Mariah Carey’s Record Could Be Topped By The Chainsmokers

Mariah Carey currently has the record for the most weeks at No. 1 with her 1995 single “One Sweet Day,” a duet with Boyz II Men. Though a lot of people don’t remember the song, which hasn’t stood the test of time, it did indeed spend 16 weeks in the first position.

Mariah Carey has other long-running No. 1 songs. “We Belong Together,” perhaps the biggest hit of the 2000s (and one of the biggest comeback singles of all time), spent 14 weeks at No. 1. Still, nobody can deny that Mariah holds the all-time record with her duet partners Boyz II Men on a very important music chart. However, that may not be for long. Billboard has the news.

“The Chainsmokers’ ‘Closer’ (featuring Halsey) becomes the longest-running Billboard Hot 100 single of 2016 (on the chart dated Nov. 12), as it reaches 11 weeks at No. 1, overtaking Drake’s 10-week rule with ‘One Dance.’ So, now that it has topped the year, what are its chances of becoming the longest-reigning No. 1 in the Hot 100’s 58-year history?”

Billboard says that it’s a possibility, but a tough one. Eleven weeks since the beginning of its takeover of the Hot 100, “Closer” is still at the top of the Digital Song Sales, Streaming Songs, and Radio Songs charts. However, sales of the song are going down. It appears that The Chainsmokers will at least spend two more weeks at No. 1.

Music critic Spencer Kornhaber of the Atlantic recently described the appeal of “Closer.”

“It’s easy to be cynical about a song as precisely on-trend as this one, especially when its creators go around talking about how they’re obsessed with their own ‘metrics.’ But there’s no denying that the song’s meaning — a momentary pleasure can be bittersweet in its reminder of mortality — is authentically connecting with listeners.”

Kornhaber adds that the song is just one that is about trying to hold on to vitality in the face of draggy capitalist realities. He listed Sia’s “Cheap Thrills” as another example. He says that even though the under-33 crowd usually ignores pop songs, The Chainsmokers’ latest hit is one that they should pay attention to.

Drew Taggart of The Chainsmokers recently spoke to Harper’s Bazaar about their latest hit.

“It’s been a long time coming. We made it last fall when we were on tour and we had been listening to a lot of R&B and a lot of Blink-182. We had some nights when we were listening to Taking Back Sunday, Blink-182, Dashboard Confessional — all this old emo music that we really like.”

Taggart added that they had a concept for a song that contained a not-so-sexy scene. They wrote the lyrics and sat on the song for a while. While this was happening, they became close with Halsey, who sings on the song. She rewrote the second verse, and the song became a conversation.

Alex Pall of The Chainsmokers spoke about newfound success as well.

“We aren’t the type of guys to go out and buy a Lamborghini or do anything crazy like that. We go out and have beers with our friends and keep it moving to the next thing. It’s been an amazing 18 months, everything’s just been rolling out, but we’ve always just making music and we’re so far ahead of what everyone’s currently listening to,” Pall says.

It’s quite possible that The Chainsmokers will have the No. 1 song of 2016. One can expect a slew of Grammys to follow. Do you think The Chainsmokers will last long in the industry? Let us know in the comments section.

[Featured Image by Sarah Kerver/Getty Images]