This week marks a new era in the New Zealand Music Charts with the breaking of a near 40 year Singles Chart record.

As of this week, Pharrell Williams' Happy has occupied an impressive 15 non-consecutive weeks at #1 on the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart.

The feat sees him break the record for longest running #1 Single in NZ, set more than 35 years ago by Boney M and the 1978 double-sided single "Rivers Of Babylon/Brown Girl In The Ring".

The Caribbean-foursome held the title of #1 Single for 14 weeks in 1978 and - until now - no one has been able to dethrone them.

Recorded Music NZ chief executive Damian Vaughan says records are made to be broken but the Boney M single has had astonishing longevity.

"This certainly does mark a new era for the Charts after the previous record held strong for so many years.

"The Singles Chart has always been a fantastic venue for pop culture. And the digital era and the internet certainly seem to have contributed to an explosive output of music which is probably contributing to the growing quality of productions," Vaughan says.

Happy has been on the Charts for 19 weeks and is also now three-times Platinum. The longest running #1 Album in NZ is Adele's 21 which sat atop the NZ Top 40 Albums Chart for 37 weeks.