Chart Beat
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“The kicky, 23-year-old British singer released her second album, the break-up requiem 21, in February, but it wasn’t just heartbreak that made her popular,” Billboard wrote in December 2011. “In contemporary music, Adele is one of a kind, a woman who thrives off no bells and whistles, just pure personality and talent (and the ability to make the toughest curmudgeon cry).”
Following the set’s arrival, it launched at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and ran up 24 nonconsecutive weeks at the summit through June 2012 – the most of any album on the chart over the first quarter of the century. Along the way, 21 spun off three enduring No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 – “Rolling in the Deep,” “Someone Like You” and “Set Fire to the Rain” – and won the Grammy for album of the year.
“It’s been the most erratic year,” Adele reflected late in her dominant 2011. “It’s been f–king brilliant and exciting and emotional. Professionally, it’s been a year that will define my life forever.” Still, Adele – who revealed last August the she and super-agent Rich Paul are getting married after dating since 2021 – added, “Not having someone to share all this with made me miserable at times, to be honest. I wanted nothing more than to be in love and be loved back. That was until I remembered I was sharing it with millions and millions and millions of people!”
Below, run down the albums (including others that turned heartbreak into hits) with the most weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart over the first 25 years of the 21st century.
Plus, browse highlights of Billboard’s Top Artists of the 21st Century chart and the entire 100-position ranking in Billboard’s charts menu, as well as the leading titles on Billboard’s Top Billboard 200 Albums of the 21st Century chart and Then, check back tomorrow (Jan. 10) for the premiere of Billboard’s Top Hot 100 Songs of the 21st Century chart.
Billboard’s Top Artists, Top Billboard 200 Albums and Top Hot 100 Songs of the 21st Century recaps reflect performance on weekly charts dated Jan. 1, 2000, through Dec. 28, 2024. The Top Artists category ranks the best-performing acts in that span based on activity on the Billboard 200 and Hot 100. (Titles released prior to mid-1999 are excluded, although such entries that appeared on the Billboard 200 or Hot 100 in that span contribute to the calculation of the Top Artists chart.)
21, Adele
“I wasn’t about to make the same album twice,” Taylor Swift once mused of the process of crafting LPs. “I wanted to challenge myself. “I tend to write for the entire two-year process,” Swift said ahead of the arrival of 1989. From her self-titled debut in 2006 through 1989 in 2014, Swift released her first […]
Morgan Wallen’s blockbuster country collection Dangerous: The Double Album rules as the No. 1 album of the first 25 years of the 21st century, as it crowns Billboard’s Top Billboard 200 Albums of the 21st Century chart. The 200-position ranking recaps performance on the weekly Billboard 200 albums chart from the start of 2000 through the end of 2024.
After debuting at No. 1 on the weekly list dated Jan. 23, 2021, Dangerous: The Double Album remained on top through the chart dated March 27, 2021, becoming the first album to spend its first 10 weeks at No. 1 since 1987, when Whitney Houston’s Whitney logged all 11 of its weeks in the lead from its debut.
Dangerous: The Double Album, Wallen’s second-full length, has continued to rack up chart feats since its buzzy arrival. When it reached its 86th week in the Billboard 200’s top 10 in September 2022, it surpassed Peter, Paul and Mary’s self-titled set (85 weeks in 1962-64) for the most time spent in the tier among albums by individual acts since the chart began publishing on a regular weekly basis in March 1956.
Through the Dec. 28, 2024-dated Billboard 200 (the final week tabulated for the 21st century charts), Dangerous: The Double Album compiled 158 weeks in the top 10. Only one album has logged more weeks in the region: the original cast recording of My Fair Lady, with 173 in 1956-60.
Meanwhile, Wallen claims two of the top 10 titles on the Top Billboard 200 Albums of the 21st Century chart, as his third studio set, and most recent release, One Thing at a Time, ranks at No. 6. Plus, his debut full-length, If I Know Me, places on the Top Billboard 200 Albums of the 21st Century chart at No. 159.
