The Weeknd's 'Blinding Lights' Becomes Longest Charting Song On Billboard, Beats Imagine Dragons' 'Radioactive'

The band Imagine Dragons has been dethroned by The Weeknd. The Weekend’s widely adored 2019 single “Blinding Lights” has now become the longest-charting song on Billboard Hot 100, beating Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive.”

“Blinding Lights” was previously tied at 87 weeks with "Radioactive," only to surpass it, as per Billboard. It holds its place on the chart for straight 88th week and now sits strongly at No. 18.

Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds recently spoke with Billboard about passing on the torch to The Weeknd for the longest-charting song on Billboard Hot 100.

“No, I think it’s probably expected. At some point, something like that’s going to happen, and it’s not something that I’m tallying,” Reynolds said. “And honestly, like I said, I love The Weeknd. So that’s just incredible -- he’s a legend, he’s an icon. I think his music is the type of music that’s going to live on for a long time, and do good things,” he added.

Reynolds also said he felt if anyone could take on that record, it was The Weeknd. “So if there was ever someone to take the record, I think it’s good company,” said the artist.

Here’s a look at the top five songs that spent most weeks on Billboard Hot 100:

88 weeks, "Blinding Lights," The Weeknd, No. 1 peak (four weeks), April 4, 2020 peak date
87 weeks, "Radioactive," Imagine Dragons, No. 3, July 6, 2013
79 weeks, "Sail," AWOLNATION, No. 17, Oct. 12, 2013
76 weeks, "I'm Yours," Jason Mraz, No. 6, Sept. 20, 2008
69 weeks, "How Do I Live," LeAnn Rimes, No. 2, Dec. 13, 1997

The songs first entered the chart at No. 11 in December 2019, before blinding the other songs by its lights and spending four weeks at No. 1 in March and April 2020.

"After Hours was always meant to be a very personal project. It's a story I had to tell," The Weeknd told Billboard after "Blinding Lights" became the first and only song to spend a year in the Hot 100's top 10. "The fact I've been able to tell it with the world listening is incredible," The Weeknd added.

Besides beating the Imagine Dragons, “Blinding Lights” has also broken the record for the most time spent in the top five, almost a year in the top 10 and top 40.

Meanwhile, his latest entry “Take My Breath” has debuted at the No. 6 spot on the Hot 100 list, which gives The Weeknd his 13^th Hot 100 top 10 entry.

The 31-year-old singer has pulled off this haul in roughly seven years, which is no easy task.