Black Artists, Darius Rucker and Kane Brown Make Country Chart History


NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — 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.

Rucker called the achievement “incredible” while Brown said that sharing it with Rucker felt “like an honor.”

In 1975, Latino singers Johnny Rodriguez and Freddy Fender twice followed each other to the top on Billboard’s previous country singles chart.

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