Country star John Rich says he and Oliver Anthony are No. 1 but neither has record deals

Country star John Rich said he congratulated Oliver Anthony for having the top song in the United States, and said that even though both of them are at the top of the charts, neither has record deals.

Anthony's hit song "Rich Men North of Richmond," which has more than 29 million YouTube views less than two weeks since he posted it, is No. 1 on iTunes Monday morning. Meanwhile, Rich's album "The Country Truth" hit No. 1 over the weekend.

"Oliver Anthony has the #1 song in America, and I have the #1 record, and neither of us have record deals," Rich posted Sunday on social media. "I texted Oliver to congratulate him and he responded 'God is good!' Yes He is my friend, yes He is❤️ Thank you to all the supporters of our music, it’s truly humbling."

On the "Just the News, No Noise" TV show last week, Rich praised Anthony and urged him to remain an independent artist.

Anthony said last week that he has turned down music offers worth $8 million and that he is not interested in being famous.

While iTunes shows Anthony's song as No. 1, Rich's album is listed as 68 on the iTunes country album charts Monday. However, multiple independent music chart websites show his album as being No. 1, above artists such as Taylor Swift, Hozier and Morgan Wallen. 

Both men sing about conservative issues.

For example, "Rich Men North of Richmond" blames politicians in Washington, D.C., for high taxes, inflation and problems that Anthony sees in the welfare system.

Songs on "The Country Truth" include "I'm Offended" and "Progress," both of which contain lyrics ridiculing the progressive left.

Madeleine Hubbard on X or Instagram.