It’s a good time to be a country artist.
2023 has been an unusually exceptional year for country music. From Morgan Wallen to Luke Combs, Zach Bryan, Oliver Anthony Music and more, country acts are reaching historic highs across Billboard’s charts – including, most notably, on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.
As of the latest list (dated Sept. 9), four country songs (defined as those that have also appeared on the Hot Country Songs chart) have hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 this year: Wallen’s 16-week juggernaut “Last Night,” Jason Aldean’s one-week leader “Try That in a Small Town,” Oliver Anthony Music’s two-week viral No. 1 “Rich Men North of Richmond,” and, as of this week, Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves. Dating to the Hot 100’s launch in 1958, only one other calendar year has brought four-or-more country No. 1s: 1975, when five reached the summit (listed below in chronological order of when they topped the Hot 100):
“(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song,” B.J. Thomas
“Before the Next Teardrop Falls,” Freddy Fender
“Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” John Denver
“Rhinestone Cowboy,” Glen Campbell
“I’m Sorry,” John Denver
“Last Night” has been particularly historic, as its 16 weeks atop the Hot 100 from March to August mark the most weeks ever at No. 1 for a non-collaboration, and tie it for the second-most overall. It also became the first chart-topper by an unaccompanied solo male country artist in over 42 years, since Eddie Rabbitt’s 1981 hit “I Love a Rainy Night.”
Meanwhile, Luke Combs’ cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” has spent eight weeks at its No. 2 high on the Hot 100, becoming his top-charting song. It has also crowned the all-format Radio Songs chart, Country Airplay and Adult Pop Airplay, and has reached the top 10 on Pop Airplay and Adult Contemporary.
Even further, 11 country songs have hit the Hot 100’s top 10 this year, almost quadruple the three that reached the region in all of 2022 (Combs’ “The Kind of Love We Make” and Wallen’s “You Proof” and “Don’t Think Jesus”). Three country hits also appeared in the top 10 in 2021 (Gabby Barrett’s “I Hope,” featuring Charlie Puth, Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” and Walker Hayes’ “Fancy Like”), after four did in 2020 (“I Hope,” Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber’s “10,000 Hours,” Combs’ “Forever After All” and Wallen’s “7 Summers”). “10,000 Hours” was the only country song to reach the Hot 100’s top 10 in all of 2019.
Zach Bryan has also achieved historic heights. This week, he becomes just the second country artist to chart at least 18 songs on the Hot 100 in a single week, after Wallen. “I Remember Everything” also becomes the first song to ever to top the Hot 100, Hot Country Songs and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs charts. Before this week, his breakout song “Something in the Orange” climbed to No. 10 on the Hot 100 in January, later becoming the longest-charting country song by a male artist, spending 66 total weeks on the survey.
The genre’s 2023 success doesn’t end with Wallen, Combs and Bryan, though. Multiple other country artists have also scored their first Hot 100 entries this year, including Tyler Childers (“In Your Love”), Hailey Whitters (“Everything She Ain’t”) and Warren Zeiders (“Pretty Little Poison”).
As Billboard reported in July, country music consumption in the United States increased by 20.3% year-over-year in the first 26 weeks of 2023, according to Luminate. That’s a significant improvement from the 2.5% growth that it experienced over the same period in 2022. Only K-pop (up 46.2%) and Latin (up 20.6%) saw sharper growths. While that surge is driven mostly by Wallen, a whole new crop of country artists is also contributing, including Bailey Zimmerman, Jelly Roll, and Nate Smith.
As country music continues its chart domination into 2023’s fourth quarter, here’s a look at every country music milestone and record that’s been broken on the Hot 100 in 2023, recapped in chronological order.
Chart Date: March 18, 2023
Exactly half of the songs in the top 50 of the Hot 100 on March 18 were classified as country (21 by Morgan Wallen). It was the first time that 25 country songs landed in the top 50 simultaneously. The feat happened again on Sept. 9 (with 16 by Zach Bryan).
Chart Date: March 18, 2023
Morgan Wallen charted all 36 songs from his LP One Thing at a Time on the March 18-dated chart, when the album launched atop the Billboard 200, setting a new record – among all acts and genres – for the most simultaneous entries on the Hot 100 in a single week. The following week, he charted 28 songs, the second-most ever in a single frame. Before Wallen, Drake held the record, with 27 spots occupied on the July 14, 2018, when his LP Scorpion opened at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Chart Date: March 18, 2023
After landing 36 songs on the chart from One Thing at a Time on March 18, Wallen upped his career total to 62 career Hot 100-charting hits (he’s now at 63, thanks to his featured credit on Lil Durk’s “Stand By Me,” which debuted in June). In just one chart week, he surpassed the following artists for the most career entries among core country acts: Luke Bryan, Glen Campbell, Rascal Flatts, George Strait (37 each at the time), Toby Keith (39), Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley (40 each), Johnny Cash, Kenny Rogers, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood (42 each), Keith Urban (46), Brenda Lee (48), Kenny Chesney (58) and Tim McGraw (61). Among all acts, Drake has the most overall entries, with 298, followed by Taylor Swift (212) and the Glee Cast (207).
