Oliver Anthony makes a historic first visit to the latest Billboard Hot 100 (dated Aug. 26).
The singer-songwriter, billed as Oliver Anthony Music (his real name is Christopher Anthony Lunsford) scores his first two entries on the chart with “Rich Men North of Richmond,” which launches at No. 1, and “Aint Gotta Dollar” at No. 82.
“Richmond,” which Anthony self-released Aug. 11, soars in with 17.5 million U.S. streams and 147,000 downloads sold in the tracking week ending Aug. 17, according to Luminate. Not being promoted to radio, it also tallied 553,000 radio airplay audience impressions (with 516,000 on country stations). The song concurrently debuts at Nos. 1 and 4 on the all-genre Digital Song Sales and Streaming Songs charts, as well as No. 1 on the multimetric Hot Country Songs survey.
Anthony is just the sixth artist to debut a first solo Hot 100 entry at No. 1, after Zayn (“Pillowtalk” in 2016 – his first solo single after leaving One Direction); Baauer (the viral “Harlem Shake” in 2013), Carrie Underwood (“Inside Your Heaven” in 2005, after she won American Idol), Fantasia (“I Believe” in 2004, also after she won Idol) and Clay Aiken (“This Is the Night” in 2003, following his second-place finish on Idol).
“Dollar,” self-released in September 2022, debuts with 3.5 million U.S. streams (up 1,222%) and 17,000 sold (up 2,300%). It also starts at No. 2 on Digital Song Sales and No. 21 on Hot Country Songs.
Before this week, Oliver Anthony had never appeared on a Billboard chart, making him the first such act to open at No. 1 on the Hot 100. The radiowv YouTube account, which spotlights unsigned Americana and country acts in the Virginia/West Virginia region, posted “Richmond” Aug. 11. The song — with lyrics detailing inflation, taxes, child trafficking and welfare abuse — has drawn both praise from the right and opposition from the left.
The song’s virality has also increased interest in Anthony’s other releases. He debuts 13 tracks on Digital Song Sales chart, led by “Richmond” at No. 1. He’s the only living solo male artist to have charted at least 13 songs in the top 50 of the survey.
On the country-specific Country Digital Song Sales chart, Anthony also charts 13 songs, including six in the top 10. He’s just the fourth artist to log that many titles in the top 10 simultaneously, after Kenny Rogers (seven in April 2020, after his death); Taylor Swift (seven in November 2010 powered by the chart arrival of her LP Speak Now); and Luke Combs (six in November 2020, as his album What You See Is What You Get debuted).
