You”, as the longest-running No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100. As of this writing, Langley’s smash has spent 23 nonconsecutive weeks atop the chart, surpassing Carey’s, which, last December, reached 22 weeks for a career total.

When the holiday season approaches this year, we’ll see if Carey’s sticky tune makes a comeback. But until then, let’s revisit three of history’s most resilient chart-toppers.

“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey

For a while, Shaboozey’s signature jam, with its insertion of J-Kwon’s “Tipsy”, shared the longest-running title after spending 19 weeks at No. 1. And considering the success of this song and other pop-country smashes, it’s no surprise that everyone from Beyoncé to Post Malone and, more recently, Brandon Flowers of The Killers have chosen to add a little dusty twang to their repertoire.

“Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X

If you’ve been in Nashville long enough, you are well familiar with rapping country artists. But for those who weren’t exposed to this kind of hybrid, Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” offered a new sound. With a sample from Nine Inch Nails’ “34 Ghosts IV”, as well as a remix featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, this country-trap hit remained No. 1 for a whopping 19 consecutive weeks.

In 2019, Billboard controversially removed “Old Town Road” from the country charts for not having “enough elements of today’s country music to chart in its current version.” Lil Nas X responded to whether he thought the decision was racially motivated by saying, “I believe whenever you’re trying something new, it’s always going to get some kind of bad reception.”

“All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey

In 1994, Mariah Carey released what became a modern staple in the classic holiday songbook. Written by Carey and Walter Afanasieff, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” remains so ubiquitous, it’s nearly as reliable as seasonal shopping ads that Christmas is approaching. Langley may want to tack on a few more weeks if she’s to sustain Carey’s multi-octave comeback.

Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for ACM