Below, run down the leading titles on Billboard’s Top Billboard 200 Albums of the 21st Century chart. Also browse highlights of Billboard’s Top Artists of the 21st Century chart and the entire 100-position ranking in Billboard’s charts menu and check back tomorrow (Jan. 10) for the premiere of Billboard’s Top Hot 100 Songs of the 21st Century chart.
Billboard’s Top Artists, Top Billboard 200 Albums and Top Hot 100 Songs of the 21st Century recaps reflect performance on weekly charts dated Jan. 1, 2000, through Dec. 28, 2024. The Top Artists category ranks the best-performing acts in that span based on activity on the Billboard 200 and Billboard Hot 100. (Titles released prior to mid-1999 are excluded, although such entries that appeared on the Billboard 200 or Hot 100 in that span contribute to the calculation of the Top Artists chart.)
Lady Gaga, The Fame
Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up newsletter, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip.
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This week: Timothée Chalamet helps get Bob Dylan rolling on streaming, one of basketball’s Ball brothers goes supernova on social media, a late dance great sees streaming gains from a new documentary and more.
The Streams, They Are a-Boomin’: Bob Dylan’s Catalog Soars Thanks to ‘A Complete Unknown’
A Complete Unknown, James Mangold’s new Bob Dylan biopic starring Timothée Chalamet, has spent the past few weeks scoring raves from critics, posting top 10 box office receipts and earning Oscar buzz, with Chalamet zooming into the Best Actor race thanks to his portrayal of the music icon during the first half of the 1960s. With the film going into wide release on Dec. 25, Unknown has helped Dylan’s storied catalog receive a huge spike on streaming services since Christmas Day, with listeners putting away their holiday playlists and picking up Highway 61 Revisited.
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During the week ending Dec. 26, Dylan’s catalog earned 11.6 million U.S. on-demand streams, according to Luminate; that number leapt to 20.2 million streams the following week (ending Jan. 2), in the first full tracking week since the film’s wide release. Compared to Dylan’s streaming numbers from one month earlier, in which his catalog earned 8.1 million streams in the week ending Dec. 5, A Complete Unknown has helped the legend’s weekly streaming numbers grow by roughly 150%.
Meanwhile, some of Dylan’s early classic songs (which Chalamet sings himself in the film) have gotten replayed since its release, with listeners wanting to either revisit or discover the original versions. “Like a Rolling Stone” earned 1.64 million streams in the week ending Jan. 2, a 232% increase from its streaming total five weeks ago (494,000 during the week ending Nov. 28). Meanwhile, “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times They Are a-Changin’” posted streaming jumps of 215% and 174%, respectively, from their weekly totals during the last full tracking week of November. With the Academy Awards nominations being announced next Friday (Jan. 17) and the Oscars scheduled for Mar. 2, these streaming numbers may stay boosted — or keep climbing — for a few more months. – JASON LIPSHUTZ
G3 Gelo (aka LiAngelo Ball) Scores 2025’s First Viral Smash
There’s hitting the ground running, and then there’s scoring the first viral track of the year just three days in. G3 Gelo, aka LiAngelo Ball, knows a thing or two about the latter.
After a snippet of “Tweaker” went viral in late December, Gelo – the second of basketball’s three Ball Brothers, along with guards Lonzo and LaMelo of the Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets, respectively — uploaded the full thing to WorldStarHipHop’s YouTube channel, with DSP uploads following soon after.
The early ’00s hip-hop-indebted track has increased in streams every day since its official release on Jan. 3. By its fourth day of release, streaming activity for “Tweaker” jumped a jaw-dropping 871% from where it was upon its debut. The song earned over 1.83 million official on-demand U.S. streams on Jan. 6 versus 188,000 streams on Jan. 3.
