# Blinding Lights
**"Blinding Lights"** is a synth-pop song by the Canadian singer the Weeknd, released on November 29, 2019 through XO and [Republic Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/republic-records) as a single from his album *[After Hours](https://www.edgepedia.org/after-hours-the-weeknd-album)*.[1](https://music.apple.com/us/song/blinding-lights/1499378607) • [2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7p4bzqLvCw) Built on a synth-driven sound that evokes the 1980s, it spent four weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and 90 weeks on that chart, the second-longest stay all-time for a title by a soloist, and it later ranked as Billboard's number-one Hot 100 song of the 21st century.[3](https://www.billboard.com/lists/the-weeknd-blinding-lights-top-100-top-chart-hits-21st-century/blinding-lights-the-weeknd-2/) • [10](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/101519-most-cumulative-weeks-on-chart-us-one-single)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | November 29, 2019, on the album *After Hours*; XO/Republic Records[1](https://music.apple.com/us/song/blinding-lights/1499378607) • [2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7p4bzqLvCw) |
| Writers and producers | The Weeknd with Max Martin and Oscar Holter (production, programming, and instruments); co-writers Ahmad Balshe (Belly) and Jason "DaHeala" Quenneville; mixed by Serban Ghenea[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7p4bzqLvCw) • [4](https://www.discogs.com/release/15110995-The-Weeknd-Blinding-Lights) |
| Style | Synthwave, new wave, and synth-pop; classified by AllMusic as Pop/Rock with alternative dance, club/dance, and contemporary pop/rock styles[4](https://www.discogs.com/release/15110995-The-Weeknd-Blinding-Lights) • [5](https://www.allmusic.com/song/blinding-lights-mt0057558880) |
| Hot 100 record | Four weeks at number one; 90 weeks on the chart, the second-longest stay all-time for a title by a soloist, behind Teddy Swims's "Lose Control"; record 57 weeks in the top 10 and 43 in the top five[3](https://www.billboard.com/lists/the-weeknd-blinding-lights-top-100-top-chart-hits-21st-century/blinding-lights-the-weeknd-2/) • [6](https://www.billboard.com/pro/the-weeknd-blinding-lights-statistics-behind-record-breaking-run/) • [10](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/101519-most-cumulative-weeks-on-chart-us-one-single) |
| International reach | Number one on surveys in 33 countries per Billboard; 8 weeks at number one and 148 weeks in the top 100 on the UK Official Singles Chart[6](https://www.billboard.com/pro/the-weeknd-blinding-lights-statistics-behind-record-breaking-run/) • [7](https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/weeknd-blinding-lights/) |
| Streaming | Became Spotify's most-streamed song on December 31, 2022, overtaking Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You"[8](https://www.songcontext.com/songs/blinding-lights) |
| Retrospective standing | Billboard's Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Songs number one (November 2021) and the top song on its Top Hot 100 Songs of the 21st Century chart (data through 2024)[3](https://www.billboard.com/lists/the-weeknd-blinding-lights-top-100-top-chart-hits-21st-century/blinding-lights-the-weeknd-2/) |
## Background and recording
[The Weeknd](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-weeknd) (Abel Tesfaye) co-wrote and co-produced the song with the Swedish musicians [Max Martin](https://www.edgepedia.org/max-martin) and Oscar Holter, who are credited as composers, lyricists, and bass vocalists on the official release, with Holter also credited as programmer and producer.[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7p4bzqLvCw) • [3](https://www.billboard.com/lists/the-weeknd-blinding-lights-top-100-top-chart-hits-21st-century/blinding-lights-the-weeknd-2/) [The Canadian](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-canadian) writers Ahmad Balshe, known as Belly, and Jason "DaHeala" Quenneville received additional writing credits.[8](https://www.songcontext.com/songs/blinding-lights) Discogs credits Martin and Holter with playing bass, drums, guitar, keyboards, and programming, and lists Serban Ghenea as the mix engineer.[4](https://www.discogs.com/release/15110995-The-Weeknd-Blinding-Lights) The recording is credited ℗ 2019 The Weeknd XO, Inc., manufactured and marketed by Republic Records.[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7p4bzqLvCw)
