Billboard said it is the first time that an artist has made a debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100 without any prior chart history “in any form.”
“Rich Men North of Richmond,” an independently released track by the little-known performer billed as Oliver Anthony Music, became the surprise No. 1 song in the United States this week, topping hits by superstars like Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen and Olivia Rodrigo.
The song, which was uploaded to YouTube just two weeks ago, caught fire with conservative commentators, including Matt Walsh and Laura Ingraham, who described it as an authentic expression of working-class struggle, though some critics winced at anti-welfare sentiments that seemed to hark back to the era of President Ronald Reagan: “If you’re 5-foot-3 and you’re 300 pounds/Taxes ought not to pay for your bags of fudge rounds,” sings Anthony, whose real name is Christopher Anthony Lunsford.
“Rich Men” shoots to the top of Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart with 17.
