Chart Commentary — JULY 18, 2026

13 AND 3 OF 5

Listeners continue to be choosin’ “Choosin’ Texas,” as Ella Langley’s smash holds for a 13th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The song’s newest historic levels: The hit, which first led the Hot 100 in February, is one of just five, and the only one by an act known for primarily recording country music, to have dominated for 13 weeks or more among titles by women with no male-billed acts.

Here’s an updated rundown, ranked by most weeks at No. 1, over the Hot 100’s archives, which date to August 1958:

• 22 weeks (the overall record), “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” Mariah Carey, 2019-26
• 14, “We Belong Together,” Mariah Carey, 2005
• 14, “I Will Always Love You,” Whitney Houston, 1992-93
• 13, “Choosin’ Texas,” Ella Langley, 2026
• 13, “The Boy Is Mine,” Brandy & Monica, 1998

“Choosin’ Texas” is, thus, the first non-holiday song to join the group above since Carey’s “We Belong Together” 21 years ago.

Meanwhile, Langley boasts three songs in the Hot 100’s top four spots, with “Choosin’ Texas” joined by “Be Her,” steady at its No. 3 high, and “I Can’t Love You Anymore,” with Morgan Wallen, new to the top five with a 6-4 jump. How rare is that kind of a triple-up?  The only acts that have infused the Hot 100’s top four places with at least three hits at once — with Langley the first female artist to do so with a trio of country songs: The Beatles (for a record seven weeks), Drake (six), Kendrick Lamar (five), Taylor Swift (four), Wallen (two), 21 Savage, Sabrina Carpenter, Ariana Grande and Langley (one each).

‘DRACULA” RISES

Tame Impala and JENNIE’s “Dracula” surges 8-5.

AMERICAN-THEMED MUSIC RE-ENTERS COURTESY OF THE WORLD CUP AND JULY 4

11. COURTESY OF THE RED, WHITE AND BLUE (THE ANGRY AMERICAN)/Toby Keith (new peak of #11 occurring in 2026)
25. PARTY IN THE USA/Miley Cyrus (#2 in 2009)
31. SWEET HOME ALABAMA/Lynryd Skynyrd (#8 in 1978)
32. CHICKEN FRIED/Zac Brown Band (#20 in 2009)
35. DON’T STOP BELIEVIN’/Journey (#9 in 1981)
36. BORN IN THE U.S.A./Bruce Springsteen (#9 in 1985)
41. TAKE ME HOME, COUNTRY ROADS/John Denver with Fat City (#2 in 1971)
44. FORTUNATE SON/Creedence Clearwater Revival (#14 in 1969)
46. AMERICAN KIDS/Kenny Chesney (#23 in 2014)

Older songs are eligible to place on the Hot 100 if in the top 50 and with a meaningful reason for their gains.

Jarrett Nolan

I was born a poor Black child into a family that put the “fun” in dysfunction. But through that fun, there was A LOT of music. At a very young age, my parents introduced me to everything ranging from Doo Wop to the British Invasion to Motown to Philly Soul to Psychedlic Rock to Funk.

Since I’m a Jersey boy born-n-bred, I landed a job at WHTZ (Z100) as a producer. I gave the DJs info about artists to read on-air – most of mine were chart-related, naturally.

I did double duty at WSBG, a small market radio station in the Poconos, as a DJ because I have a face for radio.

Through a random twist of fate, I wound up at BMG Distribution in Times Square. Shortly after, I ended up at Arista (shouldn’t have done that!). My career in the music industry ended with a stint at being a personal assistant to alterna-rap act PM Dawn.

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