Shortest song to reach No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100

“Stay” by Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs (USA) reached No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on 21 November 1960. Lasting just 1 minute 38 seconds, it is the shortest of the 1,183 songs that have made it to No.1 in the Hot 100 era to date (4 August 1958 to 11 October 2025).

Incorrectly shown as 1 minute 50 seconds long on Herald Records’ vinyl pressing of the single, Billboard officially confirms “Stay” at 1:38, although versions available on today’s streaming services fade out by 1:34–1:35.

“Stay” features Williams (1938–2024) on lead vocals, with Henry Gaston singing the counter-verse falsetto. Williams wrote the song in 1953, aged 15.

“Stay” was revived for a new generation when it was included on the soundtrack to the US romantic drama film Dirty Dancing (USA, 1987).

The song’s "stay" at No.1 was short-lived, replaced at the top the following week by Elvis Presley’s “Are You Lonesome To-night?”.