Oliver Anthony’s hit song “Rich Men North of Richmond” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart on Monday.
The gut-wrenching anthem was released on Aug. 11, and hit the No. 1 spot on Monday, according to Billboard. The song received 15.5 million streams and sold 147,000 downloads as of Aug. 17. Though it was not promoted to radio, it also received 553,000 radio airplay audience impressions.
“Rich Men North of Richmond” also hit No. 1 on the Digital Song Sales chart, Billboard noted. “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,” Anthony told Billboard.
The True Life Story Behind Mega Viral Country Hit ‘Rich Men North Of Richmond’ Sent Chills Up My Spine | @DailyCaller
Congrats @aintgottadollar and @johnrich
Everyone needs to surrender to Christ ASAP https://t.co/EntASo5HhN
— KAY SMYTHE (@KaySmythe) August 11, 2023
Anthony has never appeared on the Billboard charts in any capacity prior to the success of “Rich Men North of Richmond.” He is the first artist ever to debut at the top of the chart. (LEARN MORE: NPR Has A Completely Unhinged Theory On Why Country Music Is So Successful)
He’s joined by Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs, both of whom have held steady on the charts for some time. This is only the second time in history that all three top spots on the all-genre chart have gone to country music artists. The first time was three weeks earlier, when Jason Aldean rounded out the top three along with Wallen and Combs.