Glass Animals have smashed a US chart record with Heat Waves finally reaching Number 1

Glass Animals have reached Number 1 in the US with their viral track Heat Waves, and broken an American chart record in the process. 

Heat Waves is the band's first chart-topping hit on the other side of the Atlantic, and managed to reach the summit of the Billboard Hot 100 after 59 weeks. 

This actually sets a record for the longest-climb to Number 1 in US chart history. Mariah Carey previously held the distinction when All I Want For Christmas Is You finally hit Number 1 in December 2019 after a total of 35 weeks on the chart. 

Celebrating the news on Instagram, the band wrote: "I am incredibly thankful to everyone who supported us and believed in this song and this album. there were many moments when I thought this album wasn’t going to see the light of day.

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MORE: Glass Animals' Official Charts history in full

"Thank you to the team who worked tirelessly through the pandemic on this, it wouldn’t have been possible without them. [...] This belongs to everyone."

Last year, the band broke another US chart record with Heat Waves - which went viral on TikTok right at the start of the pandemic - with the song taking the longest time of any record to hit the US Top 10. 

In their native UK, the Oxfordshire band did not hit Number 1 with their breakthrough hit, with Heat Waves instead peaking at Number 5, although Official Charts Company data reveals the track had a similarly long journey of 35 weeks to finally crack the Top 10. 

Since forming in 2010, Glass Animals have released three studio albums, 2014's Zaba and 2016's How To Be A Human Being, which peaked at Number 23 on the Official Albums Chart and was nominated for the 2017 Mercury Prize. 

Last year their third album Dreamland debuted at Number 2 becoming their highest-charting effort to date.