Ask Billboard: Which Songs Have the Longest Spans of Charting on the Hot 100?

Hi Gary,

Dolly Parton’s recent passing has got to be the biggest loss in music this decade. More than a couple weeks later and I still can’t believe she’s gone. She seemed to be so kind, and I hope generations beyond will celebrate her legacy.

Which I think they have, because her signature hit “Jolene” returned to the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 16, a new peak for the song. That got me thinking: Which songs have the longest gaps between debut date and peak date, the most time between debut and charting overall, and the longest spans of appearing on the chart?

Thanks,

Seira Alessanders
Jakarta, Java Island, Indonesia

Hi Seira,

Even this week, heartfelt tributes continue to be shared, as Sally Field, one of Parton’s costars in 1989’s Steel Magnolias, said at the Primetime Emmys, “I adored her from day one. How could you not? She was genuine and humble, supportive and blisteringly funny, with a bawdy sense of humor that would send any rude guy looking for a place to hide. I couldn’t see then what a real giant Dolly was — not just as an artist, but as a human. She was a humanitarian whose contributions had made a profound difference in the lives of so many in her home state of Tennessee and across our country.”

As “Jolene” returned, as one of five songs by the legend on the Hot 100 dated Sept. 5, let’s look at enduring hits with both the longest spans of charting on the ranking and the most time between placing on it, through the Sept. 19 tally.

Longest Spans of Songs Appearing on the Hot 100:

Span / Title, Artist, Peak Pos., Peak Year (Debut date-Most recent week)

And the all-time record-holder:

The songs above fall into three categories, as their runs reached such lengths due to artists’ passings; a record-setting movie; or multiple holidays.

The hits by Parton and Jimmy Buffett returned to the Hot 100 after they died, while Michael Jackson’s two classics surged as Michael was on its way to becoming the top-grossing music biopic worldwide all-time.

July 4 sparked the returns this year of American-themed songs by Lynyrd Skynyrd, John Denver and Creedence Clearwater Revival. All three benefited from buzz around the country’s 250th birthday, with Denver’s also getting an assist from the World Cup.

Halloween has helped scare up reentries for “Monster Mash,” while the rest of the songs above are Christmas favorites, including by Chuck Berry.

Meanwhile, these songs’ legacies reinforce that catalog music is big business.

Most Time Between Songs Appearing on the Hot 100:

Time between / Title, Artist (Last prior chart week-Reentry)

And the winner, again:

The songs on the second list above all repeat from the first, with their half-century-plus breaks owed in part to different reasons, including, again, an artist’s passing and the evolution of chart rules and consumption behavior that have driven holiday hits to new heights in recent years.

Back to Parton, “Jolene” stands out among all those songs: Its No. 16 Hot 100 placement upon its return, after it initially reached No. 60 in 1974, gave it the record for the longest ride to a peak position from a debut among non-holiday hits: 52 years, seven months and one week.

(“Jolene” is even climbing the Country Airplay chart via a sequel: Belles’ “Son of Jolene,” featuring Parton — the icon’s last new recording released during her lifetime — pushes 51-48 in its second week.)

“Jolene,” thus, makes for another record in Parton’s chart history. Most notably, her 25 No. 1s on Hot Country Songs are the most among women, as are her 49 top 10s on Top Country Albums.

It’s a Date

Gary,

With the growing number of official Dolly Parton commemoration dates set in U.S. cities for Sept. 25, i.e., “9 to 5,” what are some other days associated with pop stars or one of their songs that could theoretically be considered a commemorative date?

We all hopefully know that the 21st night of September is officially Earth, Wind & Fire time, per their joyous “September.”

The 4 Seasons’ “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)” was originally written about a night 30 years earlier, concerning the Dec. 5, 1933, repeal of Prohibition in the U.S.

Plus, every day’s the Fourth of July, according to Chicago, to borrow a line from the band’s “Saturday in the Park.” That date could also be Katy Perry Day, since she encourages us to “own the night, like the Fourth of July” in “Firework.”

I realize that honoring Parton is much more than just honoring her. It’s honoring working women, working people and being generous.

Pablo Nelson
Oakland, Calif.

Thanks, Pablo.

The more musical holidays, the merrier. Pretty much literally, in that Nov. 1 is when Mariah Carey annually announces the beginning of Christmastime.

Flipping pages back, we can circle April 30 as *NSYNC’s day, given what it’s gonna be the next day.

Alice Cooper could get a floating holiday in June, to be celebrated at the discretion of local boards of education.

Noah Kahan could take Aug. 31 and Green Day, Oct. 1.

Then, on Dec. 1, it’s James Taylor’s turn, even better if outside is covered with frosting.

As for every good chart fan’s favorite holiday? It has to be March 21.