“Before He Cheats” Bashes Its Way To Chart History

noah | September 20, 2007 3:05 am
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Since it’s Carrie Underwood Day today, here’s another factoid about the singer, courtesy of our resident chart guru Chris “dennisobell” Molanphy: This week’s Hot 100 is the 55th straight edition of the chart that contains her angry-jiltee track “Before He Cheats.” And as Fred Bronson notes in this week’s edition of Billboard‘s “Chart Beat” column, that puts “Cheats” in the top 10 (actually, it’s a top 12, since “Cheats” is tied with three other tracks) of the longest-charting singles in Billboard Hot 100 history. The list–which will probably make you want to dig your key into the side of a souped-up four-wheel drive near you–is after the jump.

69 weeks: “How Do I Live,” LeAnn Rimes (1997) 65 weeks: “You Were Meant for Me” / “Foolish Games,” Jewel (1997) 62 weeks: “You and Me,” Lifehouse (2005) 60 weeks: “Macarena” (Bayside Boys Mix), Los Del Rio (1996) 58 weeks: “Smooth,” Santana featuring Rob Thomas (1999) 58 weeks: “How to Save a Life,” The Fray (2006) 56 weeks: “I Don’t Want to Wait,” Paula Cole (1998) 56 weeks: “The Way You Love Me,” Faith Hill (2001) 55 weeks; “Missing,” Everything But the Girl (1996) 55 weeks: “Barely Breathing,” Duncan Sheik (1997) 55 weeks: “Amazed,” Lonestar (2000) 55 weeks: “Before He Cheats,” Carrie Underwood (2007)

Wow, right? It’s like a trip through a playlist of the worst hot-AC station ever. Actually, as Chris put it, “Basically the rule is: soccer-mom-friendly ballads w/heavy AC airplay live on and on and on” (though “Missing” gets a pass from both of us).

(Also, only 58 weeks in the Hot 100 for “Smooth”? It seemed like at least 108 to these ears, although that could have been because of the endless days I spent subjected to others’ car-radio tastes during that time.)

Chart Beat [Billboard]