Photo Credit: Oliver Anthony Music
Oliver Anthony’s viral hit ‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making him the veryfirst artist to ever launching atop the list without any prior chart history.
“Rich Men North of Richmond,” the breakout hit from Oliver Anthony Music that went viral just 2 weeks ago, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Songs chart. That accomplishment makes the singer-songwriter the veryfirst artist to launch at the leading of the list with no prior chart history.
According to information from Luminate, “Rich Men North of Richmond,” formally launched on August 11, clocked 17.5 million streams and offered 147,000 downloads in the week ending August17 The tune likewise racked up 553,000 radio airplay audience impressions, the bulk on nation stations, regardlessof not getting promo on radio. Further, the tune debuted at No. 1 on the Digital Song Sales chart and No. 4 on Streaming Songs.
Oliver Anthony — genuine name Christopher Anthony Lunsford, a previous factory employee from Farmville, Virginia — selected his phase name to honor his grandpa. His music veryfirst drew attention online after publishing a video on the RadioWV YouTube account of him singing the now-viral tune and playing his Gretsch guitar.
“Rich Men North of Richmond” hasactually drawn both appreciation and criticism from both sides politically, with lyrics about “the overweight milkin’ well-being” and “your dollar taxed to no end.” Anthony states he sits “pretty dead center down the aisle on politics” and is “sad to see the world in the state it’s in, with everybody battling with each other.”
“The despondence and disappointment of our times resonate in the reaction to this tune,” Anthony informs Billboard. “The tune itself is not anything unique, however the individuals who haveactually supported it are extraordinary and areworthyof to be heard.”