Lady Gaga’s Longest-Running Hit Has Been Forcibly Removed From The Songs Chart

For well over a year, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars claimed one of the biggest songs in America. Their duet “Die With a Smile” quickly rocketed into the top 10 on the Hot 100 and lived there for months at a time. Even at the tail end of its tenure on the busy tally, the cut was still performing exceptionally well, and it seemed like it could continue to live on the list for months to come.

A change in how Billboard compiles the Hot 100 — and specifically what songs that have remained on the competitive ranking need to do to hang on after certain milestones have been reached — was recently implemented. “Die With a Smile” is one of several smashes that suffer and are forcibly removed from the roster, ending the most impressive run enjoyed by either superstar.

“Die With a Smile” Falls Off of the Hot 100

Last week, “Die With a Smile” fell precipitously on the Hot 100, dipping from No. 13 to No. 22. That wasn’t because Americans suddenly stopped streaming, buying, or hearing the cut on the radio, but rather because of Taylor Swift. All 12 tracks from the singer-songwriter’s latest album The Life of a Showgirl launched in the dozen highest spaces on the Hot 100, pushing every other hit down.

Billboard Updates the Recurrent Rule

Starting this frame, Billboard is changing how songs go “recurrent” on the Hot 100. “Recurrent” refers to when a tune dips below a certain position after a specific length of time, and the company decides to remove it to make room for newer singles. The sometimes-controversial rule was instituted several years ago, and it experiences a major update this week.

As recently as last frame, songs were pushed off of the Hot 100 once they dipped below No. 25, but only after one year — 52 weeks — on the list. If a tune slipped beneath the No. 50 rung after living on the roster for 20 weeks, the same occurred.

Now those numbers have changed. Billboard will no longer include a single on the Hot 100 if it spends 78 weeks on the chart and falls under No. 5; if it dips under No. 10 after its first year; if it slides below No. 25 after half a year (26 weeks); or if it can’t rise above No. 50 and it has lived on the list for 20 frames.

What’s the Longest-Charting Song Ever on the Hot 100?

“Die With a Smile” is not the only song to vanish from the Hot 100 this week due to the recurrent rule change. Two of the longest-charting tracks ever, including Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” — which reset the record for the most time any cut has ever spent on the tally — are no longer present. “Lose Control” departs after 112 weeks on the list, and it’s the only title to rack up triple-digit stays. Also gone is “Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone, which managed 89 turns on the chart.

Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars End Their Historic Runs

“Die With a Smile” became Gaga’s longest-running Hot 100 win months ago, and it slips off the Hot 100 after a milestone 60 weeks. Her second-longest-charting success, “Just Dance” with Colby O’Donis, managed 49 stints on the ranking.

The smash is also Mars’s sturdiest success, although the gap between its record and the previous winner in his discography is not as large as Gaga’s. “Uptown Funk,” which was fronted by Mark Ronson and featured Mars, charted for 56 weeks, 14 of which were at No. 1.

“Die With a Smile” Still Thrives on Other Billboard Charts

While “Die With a Smile” may no longer be found on the Hot 100, it’s still present on Billboard’s global rankings, as well as multiple other tallies. The track climbs back into the top 40 on the Streaming Songs chart, inching from No. 44 to No. 40.

The Grammy-winning duet can also be found inside the top five on both the Adult Pop Airplay and Adult Contemporary lists. On the latter, “Die With a Smile” returns to the runner-up space — its all-time high — 61 weeks into its lifespan, and it could continue to hold on for several more months since it’s still performing incredibly well.