Billboard's Hot 100: Country Music Owns The Top Three Positions

Country music takes the first three positions on this week's chart

The stunning ascendance of the newcomer Oliver Anthony's viral hit "Rich Men North of Richmond" to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 is the latest success story in a year of resurgent country music, reports Forbes.

In addition to Anthony’s “Rich Men North of Richmond,” which took the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100, two other country songs round out the top three: Luke Combs’ “Fast Car” and Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night.”

Though Anthony was an unknown singer just a few weeks ago, his song debuted at the top spot on the chart thanks to a viral social media campaign championed by right-wing pundits including Ben Shapiro and Benny Johnson, as well as politicians Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.

Anthony’s anti-Washington elite hit has stirred controversy because of its lyrics criticizing “obese” people for “milking welfare” and using taxpayer funds to pay for their “bags of fudge,” which critics have labeled fatphobic and evocative of negative stereotypes about welfare recipients.

Jason Aldean’s song “Try That in a Small Town,” a song that suggests gun owners in communities will retaliate against people who “cuss out a cop, spit in his face” or “stomp on the flag,” also topped the Hot 100 in August thanks to controversy and a push from right-wing media figures.

Wallen and Combs have found chart success because of their high radio play (not just on country radio, but also on pop and adult contemporary stations), sales and streaming numbers, Billboard reported, all three of which it says are important for Hot 100 performance.

These artists are also riding a wave of stronger overall country music performance, Billboard reported: Country music consumption is up 20.3% year-over-year in the first half of 2023, with Wallen and Combs accounting for much of that success alongside rising country stars Zach Bryan and Bailey Zimmerman.

➤Many chart records have been broken amid country music’s surge. 

• This week, Oliver Anthony became the first artist to debut atop the Hot 100 with no prior chart history. He’s also one of few unsigned artists to top the Hot 100, and “Rich Men North of Richmond” is the 23rd song to top the Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs chart, Billboard reported. 
• This week is also the second week that three country songs secured the top three spots on the Hot 100—the first time was earlier this month, when “Try That in a Small Town” led the chart, ahead of “Last Night” and “Fast Car.” 
• “Last Night” has also broken the record for the most weeks at No. 1 on the chart for a non-collaborative song with 16 weeks at the summit. It’s tied with Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day” and Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber’s “Despacito” for the second-longest reign on the Hot 100, all three behind Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Old Town Road,” which led the chart for 19 weeks in 2019. 
• “Last Night” has led Billboard’s “Songs of the Summer” chart for all of its twelve weeks, and “Fast Car” currently ranks second.