Oliver Anthony’s ‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ storms to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart – besting Elvis and the Beatles for debut success

Singing sensation Oliver Anthony is the first debutant to go straight to number one on the Billboard charts with his country song Rich Men North of Richmond.

The Farmville, Virginia, factory worker has beaten the Beatles and Elvis after his self-penned song attacking politicians racked up 17.5 million streams and 147,000 downloads last week.

The song has captivated millions of disillusioned listeners and Anthony has been hailed as a hero by conservative commentators who have already raved about the success of Jason Aldean’s Try That in a Small Town.

“Thirty years from now, Taylor Swift will be remembered as the Millennial Barry Manilow,” tweeted James Jay Carafano of the Heritage Foundation think tank.

“Jason Aldean and Anthony Oliver will be remembered for protest songs that defined a generation.”

Top of the pops: The anthem stormed ahead of offers from Dua Lipa and Taylor Swift

Hundreds flocked to see Anthony on his free concert days before he stormed to the top of the charts

Anthony’s chart placement came about without the help of 30 million YouTube views that didn’t count towards the charts because the video was uploaded to Anthony’s manager’s account.

His success has piqued the interest of industry figures including country producer John Rich and rapper Gucci Mane, but the bearded crooner insists he won’t be a rich man anytime soon south of Richmond.

“People in the music industry stare at me blankly when I turn down $8 million offers,” he wrote on his Facebook page.

“I don’t want six tour buses, 15 tractors and a jet. I don’t want to play stadium shows, I don’t want to be in the spotlight.

“I wrote the music I wrote because I suffered from mental health and depression.

“No editors, no agent, no nonsense. Just an idiot and his guitar.’

Anthony’s song denounces high taxes, low wages, child trafficking and the ‘obese milkin’ affluence’.

“Well, God, if you’re five-foot-two and weigh 300 pounds, you shouldn’t have to pay taxes on your bags of fudge,” he sings.

He credits one of his biggest influences as Hank Williams Jr

He could be a rich man south of Richmond if merchandising sales take off

The populist anthem has already attracted a legion of devoted supporters

“Young men stick themselves six feet into the ground because all this goddamn country does is keep kicking them.”

The song has been championed by conservative influencers, including TV host Laura Ingraham, who paid tribute to its “haunting sound and commentary on what happened to the American working class”, and has taken the charts to the center of the culture wars.

“I can’t listen to Oliver Anthony’s ‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ without getting chills,” former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake tweeted.

“It’s raw, it’s true, and it touches the hearts of men and women in this great country.”

Try That in a Small Town became Aldean’s first national chart-topper after it was pulled by the nationwide network CMT for its video shot at a courthouse where there was a 1946 race riot and lynching in 1927.

The ban was criticized by Fox News host Jesse Watters and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as an example of leftist cancellation culture.

The factory worker lives with his dog on a small farm outside of Farmville

Jason Aldean scored a number one earlier this summer with his incendiary Try That in a Small Town

But the controversial video in front of Tennessee’s Maury County courthouse led to a ban by the CMT

Oliver, real name Christopher Anthony Lunsford, blames the internet for dividing America, insisting he’s “pretty dead at the center of politics and always has been.”

“You know, talking to their neighbors and their co-workers again and just trying to find commonalities with each other instead of divisions — that’s really all I want,” Fox News told Saturday after a free concert in North Carolina.

But his populist anthem has received backlash from left-wing artists, including English singer-songwriter Billy Bragg who responded with a parody titled “Rich Men Earning North of a Million.”

“Nothing changes when you only wish you could wake up and it’s not true,” he sings.