Year-End
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Morgan Wallen claims the year-end No. 1 on 2023 Billboard 200 Albums recap with his monster hit One Thing at a Time, which spent 16 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the weekly Billboard 200. It racked up the most weeks at No. 1 for any album since Adele’s 21 tallied 24 weeks atop the list in 2011-12.
One Thing at a Time was a constant presence after its release on the Billboard 200 during the 2023 chart year (Nov. 19, 2022-Oct. 21, 2023). It debuted at No. 1 on the March 18, 2023, chart and then spent the next 31 weeks of the chart year lodged in the top five of the chart, never dipping below No. 4 in that span of time.
Explore All of Billboard’s 2023 Year-End Charts
Wallen has led the year-end Billboard 200 Albums tally twice. He first triumphed in 2021 with Dangerous: The Double Album, which finishes 2023 as the year’s No. 5 title. It ranked at No. 3 for the year in 2022. It’s the first title to spend three years, consecutive or otherwise, in the year-end Billboard 200 Albums top 10 since the soundtrack to The Sound of Music (1965-67).
As Wallen is No. 1 on the year-end Billboard 200 Albums recap in 2023 with One Thing at a Time, and he led the tally in 2021 with Dangerous: The Double Album, he’s the first artist since 2005 to be No. 1 with two different albums within three years. In 2005, 50 Cent led the year-end Billboard 200 Albums tally with The Massacre, coming hot on the heels of his 2003 win with Get Rich or Die Tryin’.
Further, with both One Thing at a Time and Dangerous: The Double Album categorized as country efforts, Wallen is the first artist to claim two year-end No. 1s on the all-genre Billboard 200 Albums recap with a country album. Before Dangerous won in 2021, the only country efforts to be the year’s top Billboard 200 album were Taylor Swift’s Fearless (2009), Carrie Underwood’s Some Hearts (2006) and Garth Brooks’ Ropin’ the Wind (1992). Country albums are defined as those that are eligible for, or have charted on, Billboard’s weekly Top Country Albums chart.
One Thing at a Time’s crossover hit single “Last Night” crowns the year-end Hot 100 Songs recap. It’s the first time that the same artist has led both the year-end Billboard 200 and Hot 100 tallies since Adele in 2011 (with 21 and “Rolling In the Deep,” respectively).
At No. 2 on the year-end 2023 Billboard 200 Albums ranking is Taylor Swift’s Midnights. The set debuted at No. 1 on the Nov. 5, 2022-dated Billboard 200 and had two weeks of activity (Nov. 5-12, 2022) during the 2022 chart year, which placed the album at No. 4 on the 2022 year-end Billboard 200 Albums ranking. During the 2023 chart year, the album racked up three more weeks at No. 1 (it had two weeks at No. 1 in the 2022 chart year) and never left the weekly top 10 during the 2023 chart year.
Swift has placed at least one title in the year-end top 10 of the Billboard 200 Albums recap in the last six consecutive years, and in 14 of the last 16 years.
At No. 3 on the year-end Billboard 200 Albums recap is SZA’s first Billboard 200 No. 1, SOS. The smash set ruled the weekly chart for 10 weeks – the most of any R&B/hip-hop album or R&B album by a woman since Mariah Carey’s self-titled debut notched 11 in 1991.
Drake and 21 Savage’s Her Loss is No. 4 on the year-end tally, while Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album is No. 5. Metro Boomin’ Heroes & Villains ranks at No. 6, Bad Bunny’s year-end 2022 winner Un Verano Sin Ti is No. 7, while Zach Bryan’s breakthrough album American Heartbreak is No. 8.
Swift’s resurgent Lover album, which was released in 2019 and debuted atop the weekly Billboard 200, closes 2023 at No. 9. (In 2019, it was No. 4 for the year.) It flourished in new popularity in 2023 following the renaissance of its single “Cruel Summer,” which was the first proper song she performed during her much buzzed-about career-spanning The Eras Tour, which played U.S. stadiums from March to August.
Travis Scott’s latest release, Utopia, rounds out the year-end 2023 Billboard 200 Albums ranking at No. 10.
Billboard’s year-end music recaps represent aggregated metrics for each artist, title, label and music contributor on the weekly charts from Nov. 19, 2022, through Oct. 21, 2023. Rankings for Luminate-based recaps reflect equivalent album units, airplay, sales or streaming during the weeks that the titles appeared on a respective chart during the tracking year. Any activity registered before or after a title’s chart run isn’t considered in these rankings. That methodology detail, and the November-October time period, account for some of the difference between these lists and the calendar-year recaps that are independently compiled by Luminate.
Zach Bryan closes out 2023 as Billboard’s Top New Artist, the same year he claimed his first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (with his self-titled set) and his first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart (“I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves). The 27-year-old singer-songwriter made a mainstream splash in […]
Taylor Swift triumphs atop Billboard’s 2023 year-end Top Artists chart, following her domination across both the Billboard 200 albums and Billboard Hot 100 songs chart this year.
Swift was previously the year-end top artist in 2015 and 2009, making her the first act to finish as the year-end No. 1 artist at least once in three different decades (the 2000s, ‘10s and ‘20s). Plus, she’s just the second act to be the year-end top artist three times, following Adele, in 2016, 2012 and 2011 (dating to the category’s 1981 inception).
