Since Debby Boone's "You Light Up My Life" reached number one in 1977, only a select group of hits has maintained the top position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for at least 10 weeks. Only 4% of all number ones on the Hot 100 since the chart's launch on 4 August 1958 have achieved that milestone.
Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" held the number one spot for 10 weeks in 1981-82, a record it shared with Boone for more than a decade until Boyz II Men's "End of the Road" dominated for 13 weeks in 1992. That record was quickly surpassed by Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You", which led for 14 weeks in late 1992 and early 1993. Between 1995 and 1996, "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men accumulated 16 weeks at number one, a mark that stood for more than 23 years.
In 2017, "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, featuring Justin Bieber, tied the 16-week record set by "One Sweet Day". By 2019, Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road", with Billy Ray Cyrus, racked up 19 weeks at the top of the Hot 100, a mark matched by Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" as of July 2024.
Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" is now the undisputed record holder with 22 weeks, having reached number one on the Hot 100 in every holiday season since December 2019. Carey, Boyz II Men and Drake share the record for the most number ones that have dominated for 10 or more weeks: three each.
