Oliver Anthony’s chart-topping single, “Rich Men North of Richmond,” claimed the No. 1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart this past Monday.
This milestone came swiftly after its release on Aug. 11. As of Aug. 17, the track has been streamed 15.5 million times and witnessed an impressive 147,000 downloads.
Notably, even without specific radio promotions, it garnered 553,000 radio airplay audience impressions.
The song’s success didn’t end there.
Billboard confirmed that “Rich Men North of Richmond” also ascended to the top spot on the Digital Song Sales chart.
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Commenting on the song’s massive achievement and its reflection of contemporary sentiments, Anthony said to Billboard, “The hopelessness and frustration of our times resonate in the response to this song. The song itself is not anything special, but the people who have supported it are incredible and deserve to be heard.”
This accomplishment is particularly remarkable for Anthony, as this is his inaugural appearance on the Billboard charts.
In doing so, he became the first artist in history to debut at No. 1 on the chart.
Anthony shares the chart’s limelight with country artists Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs, both chart stalwarts.
This recent development marks only the second instance where the top three positions on the all-genre chart were occupied by country music artists.
The previous occurrence was a mere three weeks earlier, with Jason Aldean joining Wallen and Combs in the top three.