Remarkably, she’s ranked among the Top Artists year-end top 10 in 14 of the last 16 years, including the last six in a row.
Explore All of Billboard’s 2023 Year-End Charts
Further demonstrating Swift’s sustained success on Billboard’s charts, the 14-year span from her first win as top artist in 2009 to her third in 2023 is the longest of any act. Previously, Swift and Usher were tied with the longest span of year-end victories, with six years between Swift’s first and second coronations as Top Artists (2009-15) and Usher’s pair of wins (1998-2004).
During the 2023 chart year, Swift logged 13 albums on the weekly Billboard 200 chart, including two that spent time at No. 1: her 2022 release Midnights and her third re-recorded album, 2023’s Speak Now (Taylor’s Version). The former finishes as the No. 2 title on the year-end Billboard 200 Albums recap. Meanwhile, her 2019 release Lover is No. 9. The latter, along with her catalog of albums, flourished in 2023 concurrent with her massive career-spanning The Eras Tour concert trek. In total on the year-end Billboard 200 Albums roundup, Swift is at Nos. 2 (Midnights), 9 (Lover), 11 (Speak Now [Taylor’s Version]), 12 (Folklore), 16 (1989), 17 (Red [Taylor’s Version]), 21 (Reputation), 29 (Evermore), 43 (Fearless [Taylor’s Version]) and 115 (Speak Now). Swift is also the year’s top finisher on the Billboard 200 Artists roundup.
On the weekly Hot 100 chart, Swift logged 44 songs during the 2023 chart year. On the year-end Hot 100 Songs ranking, she’s at Nos. 4 (“Anti-Hero”), 18 (“Cruel Summer”), 27 (“Karma,” featuring Ice Spice) and 32 (“Lavender Haze”).
Swift is the overall top female artist for a seventh year, while Morgan Wallen is the top male artist for the first time (No. 2 on the overall Top Artists list). Wallen also claims the year-end No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Albums recap with his 2023 release One Thing at a Time, which spent 16 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the weekly Billboard 200. The album’s crossover hit “Last Night” crowns the year-end Hot 100 Songs recap. It’s the first time that the same artist has led both the year-end Billboard 200 and Hot 100 tallies since Adele in 2011 (with 21 and “Rolling In the Deep,” respectively).
Wallen’s previous year-end Billboard 200 Albums champ, Dangerous: The Double Album, which topped the recap in 2021, is No. 5 on the 2023 list, after ranking at No. 3 in 2022. It’s the first title to spend three years, consecutive or otherwise, in the year-end Billboard 200 Albums top 10 since the soundtrack to The Sound of Music (1965-67).
Regional Mexican band Fuerza Regida is the top duo/group of 2023 – the first time an act that primarily records in Spanish has achieved the feat. (They are No. 38 on the overall Top Artists recap.) During the chart year, the act placed eight titles on the weekly Hot 100 and a pair of albums on the Billboard 200. Zach Bryan is the year’s top new artist (No. 6 on the overall Top Artists list), having scored his first No. 1s on both the weekly Billboard 200 (with his-self titled set) and Hot 100 (“I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves).
Billboard’s year-end music recaps represent aggregated metrics for each artist, title, label and music contributor on the weekly charts from Nov. 19, 2022, through Oct. 21, 2023. Rankings for Luminate-based recaps reflect equivalent album units, airplay, sales or streaming during the weeks that the titles appeared on a respective chart during the tracking year. Any activity registered before or after a title’s chart run isn’t considered in these rankings. That methodology detail, and the November-October time period, account for some of the difference between these lists and the calendar-year recaps that are independently compiled by Luminate. The Top Artists and Top New Artists categories ranks the best-performing overall acts, and new acts, of the year based on activity on the Billboard 200 albums and Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, as well as Billboard Boxscore (touring) data, for the 2023 tracking period.
Much has been written about Bad Bunny‘s remarkable year, but he’s not the only Latin artist who made headlines in 2022. From Karol G‘s record-setting tour to Coachella featuring the most Latin acts ever on the lineup to Daddy Yankee‘s manager going to prison, the year was chock-full of big news in Latin music. Here are the 10 stories that helped define the genre’s biggest year yet.
Year of the Bunny
With a smash-hit album and two back-to-back, record-breaking tours this year, Bad Bunny redefined success for a modern Latin artist. The Puerto Rican hitmaker had his biggest year to date, finishing out 2022 as Billboard’s top artist of the year and releasing the first all-Spanish album (Un Verano Sin Ti) to be ranked No. 1 on the Billboard 200 year-end albums chart. He also finished as the year’s top touring act — making him the first Latin act to do so — with a total gross of $373.5 million from 1.8 million tickets sold across 65 shows (the combination of El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo and World’s Hottest Tour). But the superstar wasn’t done yet, as year-end tracking ended while he was still in the middle of the Latin American leg of World’s Hottest Tour. After finally wrapping that run on Dec. 10 in Mexico City, he closed 2022 with a record-breaking $435 million in tour grosses on the Billboard Boxscore charts. Named Spotify’s most-streamed artist globally for the third consecutive year and Apple Music’s 2022 artist of the year, Bunny’s genre-hopping Un Verano Sin Ti also made history last month when it became the first Spanish-language album ever to be nominated for the Grammy Award for album of the year.
