It’s been almost six months since Miley Cyrus dropped her hit single “Flowers”, but we still hear it every time we turn on the radio. This catchy track is still ruling Billboard’s Adult Pop Airplay chart half a year later, and it just became the longest-running No. 1 hit by a female artist.
Billboard’s Adult Pop Airplay chart is based on radio airplay detections, and it’s been around since 1996. This chart mostly covers alternative rock and mainstream pop, and it shouldn’t be confused with the Adult Contemporary chart, which mostly features lesser-known and more ballad-driven songs.
“Flowers” just reached its 17th week on the chart, setting a major record along the way. This marks the longest reign for a song by a woman in the chart’s history, breaking the record previously set by Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated” all the way back in 2002.
The all-time record is still held by “Smooth” by Santana and Rob Thomas, which spent 25 weeks atop the chart. The list of tracks with more weeks than “Flowers” also includes The Calling’s “Wherever You Will Go” (23), The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” (20), Nickelback’s “Photograph” (18), and Matchbox Twenty’s “Unwell” (18).
“Flowers” was released as the lead single from Cyrus’ latest studio album Endless Summer Vacation and became her longest-running Billboard Hot 100 single, with eight weeks at No. 1.