Chart Date: March 18, 2023
Wallen landed five songs in the top 10 of the Hot 100 dated March 18, when One Thing at a Time debuted. He’s the only core country act to place five titles in the top 10 in one week. The only other artists, across all genres, to chart at least five hits in the top 10 in a single week are 21 Savage, The Beatles, Drake, Juice WRLD and Taylor Swift.
Chart Date: March 18, 2023
Wallen’s “Last Night” registered 47.5 million official U.S. streams in the March 3-9 tracking week, according to Luminate (the opening week of One Thing at a Time). That’s the most U.S. streams ever in a single week for a non-holiday country song by a male artist. The only non-holiday country song to tally more streams in a single week is Swift’s “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version),” which earned 54.4 million in its opening week in November 2021.
Chart Date: May 13, 2023
Wallen’s “Last Night” rose to No. 1 on the Country Airplay chart dated May 13. The same week, it tallied its fifth week at No. 1 on the Hot 100, becoming the first song to rule the Hot 100 and country radio at the same time, dating to the Country Airplay chart’s launch in 1990.
Chart Date: May 20 & May 27, 2023
On May 20, Wallen’s “Last Night” tallied its sixth week at No. 1 on the Hot 100 (of an eventual 16 to date). That week, the song tied Johnny Horton’s “The Battle of New Orleans,” from 1959, and Kenny Rogers’ “Lady,” from 1980, to become the longest-leading country song atop the Hot 100. It broke the record the following week (May 27).
Chart Date: July 1, 2023
On July 1, the most-streamed songs in the U.S. were Wallen’s “Last Night” (29.8 million streams) and Luke Combs’ “Fast Car” (21.2 million). It was the first time since Luminate began tracking streaming data that the two most-streamed songs in the U.S. were country songs. The feat happened again on July 8 (again, with “Last Night” and “Fast Car”) and Sept. 2 (Oliver Anthony Music’s “Rich Men North of Richmond,” and “Last Night”).
Chart Date: July 1, 2023
On July 1, the top two songs on both the Hot 100 and Country Airplay charts were Wallen’s “Last Night” and Combs’ “Fast Car.” It was the first time that the top two spots on both charts were in sync.
Chart Date: July 22
Twenty one country songs infused the top 40 of the Hot 100 on July 22, the most ever for the genre in a single week (13 of which by Taylor Swift after releasing Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)). The previous record was 19 on March 18, 2023, when Wallen’s One Thing at a Time debuted. Additionally, 20 country songs reached the top 40 on Sept. 9, after Zach Bryan released his self-titled LP.
Chart Date: July 29, 2023
On July 29, three of the top four songs on the Hot 100 were country tracks: Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” (No. 2), Wallen’s “Last Night” (No. 3) and Combs’ “Fast Car” (No. 4). It was the first time that country songs held three of the top four spots.
Chart Date: Aug. 5, 2023
One week later, country music one-upped itself by claiming the top three spots of the Hot 100 with Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” (No. 1), Wallen’s “Last Night” (No. 2) and Combs’ “Fast Car” (No. 3). It was the first time in that country songs dominated the entire top three spots. The genre repeated the feat on Aug. 26 and Sept. 2.
Chart Date: Aug. 5, 2023
Zach Bryan’s “Something in the Orange” spent 66 total weeks on the Hot 100, from May 7, 2022, to Aug. 5, 2023. That’s the longest run on the chart for a country song by a male artist. Wallen’s “You Proof” ranks second in the category with 62 weeks spent on the ranking (May 28, 2022-July 29, 2023).
Chart Date: Aug. 12, 2023
On the Aug. 12-dated Hot 100, Wallen’s “Last Night” moved into the No. 1 spot for a fifth time. It joined Harry Styles’ “As It Was” as the only songs to log five distinct runs at No. 1 (that is, reaching the top, falling, and then returning to the summit, for five distinct stays at No. 1).
Chart Dates: Aug. 12 & 19, 2023
On Aug. 12, Wallen’s “Last Night” tied Styles’ “As It Was” for the most weeks spent at No. 1 on the Hot 100 for a song with no accompanying artists (no featured artists or co-bills, etc.). It broke the record the following week, when it tallied a 16th week at No. 1. Among all songs, it tied Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito,” featuring Justin Bieber (in 2017), and Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day” (1995-96) for the second-longest-leading No. 1 song in history, after Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus (19 weeks, in 2019).
