Hunter Hayes' Wanted and the Chart Record It Set in 2012
In September 2012, Hunter Hayes
reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart with Wanted, the second single from his self-titled Atlantic Records debut. The Breaux Bridge native was 21 years and two weeks old, which made him the youngest solo male artist to top the chart, according to Billboard. The record he passed had stood since 1973, when Johnny Rodriguez reached No. 1 with You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me).
A Song Written as a Love Letter
Hayes wrote Wanted with Nashville songwriter Troy Verges. He has described the song as a love letter, telling Radio.com in a 2013 feature published by CBS that it was written to tell a girl how he felt about her. The lyrics came together quickly, with Hayes finishing the song at the piano. He also co-produced the track with Dann Huff, and he played every instrument on the album it came from.
The Climb to No. 1
The single went to country radio on March 5, 2012. Over the following six months it built steadily at radio while selling well at digital retail. By the time it reached the top of the chart, Billboard reported more than 1.2 million downloads. The song also crossed into the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100, a notable result for a country ballad that year.
After Billboard changed how the Hot Country Songs chart was calculated that fall, adding sales and streaming to radio airplay, Wanted returned to No. 1 in early 2013, topping the chart under both its old and new formulas.
The timing gave Hayes a busy season. Two weeks before Billboard announced the chart milestone, he was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. Later that year, Wanted earned a Grammy nomination for Best Country Solo Performance, alongside nominations for Best New Artist and Best Contemporary Country Album.
Why It Still Matters
Wanted arrived while country radio was shifting toward a younger generation of artists, and Hayes stood out as a performer who wrote, played and produced his own work. More than a decade later, the song remains the one many fans connect with first when they think of his catalog, and it marked the moment a young musician from Acadiana stepped into the national country conversation.
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FAQ
When did Wanted by Hunter Hayes hit No. 1?
Wanted reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated September 29, 2012.
What record did Hunter Hayes set with Wanted?
At 21 years and two weeks old, he became the youngest solo male artist to reach No. 1 on Hot Country Songs, passing a record set by Johnny Rodriguez in 1973.
Who wrote Wanted?
Hunter Hayes co-wrote the song with Troy Verges.
Where is Hunter Hayes from?
Hunter Hayes is from Breaux Bridge, Louisiana.
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