Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” has reached the edge of Billboard Hot 100 history.
On the chart dated September 19, 2026, the song earned its 22nd total week at No. 1. That ties Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” for the longest cumulative reign by any song since the Hot 100 began in 1958.
If “Choosin’ Texas” remains at No. 1 for one more chart week, Langley will claim the record outright.
A different kind of 22-week run
The two record-tying songs reached 22 weeks in markedly different ways.
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” accumulated its total across multiple holiday seasons. Its annual return to streaming playlists, radio rotations and holiday listening has repeatedly carried it back to the top of the chart.
“Choosin’ Texas” has assembled its 22 nonconsecutive weeks during one sustained release cycle. That distinction has already made it the longest-running non-holiday No. 1 in Hot 100 history.
Before Langley’s run, the non-holiday record belonged jointly to Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Old Town Road” and Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” each with 19 weeks at No. 1. “Choosin’ Texas” has now moved three weeks beyond that benchmark.
From No. 39 to the record book
Released in October 2025, “Choosin’ Texas” debuted at No. 39 on the Hot 100. It subsequently climbed to No. 1, giving Langley her first leader on the all-genre chart.
Chartline’s database shows the song with 47 total chart weeks through the September 19 chart. Twenty-two of those weeks have been spent at No. 1—nearly half of its entire chart life.
That combination separates this run from a brief, front-loaded debut. “Choosin’ Texas” did not simply arrive at the summit and disappear. It developed from a Top 40 entrance into a long-term chart presence capable of returning to and defending the top position.
The song had already established a series of milestones before tying the overall record. At 15 weeks, it became the longest-running non-holiday No. 1 by a woman. It later surpassed every previous country-chart crossover in total weeks at the top.
Why the 23rd week matters
Chart records are regularly described with qualifiers: longest reign by a country song, by a woman, by a non-holiday release or during a particular era.
A 23rd week would require no such qualification.
It would make “Choosin’ Texas” the longest-running No. 1 song in the history of the Billboard Hot 100, ahead of every pop, rock, R&B, hip-hop and country recording that has led the chart since August 1958.
The achievement would also demonstrate how dramatically the scale of a dominant No. 1 has changed. For decades, the major benchmark was 16 weeks, established by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day” “Old Town Road” extended the record to 19 weeks in 2019. The recurring success of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” later raised the cumulative total to 22.
Langley now stands one chart away from moving that boundary again.
More than a one-week headline
“Choosin’ Texas” was written by Langley, Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert and Joybeth Taylor. Its country storytelling and traditional references gave it a clearly defined identity, but its chart performance has extended far beyond a genre-specific audience.
That crossover is central to the record. The Hot 100 measures performance across the broader American music market. Reaching No. 1 requires national scale; remaining in contention for 22 weeks requires an unusually durable combination of listening, purchasing and radio activity.
Whatever happens next, “Choosin’ Texas” has already produced one of the most significant chart runs of the Hot 100 era. It is the longest-leading non-holiday hit, the longest-leading country hit and one of only two songs ever credited with 22 weeks at No. 1.
The next chart will determine whether it must continue sharing the final record—or whether 23 becomes the new number every future chart leader has to chase.
Editor’s note: This article reflects Billboard Hot 100 results available through the chart dated September 19, 2026. Chartline will update it when the next chart is published.
Every published article is reviewed, fact-checked, and approved by a human editor. Chartline remains responsible for the accuracy, originality, and editorial judgment of its work.