The TikTok phenomenon was a knowingly silly ode to the underdog that spawned a thousand memes – and laid bare bigotry in the country music establishment
In 2011, NPR estimated that it cost around $78,000 (£61,600) to make a chart hit – and that was without a video or promotion. Nearly a decade later, with the MP3 era a speck in the rear-view mirror, the way to create a streaming smash is both more open and more complex. But it’s not always as pricey. Lil Nas X shelled out just $50 (£40) to create Old Town Road, a cheering country-rap daydream that became the longest-running No 1 in US chart history, racking up 19 weeks at the top. It spent two weeks at the summit of the UK Top 40 in April 2019.
Related: The 100 greatest UK No 1s: 100-61
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