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Florida Georgia Line's Mind-Boggling Achievement Makes Them 2018's True Entertainers Of The Year

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When the Country Music Awards trophy for Entertainer of the Year is handed out tonight, it won't go to Florida Georgia Line. The duo isn't even nominated in the category. But, they've got something that nominees Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Chris Stapleton and Keith Urban can't even come close to: a 50-weeks-and-counting No. 1 song.

That's right; for every week of 2018 — and then some — Florida Georgia Line's collaboration with Bebe Rexha, "Meant To Be" has been perched atop the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It's a completely unprecedented accomplishment that will likely never be beaten. The duo is two weeks away from spending an entire year at the chart's summit.

For perspective, the only act that's spent even half a year in the peak position in its 60-year history is Sam Hunt, whose "Body Like A Back Road" ruled for 34 weeks in 2017. Elvis Presley only managed to notch 17 weeks for "Heartbreak Hotel" in 1956. FGL has beaten The King three times: H.O.L.Y. ruled for 18 weeks in 2016 and "Cruise" spent 24 weeks at No. 1 in 2012-13. No other modern-day artist even comes close.

In fact, if you combine all the weeks at No. 1 the five Entertainer of the Year nominees have spent atop the Hot Country Singles chart for the past five years, the cumulative total is still fewer than the 106 weeks Florida Georgia Line has ruled the chart since "Cruise" first charted in 2012.

The last time another song topped the chart (which combines sales, radio airplay and streaming), the world had three fewer Kardashian babies and teenagers were still eating Tide Pods.

How long will "Meant To Be" rule? It's hard to say. Two Florida Georgia Line singles have failed to dethrone it; "Simple" reached No. 2 and "Up Down," a collaboration with Morgan Wallen, made it as far as the Top 5. FGL's latest attempt, "Talk You Out Of It," is climbing the chart now.

Several artists have taken aim at No. 1 this year — Dan + Shay's song "Tequila" has spent months in the No. 2 position. At one point, they released a half-dozen remixes of the song in an attempt to accumulate enough streams and airplay to knock "Meant" from its seemingly-permanent seat. If anyone will knock the song down, it will be Kane Brown's latest single "Lose It." His sophomore album, Experiment, was released last week. The sales, streaming, and airplay combination of the song might be enough to edge out FGL. Similarly, if current-silver-medalist Luke Combs has a huge moment at tonight's CMA Awards, he might jump up from 2 to 1.

Sam Alex,  host of Townsquare Media's marquee syndicated country-radio evening program Taste of Country Nights, isn't surprised by the song's staying power. He also doesn't think it's the last record-smashing No. 1 the duo will have.

"Brian and Tyler are amazing at reinventing themselves," he say. "I'm not surprised at all by this remarkable accomplishment. Our listeners love hearing Florida Georgia Line on the radio and we had record crowds this past summer when FGL was one of the headliners at our Taste of Country Music Festival."

Regardless of whether "Meant To Be" falls after 50 weeks or reigns for another 20, it doesn't change the magnitude of the duo's accomplishment. Florida Georgia Line's Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley are 2018's true Entertainers of the Year, and it's not just the charts that prove it: their sold-out stadium shows, Vegas stint, entrepreneurial ventures, and philanthropic efforts make them the highest-profile ambassadors of the format — a format that is very lucky to have them.

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