That One Time Latin Music Surpassed Country
In its first streaming week in May, Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti (which spent 13 nonconsecutive weeks atop the Billboard 200) accounted for 18% of all U.S. Latin on-demand streams, pushing the genre’s streaming market share past country for the first time ever and resulting in its highest streaming week to date with over 1.8 billion weekly ODA streams. That’s bigger than any weekly streaming total for the country genre so far, according to Luminate.
Karol G Sets New Touring Record
This year, Colombian powerhouse Karol G made touring history with her ambitious $trip Love Tour. The trek finished its run as the highest U.S.-grossing tour ever by a female Latin act, grossing $69.9 million and selling 410,000 tickets across 33 shows in North America, according to Billboard Boxscore. With $Trip Love, the “Provenza” singer surpassed the totals earned by Jennifer Lopez‘s $50 million grossing It’s My Party World Tour in 2019 and Shakira‘s 2018 El Dorado World Tour, which grossed $28.2 million. Karol’s AEG-produced arena tour followed last year’s Bichota Tour — the superstar’s first-ever headlining trek in the U.S. — which grossed $13.4 million and sold 192,000 tickets across 26 shows in North America.
Postponed Tours
Not all Latin touring efforts ended in success stories. J Balvin, Anuel AA and Ozuna postponed their 2022 tours for a multitude of reasons, from production challenges to personal matters. In April, just seven days before his CMN-produced Jose tour was set to kick off, Balvin took to social media to deliver the news of its cancellation to his millions of followers. “COVID has caused some unforeseen production challenges, and I wouldn’t be able to keep my promise of giving you the absolute best show possible, he wrote in English and Spanish. In July, Anuel announced that he was rescheduling the Las Leyendas Nunca Mueren U.S. tour — presented by CMN and slated to kick off in August — to 2023. In a statement, the Puerto Rican artist explained that he was pushing back the tour to focus on personal matters. “I’ve been thinking that I need to take some time to recharge my batteries,” he said, noting his desire to “reorganize” his personal life and career. (New dates have already been announced for next year.) On the other hand, Ozuna — who announced dates for the U.S. leg of his OzuTochi Tour in May — postponed without giving an official explanation. His and Balvin’s tours have yet to be rescheduled.
One Latin Executive Goes to Prison, Another is Due in Court in 2023
In May, Daddy Yankee and Natti Natasha’s manager Raphy Pina was sentenced to three years in prison for illegal possession of firearms. The veteran music executive and producer, who also founded Pina Records in 1996, is currently serving his time in federal prison in Florida. Also making headlines for his legal woes in 2022 was DEL Records CEO Angel del Villar, who was arrested in June for alleged shady dealings. Currently released on bond, del Villar is charged with “conspiring to violate the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act,” according to an official statement issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and “conducting business with a Guadalajara-based concert promoter with ties to Mexican drug cartels.” DEL Records is the indie regional Mexican label that’s home to the chart-topping group Eslabon Armado, who in May made history when their album Nostalgia became the first Mexican music album ever to hit the top 10 on the Billboard 200. If convicted of violating the Kingpin Act, Del Villar — whose trial is expected to begin in October 2023 in Los Angeles — could face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.
A Shakeup in Jenni Rivera’s Estate
Earlier this year, Jenni Rivera’s daughter Jacqie Rivera took over as head of her mother’s estate — replacing her aunt Rosie Rivera, who had been at the helm since the regional Mexican singer’s untimely death in December 2012. Since taking over, Jacqie tapped Izabel Nicholas as general manager for Jenni Rivera Enterprises, while Oswaldo Rossi has remained the estate’s lawyer and Entotal Agency is handling artist management. When Rivera died ten years ago, at age 43, she was the single most successful woman in regional Mexican on the Billboard charts, boasting over 26 entries on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart. Most recently, Rivera’s children (Chiquis, Jacqie, Michael, Jenicka and Johnny) released “Misión Cumplida,” a song written by their mother in 2008. The song is part of Rivera’s forthcoming album — set to be released by Sony Music U.S. Latin — that will include other unreleased songs the Rivera estate discovered after her death.
Close to That Billion-Dollar Mark
U.S. recorded music revenues were up in the first half of 2022, according to the RIAA, growing 9% in the first six months of the year — but Latin music far surpassed that percentage increase, with revenue growing 23% in the first half of the year for a total of $510 million. Latin music is now on course to generate over $1 billion in the U.S. by year’s end. According to the RIAA’s Latin-specific report, shared exclusively with Billboard Español, music streaming formats were the “fundamental growth driver,” comprising a staggering 97% of total Latin music revenues. Among total streaming revenues, paid subscriptions comprised the biggest source of sales at 71% — accounting for 69% of overall Latin revenues at $350 million.
A Very Latin Coachella
From Karol G to Anitta to Nathy Peluso to Grupo Firme, Latin artists took over Coachella this year. The 2022 edition of the festival — which returned to Indio, Calif. in April after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic — doubled the number of Latin acts from the 2020 roster with more than 20 multi-genre Latin artists. The move reflected the overall demand for Latin artists and the success Latin acts enjoyed once live events resumed. According to data from concert discovery app Bandsintown, between Jan. 2019 and Jan. 2022, the interest of live music fans in the top 16 Latin artists on Coachella’s 2022 lineup grew by 533% on the platform. This included Grupo Firme, who alone saw a 5,294% growth in fan interest on Bandsintown during that timeframe. This year, Firme made history by becoming the first banda to ever perform at Coachella, while Anitta became the first Brazilian to perform a set on the fest’s main stage.
