Chart Commentary — August 08, 2026

ELLA’S SWEET 16

Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” claims a 16th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, tying for the fourth-longest command in the chart’s history.  The single, which first hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 in February, is one of only seven songs to have led for 16 weeks or more. Here’s an updated rundown, ranked by most weeks at No. 1, 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, “Choosin’ Texas,” Ella Langley, 2026
• 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

“NOW” MORGAN

Wallen’s new standalone single, “Been by Now,” debuts at No. 2 on the Hot 100. Wallen adds his 20th Hot 100 top 10, becoming the 28th act to reach the milestone — and the first artist that has primarily recorded country music in his entire career to achieve the feat. Wallen first reached the region in 2020, with “7 Summers.” He, Drake (55) and Taylor Swift (45) are the only artists with at least 20 top 10s each this decade.

WHEN ACTS COLLIDE

As the Hot 100’s top five includes Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” at No. 1 and Wallen’s “Been by Now” at No. 2, they also share the No. 4 spot with their duet, “I Can’t Love You Anymore,” which holds at its highpoint.

The three songs make for a rarity: It’s just the fourth time that two acts each have had songs of their own in the Hot 100’s top five along with a collaboration between them simultaneously; it’s the first such instance involving country titles. They join…

Ashanti and Ja Rule (March 30, 2002)

1 1 AIN’T IT FUNNY –•– Jennifer Lopez Featuring Ja Rule (Epic)-14 (1) (4 Weeks at #1)
2 3 IN THE END –•– Linkin Park (Warner Brothers)-22 (2)
3 4 HOW YOU REMIND ME –•– Nickelback (Roadrunner)-30 (1) (4 Weeks at #1)
4 2 ALWAYS ON TIME –•– Ja Rule Featuring Ashanti (Murder Inc./Def Jam)-20 (1) (2 Weeks at #1)
5 8 WHAT’S LUV? –•– Fat Joe Featuring Ashanti (Terror Squad/Atlantic)-7 (5)

Rihanna and T.I. (Oct. 18, 2008)

1 80 LIVE YOUR LIFE –•– T.I. featuring Rihanna (Grand Hustle/ Atlantic)-2 (1) (1 Week at #1)
2 1 WHATEVER YOU LIKE –•– T.I. (Grand Hustle/ Atlantic)-9 (1) (5 Weeks at #1)
3 2 SO WHAT –•– Pink (LaFace)-7 (1) (1 Week at #1)
4 4 DISTURBIA –•– Rihanna (SRP/ Def Jam)-16 (1) (2 Weeks at #1)
5 15 LET IT ROCK –•– Kevin Rudolf featuring Lil Wayne (Cash Money/ Universal Republic)-6 (5)

Justin Bieber and DJ Khaled (July 8 – August 12, 2017) Since this is a six-week run, I won’t post each week.  However, I’ll post the July 8, 2017 entry and you check our site to see how they jostle about for the next five weeks.

1 1 DESPACITO –•– Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber (Universal Latin)-23 (1) (7 Weeks at #1)
2 2 I’M THE ONE –•– DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper & Lil Wayne (We the Best/ Epic)-8 (1) (1 Week at #1)
3 3 THAT’S WHAT I LIKE –•– Bruno Mars (Atlantic)-23 (1) (1 Week at #1)
4 — WILD THOUGHTS –•– DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna & Bryson Tiller (We the Best/ Epic)-1 (4)
5 4 SHAPE OF YOU –•– Ed Sheeran (Asylum/ Atlantic)-24 (1) (12 Weeks at #1)

COUNTRY HIGH FIVE

Country songs monopolize the Hot 100’s entire top five for the first time ever, thanks to hits by Langley, Morgan Wallen — who debuts at No. 2 with his new single, “Been by Now” — a duet by the pair, Taylor Swift and Stella Lefty, adding to the records being rewritten by the genre.  Country hits (defined as those that have made Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart) infuse the entire top five on the Hot 100 for the first time, following two weeks in July when the genre had four songs in the tier.

Below “Choosin’ Texas” at No. 1 and “Been by Now” at No. 2, Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You” dips 2-3, after it spent its first two weeks on the Hot 100 at No. 1 in June. After “I Can’t Love You Anymore” at No. 4, Stella Lefty’s first top 10, “Boston,” is No. 5, a week after reaching a No. 3 high.

Country acts have been building toward the feat this decade. Of the 10 weeks all-time with country songs at either Nos. 1-3, 1-4 or, now, 1-5 on the Hot 100, all have occurred since August 2023, boosted, in part, by surges in streaming for the genre.

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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