Stream of the Day
AI-made song tops Billboard country chart
In a major music industry moment, ‘Walk My Walk’ by the AI-generated ‘artist’ Breaking Rust has reached the number one spot on the Country Digital Song Sales chart.
A fully AI-created song has led a Billboard chart for the first time. The track, called Walk My Walk by the ‘artist’ Breaking Rust, has cracked the number one position on Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart in the US. It places AI at the top of a genre where such a presence has not been expected, one shaped by lived experience, personal storytelling and regional heritage.
Breaking Rust is presented as a full music persona, complete with artwork, branding, and a catalogue of AI-produced tracks. While artificial artists have appeared on streaming platforms before, few have gained traction in mainstream genres like country.
On Spotify, Breaking Rust has reached 2,6-million monthly listeners. By comparison, South African artist Black Coffee currently has about 2,8-million. Although Breaking Rust is dwarfed by global acts such as Taylor Swift, with more than 100-million listeners, or Linkin Park, who sit at roughly half of Swift’s total with around 50-million, the AI artist’s listener base remains hugely significant.
The popularity of Walk My Walk has sparked debate across the music community. Supporters see it as an example of how AI can expand creative possibilities, allowing for experimentation with styles, personas, and production techniques. Critics argue that automated music risks diluting a genre rooted in lived experience, particularly when listeners may not initially realise that the vocals and songwriting are machine-generated.
Industry analysts note that the track’s rise can indicate a shift in listening behaviour. Some streaming algorithms prioritise repeatability, mood playlists, and sound signatures that resonate instantly. AI systems trained on large libraries of country music can generate tracks tailored to these patterns with high accuracy, allowing virtual artists to flourish alongside human musicians.
For now, Breaking Rust’s rise continues, offering a glimpse of how AI could reshape the future of music discovery. Whether listeners view it as innovation or intrusion, the success of Walk My Walk shows that AI is moving firmly into the mainstream of the music world. It is entering the charts, amassing fans, and challenging long-held ideas about what it means to be an artist.