Already given the stamp of approval by sports teams across the country, a few hip-hop heavyweights are also co-signing G3 Gelo’s breakout hit; both Boosie Badazz and Moneybagg Yo have asked Gelo to send them an open verse. What’s more? A newscaster has already referenced “Tweaker” live on the air! With so much momentum and little competition from 2025 hip-hop releases at the moment, the coast is clear for “Tweaker” to reign in the coming weeks. – KYLE DENIS
Avicii’s Catalog Surges in Streams After New Documentary
The Avicii catalog experienced a significant streaming surge following the release of a new documentary about the late artist.
In the wake of the Dec. 31 release of I’m Tim on Netflix, global on-demand streams of the Swedish producer’s catalog increased by 63.9%, according to Luminate. The artist’s catalog had a total of 26.4 streams in the four days preceding the film’s release, Dec. 27-30, with this number rising to 43.3 million from Dec. 31-Jan. 3.
The streaming surge has been especially pronounced for three of Avicii’s biggest songs: 2013’s “Wake Me Up” (featuring Aloe Blacc) has experienced a 47.1% increase in global on-demand streams; 2015’s “The Nights” has seen a 27.6% increase; and 2011’s “Levels” has had a 68.2% increase. – KATIE BAIN
Read more about the I’m Tim documentary and Avicii’s related streaming gains here.
‘Mufasa’ Soundtrack Roars Into the New Year with Multiple Streaming Hits
After losing out to Sonic 3 in its debut week at the domestic box office, Mufasa – the Barry Jenkins-helmed prequel to 2019’s Oscar-nominated photorealistic remake of the 1994 classic – climbed to the summit, becoming America’s first No. 1 movie of 2025. Helping Mufasa sustain its box office pull: the stunning streaming success of its soundtrack, led by Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr., who are in the midst of a viral press tour.
According to Luminate, the Mufasa soundtrack pulled 1.02 million official on-demand U.S. streams in its first week of release (ending Dec. 19). That figure jumped 224% the following week (Dec. 20-26) to over 3.33 million streams. By its third week of release – the same week the film topped the domestic box office – Mufasa’s streams jumped a further 137% to 7.92 million streams.
The breakout hit of the Lin-Manuel Miranda-penned soundtrack is the adorably protective “I Always Wanted a Brother,” performed by Pierre, Harrison, Jr., Theo Somolu and Braelyn Rankins. The Mufasa-Scar duet has consistently been the most-streamed song from the album, logging over 3.17 million streams last week (Dec. 27-Jan. 2). From family-centric TikTok trends to NOLA bounce “trip out” remixes and Pierre’s viral Jennifer Hudson Show spirit tunnel walk, “Brother” is quickly becoming a cultural phenomenon. Pierre also duets with Tiffany Boone on “Tell Me It’s You,” another breakout song from the soundtrack. Streaming activity for their duet has exploded 1,301% over the past two weeks, crossing 1.09 million official on-demand U.S. streams last week (Dec. 27-Jan. 2).
In addition to returning cast members from the 2019 film like Beyoncé and Donald Glover, Mufasa boasts some new additions, including Grammy winner Blue Ivy Carter and BAFTA-nominated actor Mads Mikkelsen. While Carter does not sing in Mufasa, Mikkelsen performs “Bye Bye,” yet another viral cut from the soundtrack, alongside Joanna Jones and Folake Olowofoyeku. “Bye Bye” has jumped over 120% in streaming activity for each of the past two weeks, earning over 1.25 million streams last week (Dec. 27-Jan. 2). – KD
The Contenders is a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week, for the upcoming Billboard 200 albums chart dated Jan. 18, 2025, we look at whether new releases from Lil Baby or Bad Bunny can unseat a reigning blockbuster that dates back to 2022.
