Inside Oliver Anthony's 'Rich Men North of Richmond' and its path to Billboard's Hot 100 chart
Arts And Entertainment,Culture,Culture War,Music
Country music's summer on top of Billboard's all-genre Hot 100 chart continues as Oliver Anthony — a previously unknown, rural-born, red-bearded country artist — has surged from seeming anonymity to potentially reaching the pinnacle of Billboard pop stardom via his new acoustic guitar-driven lament "Rich Men North of Richmond."
Tuesday's Billboard Hot 100 chart could find Anthony's politically charged blue-collar anthem, which levies anti-taxation, anti-welfare and anti-Washington-based Federal government claims in the same Top 5 of Billboard's pop singles chart as Luke Combs' cover of Tracy Chapman's 1989 folk-rock anthem "Fast Car" and Morgan Wallen's soulful country ballad "Last Night."
Two months ago marked the first time in 42 years that two country singles — Combs' and Wallen's — were America's No. 1 and No. 2 singles on Billboard's Hot 100.
Jason Aldean's "Try That In A Small Town," which was Billboard's Hot 100 chart-topper only three weeks prior.
Related Coverage
AllSides Picks
Recommended Reading
A House United: Bring the Film to Your Town
Braver Angels
October 5th, 2026
Headline Roundup
Record Early Voter Turnout in 2026 Midterms: Which Party Stands to Benefit?
November 3rd, 2026
Recommended Reading
Villain or Hero? How the Left and Right Covered the Lone Holdout Juror in the Lindsay Clancy Trial
Jamie Krstev
November 3rd, 2026
Announcement
We're Hiring: Director of Research at AllSides
AllSides Staff
November 2nd, 2026