Latin Goes Global
Latin music had a banner year not only in the U.S. but in other markets including Europe, where Latin acts are finally seeing a breakthrough. Artists such as Bad Bunny, Karol G, Rosalía, Maluma, Anitta and Camilo are spearheading the globalization of Latin music on the continent, making inroads in a market that was slow to latch on to the genre just a few years ago. Global touring powerhouse Rosalía has earned $28.1 million (so far) and sold 343,000 tickets across three continents on her Motomami world tour, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, landing her at No. 7 on the year-end Top Latin Tours chart. Also going global was Mexican crooner Marco Antonio Solís, who toured Europe for the first time, holding shows in Paris, Madrid and London as part of his Que Ganas De Verte world tour. Additionally, Camilo had a historic and record-breaking performance in front of the iconic Puerta de Alcalá in Madrid in September, drawing a crowd of more than 80,000 fans.
‘90s Nostalgia
Last year, Los Bukis reunited after 25 years to embark on their historic Una Historia Cantada stadium tour, presented by Live Nation — ultimately landing the group at No. 6 on Billboard’s Top Tours of 2021 with a total gross of $49,667,153. In 2022, they returned with a second leg of the tour, during which they played two back-to-back shows at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum. At that venue, the group gathered 100,000 fans over two nights, breaking their previous record at the venue set in 1995. The success of the Los Bukis reunion started something of a nostalgia-driven movement in Latin music this year. This trend included the inaugural Bésame Mucho festival, which took place at Dodger Stadium on Dec. 3 with a ’90s-’00s-inspired lineup of pop, regional Mexican, merengue, cumbia and rock-en-español artists — and sold out in just 12 minutes. This coming February, a ’90s Latin pop concert featuring Magneto, Kabah, Caló, Sentidos Opuestos and more is slated to take place at Los Angeles’ YouTube Theater.
Looking back at the fast-paced year that was 2022, R&B/hip-hop experienced its share of wins from a successful post-pandemic touring season starring The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige to Rihanna’s long-awaited return with new music and the Super Bowl LVII halftime gig. But also sharing headline space were high-profile court cases involving Young Thug and others plus the loss of more young rappers to violence. Here are 10 business stories and trends that resonated during the genres’ tumultuous year.
Building Equity in the Live Music Industry
Moving forward on its mission two years ago to bring more diversity and equity to the live music industry, the Black Promoters Collective finished at No. 13 on Boxscore’s year-end list of top 25 promoters — headed by Live Nation — with a total gross of $100.7 million. The eight-member collective also scored three tours in the top 100 year-end tally: New Edition’s 30-city The Culture Tour with Charlie Wilson and Jodeci (No. 52), Mary J. Blige’s 23-city Good Morning Gorgeous fall outing featuring Ella Mai and Queen Naija (No. 54) and Maxwell’s 25-city The Night Tour with Anthony Hamilton and Joe (No. 86). Among Boxscore’s top 10 tally of R&B/hip-hop tours, New Edition placed sixth grossing $37.7 million and Blige claimed seventh place with $37.2 million. Holding down No. 1 on the list was The Weeknd (gross not revealed), followed by Kendrick Lamar in second place ($70.4 million) and Post Malone in third ($53.5 million). Calling 2022 a banner year for the BPC, CEO Gary Guidry notes, “We’ve only just begun.” Adds CMO Troy Brown, “There needs to be a home for voices of color, owned by voices of color, led by voices of color, steeped in the culture with a keen understanding of creativity, programming, data, insights and innovation.”
Young Thug, Gunna Indicted on RICO Charges
Atlanta rappers Young Thug and Gunna were among 28 people indicted on May 9 in Georgia on conspiracy to violate the state’s RICO act and street gang charges. According to the indictment, Young Thug is allegedly one of three founders of the Young Slime Life, “a criminal street gang that started in late 2012” with ties to the national Bloods gang. Charges against him, Gunna and other alleged gang members include “preserving, protecting and enhancing the reputation, power and territory of the enterprise through acts of racketeering activity including murder, assault and threats of violence.” Strongly refuting the charges, both rappers have been jailed since May after being denied bond multiple times. In November, a Georgia judge rejected prosecutors’ request for a three-month trial delay until March 27, 2023. Jury selection is set for Jan. 5 with the trial to commence on Jan. 9.
In the latest update: Gunna was released from jail on Dec. 14 after pleading guilty to a single charge against him and was given a time-served, suspended sentence. In a statement released by his lawyers, Gunna said he took the plea deal to “end my personal ordeal.” He also stated, “I want to make it perfectly clear that I have NOT made any statements, have NOT been interviewed, have NOT cooperated, have NOT agreed to testify or be a witness for or against any party in the case and have absolutely NO intention of being involved in the trial process in any way.”
