In August 2019, Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” clocked its 19th week at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts, setting the record for longest stay at No. 1 of any song in the history of the chart.
Logging multiple weeks at No. 1 is a rare feat in an industry with constant competition and turnover. While over 1,000 songs have reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 since it premiered in 1958, the majority of those have stayed at the top of the charts for two weeks or less. Of those songs that manage to reign on top for longer, fewer than 50 have stayed at No. 1 for 10 weeks or more.
To determine the songs with the longest stays at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on chart performance from Billboard magazine. We listed the 43 songs that have spent at least 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The first song to reach the 10-week milestone was Debby Boone’s “You Light Up My Life,” which spent 10 weeks at No. 1 in 1977. On the heels of the aerobics craze of the 80’s, Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical” became the second song to join the 10-week club after topping the charts for 10 weeks in the winter of 1981. (These were the first songs to ever top the Billboard chart.)
Click here to see the songs with the longest stays at No. 1 on the Hot 100
It took over 10 years for another song to hit the 10-week streak, with Boyz II Men’s “End of the Road” logging 13 weeks at No. 1 in 1992. The group was able to top the Hot 100 for 10-plus weeks at a time twice more in the ‘90’s with “I’ll Make Love to You” in 1994 and “One Sweet Day” in 1995.
Only two other artists – Mariah Carey and Drake – have had three songs that spent at least 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100. Santana, the Black Eyed Peas, and Adele each have two. (Missing the jtop chart position doesn’t necessarily mean lack of success. Here’s a list of the biggest hits that were never No. 1.)
43. BTS, “Butter”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 10
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 20 weeks
> Chart debut date: June 5, 2021
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42. Drake, “In My Feelings”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 10
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 22 weeks
> Chart debut date: July 14, 2018
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41. Debby Boone, “You Light Up My Life”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 10
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 25 weeks
> Chart debut date: September 3, 1977
40. Olivia Newton-John, “Physical”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 10
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 26 weeks
> Chart debut date: October 3, 1981
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39. Santana featuring The Product G&B, “Maria Maria”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 10
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 26 weeks
> Chart debut date: February 12, 2000
38. Adele, “Hello”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 10
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 26 weeks
> Chart debut date: November 14, 2015
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37. Beyoncé, “Irreplaceable”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 10
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 30 weeks
> Chart debut date: November 4, 2006
36. Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland, “Dilemma”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 10
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 29 weeks
> Chart debut date: July 13, 2002
35. Ashanti, “Foolish”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 10
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 32 weeks
> Chart debut date: February 16, 2002
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34. Adele, “Easy On Me”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 10
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 31 weeks
> Chart debut date: October 23, 2021
33. Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx, “Gold Digger”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 10
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 39 weeks
> Chart debut date: July 30, 2005
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32. Drake featuring WizKid & Kyla, “One Dance”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 10
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 36 weeks
> Chart debut date: April 23, 2016
31. Flo Rida featuring T-Pain, “Low”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 10
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 40 weeks
> Chart debut date: November 10, 2007
30. Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris, “We Found Love”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 10
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 42 weeks
> Chart debut date: October 8, 2011
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29. Pharrell Williams, “Happy”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 10
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 47 weeks
> Chart debut date: January 18, 2014
28. Destiny’s Child, “Independent Women Part I”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 11
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 28 weeks
> Chart debut date: September 23, 2000
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27. All-4-One, “I Swear”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 11
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 30 weeks
> Chart debut date: April 23, 1994
26. Puff Daddy & Faith Evans featuring 112, “I’ll Be Missing You”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 11
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 33 weeks
> Chart debut date: June 14, 1997
25. Drake, “God’s Plan”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 11
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 36 weeks
> Chart debut date: February 3, 2018
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24. Roddy Ricch, “The Box”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 11
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 38 weeks
> Chart debut date: December 21, 2019
23. Toni Braxton, “Un-Break My Heart”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 11
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 42 weeks
> Chart debut date: October 26, 1996
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22. Eminem, “Lose Yourself”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 12
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 24 weeks
> Chart debut date: October 5, 2002
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21. The Black Eyed Peas, “Boom Boom Pow”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 12
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 33 weeks
> Chart debut date: March 28, 2009
20. Usher featuring Lil Jon & Ludacris, “Yeah!”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 12
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 45 weeks
> Chart debut date: January 10, 2004
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19. Robin Thicke featuring T.I. + Pharrell, “Blurred Lines”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 12
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 48 weeks
> Chart debut date: May 4, 2013
18. Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth, “See You Again”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 12
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 52 weeks
> Chart debut date: March 28, 2015
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17. The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey, “Closer”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 12
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 52 weeks
> Chart debut date: August 20, 2016
16. Santana featuring Rob Thomas, “Smooth”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 12
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 58 weeks
> Chart debut date: July 31, 1999
15. Mariah Carey, “All I Want For Christmas Is You”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 12
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 57 weeks
> Chart debut date: January 8, 2000
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14. Ed Sheeran, “Shape Of You”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 12
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 58 weeks
> Chart debut date: January 28, 2017
13. Brandy & Monica, “The Boy Is Mine”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 13
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 27 weeks
> Chart debut date: May 30, 1998
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12. Boyz II Men, “End of the Road (From “Boomerang”)”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 13
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 32 weeks
> Chart debut date: July 18, 1992
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11. Whitney Houston, “I Will Always Love You”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 14
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 29 weeks
> Chart debut date: November 14, 1992
10. Boyz II Men, “I’ll Make Love to You”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 14
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 33 weeks
> Chart debut date: August 13, 1994
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9. Elton John, “Candle in the Wind 1997/Something About the Way You Look Tonight”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 14
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 42 weeks
> Chart debut date: October 11, 1997
8. Mariah Carey, “We Belong Together”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 14
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 43 weeks
> Chart debut date: April 16, 2005
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7. Los Del Rio, “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 14
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 60 weeks
> Chart debut date: September 2, 1995
6. The Black Eyed Peas, “I Gotta Feeling”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 14
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 56 weeks
> Chart debut date: June 27, 2009
5. Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars, “Uptown Funk!”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 14
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 56 weeks
> Chart debut date: November 29, 2014
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4. Harry Styles, “As It Was”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 15
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 53 weeks
> Chart debut date: April 16, 2022
3. Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men, “One Sweet Day”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 16
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 27 weeks
> Chart debut date: December 2, 1995
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2. Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber, “Despacito”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 16
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 51 weeks
> Chart debut date: February 4, 2017
1. Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, “Old Town Road”
> Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100: 19
> Total time on Billboard Hot 100: 45 weeks
> Chart debut date: March 16, 2019
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