Skip to content

Caleb Parke

  • About
  • Interviews
  • Good News
  • Contact
  • Toggle search form

Oliver Anthony Makes History with No. 1 Hit ‘Rich Men North of Richmond’

Posted on August 22, 2023August 22, 2023 By Caleb Parke

Oliver Anthony made history hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with his blue-collar anthem, “Rich Men North of Richmond.”

Anthony, whose stage name honors his grandfather and real name is Christopher Anthony Lunsford, became the first artist to skyrocket to the top with no prior chart history in any form, according to Billboard.

The #Hot100 top 10 (chart dated Aug. 26, 2023)

— billboard charts (@billboardcharts) August 21, 2023

“The hopelessness and frustration of our times resonate in the response to this song,” the former factory worker told the outlet. “The song itself is not anything special, but the people who have supported it are incredible and deserve to be heard.”

Sign up for Caleb’s FREE newsletter to get encouraging stories in your inbox!

The Farmville, Virginia singer-songwriter calls himself “just some idiot” with a guitar.

“I’m not a good musician, I’m not a very good person. I’ve spent the last 5 years struggling with mental health and using alcohol to drown it,” he wrote on Facebook. “I am sad to see the world in the state it’s in, with everyone fighting with each other. I have spent many nights feeling hopeless, that the greatest country on Earth is quickly fading away.”

For him, it’s about the connection to real people.

“I wrote the music I wrote because I was suffering with mental health and depression. These songs have connected with millions of people on such a deep level because they’re being sung by someone feeling the words in the very moment they were being sung,” Anthony added. “No editing, no agent, no bullshit … the style of music that we should have never gotten away from in the first place.”

RELATED: Country Singer Oliver Anthony Reads Bible Before Performing Viral Hit

Click here to subscribe to Caleb Parke’s YouTube channel!

Caleb Parke is the SMG managing editor. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and connect with him at calebparke.com

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share via Email
Good News Tags:entertainment, Good News, Oliver Anthony, Rich Men North of Richmond

Post navigation

Previous Post: VICTORY! Catholic Farmer May Sell Goods at Public Market
Next Post: Worship Leader: ‘Guy Who Stole My Guitar Just Gave His Life to Jesus’

More Related Articles

Meet Lori Smith, the Christian Artist Who Won Her Supreme Court Case Good News
Christian Tennis Champ Coco Gauff Opens Up About Viral Prayer Good News
Only in America: You, Me, Winsome Sears, and Edward Durr Good News
‘She’s a hero’: Pregnant mom risks her life to save kids from drowning Good News
‘American Idol’ Singer Jimmy Levy Dabbled with Evil in Hollywood. Now He’s Exposing It Good News
Tucker Carlson Thanks Asbury University for Turning Cameras Away from Student-Led Revival Good News

Copyright © 2025 Caleb Parke.

Powered by PressBook Blog WordPress theme