## Release and versions
The song appeared on *After Hours*, released November 29, 2019.[1](https://music.apple.com/us/song/blinding-lights/1499378607) The digital single carried the catalog number 19UM1IM04638 on XO&co/Republic.[9](http://www.norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?cat=s&interpret=The+Weeknd&titel=Blinding+Lights) A limited-edition 7-inch vinyl single followed in the UK on March 20, 2020 (catalog 00602508599927), and a [Major Lazer](https://www.edgepedia.org/major-lazer) remix received a digital release on March 31, 2020.[4](https://www.discogs.com/release/15110995-The-Weeknd-Blinding-Lights) • [9](http://www.norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?cat=s&interpret=The+Weeknd&titel=Blinding+Lights) A remix EP issued on September 11, 2020 collected the Chromatics remix (4:21), the Major Lazer remix (3:17), and an instrumental (3:22).[9](http://www.norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?cat=s&interpret=The+Weeknd&titel=Blinding+Lights)
## Musical style
Discogs lists the release in the styles synthwave, new wave, and synth-pop, and Billboard describes the track as synth-driven and 1980s-evoking.[4](https://www.discogs.com/release/15110995-The-Weeknd-Blinding-Lights) • [3](https://www.billboard.com/lists/the-weeknd-blinding-lights-top-100-top-chart-hits-21st-century/blinding-lights-the-weeknd-2/) AllMusic classifies it as Pop/Rock with alternative dance, club/dance, and contemporary pop/rock styles, and credits the composition to Ahmad Balshe, Oscar Holter, Max Martin, Jason Quenneville, and Abel Tesfaye.[5](https://www.allmusic.com/song/blinding-lights-mt0057558880)
## Commercial performance
**United States.** The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 on the chart dated December 14, 2019.[6](https://www.billboard.com/pro/the-weeknd-blinding-lights-statistics-behind-record-breaking-run/) It topped the Hot 100 for four weeks during 2020, and with 90 total weeks on that chart, it formerly held the solo-performer record for weeks spent there; "Lose Control" by [Teddy Swims](https://www.edgepedia.org/teddy-swims) later surpassed that solo-performer record, reaching 112 weeks as of October 18, 2025.[3](https://www.billboard.com/lists/the-weeknd-blinding-lights-top-100-top-chart-hits-21st-century/blinding-lights-the-weeknd-2/) • [10](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/101519-most-cumulative-weeks-on-chart-us-one-single) Its tier records were set progressively: 43 weeks in the top five, passing [The Chainsmokers](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-chainsmokers)' "Closer" and [Ed Sheeran](https://www.edgepedia.org/ed-sheeran)'s "Shape of You" at 27 weeks each; 57 weeks in the top 10, surpassing Post Malone's "Circles" at 39; and 86 weeks in the top 40, beyond Imagine Dragons' "Radioactive" at 63.[6](https://www.billboard.com/pro/the-weeknd-blinding-lights-statistics-behind-record-breaking-run/) • [3](https://www.billboard.com/lists/the-weeknd-blinding-lights-top-100-top-chart-hits-21st-century/blinding-lights-the-weeknd-2/) The song reached number one on 13 U.S. Billboard charts, including the Hot 100, Streaming Songs, Radio Songs, and Digital Song Sales, and it logged a record 48 weeks at number one on Hot R&B Songs, more than double the 20 weeks of the runners-up.[6](https://www.billboard.com/pro/the-weeknd-blinding-lights-statistics-behind-record-breaking-run/)
**International.** Billboard counted number-one positions on surveys in 33 countries, including the UK, Australia, Germany, Canada, France, and the United States.[6](https://www.billboard.com/pro/the-weeknd-blinding-lights-statistics-behind-record-breaking-run/) On the UK Official Singles Chart it first charted on December 12, 2019, peaked at number one for 8 weeks, and spent 148 weeks in the top 100.