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Lil Baby, WHAM (Quality Control/Motown): One of the biggest names in music at the turn of the 2020s, Atlanta rapper Lil Baby has been less dominant on the charts the past couple years but still draws a good deal of attention every time out. On Friday (Jan. 2), he released his new set WHAM – not named after the ‘80s U.K. duo who just hit a new peak of No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 with the holiday staple “Last Christmas,” but an acronym standing for Who Hard as Me – with 15 brand new cuts, including features from fellow ATL superstars Future, Young Thug and 21 Savage and other big names like Travis Scott, GloRilla and Rod Wave.
The set is off to a strong start on streaming – particularly on Apple Music, where it continues to litter the top 100 of its real-time chart five days after release, while also claiming the No. 1 spot with the Future and Thug teamup “Dum, Dumb and Dumber.” It should also be helped by sales of the set’s deluxe digital edition on Baby’s webstore available for $4.99, which boasts four new songs not currently available on DSPs, including another Future collab in “99.” (He also has a standard CD available for purchase at his webstore, along with a couple “Fan Packs” that include additional merch, offering a discount on the CD if you buy the merch along with it.)
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It should all add up to WHAM having a pretty good chance to make it big on the Billboard 200 next week. If it can claim the top spot, it would be Lil Baby’s fourth consecutive visit there this decade, after previously hitting No. 1 with 2020’s My Turn, 2021’s Lil Durk teamup The Voice of the Heroes and 2022’s It’s Only Me.
Bad Bunny, Debí Tirar Más Fotos (Rimas): Another one of the biggest stars of the early 2020s, Bad Bunny dropped his new album Debí Tirar Más Fotos (I Should Have Taken More Photos) on Sunday (Jan. 5). The 17-track LP – which contains just a handful of collaborations, and none with household-name artists – has been hailed by critics as a “homecoming” for the artist born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, who spends much of the set dabbling in genres native to his home country of Puerto Rico like salsa and plena.
Fotos has seen robust early returns on streaming, though it has yet to produce a clear breakout hit, and neither of its advance tracks (“El Clúb” or “Pitorro de Coco”) made much of an impression on the Hot 100 upon their release. The album is also currently available for physical release, with only a digital version available on his webstore and iTunes for $4.99. Its debut numbers will also certainly be dampened by the set’s Sunday release, which means it will be missing two days’ worth of consumption from its first week of tracking.
Still, Bad Bunny will always be a factor in the Billboard 200 albums race when he releases a new LP. Like Lil Baby, he has sent his last three albums this decade to No. 1 on the chart: 2020’s El Último Tour del Mundo, 2022’s Un Verano Sin Ti and 2023’s Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana.
SZA, SOS (Top Dawg/RCA): SZA’s R&B sophomore blockbuster SOS had already been a 10-week No. 1 on the Billboard 200 from late 2022 to early 2023, and one of the most acclaimed and beloved albums of the first half of the 2020s. But at the beginning of this year, SOS returned to the top of the chart, thanks to a boost provided by the release of its deluxe edition, titled LANA. The re-release featured 14 totally new cuts (as well as the previously released Hot 100 top 10 hit “Saturn”), including “30 for 30,” a collaboration with her upcoming stadium tour co-headliner Kendrick Lamar.
The set has now reigned on the Billboard 200 for the first two chart weeks of the calendar year, with six-figure units posted in each frame. Those numbers will likely slip a little in the third week of release for LANA, but considering SOS remained one of the top-streamed albums for years after its release even before she dropped the deluxe edition – it was still No. 15 on the Billboard 200 in the final chart week of 2024 – it should still be a very strong performer on the chart next week, and hardly a low bar to clear for either Baby or Bunny.
“Singer gets first national chart ink exclusively in Billboard,” read a caption on page 65 of the issue dated July 1, 2006. “Song title name-checks fellow artist.” The blurb included an arrow pointing directly to the single debuting at the No. 60 anchor spot on the Hot Country Songs chart: “Tim McGraw,” by then-16-year-old Taylor […]
Corridos singer-songwriter Netón Vega is igniting curiosity with new single “Loco.” His first venture into reggaetón, the track rallies 18-2 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart (dated Jan. 11), to become his fourth top 10 and ties his best rank. The chart blends streams, airplay and sales to rank the most popular Latin songs of the week in the U.S.