California Legislates Rap Lyrics Bill
In September, California became the first state in the nation to sign a rap lyrics bill into law. The Decriminalizing Artistic Expression Act will restrict when prosecutors can cite rap lyrics as criminal evidence against the artists who wrote them. California’s enactment comes after years of criticism over the practice of citing rap lyrics in court cases, opening the door to unfair racial bias. New York lawmakers came close to passing similar legislation (Senate Bill S7527 or “Rap Music on Trial”) earlier this year and plan to revisit those efforts when they reconvene in January. Democrats also introduced a federal version in the U.S. House of Representatives. The push for state and federal legislation has been fueled by the upcoming trial against Young Thug and Gunna, whose indictments heavily quote from their lyrics. Among artists supporting the need for a rap lyrics bill are Jay-Z, Meek Mill and Killer Mike. 300 Entertainment chairman/CEO Kevin Liles — whose company houses Young Thug’s Young Stoner Life Records imprint — and Atlantic Music Group chairman/CEO Julie Greenwald also launched a Change.org petition, “Rap Music on Trial: A Petition to Protect Black Art.” In their petition, which currently numbers more than 67,500 signatures, the two executives urged signees “to step up, support these efforts, and get this [New York] bill across the finish line.”
Rihanna Returns
Fans may still be awaiting Rihanna’s hotly anticipated next album. But in the meantime, they received a welcome one-two punch. First, when the new mom and Savage X Fenty chief posted a photo of herself holding an NFL-branded football on Instagram to confirm that she’ll be headlining the 2023 Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show on Feb. 12, 2023. And second, when the Grammy-winning artist released her first new single in more than five years: “Lift Me Up” from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. Debuting as her eighth No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart — and No. 2 on the Hot 100 — “Lift Me Up” is a newly minted Golden Globes nominee for best original song, motion picture.
Brent Faiyaz, Indie Disruptor
Repping for R&B’s vibrant independent scene, singer-songwriter Brent Faiyaz went head-to-head against Bad Bunny in July — and bowed at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with his debut album Wasteland, accumulating 88,000 album-equivalent units. Released on Faiyaz’s Lost Kids label with distribution through indies Stem and Venice, Wasteland features the single “All Mine” which reached No. 4 on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. He’s managed by Colture (an acronym for Can Our Leverage Teach Us Real Equity), co-founded by Ty Baisden and Jayne Andrew. “Being able to really do things that even major-label artists haven’t been able to accomplish from an independent perspective is important,” Baisden noted in Billboard’s 2022 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players issue. Added fellow power honoree Andrew, “Colture is for the alternative thinker. We don’t do things the normal way because we aren’t normal, and we like that.”
Changing Lanes
Hip-hop also witnessed some high-profile signings in 2022. Youngboy Never Broke Again signed with Motown (whose chairman/CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam recently announced her impending exit) while Kodak Black (“Super Gremlin”) is headed to Capitol. Youngboy’s move came a year after he entered into a joint venture between his Never Broke Again collective and Motown; his first album for the legendary label is due in 2023. Youngboy and Black were labelmates at Atlantic. Billboard reported in October that Black still had two releases left under his Atlantic agreement, the first of which was the Oct. 28 compilation Kutthroat Bill: Vol 1. It debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200. Meek Mill also exited Atlantic earlier this year and is now an indie artist on his Dream Chaser Records.
Kanye West Officially Loses Billionaire Status
2022 was a turbulent one for Ye. His egregious antisemitic comments from October’s Drink Champs interview resulted in Adidas and Gap terminating their partnerships with the controversial rapper. According to Forbes, those losses shrank Ye’s bank accounts, officially disqualifying his billionaire status. Along with being dropped by Adidas and Gap, Balenciaga and Vogue magazine curtailed their relationships with Ye following the interview. His divorce from Kim Kardashian was finalized in November, with court documents detailing that the former couple will share physical and joint custody of their four children and that Ye must pay $200,000 monthly in child support.
Verzuz Vs. Triller
After making news a year earlier via its March 2021 partnership with Triller — under which they allocated a portion of their equity in the new entity to 43 artists who initially performed on the platform — Verzuz co-founders Swizz Beatz and Timbaland appointed Steve Pamon, former president/COO of Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s Parkwood Entertainment, as president. His purview includes overseeing production and logistical operations for the livestream series. Several months later, Beatz and Timbaland sued Triller, alleging that the latter still owed them $28 million from the 2021 sale. Triller countered saying the pair had already been paid “over $50 million in cash and stock to-date” and that the company believed the pair had not yet met certain required thresholds for further payments. The lawsuit was settled amicably in September with no further details revealed.
More Rappers Lost to Gun Violence
Continuing a sad — and preventable — trend, this year witnessed the untimely deaths of several more young rappers owing to gun violence. Among those lost: Migos founding member Takeoff, PnB Rock and Young Dolph. In an article titled “Hip-Hop Needs an Intervention” for The Atlantic, northern California rap pioneers Too $hort and E-40 said, “We just need to find better ways to support each other. This is our generation’s responsibility as much as it is for the young MCs … We have to turn the corner.”
Megan Thee Stallion, Tory Lanez Case Goes to Trial
Two years have elapsed since Tory Lanez was accused of shooting Grammy-winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion in the foot on July 12, 2020. Now, as the year winds down, the closely watched trial finally got underway with opening statements in a Los Angeles court on Dec. 12. On the second day of the trial (Dec. 13), an emotional Megan took the witness stand before a packed gallery that included Desiree Perez, CEO of Megan’s management company Roc Nation, activist Tamika Mallory, Lanez and his family. Noted a tearful Stallion at one point, “I wish he had just shot and killed me.” On days three and four, Megan’s former friend and assistant Kelsey Harris offered conflicting testimony about the incident. The trial is expected to last eight business days, with a verdict due around Dec. 21.
