Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty
Just a few weeks ago, it seemed like the internet’s most popular song was a screwy, satirical ode to ’90s Eurodance. (R.I.P. song of the summer contender “Planet of the Bass.”)
Now, the No. 1 entry across Billboard and other music charts this week, an unexpectedly viral song called “Rich Men North of Richmond,” tells a completely different story. It’s a tale of two Americas, you could say.
On Aug. 21, a formerly unknown, independent country singer named Oliver Anthony landed at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Rich Men North of Richmond,” dethroning fellow country crooner Morgan Wallen’s record-breaking single “Last Night.” Not only was it the first song the Virginia native had recorded on a professional microphone, but it was also the first time an artist who had never previously shown up on any Billboard chart debuted in the top spot.