Chart Date: Aug. 19, 2023
Wallen’s “Last Night” scored its 16th week at No. 1 on the Hot 100 dated Aug. 19, surpassing the 15-week run of Styles’ “As It Was” in 2022. In doing so, it became the longest-leading No. 1 hit of the decade so far.
Chart Date: Aug. 19, 2023
Wallen’s “Last Night” has spent 21 weeks in the top two positions of the Hot 100. That’s the most ever for a country song, and is tied with The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber’s “Stay” for the second-most among all songs, after Styles “As It Was” (25).
Chart Date: Aug. 26, 2023
Coming out of seemingly nowhere, Oliver Anthony Music blasted into the No. 1 spot on the Hot 100 dated Aug. 26 with “Rich Men North of Richmond,” marking his first chart appearance overall. Driven by only a guitar and vocals, and lyrics that piqued the interest of both the right and left politically, he became the first act to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100 without having ever appeared on a chart previously in any form.
Chart Date: Aug. 26, 2023
When “Rich Men North of Richmond” debuted at No. 1 on Aug. 26, Oliver Anthony Music became the first country male act to debut their first solo chart entry at No. 1. The only other artists to debut their first solo Hot 100 hits at No. 1 are Clay Aiken (“This Is the Night,” 2003), Fantasia (“I Believe,” 2004), Carrie Underwood (“Inside Your Heaven,” 2005), Baauer (“Harlem Shake,” 2013) and Zayn (“Pillowtalk,” 2016).
Chart Date: Aug. 26, 2023
Oliver Anthony Music’s “Rich Men North of Richmond” is the first song by a solo male to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs charts simultaneously. The only other song to do that is Swift’s “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” in 2021.
Chart Dates: Aug. 26 & Sept. 2, 2023
Country songs ruled the top three spots of the Hot 100 for the first time on Aug. 5, and then for the second and third times on the charts dated Aug. 26 and Sept. 2. This marked the first time that the feat occurred in back-to-back weeks, thanks to “Rich Men North of Richmond” (No. 1), “Fast Car” (No. 2) and “Last Night” (No. 3).
Chart Date: Sept. 2, 2023
Wallen’s “Last Night” has spent 26 weeks in the top three spots of the Hot 100, the most for a country song. Only Styles’ “As It Was” has amassed more time in the top three (29 weeks).
Chart Date: Sept. 9, 2023
Wallen’s “Last Night” has accumulated 30 weeks and counting (through Sept. 9) in the top five of the Hot 100, the most for a country song. Only three songs have spent more time in the top five, among all genres: The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” (43 weeks), The Kid LAROI and Bieber’s “Stay” (34) and Styles’ “As It Was” (31).
Chart Date: Sept. 9, 2023
As of the chart dated Sept. 9, Wallen has charted 39 songs on the Hot 100 in 2023 alone. That’s the most ever in a calendar year among core country artists. The only times an act has charted more in a calendar year were in 2010 (Glee Cast, 80 entries), 2011 (Glee Cast, 77), 2020 (Lil Uzi Vert, 46), 2021 (Lil Durk and Taylor Swift, 41 each) and 2022 (Drake and Lil Baby, 40 each).
Chart Date: Sept. 9, 2023
Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves, debuted at No. 1 on all three charts (dated Sept. 9), becoming the first song to lead all three lists in history. (The Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs charts launched in 1958, while Hot Rock & Alternative Songs began in 2009.)
Chart Dates: Aug. 5-Sept. 9
In chronological order, the past four songs to top the Hot 100 are Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” (on Aug. 5), Wallen’s “Last Night” (Aug. 12 and 19), Oliver Anthony Music’s “Rich Men North of Richmond” (Aug. 26 and Sept. 2) and Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves (Sept. 9). It’s the first time that four country songs have gone back-to-back-to-back-to-back at No. 1. Previously, country hits reigned back-to-back twice: in 1981 (Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” and Eddie Rabbitt’s “I Love a Rainy Night”) and 1975 (Freddy Fender’s “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” and John Denver’s “Thank God I’m a Country Boy”).
Chart Date: Sept. 9
On Sept. 9, Zach Bryan’s new self-titled album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, while its breakout song “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves, debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 simultaneously. It’s the first time that a country song and album by a male act debuted at No. 1 on both charts in the same week. Among all acts with country titles, Taylor Swift launched atop the Billboard 200 with Red (Taylor’s Version) and the Hot 100 with “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” in November 2021.
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