[7](https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/weeknd-blinding-lights/) National chart databases show extended runs elsewhere: 282 weeks on the French chart, 214 in Switzerland, 142 in Germany, 139 in Australia, and 127 in Sweden.[9](http://www.norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?cat=s&interpret=The+Weeknd&titel=Blinding+Lights)
## By the numbers
At the time of Billboard's statistical analysis, the song had accumulated 1,270,906,753 on-demand U.S. streams (audio and video combined) and a cumulative U.S. radio audience of 5,410,644,400.[6](https://www.billboard.com/pro/the-weeknd-blinding-lights-statistics-behind-record-breaking-run/) On December 31, 2022, it overtook "Shape of You" to become the most-streamed song on Spotify.[8](https://www.songcontext.com/songs/blinding-lights) Its tier records put its longevity in context: the previous top-five record holders, "Closer" and "Shape of You", managed 27 weeks each against its 43, and the previous top-10 record, "Circles" at 39 weeks, fell short of its 57 by 18 weeks.[6](https://www.billboard.com/pro/the-weeknd-blinding-lights-statistics-behind-record-breaking-run/)
## Reception and accolades
In November 2021, "Blinding Lights" crowned Billboard's Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Songs chart, which dates to the weekly list's start in August 1958.[3](https://www.billboard.com/lists/the-weeknd-blinding-lights-top-100-top-chart-hits-21st-century/blinding-lights-the-weeknd-2/) It finished 2020 as the year's top Billboard Hot 100 song.[8](https://www.songcontext.com/songs/blinding-lights) When Billboard compiled its Top Hot 100 Songs of the 21st Century chart, covering Hot 100 performance from 2000 through the end of 2024, the song ranked number one.[3](https://www.billboard.com/lists/the-weeknd-blinding-lights-top-100-top-chart-hits-21st-century/blinding-lights-the-weeknd-2/)
## Legacy and afterlife
The song served as the finale of the Weeknd's Super Bowl LV halftime medley on February 7, 2021.[6](https://www.billboard.com/pro/the-weeknd-blinding-lights-statistics-behind-record-breaking-run/) Its commercial afterlife continued to accumulate: the Spotify most-streamed milestone in 2022 and the number-one placement on Billboard's 21st-century retrospective, covering data through 2024.[8](https://www.songcontext.com/songs/blinding-lights) • [3](https://www.billboard.com/lists/the-weeknd-blinding-lights-top-100-top-chart-hits-21st-century/blinding-lights-the-weeknd-2/)
## References
1. [Blinding Lights - The Weeknd, Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/song/blinding-lights/1499378607)
2. [The Weeknd - Blinding Lights (Official Audio), YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7p4bzqLvCw)
3. [The Weeknd 'Blinding Lights' No. 1 Hot 100 Song of the 21st Century, Billboard](https://www.billboard.com/lists/the-weeknd-blinding-lights-top-100-top-chart-hits-21st-century/blinding-lights-the-weeknd-2/)
4. [The Weeknd – Blinding Lights, Discogs](https://www.discogs.com/release/15110995-The-Weeknd-Blinding-Lights)
5. [Blinding Lights - The Weeknd, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/song/blinding-lights-mt0057558880)
6. [The Weeknd's 'Blinding Lights': Stats Behind Record-Breaking Run, Billboard Pro](https://www.billboard.com/pro/the-weeknd-blinding-lights-statistics-behind-record-breaking-run/)
7. [BLINDING LIGHTS – WEEKND, Official Charts Company](https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/weeknd-blinding-lights/)
8. [Blinding Lights | Song Meaning and Lyrics | The Weeknd, SongContext](https://www.songcontext.com/songs/blinding-lights)
9. [norwegiancharts.com - The Weeknd - Blinding Lights, Hung Medien](http://www.norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?cat=s&interpret=The+Weeknd&titel=Blinding+Lights)
10. [Most cumulative weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 (one single)](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/101519-most-cumulative-weeks-on-chart-us-one-single)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical works and recordings › Compositions and songs › Pop, rock, and metal songs › Synth-pop songs*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license