From Bad Bunny to “Bad Habit,” “Heat Waves” to “Cold Heart,” and Adele to Bailey Zimmerman, 2022 boasted impressive chart feats throughout the year.
Among achievements between January and December, Bad Bunny broke ground as the first artist to have notched two entirely non-English-language No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, Taylor Swift dominated the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 in a single week, thanks to hits from her Midnights album, and Mariah Carey extended the Hot 100 legacy of her festive favorite “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
Ahead of more history coming in the new year, here’s a chronological recap of 22 of the biggest Billboard chart accolades in 2022.
Christian music in 2022 showed off its welcoming aspect to diversity with multiple women leading the charts and offering many collaborations between Christian and gospel artists.
The Top Christian Artist of 2022 is Kanye West, who concurrently reigns as the top male artist of the year. It marks two years straight that West leads both categories. His Donda album is No. 1 on the year-end Top Christian Albums tally for a second year in a row.
The hip-hop superstar is also the Top Gospel Artist of 2022. West wins the day on the strength and longevity of his second faith-based album, Donda, which is No. 1 on the Top Gospel Albums recap for a second year running.
Billboard’s year-end music recaps represent aggregated metrics for each artist, title, label and music contributor on the weekly charts dated Nov. 20, 2021 through Nov. 12, 2022. The rankings for Luminate-based recaps reflect equivalent album units, airplay, sales or streaming during the weeks that the titles appeared on a respective chart during the tracking year. Any activity registered before or after a title’s chart run isn’t considered in these rankings. That methodology details, and the November-November time period, account for some of the difference between these lists and the calendar-year recaps that are independently compiled by Luminate.
Explore All of Billboard’s 2022 Year-End Charts
Let Us Recap: On the Billboard charts in September 2021 Donda debuted atop the all-genre Billboard 200 with 309,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. according to Luminate. It marked West’s 10th Billboard 200 leader. It simultaneously hit No. 1 on the Top Christian Albums and Top Gospel Albums charts.
Donda followed West’s first spiritual LP, 2019’s Jesus Is King, which was his ninth No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Donda has spent all of 2022 at Nos. 1 or 2 on Top Christian Albums.
Plus, the year’s rundown of the top tracks on the streaming-, airplay and sales based Hot Christian Songs ranking includes two songs by West inside the top 5.
“Praise God,” which dominated the survey for seven weeks starting last December is at No. 2 and “Hurricane,” which ruled for 12 weeks beginning in September 2021 is the No. 4 title on the year-end list.
West was not absent from the weekly Christian charts in 2022. His featured role on DJ Khaled’s “Use This Gospel (Remix),” which also featured Eminem, arrived at the Hot Christian Songs apex in September, awarding West with his fifth leader and the first for Khaled and Eminem.
The top female Christian artist for 2022 is Katy Nichole, who records for the Franklin, Tenn.-based Centricity Music. Nichole is also Billboard’s Top New Christian artist.
The 22-year-old singer-songwriter from Mesa, Ariz. owns the No. 1 Hot Christian Songs title of the year with her launch single “In Jesus Name (God of Possible).” The song concurrently leads the Christian Airplay Songs year-end ranking. Nichole co-wrote “Name,” with Ethan Hulse, David Spencer and Jeff Pardo, the latter of whom also produced it solo.
“I’m blown away and so incredibly honored,” Nichole tells Billboard. “It is such a gift to be able to use music to bring the love of Jesus to so many. I’m beyond grateful for everything that God has done in this past year and for the impact of the songs and stories I’ve shared.”
Plus, Nichole is one of the first successful Christian artists to come from social media. She currently boasts over 450,000 TikTok followers and before she was signed to Centricity she first gained traction by posting videos on TikTok as well as Instagram.
“Name” led the weekly Hot Christian Songs chart for 20 weeks and Christian Airplay for nine frames. Her sophomore hit “God is In This Story” reigned the lists for three and two weeks respectively.
A full studio album from Nichole is expected in early 2023.
Meanwhile, for King & Country is crowned as Billboard’s top Christian duo/group of 2022. The sibling duo comprised of Luke and Joel Smallbone ranks second among all Christian acts.
“For God Is With Us,” which became the pair’s second of two No. 1s on Hot Christian Songs, is the No. 5 top song of the year. It led for one week on the Aug. 6 dated chart and for three frames on Christian Airplay beginning in July.
The pair’s first Hot Country Songs leader, “Relate” which dominated Hot Christian Songs for three weeks in February finishes as No. 11 on the year-end tally.
“Relate” also led Christian Airplay for three frames starting February 12.
In July “For God Is With Us” topped the survey for its first of three frames and gave the duo its 11th No. 1.
The act also extended its record streak to eight consecutive Christian Airplay leaders (encompassing songs in lead roles promoted as proper, non-holiday radio singles, unless seasonal songs contribute to that run).
The duo began its run of eight straight No. 1s on the Aug. 18 dated tally when “joy.” commenced a four-week domination.
Billboard’s Top Gospel Artist of 2022 is Kanye West, who concurrently reigns as the top male artist of the year. West repeats, marking two years straight that he leads both categories.
