'Sweet' 16, indeed: On this date 18 years ago, the superstar duet ballad wrapped its record 16-week stay atop the chart

On this date (March 16) in 1996, Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men's "One Sweet Day" spent its 16th and final week atop the Billboard Hot 100, wrapping the longest reign for any title in the chart's history.

The song's success was hardly surprising, given Carey and Boyz II Men's track records in the '90s. It became Carey's 10th No. 1 (of 18 total) and Boyz II Men's fourth (of five). The song had already passed the prior-record 14-week commands of two titles: Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" and Boyz II Men's "I'll Make Love to You." (Three songs have since also led for 14 weeks each, including Carey's "We Belong Together," in 2005.)

Here's a look at the songs that have logged the most time at No. 1 in the Hot 100's 55-year archives:

Weeks at No. 1, Title, Artist, Year Reached No. 1

16, "One Sweet Day," Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men, 1995

14, "I Gotta Feeling," the Black Eyed Peas, 2009

14, "We Belong Together," Mariah Carey, 2005

14, "Candle in the Wind 1997"/"Something About the Way You Look Tonight," Elton John, 1997

14, "Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)," Los Del Rio, 1996

14, "I'll Make Love to You," Boyz II Men, 1994

14, "I Will Always Love You," Whitney Houston, 1992

13, "The Boy Is Mine," Brandy & Monica, 1998

13, "End of the Road," Boyz II Men, 1992

12, "Blurred Lines," Robin Thicke feat. T.I. + Pharrell, 2013

12, "Boom Boom Pow," the Black Eyed Peas, 2009

12, "Yeah!," Usher feat. Lil Jon & Ludacris, 2004

12, "Lose Yourself," Eminem, 2002

12, "Smooth," Santana feat. Rob Thomas, 1999

Aided by the record domination of "Sweet," which debuted at No. 1 on the Dec. 2, 1995, Hot 100, Carey boasts the most total weeks at No. 1 (79) for any artist in the Hot 100's history. The Beatles rank second with 59, followed by Rihanna (51) and Boyz II Men (50). (Boyz II Men, meanwhile, are the only act with at least three singles that have each spent 12 weeks or more at No. 1.)

Carey's 18 Hot 100 No. 1s are the most among soloists and second only to the Beatles' 20.

Carey, currently climbing Adult R&B Songs and Rhythmic Songs with "You're Mine (Eternal)," the first single from her May 6 studio album, received a glowing review in the Nov. 4, 1995, Billboard issue for "Sweet" (the same week that Billboard also praised Madonna's "You'll See" and Alanis Morissette's "Hand in My Pocket"). "Expect big chart numbers," Billboard accurately predicted of the ballad, the second single from Carey's album "Daydream"; lead track "Fantasy" ruled the Hot 100 for eight weeks and third single "Always Be My Baby" led for two.

"Its success will be much deserved, as Carey's increasingly mature and soulful delivery effectively melts into Boyz II Men's wall-to-wall harmonies, combining to give depth to the song's lyrics, which offer a heartfelt farewell to friends who have passed."

In addition to the Hot 100, "Sweet" crowned Radio Songs for 13 weeks, Pop Songs, Adult Contemporary (11 each) and Rhythmic Songs (nine). It also topped the first Adult Pop Songs chart, which launched the same week that it completed its unparalleled Hot 100 command.

At the end of the '90s, "Sweet" was honored as the Hot 100's top song of the decade.