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First, halve a medium, 2- to 3-pound butternut squash and scoop out its seeds. Wash your seeds until they’re clean, then set them aside on a paper towel to dry.

Cut each half into three sections and lay the pieces of the squash face down on a microwave-safe plate.

Add a few spoonfuls of water to the plate to ensure there’s enough moisture, cover it with another microwave-safe bowl or splatter guard, and cook for five minutes.

The squash should take about 10 to 15 minutes to cook, but I recommend checking on it after each five-minute interval since some microwaves are stronger than others.

Now, the real flavor-bomb component: cooking garlic in extra-virgin olive oil.

While your squash is in the microwave, add eight to 12 peeled garlic cloves to a small pan with enough olive oil to cover them, about 3 to 4 tablespoons.

Crank the heat up on your stovetop to medium — there’s no need to go higher than that or you’ll risk burning the oil. Keep a close eye on the garlic, especially the smaller bulbs, making sure to flip them over so they brown on both sides.

Once both sides of the garlic start browning, turn the stove off and let them sit in the hot oil so the residual heat gently toasts the bulbs.

By the 15-minute mark, you should be able to pierce the squash’s bright-orange flesh with a fork.

Once the squash is cooked and has cooled, scoop the flesh out with a spoon and place it directly into your blender.

Add ½ cup of water to the squash, then blend. I like to use water to thin the soup so the clean taste of the squash and any other seasonings shine through.

Incorporate the roasted garlic cloves and a pinch of salt and blend until smooth, adding more water as necessary. If the mixture is too thick and stops blending, use a spatula to gently move the squash around, allowing water to reach the bottom.

Mix until smooth and creamy. Add salt to taste.

A bowl of soup wouldn’t be complete without a garnish. Take those reserved butternut-squash seeds and toss them back into the garlic oil.

Turn the heat up to medium and let them cook for three to four minutes.

To serve, spoon the soup into bowls and top with garlic oil and the squash seeds.

If you want to be fancy, you can even add a splash of balsamic or sherry vinegar.

This story was originally published on November 27, 2022, and most recently updated on October 21, 2025.

“Fantasy,” the lead single from Carey’s fifth studio album “Daydream,” was the first song in the modern era to retain its top position on the Hot 100 for two straight weeks. It debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated September 30, 1995.

The song spent eight weeks total atop the Hot 100.

“One Sweet Day,” the second single from “Daydream,” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated December 2, 1995.

The song spent a historic 16 consecutive weeks atop the Hot 100, setting a record it held for 23 years.

The record was tied by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito” (featuring Justin Bieber) in 2017 and finally broken by Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” (featuring Billy Ray Cyrus) in 2019.

Lil Nas X’s record has since been tied by Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”

“I’ll Be Missing You” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated June 14, 1997. It was the second single from “No Way Out,” the debut album from Diddy, then known as Puff Daddy.

The song spent 11 weeks atop the Hot 100.

“Honey” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated September 13, 1997. It was the lead single from Carey’s sixth album, “Butterfly.”

The song spent three weeks atop the Hot 100.

Carey has the second-most hits on this list with three to her name.

“Candle in the Wind 1997/Something About the Way You Look Tonight” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated October 11, 1997. 

The song spent 14 weeks atop the Hot 100. The double A-side single later became the first song ever to be certified diamond.

“My Heart Will Go On” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated February 28, 1998.

The famous ballad was written for the soundtrack of “Titanic” and served as the movie’s main romantic theme. It was also released as a single from Dion’s fifth English-language album, “Let’s Talk About Love.”

The song spent two weeks atop the Hot 100.

“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated September 5, 1998. It was recorded for the film “Armageddon,” starring Liv Tyler, the daughter of Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler.

The song spent four weeks atop the Hot 100.

“Doo Wop (That Thing)” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated November 14, 1998. It was the lead single from Hill’s debut album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.”

The song spent two weeks atop the Hot 100.

“This Is the Night” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated June 28, 2003. It was Aiken’s debut single after competing on season two of “American Idol.”

The song spent two weeks atop the Hot 100.

“Born This Way” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated February 26, 2011. It was the lead single from Gaga’s second studio album of the same name.

The song spent six weeks atop the Hot 100.

“Harlem Shake” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated March 2, 2013.

Billboard’s chart methodology is updated at least once a year to reflect rapidly evolving listening trends. The Hot 100 began incorporating digital sales data in 2005 and YouTube data in 2013. 

Because “Harlem Shake” became a dance trend that went viral on YouTube, it benefited from that recent adjustment.

The song spent five weeks atop the Hot 100.

“Shake It Off” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated September 6, 2014. It was the lead single from Swift’s fifth album, “1989.”

The song spent four weeks atop the Hot 100.

“Hello” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated November 14, 2015. It was the lead single from Adele’s third album, “25.”

The song spent 10 consecutive weeks atop the Hot 100.

