Plus, Miranda Lambert’s “Bluebird” hits the top 10.
Travis Denning achieves his first No. 1 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart as “After a Few” ascends 2-1 on the ranking dated June 13, up by 10 percent to 32.1 million audience impressions in the week ending June 7, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data.
The aptly titled track crosses the finish line in its 65th week on Country Airplay, breaking the record for the longest journey to No. 1 in the history of the chart, which launched in January 1990. It passes Jimmie Allen’s “Make Me Want To,” which took 58 weeks to lead the list dated March 7.
Denning co-wrote “After” with Kelly Archer and Justin Weaver.
“I think this is a great testament that sometimes great things take time,” Denning tells Billboard. “I’m so proud of this song for fighting its way up the chart, and even more grateful at how much steam it still had once it hit top 10 [eight weeks ago]. The support from country radio and the fans is without a doubt what got it to No. 1.”
Along with its record 65-week trek to No. 1 on Country Airplay, “After” owns the record for the most total weeks ever logged on the survey. In second place is Scotty McCreery’s “In Between,” which bumps 8-7 in its 61st week (19.9 million, up 6 percent). Allen’s “Make” ranks third with 59 total charted frames.
“After” is the second single from Denning’s six-song EP Beer’s Better Cold, which debuted at No. 20 on Top Country Albums on May 30. Maiden release “David Ashley Parker From Powder Springs” peaked at No. 32 on Country Airplay in September 2018.
On the Hot Country Songs chart, which blends airplay, streaming and sales data, “After” holds at its No. 7 high. It drew 6.8 million U.S. streams and sold 2,000 downloads in the week ending June 4.
AS THE ‘BLUEBIRD’ FLIES Miranda Lambert scores her 13th Country Airplay top 10, and first on her own since 2014, as “Bluebird” flutters 11-10 (18.2 million, up 14 percent).
The artist last reached the Country Airplay top 10 as featured on Jason Aldean’s “Drowns the Whiskey,” which led for two weeks in August-September 2018, becoming her fifth No. 1 (and Aldean’s 19th of 21 to date).
Lambert lands her first Country Airplay top 10 with no other billed acts since “Automatic,” which peaked at No. 3 in June 2014.