The multi-genre superstar is simultaneously the Top Christian Artist of 2022. West reigns again mostly due to the staying power of his second faith-based album, Donda, which is No. 1 on the year-end Top Gospel Albums list.
Billboard’s year-end music recaps represent aggregated metrics for each artist, title, label and music contributor on the weekly charts dated Nov. 20, 2021 through Nov. 12, 2022. The rankings for Luminate-based recaps reflect equivalent album units, airplay, sales or streaming during the weeks that the titles appeared on a respective chart during the tracking year. Any activity registered before or after a title’s chart run isn’t considered in these rankings. That methodology details, and the November-November time period, account for some of the difference between these lists and the calendar-year recaps that are independently compiled by Luminate.
Explore All of Billboard’s 2022 Year-End Charts
On the Billboard charts dated Sept. 11, 2021, Donda started with a splash. It debuted in the penthouse on the all-genre weekly Billboard 200 plus Top Gospel Albums and Top Christian Albums with 309,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S., according to Luminate.
It marked West’s 10th Billboard 200 leader and his second No. 1 on Top Gospel Albums (as well as Top Christian Album).
Donda followed his first spiritual LP, Jesus is King, which crowned both lists as well as the Billboard 200. King started with 264,000 weekly units in November 2019, which was a record at the time on the two faith-based tallies.
On the weekly Top Gospel Albums chart, Donda has held the summit every week during 2022. Donda is second to only Jesus is King on the list for the longest reigning titles in the history of Top Gospel Albums which started in 1983. Both sets are north of 65 frames each.
As for the top albums of 2022 Donda is No. 1 while Jesus is King ranks at No. 5.
Plus, West holds the Nos. 1 and 2 positions of the year on the year-end streaming-, airplay and sales based Hot Gospel Songs tally with “Praise God” at No. 1 and “Hurricane” at No. 2.
The top female gospel artist of the year is CeCe Winans, who is No. 4 among all acts. Winans was also the leading woman of 2021.
Winans’ LP Believe For It: A Live Worship is No. 3 on the Top Gospel Albums’ year-end tally. The set entered at No. 1 in March 2021 becoming her ninth No. 1. It ruled for seven weeks and has spent all of 2022 in the top 10.
The LP’s title track is the No. 8 song of 2022 on Hot Gospel Songs.
“Believe” dominated the weekly version of the multi-metric ranking for 12 weeks beginning in June and led Gospel Airplay for two frames starting on Jan. 29.
Winans’ “Goodness of God,” is the No. 2 track of 2022 on Gospel Digital Song Sales. The song rang up 13 weeks atop the list after it reached the penthouse in February, giving Winans her third leader.
“Goodness” reached No. 6 on Hot Gospel Songs in October, her fifth top 10.
Billboard’s top duo/group of 2022 and No. 2 among all acts is the Atlanta-based worship collective Maverick City Music.
Old Church Basement, the collaborative project with popular Christian act Elevation Worship, ranks as the Top Gospel Albums No. 2 LP of 2022. Basement, which opened at No. 1 on Top Gospel Albums in May 2021 with 19,000 units, has been in the top 3 for the entirety of 2022.
Maverick City Music posts two of its songs inside the top 5 on Hot Gospel Songs’ top tracks of 2022: “Promises,” featuring Joe L. Barnes and Naomi Raine is at No. 3, and “Jireh,” a collaboration between Maverick City Music and Elevation Worship is the No. 4 title for 2022.
“Jireh” also crowns the year-end ranking on Gospel Digital Song Sales.
Gospel music’s top new act of 2022 is E. Dewey Smith, whose rookie single, “Your Presence Is a Gift,” topped Gospel Airplay on the survey dated April 30. It peaked at No. 18 on Hot Gospel Songs.
Smith is based in Macon, Ga., and serves as the senior pastor and teacher at The House of Hope church in Atlanta.
Smith also released the holiday-themed album Let Praises Ring which arrived and peaked at No. 7 on Top Gospel Albums last December.
Drake reigns as Billboard‘s Top Dance/Electronic Artist for the first time in 2022, thanks to the success of his underground house-focused album Honestly, Nevermind. The set also finishes as the year’s Top Dance/Electronic Album.
With just the singular performance of Honestly, Nevermind, Drake edges out Lady Gaga as the Top Dance/Electronic Albums Artist, who closes the year at No. 2 off the strength of her five charting albums during the chart year. Gaga is also No. 2 on the overall Top Dance/Electronic Artists list, after ending 2020 and 2021 at No. 1.
Explore All of Billboard’s 2022 Year-End Charts
Honestly debuted at No. 1 on the July 2-dated weekly edition of the Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart, amassing 19 weeks at No. 1 in the chart year. Drake sat at the summit every week since except one, when Madonna bowed at No. 1 with her career-spanning remix collection Finally Enough Love on September 3. Drake’s 19 weeks at the top were second only to Lady Gaga’s 25 with The Fame: no other album totaled more than one frame at No. 1 in the 2022 chart year.
