For 35 years, the Beatles' "Hey Jude" reigned as the longest-running No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 with the word "Hey" in the title. But no longer.
"Jude" has to share the honor with the current occupant of pole position, as "Hey Ya!" (Arista) by OutKast reaches its ninth frame at the top of the list.
That's not the only thing OutKast has in common with the Beatles (who arrived on these shores 40 years ago). The Atlanta rap duo has owned the top two slots on the Hot 100 for eight weeks in a row, with "The Way You Move" in the runner-up spot. That beats the five weeks in 1978 when the Bee Gees held down the top two with "Night Fever" and "Stayin' Alive" and is very close to matching the 10 weeks in early 1964 when the Beatles filled the top two positions, albeit with four singles.
"Hey Ya!" is a leftover from the class of 2003, and matches the nine-week runs of 50 Cent's "In Da Club" and Beyonce Featuring Sean Paul's "Baby Boy" as the longest-running No. 1s of last year.
DUSTIN' OFF A HIT
Jennifer Lopez (news) has a new entry on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks for the first time in 14 months. "Baby I Love U" (Epic), from "The Reel Me" DVD/CD, debuts at No. 75.
The song interpolates the film theme from "Midnight Cowboy" (which was No. 23 on the Hot 100 exactly 34 years ago this week). That gives British composer John Barry his first songwriting credit on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart since Gladys Knight took his James Bond theme "License to Kill" to No. 69 in 1989.
HEY 'YEAH'
The speedy ascent of "Yeah!" (Arista) by Usher Featuring Lil Jon & Ludacris on Rhythmic Airplay makes chart news. The 8-2 move in the song's fifth chart week is the fastest climb into the top two since 50 Cent's "In Da Club" hit No. 1 in its fifth week.
The six-point jump of "Yeah!" is the biggest leap into the top two since Janet Jackson (news)'s "That's the Way Love Goes" flew 11-2 the week of April 30, 1993.
'WHEN' IS NOW
Alan Jackson (news) collects his 22nd No. 1 on Hot Country Singles & Tracks, as "Remember When" (Arista) goes to the head of the class.
That puts Jackson in the top 10 among artists with the most No. 1s on the country tally and knocks Buck Owens (news), Reba McEntire (news), Kenny Rogers (news) and Willie Nelson (news) down to 11th place, with 21 chart-toppers each.
'WALK' THE WALK
Last week this column noted that Burt Bacharach (news) and Hal David were in the top five of the Hot 100 and were charting on Modern Rock Tracks. The songwriting duo also is represented on the Hot Dance Club Play chart, where Cyndi Lauper (news)'s version of "Walk on By" (Daylight/Epic) holds at No. 10.
