Music

Thanks to its second wind 11 years after its initial chart run, Miguel’s “Sure Thing” breaks the record for the title with the most weeks on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

The track logs an unprecedented 76th week on the list dated May 6, surpassing the 75-week marathon of the previous record holder, Mary J. Blige’s “Be Without You” in one continuous run in 2005-07.

“Sure Thing” achieves the record-breaking mark as it jumps 8-6 on the newest published chart. The song, released in 2010, is enjoying a TikTok-fueled renaissance, as a sped-up version, has soundtracked more than 4 million videos on the social media platform. While activity TikTok does not directly contribute to the Billboard charts, many of the app’s most popular songs have seen corresponding gains on streaming services that factor into Billboard chart rankings.

“I’m glad that ‘Sure Thing’ still connects and resonates with a new audience, and that they feel what I’ve always felt with this song,” Miguel tells Billboard upon hearing the news of his new honor. “More than anything, this achievement is a wild reminder of how things – all across the board – can cycle back into cultural relevance.”

A clear hit today, “Sure Thing” was a smash in its original era too. The second single from Miguel’s 2010 debut album, All I Want Is You, reached No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for one week among the 61 total frames it logged in its initial run. Starting with its No. 20 re-entry on the list on the chart dated Jan. 14, 2023, “Sure Thing” has since added 15 more weeks to its total to accumulate its historic run.

As “Sure Thing” resets the leaderboard, here is a look at the tracks with the most weeks at No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart since it became an all-encompassing genre survey in 1958:

Weeks on Chart, Song Title, Artist, Peak Position, Year(s) Charted
76, “Sure Thing,” Miguel, No. 1 (one week), 2011-12, 2023
75, “Be Without You,” Mary J. Blige, No. 1 (15), 2005-07
74, “God in Me,” Mary Mary featuring Kierra “KiKi” Sheard, No. 5, 2008-10
73, “On the Ocean,” K’Jon, No. 12, 2008-10
71, “You Make Me Wanna…,” Usher, No. 1 (11), 1997-98
71, “There Goes My Baby,” Usher, No. 1 (four), 2010-11
70, “Step in the Name of Love,” R. Kelly, No. 1 (two), 2002-04
68, “Can’t Let Go,” Anthony Hamilton, No. 13, 2005-07
66, “Blinding Lights, The Weeknd, No. 1 (11), 2019-21
63, “In My Bed,” Dru Hill, No. 1 (three), 1997-98
63, “Just Fine,” Mary J. Blige, No. 3, 2007-08

Though “Sure Thing” has already secured its place in the record books, it’s primed to extend its stay on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, which blends streaming, radio airplay and sales data into its rankings. In the latest tracking week (March 21 – 27), the song improved in two of the three metrics: sales and radio airplay. “Sure Thing” sold 2,000 downloads, up 21% from the previous frame and registered 46.6 million in total audience, a 10% increase from the prior week, according to Luminate. While the former No. 1 R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart hit is receiving renewed play at that format, the majority of “Sure Thing” radio success comes from the pop and rhythmic format this time around. The single repeats at its No. 5 peak thus far on this week’s Pop Airplay chart – after never having made the list in its initial era – and advances 21-19 on Rhythmic Airplay, nearing its No. 14 peak from July 2011.

Radio gains help counter streaming slides in the past weeks, though the song maintains an overall high count. “Sure Thing” generated 11.1 million official U.S. streams in the most recent tracking week, essentially even with the prior week, and keeps it near its performance in prior weeks, with 11.1 million, 11.4 million and 11.7 million totals in the past three weeks, respectively.