Which Mariah Carey song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 16 weeks in 1995–96?

Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 16 weeks in 1995–96.

The song was released in November 1995 as the second single from Carey’s album Daydream. Carey co-wrote it with Boyz II Men and several collaborators, including Walter Afanasieff. Its lyrics reflect grief and remembrance, inspired partly by the death of Carey’s friend and Boyz II Men’s road manager.

“One Sweet Day” began its chart run at number one and remained there for 16 consecutive weeks. It set a record for the longest reign at the top of the Hot 100, a mark that stood until 2017, when Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito” matched it and then surpassed it.

A common mix-up is confusing the song’s 16-week record with Carey’s later “We Belong Together,” which spent 14 weeks at number one. “One Sweet Day” also won the 1997 Grammy for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.