Ella Langley breaks Billboard record with "Choosin' Texas"
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Ella Langley spreads her wings. Photo: Connie Chornuk/Disney via Getty Images
Ella Langley's tale of woe in "Choosin' Texas" took her to the top of the charts in February, and she's not budging.
Why it matters: The country heartbreak ballad hit 20 weeks at No. 1 this week. It keeps breaking records, and its latest accomplishment is a doozy.
- It is now the longest-running non-holiday No. 1 in the 68-year history of Billboard's Hot 100.
Between the lines: The Hot 100 ranks the biggest songs across all genres based on streams, sales and radio play.
State of play: Langley's accomplishment puts her in rarefied air. The only other song to dominate the top of the charts longer is Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You," which has spent 22 weeks at No. 1, thanks to annual surges in holiday streaming.
Stunning stat: Country music's current crossover era has rewritten Billboard's record books. The genre is responsible for four of the longest-running Hot 100 No. 1s of all time.
- Shaboozey spent 19 weeks at No. 1 with 2024's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)."
- "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X (with an assist from Billy Ray Cyrus) also got 19 weeks at No. 1.
- Next in the rankings is Morgan Wallen's 2023 single "Last Night," which logged 16 weeks at the top.
Yes, but: While those songs hit the peak with crossovers that blended country with elements of pop, hip-hop and R&B, "Choosin' Texas," which Miranda Lambert helped write and produce, has steel guitars and twang that would have been at home on a honky-tonk jukebox in the '70s.
💠Our thought bubble: "Choosin' Texas" is a classic Music Row song. The premise of a lover getting spurned on a dance floor is as old as the genre itself.
- It's "Tennessee Waltz" by way of Abilene.
Zoom out: Elsewhere on the Hot 100, Dolly Parton's enduring appeal was on full display. Five of her songs charged the chart based on a surge in streams after she died last week.
- "Jolene" was the top performer, hitting 16. Others included "9 to 5" (18), "Islands in the Stream" (26), "I Will Always Love You" (27) and "Here You Come Again" (44).