While the hype surrounding international smash hit “Despacito” has mostly died down, the song isn’t done ruling at least one chart here in the United States, and it has now made history by holding on for an extraordinarily long time.
According to Billboard, the Spanish/English blockbuster has now been in charge of the Hot Latin Songs chart for a record-setting 42 weeks, which passes the previous best showing by one frame. The former record-holder, which was tied with “Despacito” until this week, is Enrique Iglesias’ “Bailando,” which was also a global phenomenon when it first took over the planet a few years back. That track, which features fellow Latin musicians Descemer Bueno & Gente de Zona, collected 41 weeks at No. 1, which will now keep it stuck in second for a long time.
The Hot Latin Songs chart is one of many genre-specific listings compiled weekly by Billboard, and it takes into account sales, streaming and information regarding how often songs are played on radio stations across the country when ranking tracks.
The No. 1 spot continues to be held by Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber, and there is no telling when it will finally disappear. In fact, there are plenty of signs that suggest that unless Billboard changes the rules of how songs chart on this specific tally, “Despacito” may never be beaten.
While “Despacito” may only be one frame ahead of “Bailando” at the moment, the two tracks are nowhere near any other Latin single. The third-place title only managed 30 weeks at No. 1, and while that is certainly an incredible showing, it is still months behind both “Bailando” and “Despacito.” Racking up 40 weeks or more seems to be a true rarity, and with “Despacito” continuing to tack on frames to its already historical total, it’s possible it will never be kicked out of the top spot when it comes to this charting feat.
The Bieber-assisted tune may have collected 42 weeks (and counting) at the top, but it’s worth noting that they were not all in a row. The song was on its way to matching “Bailando” when J Balvin and Willy Williams’ “Mi Gente” stepped in and took over thanks to a massive remixed version that was released featuring Beyoncé. That successful cut ruled for a while, eventually giving way and allowing “Despacito” to return to the throne, where it has resided ever since.