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The Mexican singer-songwriter (from La Paz, Baja California Sur) is set to release his debut album, De Mi Vida Mi Muerte, on Jan. 20 (his birthday), which will house “Loco” as its first single. The song traces its new No. 2 peak largely to 8 million official U.S. streams (up 166%) registered during the Dec. 27-Jan. 2 tracking week, according to Luminate. It unlocks Vega’s second No. 1 on Latin Streaming Songs. With the percentage increase, “Loco” also launches at No. 44 on the all-genre Streaming Songs chart and locks a No. 50 debut on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100.
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Vega, known more for corridos and penning songs for Peso Pluma and Tito Double P, has also collaborated with Natanael Cano, Gabito Ballesteros, Luis R Conriquez and other regional Mexican greats, with songs that have earned him three other top 10s on the Hot Latin Songs chart. Among them are “Si No Quieres No” with Conriquez and “La Patrulla” with Pluma; both reached a No. 2 high in June and September 2024, respectively.
In comes “Loco,” released Dec. 20 via Josa Records, for Vega’s first Hot Latin Songs top 10 of the new year and a new sound that has conquered the Latin rhythm audience. The reggaetón track has generated a combined 63,000 videos on TikTok. No video for the song has been released yet.
On a global leval, “Loco” earns Vega his highest debut on the Billboard Global 200, starting at No. 57, the Hot Shot debut of the week, with 20.3 million streams worldwide. Plus, it launches at No. 132 on the Global Excl. U.S. chart, with 12.4 million clicks outside the States.
Further, following his change of sound, Vega secures his first appearance on the Billboard Artist Hot 100. The chart measures artists’ activity across key metrics of music consumption: album sales, track sales, radio airplay and streaming. Using a methodology comprising those metrics, the chart provides a weekly multi-dimensional ranking of artist popularity.
Bad Bunny’s Second Single From New Album Debuts
Also on Hot Latin Songs, two songs from Bad Bunny’s sixth solo studio album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos, rank in the top 10.
“El Clúb” moves 10-9 with 4.6 million audience impressions and 4.5 million official U.S. streams. “Pitorro de Coco,” meanwhile, visits the chart for the first time, starting at No. 10, for Benito’s record-extending 79 career top 10s. The song registered 5.2 million official streams, suffice for a No. 9 debut on Latin Streaming Songs.
Elsewhere, “Pitorro de Coco” makes its debut across four other charts: No. 91 on Billboard Hot 100, No. 103 on Billboard Global 200, No. 135 on Global Excl. U.S. and No. 2 on Latin Digital Song Sales.
A look back at some of the most buzzworthy moments on the Billboard 200 & Hot 100 over the first 25 years of the century.
SZA’s unsinkable SOS sails to a new milestone on Billboard’s Top R&B Albums chart, reaching its 100th week at No. 1 on the list, which began in 2012. The album – far and away the record holder for the longest run atop the chart – has more than double the weeks of any other title in the top slot and has spent only eight of its first 108 weeks on the chart outside the penthouse.
SOS crosses the triple-digit mark on the chart dated Jan. 11, with 130,000 equivalent album units in the corresponding Dec. 27, 2024 to Jan. 2, 2025, tracking week, according to Luminate. While its first 98 chart-topping weeks were exclusively from its standard issue, the last two frames received a boost from the SOS Deluxe: Lana edition, which arrived Dec. 20 and added 15 new cuts to the original 22-song tracklist. (All versions of the album are combined into one entry for data tracking and chart positions.)