“God’s Plan” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated February 3, 2018. It was the lead single from Drake’s fifth studio album, “Scorpion.”

The song spent 10 consecutive weeks atop the Hot 100.

“Nice for What,” the second single from “Scorpion,” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated April 21, 2018.

The song spent four consecutive weeks atop the Hot 100 and eight nonconsecutive weeks.

“This Is America” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated May 19, 2018. It was released as a standalone single.

The song spent two weeks atop the Hot 100.

“Thank U, Next” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated November 17, 2018. It was the lead single from Grande’s fifth studio album of the same name.

The song spent three consecutive weeks atop the Hot 100 and seven weeks total.

“7 Rings,” the second single from “Thank U, Next,” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated February 2, 2019.

The song spent eight weeks atop the Hot 100. It remains Grande’s biggest hit on the chart.

“WAP” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated August 22, 2020.

The collab between Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion spent two consecutive weeks atop the Hot 100, and then returned for an additional two-week stretch.

“Dynamite,” BTS’ first all-English-language single, debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated September 5, 2020.

The song spent two consecutive weeks atop the Hot 100, then returned for a third.

“Drivers License,” the lead single from Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album, “Sour,” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated January 23, 2021. 

The song went on to dominate the Hot 100 for eight straight weeks.

“Rapstar” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated February 3, 2018. It was the third single from Polo G’s third album, “Hall of Fame.”

The song spent two consecutive weeks atop the Hot 100.

“Butter” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated June 5, 2021.

The song remained atop the Hot 100 for seven straight weeks, then returned to No. 1 for a total of 10 weeks.

“Anti-Hero” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated November 5, 2022. It was released as the lead single from Swift’s 10th album, “Midnights.”

It became the first song of the year to spend a second week at No. 1 immediately following its debut in the top spot (although “As It Was” by Harry Styles and “First Class” by Jack Harlow both returned to No. 1 eventually and charted for several nonconsecutive weeks).

“Anti-Hero” remained atop the chart for six consecutive weeks, then returned later for two more, becoming Swift’s biggest hit on the Hot 100.

“Flowers” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated January 28, 2023. It was released as the lead single from Miley Cyrus’ eighth album, “Endless Summer Vacation.”

It remained atop the chart for six consecutive weeks before returning later for a seventh and eighth.

“Rich Men North of Richmond” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated August 26, 2023.

While the country song was initially boosted by conservative pundits — who praised its anti-greed and pro-worker message —  it topped the chart for a second week after Oliver Anthony criticized its political use.

“It was funny seeing my song at the [Republican] presidential debate because I wrote that song about those people,” Anthony said in a YouTube video.

“Like That” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated April 6, 2024, after it was included on Future and Metro Boomin’s collaborative album “We Don’t Trust You.”

The song sparked chatter of a rap feud thanks to Kendrick Lamar’s guest verse, in which he disses J. Cole and Drake.

Once “Like That” topped the chart, Cole responded with his own diss track about Lamar, “7 Minute Drill,” which continued to fuel interest in their dispute. However, Cole apologized shortly after. Drake also responded, didn’t back down, and his feud with Lamar quickly went nuclear.

Meanwhile, “Like That” held firm at No. 1 for three consecutive weeks.

“Fortnight” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated May 4, 2024. It was released as the lead single from Swift’s 11th album, “The Tortured Poets Department.”

It topped the chart for a second consecutive week.

“I Had Some Help” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated May 25, 2024.

The country duet topped the chart for a second consecutive week, followed by hits like Lamar’s diss “Not Like Us” at No. 2 and Billie Eilish’s sapphic bop “Lunch” at No. 5.

In total, the song notched six nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1.

“The Fate of Ophelia” debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated October 18, 2025. It was released as the lead single from Swift’s 12th album, “The Life of a Showgirl.”

“Ophelia” held its position atop the chart for a second consecutive week. Eight other songs from the tracklist also remained in the chart’s top 10, including “Opalite” at No. 2 and “Elizabeth Taylor,” which dropped from No. 3 to No. 5.

Swift has four hit songs on this list, the most of any artist.

Dates: November 13 to 19, 1995

On November 13, 1995, the government entered a five-day shutdown as congressional Republicans and the Clinton administration failed to reach an agreement on budget priorities.

The disagreements began after the House and Senate both flipped to a Republican majority during the midterm elections, when Republican politicians, including Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, campaigned on a platform of reduced government spending, as outlined in what they called a “Contract with America.”

Having control of the House for the first time in 40 years, the Republicans passed a spending bill that cut federal funding for Medicare and gave states more power over welfare programs, such as Medicaid.

Clinton vetoed the bill, and the government shut down for five days before Congress passed a temporary funding bill to keep federal agencies working.

The budget debates later led to what became, at the time, the longest government shutdown in US history.

