Madonna Scores Her Longest-Running Hit Single In More Than 20 Years

For the past several years, Madonna has faced something of an uphill battle when it came to hitting the Billboard charts and making a lasting impact. Thankfully, that changed in 2023 with one tune, and now that track has become the superstar’s longest-running win on one ranking she’s come to know well throughout her time in the spotlight.

Madonna’s “Popular” is a non-mover on this week’s edition of the Rhythmic Airplay chart. It’s steady at No. 7 for another turn, earning its space inside the top 10 once again. Billboard publishes the Rhythmic Airplay chart each week, and it ranks the tracks that reach the largest audience at radio stations that focus on “rhythmic” music, which is essentially a subgenre of R&B.

“Popular” has now lived on the Rhythmic Airplay chart for a lucky 13 weeks, and it stands out as one of her sturdiest wins on the tally in quite some time. Madonna’s James Bond single “Die Another Day” also spent 13 frames on the radio-focused list a little more than 20 years ago.

While “Popular” may currently be tied with “Die Another Day,” the two tracks likely won’t be on the same level as one another for much longer. Her 2002 single dropped off the Rhythmic Airplay chart after its thirteenth frame, but that doesn’t seem likely to happen with “Popular” as it’s still going strong inside the ranking’s highest tier. There’s no telling how much longer the tune can hold on, but it will likely be a few more weeks, if not months.

Madonna’s most recent single that spent more time on the Rhythmic Airplay chart than “Popular” was “Music.” That smash was released in 2000 and it managed 19 weeks on the tally. The tune, which fronted her album of the same name, rose to No. 9, so “Popular” is already the bigger hit, when looking only at peak positions.

“Popular” is Madonna’s biggest single in years, but it’s actually not her own production. The tune was led by The Weeknd, as it was written and recorded for his TV show The Idol. The track also features rapper Playboy Carti, and it’s become easily the smash from the now-canceled series.