It Happened: 'Choosin' Texas' Ties Whitney and Mariah at 14 Weeks

Last week we said we knew where we'd be on Monday. Well, Monday came, and the thing we were waiting on actually happened: "Choosin' Texas" logged its fourteenth week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, on the chart dated July 25. Per Billboard, that ties Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" and Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together" for the most weeks at No. 1 among non-holiday songs by women with no male-billed acts.

Read that list again. "I Will Always Love You." "We Belong Together." "Choosin' Texas." A country song written by Ella Langley, Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick and JoyBeth Taylor now sits level with two of the most famous chart runs in pop history, per MusicRow. Variety covered it too — this one traveled well past the country outlets today.

The numbers behind week 14

For the July 10-16 tracking week, Billboard reports 24 million official U.S. streams (down 4%), 51 million in radio airplay audience (up 1%) and 7,000 downloads sold, essentially even. That radio number ticking up in week 14 is the part we keep staring at — songs this deep into a run usually fade everywhere at once, and this one is still growing on the airwaves while "Loving Life Again" spins up as the next single behind it.

What next Monday means

Here's the stakes now: one more week on top and "Choosin' Texas" stands alone — the longest-leading non-holiday Hot 100 No. 1 ever by a woman with no male-billed acts. Among all songs by women, only Mariah's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" (22 weeks) has led longer. So yes, we'll be refreshing the chart again next Monday. At this point it's a weekly ritual around here.

Meanwhile the Dandelion Tour rolls into a huge week — Pikeville tomorrow, then Cary, North Charleston, Canandaigua and Gilford. Set times, seating tips and ticket links are on our tour page if you're catching one of these while the song that's chasing Whitney and Mariah is still sitting at No. 1.

New around here because of the chart run? Start with what "Choosin' Texas" actually means — kangaroo story included — then the "Choosin' Texas" song page for the full chart history, and if you're headed to one of this week's shows, our Arena Night look is what we'd wear to see it live.