Chart Commentary — August 01, 2026

“TEXAS” BEATS “ALWAYS” AND “TOGETHER”

Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” collects a 15th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — surpassing two classic songs for yet more chart history.

The single, which first hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 in February, surpasses 14-week leaders “We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey, from 2005, and “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston, in 1992-93, for the most weeks at No. 1 ever among non-holiday titles by women with no co-billed acts.

Removing the seasonal qualifier, “Choosin’ Texas” trails only Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” for the longest Hot 100 command among songs by only women.

Here’s an updated rundown, ranked by most weeks at No. 1, of the elite eight songs that have ruled the Hot 100 for 15 or more weeks over the chart’s archives, which date to August 1958:

• 22 weeks, “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” Mariah Carey, 2019-26
• 19, “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Shaboozey, 2024
• 19, “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus, 2019
• 16, “Last Night,” Morgan Wallen, 2023
• 16, “Despacito,” Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber, 2017
• 16, “One Sweet Day,” Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men, 1995-96
• 15, “Choosin’ Texas,” Ella Langley, 2026
• 15, “As It Was,” Harry Styles, 2022

THE COUNTRY 4

Country hits claim the top four for a second time in the Hot 100’s history, two weeks after the genre first achieved the feat.

Below “Choosin’ Texas,” Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You” is No. 2 for a fifth consecutive week, after it spent its first two weeks on the Hot 100 at No. 1 in June; Stella Lefty’s first top 10, “Boston,” surges 6-3 for a new high; and Langley and Morgan Wallen’s “I Can’t Love You Anymore” rebounds three spots to its No. 4 best.

Two weeks earlier, “Choosin’ Texas,” “I Knew It, I Knew You” and “I Can’t Love You Anymore” were in the same spots, joined by Langley’s “Be Her” at No. 3.

In eight other weeks — all in the past three years — country titles took the top three, starting on the Aug. 5, 2023-dated Hot 100, via Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town,” Wallen’s “Last Night” and Luke Combs’ “Fast Car.”

Of the nine weeks all-time with country songs at either Nos. 1-3 or Nos. 1-4 on the Hot 100, this week marks the fifth in a row dating to the first week in July.

Meanwhile, another country hit by Wallen will challenge for a notable Hot 100 debut next week: “Been by You,” released this past Friday (July 24).

REST OF THE 10: AFTER ELLA & STELLA, MORE ELLA, 2 FELLAS, A COUPLE OF DEANS WITH A SIDE OF GRANDE

Elsewhere in the Hot 100’s top 10, Ariana Grande’s “Hate That I Made You Love Me” falls 4-5, after it led in its debut week in May. Parent album Petal arrives Friday (July 31). Expect a Petal bouquet next week.

“Dracula” by Tame Impala, fronted by Kevin Parker, and JENNIE, dips to No. 6 from its No. 5 Hot 100 high. It tops the multimetric Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart for a 29th week and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs for an 11th week.

Olivia Dean’s “So Easy (To Fall in Love)” rises 9-7 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 5. It leads Radio Songs for a second week (64.8 million, up 3%). Plus, her “Man I Need” descends 8-9, after hitting No. 2.

Langley’s “Be Her” drops 3-8 on the Hot 100 after peaking at No. 2.

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Bruno Mars’ “I Just Might,” which debuted at No. 1 in January and led for three weeks through March, holds at No. 10. It rules Hot R&B Songs chart for a 28th week and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for a 21st week, tying for the third-longest No. 1 stay on the latter list, whose history dates to October 1958. Kendrick Lamar has the top two longest-leading hits, each in 2024-25 — “Luther,” with SZA (31 weeks), and “Not Like Us” (22) — while SZA’s “Kill Bill” also led for 21 weeks, in 2022-23.

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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