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Harry Styles song, 'As It Was,' breaks Billboard record

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

The No. 1 song on the U.S. pop charts right now is "As It Was" by Harry Styles, and it's been there for an incredible 15 weeks.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "AS IT WAS")

HARRY STYLES: (Singing) You know it's not the same as it was, as it was, as it was.

MARTIN: "As It Was" first climbed to No. 1 on April 16, but it's had a little trouble staying there. It's been bumped from the top spot four different times, but it keeps coming back.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Now, Harry Styles has done something pretty rare here. Only three songs have ever stayed at No. 1 longer. Elvis didn't do it. The Beatles? Nope. Not Michael Jackson, not Madonna.

MARTIN: Let's go back to the mid-'90s. Mariah Carey teamed up with Boyz II Men for "One Sweet Day." It spent 16 weeks at No. 1.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ONE SWEET DAY")

BOYZ II MEN AND MARIAH CAREY: (Singing) And I know eventually we'll be together, one sweet day.

FADEL: Just a few years ago, Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee got a little help from Justin Bieber on this song, "Despacito." It also made it 16 weeks.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DESPACITO")

JUSTIN BIEBER: (Singing) Despacito.

LUIS FONSI: (Singing in Spanish).

BIEBER: (Singing) Despacito.

MARTIN: So good. And the song that stayed on top longer than any other in 2019 - Lil Nas X was introduced to the world with "Old Town Road."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "OLD TOWN ROAD")

LIL NAS X: (Singing) I got the horses in the back. Horse tack is attached. Hat is matte black. Got the boots that's black to match.

MARTIN: This was No. 1 for 19 weeks. Harry Styles still has more than a month ago if he wants to unseat Lil Nas X.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "OLD TOWN ROAD")

LIL NAS X: (Singing) Yeah, I'm gonna take my horse to the old town road. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.