‘Old Town Road’ Is The Longest-Running No.1 Single Ever

Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, is officially the longest-running No.1 song in the 60-year history of…

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

July 30, 2019

2:46 pm

Lil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus; Photo by Andrew Wendowski

Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, is officially the longest-running No.1 song in the 60-year history of the Billboard Hot 100.

The viral sensation has now spent a whopping 17 weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, earning the record for the most time at No.1 ever. “Old Town Road” beat the previous record of 16 weeks, which was first held by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day” and later reached by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito,” featuring Justin Bieber.

Lil Nas X, 20, took to Twitter to share a video message with fans upon hearing the news of the chart record.

“I’m on the toilet right now, but I want to say thank you to every single person who has made this moment possible for me,” he shared. “We just broke the record for the longest-running No. 1 song of all-time…”

Prior to “Old Town Road” securing the chart record, Billy Ray Cyrus took the stage at the Grand Ole Opry to perform the song alongside Mason Ramsey. Ramsey is featured on a remix of “Old Town Road” with rapper Young Thug.

Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus will perform “Old Town Road” with special guest Keith Urban on the upcoming ABC special, CMA Fest. Hosted by Thomas Rhett and Kelsea Ballerini with special guest host Bobby Bones, CMA Fest airs Sunday, Aug. 4 at 8/7c on ABC.

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.