As it rebounds to the summit, “Flowers” has now totaled 88 weeks atop all the Billboard radio charts that it has led. In addition to its 39 frames atop Adult Contemporary, the song, released on Columbia Records in January 2023, ran up reigns of 18 weeks on the all-format Radio Songs chart, 17 weeks on Adult Pop Airplay, 10 weeks on Pop Airplay and four weeks on Dance/Mix Show Airplay.
“Flowers,” which this February won the Grammy Award for record of the year, one-ups The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights,” which posted 87 combined weeks atop Billboard airplay charts. The latter, released in 2019, dominated Adult Contemporary for 35 weeks, Radio Songs for a record 26 weeks, Adult Pop Airplay for 20 weeks and Pop Airplay for six weeks.
“Flowers” is one of 21 smashes that have spent at least 52 weeks, or a full year, combined at No. 1 on Billboard airplay charts. Billboard boasts 25 currently-active radio airplay charts, dating to the Adult Contemporary tally’s July 17, 1961, launch. Country Airplay became the first airplay chart ranked by electronically-monitored data as of the list dated Jan. 20, 1990; all current airplay charts (over half of which began in the ‘90s) are based on data monitored by Mediabase and provided to Billboard by Luminate.
The 25 such surveys: Adult Alternative Airplay, Adult Contemporary, Adult Pop Airplay, Adult R&B Airplay, Alternative Airplay, Christian AC Airplay, Christian Airplay, Country Airplay, Dance/Mix Show Airplay, Gospel Airplay, Holiday Airplay, Latin Airplay, Latin Pop Airplay, Latin Rhythm Airplay, Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, Mainstream Rock Airplay, Pop Airplay, R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, Radio Songs, Rap Airplay, Regional Mexican Airplay, Rhythmic Airplay, Rock & Alternative Airplay, Smooth Jazz Airplay and Tropical Airplay.
Below browse the 21 songs – with a leading three by Mariah Carey, followed by two by Adele – that have blanketed radio and spent the most cumulative weeks atop Billboard’s airplay charts. They’re some of the most familiar hits still prominent on airwaves – as Cyrus playfully asked the Grammys crowd when she performed “Flowers,” “Why are you acting like you don’t know this song?!”
88 weeks, “Flowers,” Miley Cyrus
Date of first week at No. 1 on a Billboard airplay chart: Feb. 25, 2023
Adult Contemporary: a record 39 weeks at No. 1
Radio Songs: 18 weeks
Adult Pop Airplay: 17 weeks
Pop Airplay: 10 weeks
Dance/Mix Show Airplay: 4 weeks
87 weeks, “Blinding Lights,” The Weeknd
Date of first week at No. 1 on a Billboard airplay chart: April 18, 2020
