Darius Rucker, Kane Brown make Billboard country music chart history

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Darius Rucker and Kane Brown are sharing a chart record as the first two solo acts who are also minorities to follow each other with No. 1 country songs in the 28-year history of the Billboard Country Airplay chart.

According to Billboard, Brown, who is biracial, had a two-week No. 1 with “Heaven” and Rucker, who is black, followed him with his single, “For The First Time,” on the chart dated June 2. The chart, which digitally measures airplay, began in 1990.

“I wanted to be involved in and make country music because I loved it,” said Rucker in a statement. “To be making history, especially with my little brother Kane Brown, is incredible and a great, added bonus.”

Rucker got his first country No. 1 “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” in 2008, which was also followed at the top by Kenny Chesney’s song “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven,” with reggae group The Wailers.

Meanwhile this is just the latest chart record for newcomer Brown, who is the only artist in Billboard history to top all five country charts simultaneously. He hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums, Country Airplay, Hot Country Songs, Country Streaming Songs and Country Digital Songs charts.

“I’ve always tried to make the music that I liked, and that I knew my fans would like, and have tried to stay true to that, and I am such a big fan of Darius’ musically, that sharing anything with him feels like an honor,” Brown said in a statement.

But prior to the current Billboard chart, other minority acts have followed each other with No. 1 country singles. In 1975, Latino singers Johnny Rodriguez and Freddy Fender twice followed each other to the top of Billboard’s previous country singles chart.

Associated Press