Dates: October 31 to November 9, and November 30 to December 9, 1977

The government shut down for eight days twice between October 31 and December 9, 1977, after a longer gap in funding at the beginning of that October. The three funding gaps accounted for a total of 28 days that year during which the federal government operated outside its appropriated budget.

The gaps in funding came as the Democrat-led House and Senate argued over whether Medicaid funds should be used to pay for abortions.

Despite the funding gap, most federal agencies continued to operate as usual, and workers were not furloughed. This was the norm before the 1981 Supreme Court decision, which ruled that federal agencies lacked the legal means to operate during periods of funding gaps.

Dates: September 30 to October 11, 1976

The first government shutdown occurred in 1976, when President Gerald Ford vetoed an appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor and Health, Education, and Welfare passed by Congress, citing the increases as “inflationary,” as reported by The New York Times at the time.

While Congress overrode the veto on October 1, the process resulted in a lapse in funding that lasted for 10 days.

Dates: September 30 to October 12, 1979

The debate over the use of Medicaid funds for abortions that had resulted in 28 days of lapsed funding in 1977 continued in the following years.

In 1979, the House and Senate, both held by Democratic majorities, disagreed on how Medicaid funds should be used for abortions, with the House passing a restrictive bill and the Senate looking for a more permissive approach that would allow for funding in cases of rape and incest.

Funding restarted when a compromise bill was passed, which included the Senate’s approach to abortion funding and a raise in congressional salaries.

Dates: September 30 to October 13, 1977

The longest funding gap of 1977 happened on September 30, when the House and Senate failed to pass a funding bill for the Departments of Labor and Health, Education, and Welfare over disagreements on the use of Medicaid funding for abortions.

While both chambers were controlled by the president’s party, the House advocated for funding only in cases where the mother’s life was at risk, while the Senate backed a less restrictive approach, which would also provide funding in cases of rape and incest.

The disagreement led to the passage of a temporary funding bill, which expired on October 31 and was followed by two more lapses in funding.

Like other funding gaps prior to 1977, federal agencies continued working, and no federal employees were furloughed.

Dates: September 30 to October 17, 2013

After 16 years without a government shutdown, the Democratic-controlled Senate and the Republican-held House failed to pass a funding bill due to disagreements over the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

In an effort to diminish the act, the House passed two funding bills that would defund portions of the program and delay its implementation by a year; however, neither was passed by the Senate.

The showdown led to over 800,000 federal workers being furloughed during budget negotiations, while pay for active-duty military members was agreed upon by the president and Congress.

After two weeks, the House passed a funding bill without restrictions for the health law.

Dates: September 30 to October 18, 1978

The longest government shutdown of the Carter presidency started on September 30, 1978, when the president vetoed a spending bill that included funding for a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and a series of water public works projects, which he deemed wasteful.

The veto, added to the existing congressional disagreements over Medicaid abortion funding, led to a 17-day impasse that ended once Congress removed both the aircraft carrier and water works funding from the funding bill.

Dates: December 15, 1995, to January 6, 1996

Following the shorter, five-day shutdown on November 13, 1995, the government entered another funding gap on December 15, after a temporary funding bill expired without Congress and the president agreeing on a bill to keep the government open.

The government stood at a stalemate for 21 days, with federal agencies furloughing workers during the holiday season.

The shutdown came to an end when congressional Republicans, who had lost public support in the polls, as reported by NPR, passed a balanced budget that avoided hikes in Medicare premiums and funding cuts for federal agencies.

The government did not shut down again for 16 years.

Dates: December 21, 2018, to January 25, 2019

The longest government shutdown in US history began on December 21, 2018, after House Democrats refused to approve spending bills that provided the Trump administration with $5.7 billion in funding for a wall along the southern border, which the president had insisted on.

While clean funding bills were passed through the House and the Senate, both of which were held by Republican majorities, the president refused to approve the budgets, resulting in a 34-day stalemate.

During the nearly five weeks the government was closed, airports began experiencing flight delays as air traffic controllers and TSA workers, who were working without pay, began calling out sick en masse. TSA reported that the number of employees taking sick leave had more than doubled since the beginning of the shutdown.

The shutdown ended when the president and Congress agreed on a funding bill that didn’t include funding for the border wall.

Dates: October 1, 2025, to current

The government shut down on October 1, 2025, after Congress failed to agree on funding measures, with a key point of contention being healthcare subsidies.

Democrats refused to support a temporary funding bill passed by House Republicans that lacked protections against provisions from Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” which they say would cut federal funding, expand Medicaid requirements, and reduce subsidies for the Affordable Care Act, citing increased healthcare premiums.

Federal funding expired on October 1 as both sides failed to reach an agreement.

After the Senate failed to advance an 11th funding bill on Monday, the likelihood of the shutdown ending soon remains slim.

As far as negotiations go, the stalemate appears to have no clear end in sight, even as furloughed federal workers and some employees working without pay experience a third week of uncertainty.