The Weeknd’s ‘Blinding Lights’ has been crowned the greatest Billboard Hot 100 single of all time.
The 31-year-old megastar’s record-breaking 2020 hit single from his acclaimed LP ‘After Hours’ has dethroned the ’60s classic ‘The Twist’ by rock and roll legend Chubby Checker.
The ‘Starboy’ hitmaker’s tune has spent 90 weeks in the US chart’s top 100, while it has been streamed more than 2.5 billion times on Spotify.
It’s claimed the track being used regularly on TikTok and The Weeknd’s Super Bowl halftime show performance added to its popularity.
Pre-TikTok, ‘The Twist’ was also famously known for its dance routine.
Commenting on the feat, The Weeknd – whose real name is Abel Tesfaye – told Billboard: “I feel like I’ve been making that record for a decade.”
The ‘Earned It’ hitmaker explained how: “I’ve always been tinkering with the [sounds of the] ’80s. It was much more subtle before, but I’ve always wanted to completely dive into it. And 10 years in, I think I’ve earned it.”
Elsewhere, the prolific artist teased his new record, seemingly titled ‘The Dawn’, which he described as like “purgatory” for the listener.
He said: “I started writing the [next] album during the pandemic, which felt like we’re all in this scary, unknown territory.
“And I waited to make music I thought sounded like going outside — I was obsessed with that feeling.
“I just felt like I didn’t know how to make this album until now.
“It probably would be too ambitious for me prior. I knew what I liked, but I felt like I didn’t have the skill sets to deliver that type of project until now.”
He added: “Picture the album being like the listener is dead.
“And they’re stuck in this purgatory state, which I always imagined would be like being stuck in traffic waiting to reach the light at the end of the tunnel.
“And while you’re stuck in traffic, they got a radio station playing in the car, with a radio host guiding you to the light and helping you transition to the other side.
“So it could feel celebratory, could feel bleak, however, you want to make it feel, but that’s what ‘The Dawn’ is for me.”
Top 10 Billboard top songs of all time:
‘Blinding Lights’ – The Weeknd
‘The Twist’ – Chubby Checker
‘Smooth’ – Santana feat. Rob Thomas
‘Mack the Knife’ – Bobby Darin
‘Uptown Funk’ – Mark Ronson feat Bruno Mars
‘How do I Live’ – LeAnn Rimes
‘Party Rock Anthem’ – LMFAO feat Lauren Nemmett & Goonrock
‘I Gotta Feeling’ – The Black Eyed Peas
‘Macarena (Bayside Boys Remix)’ – Los Del Rio
‘Shape of You’ – Ed Sheeran