A sonic juggernaut that rewrote the record books, The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” has cemented its place in music history through unprecedented chart dominance across Billboard’s most competitive rankings. The track shattered the 62-year-old Billboard Hot 100 record by spending an astonishing 57 weeks in the Top 10, including 43 weeks in the Top 5—a feat no other song has accomplished since the chart’s inception.
The song’s resilience proved remarkable when, after falling off the Hot 100 on January 2, 2021, it dramatically re-entered at number 3 the following week, setting another record for highest re-entry. This pattern of maintaining multiple non-consecutive peaks illustrated the track’s enduring appeal among listeners across demographics.
Bouncing back with unprecedented vigor, The Weeknd’s hit showcased remarkable staying power, defying chart expectations at every turn.
On Billboard’s Radio Songs chart, “Blinding Lights” held the number one position for 26 consecutive weeks, finally toppling Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris,” which had maintained the record for nearly 22 years. The track’s crossover success was evident in its simultaneous dominance of multiple format-specific charts.
It topped the Digital Song Sales chart as The Weeknd’s fifth number one, while also claiming the Streaming Songs chart crown—his first since “The Hills” five years earlier. The track’s unprecedented popularity opened substantial sync deal opportunities for The Weeknd, dramatically increasing his earnings through placements in commercials and visual media. Perhaps most impressive was its 35 non-consecutive weeks atop the Adult Contemporary chart, demonstrating rare versatility across age groups and listening preferences. The single eventually became the most streamed song of all time on Spotify, surpassing four billion streams and earning diamond certification from RIAA.
The song’s distribution strategy across streaming platforms helped maximize its reach by leveraging platform-specific features like curated playlists and high-fidelity audio options.
Billboard ultimately crowned “Blinding Lights” as the No. 1 track on its Top Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs of the 21st Century chart, reflecting its 59-week tenure in that chart’s Top 10—the longest run since 1958. This achievement positioned the song above works by established R&B/hip-hop icons like Mary J. Blige, Lil Nas X, and SZA. Before this recognition, the track had already been hailed as a modern classic following its designation as 2021’s top song on Billboard’s Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Songs.
