Little Big Town’s ‘Girl Crush’ Crushes Long-Standing Chart Record

In 1959, the Browns' classic "The Three Bells" was a No. 1 for 10 straight weeks -- but now, Little Big Town have made history with an even longer stretch at the top with "Girl Crush."

The song just spent its 11th week in the No. 1 slot of Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, beating out the longest run for a group (of at least three members) by one week and counting.

"Girl Crush" is also the No. 1 country download on the Nielsen SoundScan Digital Country Songs chart for the third consecutive week and 11th week overall, according to Rolling Stone Country. So far, in 2015, "Girl Crush" is the most-downloaded single in country music, with 1.4 million downloads, and is at No. 5 on the country radio airplay charts.

Soon after its 2014 release, LBT's newest single showed huge signs of shooting toward the top, boasting the most radio adds; this year, it nabbed 2015's best sales week. Though "Girl Crush" hit some controversy in the spring, it wasn't widespread and perhaps even helped generate more attention to song.

Lori McKenna, Liz Rose and Hillary Lindsey penned the tune, and when LBT members Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman heard it, they immediately wanted to record it.

“I knew as soon as I heard the hook of the first chorus that we had to have this song,” Fairchild recalls. “I’d never heard a jealousy song written like this. It’s definitely one of the best songs I’ve ever heard, and to get to sing it every night is a gift.

“It could be a bit of a game changer on country radio right now,” she adds. “There are not many women on the radio and not many ballads with that kind of lyrical content. I’m excited. Already, radio’s support has been huge out of the gate.”

Sadly, fans won't get to hear the song live for a bit longer: The country quartet's Jimi Westbrook needed to have a polyp removed from his vocal cord, causing the band to cancel more than a month's worth of shows on their 2015 Pain Killer Tour.

Little Big Town Discuss the First Time They Heard "Girl Crush"

Country's Greatest Love Stories: Little Big Town Members