Ariana Grande’s Grandmother Makes History as Most Senior Artist to Hit Billboard Hot 100

Grande’s 98-year-old grandmother has become the eldest person to rank on Billboard’s prestige music chart.

Ariana Grande’s grandmother has recently made history as the most senior artist to hit the Billboard Hot 100 list for their song, “ordinary things.” In her 98th year, Marjorie “Nonna” Grande has climbed the music charts with her feature on the record which comes off Ariana’s most recent album, ‘eternal sunshine.’

In commemorating this achievement, Nonna received a plaque certifying her historic achievement on the Billboard Hot 100. The record “ordinary things” is the closing track in the #1 chart-topping album released on March 8th, 2024. 

Nonna shares wisdom about love, happiness, and relationships in a recording featured in the last 40 seconds of the song. The message fits perfectly into the feeling of the song which is about prioritizing the little things in life. In the track, Ariana muses about how the simple and small moments in a relationship are more valuable than the extravagant ones.

At the end of the record, Ariana includes a special audio cameo from Nonna, who recalls being captivated by a relationship of her own, “And when he’d come home and I’d see him, when he first gets off that train, it was like God Almighty arrived, it was like seeing daylight.” 

Nonna continues, “I could’ve packed up and left a million times, you know? It’s not that we fought, you can overcome that, you know?” She continues with advice, “never go to bed without kissin’ goodnight, thats the worst thing to do, don’t ever, ever do that. And if you can’t, and you don’t feel comfortable doing that, you’re in the wrong place, get out.” 

With almost 100 years lived, Nonna’s advice speaks volumes and adds a beautiful perspective to the record. Now, her wisdom will forever be cemented in Ariana’s discography. This triumph was so historic that Nonna was featured in many news outlets including Good Morning America, People, Entertainment Tonight, Billboard, and The Today Show. 

Kathryn Allyn

My favorite thing in the whole world is music and after hearing “One” by Swedish House Mafia for the first time in 2014, I was hooked on EDM. Dance music has been a large part of who I am and will always be searching for new ways to incorporate it in my life. The pure bliss that I feel from live shows is a feeling I never want to stop chasing (iykyk). Some of my favorite artists are Flume, Rüfüs Du Sol, Mindchatter, Disclosure, Dom Dolla and Fred Again.. 🙂

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