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With SOS’ latest achievement on Top R&B Albums, here’s a review of the projects with the most weeks at No. 1 on the 12-year-old chart:
Weeks at No. 1, Album Title, Artist, First Week at No. 1
100, SOS, SZA, Dec. 24, 2022
40, After Hours, The Weeknd, April 4, 2020
33, 24K Magic, Bruno Mars, Dec. 10, 2016
27, Planet Her, Doja Cat, July 10, 2021
25, The Highlights, The Weeknd, Feb. 20, 2021
19, Lemonade, Beyoncé, May 14, 2016
18, American Teen, Khalid, Aug. 5, 2017
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Released in December 2022, SOS was the long-awaited follow-up to SZA’s well-received 2017 full-length debut, Ctrl. The five-year wait sparked immediate fan fervor, causing SOS’ No. 1 entrances on the all-genre Billboard 200 and Top R&B Albums charts. The album quickly established dominance in the R&B sphere, spending its first 48 weeks on Top R&B Albums at No. 1 as hit singles such as “Kill Bill” and “Snooze” clocked 30 weeks and 32 weeks, respectively, atop the Hot R&B Songs chart. Thanks to its strong reception and high consumption numbers, SOS was the year-end No. 1 title on the Top R&B Albums chart for both 2023 and 2024.
While its standard edition already generated record-breaking results, the Lana deluxe addition should only expand SOS’ chart legacy. With 130,000 units in the latest tracking week, SOS pulled more than seven times the unit total of this week’s runner-up (which, by the way, is SZA’s Ctrl.) The Lana chapter could further extend well into the spring and summer, when SZA and Kendrick Lamar’s Grand National tour reaches nearly two-dozen stadiums in the U.S. and Canada.
Plus, even more music may be on the way. On Jan. 5, Terrence “Punch” Henderson Jr. — the president of SZA’s record label, Top Dawg Entertainment — posted on X, “Waiting for some clearances to clear up for the additional joints on the SOS Deluxe: LANA. Soon as that’s done it’s up!”
Taylor Swift reigns as the No. 1 artist on Billboard’s recap of the first 25 years of the 21st century, leading Billboard’s Top Artists of the 21st Century chart, based on performance on the Billboard 200 albums chart and the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart from the start of 2000 through the end of 2024.
Even with the country-turned-pop superstar not having made her Billboard chart debut until July 1, 2006, with the then-16-year-old’s co-written debut single “Tim McGraw,” Swift has rung up 14 No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 – the most among women all-time – and 12 No. 1 songs on the Hot 100.
Among other achievements, on the Hot 100 dated Nov. 5, 2022, Swift became the first artist to claim each of the chart’s top 10 positions, thanks to songs from her album Midnights. She repeated the feat – and stretched her dominance to the top 14 spots – on the May 4, 2024, survey, via tracks from her LP The Tortured Poets Department.
Meanwhile, Swift led Billboard’s year-end Top Artists charts in 2009, 2015, 2023 and 2024, becoming the first act with four annual titles (dating to the category’s 1981 inception).
Reflecting the biggest names from Y2K to today, count down the top 10 acts below on Billboard’s Top Artists of the 21st Century retrospective, and check out the entire 100-position chart in Billboard’s Greatest of All Time charts menu.
Plus, check back Thursday (Jan. 9) for Billboard’s Top Billboard 200 Albums of the 21st Century chart and Friday (Jan. 10) for Billboard’s Top Hot 100 Songs of the 21st Century chart.
Billboard’s Top Artists, Top Billboard 200 Albums and Top Hot 100 Songs of the 21st Century recaps reflect performance on weekly charts dated Jan. 1, 2000, through Dec. 28, 2024. The Top Artists category ranks the best-performing acts in that span based on activity on the Billboard 200 and Hot 100. (Titles released prior to mid-1999 are excluded, although such entries that appeared on the Billboard 200 or Hot 100 in that span contribute to the calculation of the Top Artists chart.)
Usher
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