User:Dukeofcurls/Francis Craig

Francis Craig (September 10, 1900 - November 20, 1966) was an American songwriter, bandleader, and pianist. His song "Near You" reached #1 in the United States for 17 weeks in 1947, a record until 2019 when "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus edged it out with 19 weeks at the #1 spot.

...is the simplified and pretty inaccurate way to put it, because in reality "Near You" was #1 for 17 weeks on the "Most Played by Disk Jockeys" chart, which was only one of a few component charts that Billboard used back in the day. There were also sales and jukebox charts as well as the "Honor Roll of Hits" chart which is the most likely parallel to what today is the Hot 100 chart. On the Honor Roll of Hits chart, "Near You" was #1 for only 13 weeks, and on the "Best Sellers in Stores" chart, "Near You" was #1 for 12 weeks, neither of which even come close to the 19-week run at #1 that "Old Town Road" had on the Hot 100. The more accurate thing to say, rather than "Old Town Road" breaking "Near You"'s record, is that "Iris" by The Goo Goo Dolls surpassed its record in 1998 when it was #1 for 18 weeks on the Radio Songs chart, which is the most likely comparison point to the Most Played by Disk Jockeys chart.