Drake also completes 2022 at No. 3 on the multi-metric Hot Dance/Electronic Songs Artists chart, with 10 Honestly tracks, the most of all acts, finishing the year in the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs top 50, led by “Massive” at No. 11. “Falling Back,” which became Drake’s first Hot Dance/Electronic Songs No. 1 (July 2), comes in at No. 15 on the year-end list. The album spawned six additional top 10s (eight in total) during the year, with year-end finishes as follows: “Texts Go Green” (No. 17), “A Keeper” (No. 18), “Calling My Name” (No. 19), “Currents” (No. 22), “Flight’s Booked” (No. 23) and “Overdrive” (No. 40).
Billboard’s year-end music recaps represent aggregated metrics for each artist, title, label and music contributor on the weekly charts dated Nov. 20, 2021 through Nov. 12, 2022. The rankings for Luminate-based recaps reflect equivalent album units, airplay, sales or streaming during the weeks that the titles appeared on a respective chart during the tracking year. Any activity registered before or after a title’s chart run isn’t considered in these rankings. That methodology details, and the November-November time period, account for some of the difference between these lists and the calendar-year recaps that are independently compiled by Luminate.
Speaking of the year-end Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, Elton John and Dua Lipa hold the No. 1 spot with “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix).” The inventive pop/dance remixed track, which references John classics “Rocket Man” and “Sacrifice,” spent 32 weeks at No. 1 on the weekly chart during the year, almost three times as many as any other song (Beyonce’s Grammy-nominated “Break My Soul” was next, with 11 weeks at No. 1; more on her below).
“Heart” first hit No. 1 on October 23, 2021, compiling four frames at No. 1 prior to the chart year; its 36 total weeks at No. 1 are second only to the 69 chart-topping weeks achieved in 2018-20 by Marshmello and Bastille’s “Happier” since the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart’s January 2013 inception.
Elton John also ends the year as the No. 1 Hot Dance/Electronic Songs Artist. He was the only artist to register more than one leader on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart in 2022, as in September he teamed with Britney Spears to follow “Heart” with “Hold Me Closer,” which also referenced John’s hits, including “Tiny Dancer,” “The One” and “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.” John is also the only act with more than one song in the year-end Hot Dance/Electronic Songs top 10, with “Closer” coming in at No. 9.
“Heart” also ends 2022 at No. 1 on the Dance/Electronic Streaming Songs and Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales charts, earning 32 weeks apiece at No. 1 during the year on both lists; the longest span of any song. Plus, John completes 2022 at No. 1 on the Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales Artists chart, while Drake takes No. 1 honors on Dance/Electronic Streaming Songs Artists.
Circling back to Beyoncé, she finishes 2022 as the No. 2 Hot Dance/Electronic Songs Artist, with her Renaissance album leading to her first four Hot Dance/Electronic Songs top 10s, including the aforementioned “Break My Soul,” “Summer Renaissance,” “Pure/Honey” and “Thique.” “Break,” with its interpolation of Robin S.’s “Show Me Love,” ends at No. 2 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs year-end list, as it earned top 10 finishes on Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales (No. 2), Dance/Electronic Streaming Songs (No. 4) and Dance/Mix Show Airplay (No. 8).
David Guetta, who was the No. 1 Top Dance/Electronic Artist of 2015, had another banner year in 2022, this time finishing at No. 6 on the list. Guetta earned 16 chart entries on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs in 2022, the most of all acts (his 72 charted titles in the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart’s history leads all acts too). His collaboration with Bebe Rexha, “I’m Good (Blue),” became Guetta’s second career leader in October, spending seven weeks at No. 1 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (a total which continues to increase at press time); besides “Heart” and “Break,” “Good” was the only song to spend multiple frames at No. 1 in 2022.
The Grammy-nominated “Good,” based upon an interpolation of Eiffel 65’s 2000 Eurodance smash “Blue (Da Ba Dee),” grabs the No. 6 spot on the year-end Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart. It was also No. 4 for 2022 on the Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales list, with Guetta also garnering a No. 4 finish on the Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales Artists chart.
Shifting gears, Acraze is the No. 1 Top Dance/Electronic New Artist, with his breakthrough hit, “Do It To It,” featuring Cherish, securing top 10 finishes on both the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (No. 6) and Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales (No. 7) tallies. “Do It” did it at No. 3 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs for 12 weeks, from December-March, and the track even crossed to the Billboard Hot 100, darting as high as No. 65 in January.
Kordhell comes in second on the Top Dance/Electronic New Artist list, as his viral hit “Murder In My Mind” made it to No. 7 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs in October. Another viral act, Dxrk, ranked third on the Top Dance/Electronic New Artist tally, with his “Rave” reaching No. 9 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs in May.
Sickick was fourth on the Top Dance/Electronic New Artist list, thanks to two viral tracks: “I Can Feel It” (which mashes up Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight” and Michael Jackson’s “Remember The Time”) and “Frozen,” Madonna’s 1998 Ray of Light electronic ballad which began as a remix and became a collaboration with Madonna, Fireboy DML and 070 Shake.
Meanwhile, Doja Cat clawed her way to No. 1 on the Dance/Mix Show Airplay Artist listing, with six titles hitting the chart during the year (only second to Guetta’s seven), including top 10s “Get Into It (Yuh)” and “Vegas.” Consistency and longevity was Doja’s strategy, as all six of her songs peaked between Nos. 10 and 12, with three logging 20 weeks or more on the chart.
Harry Styles shined bright as the No. 2 Dance/Mix Show Airplay Artist, with his “As It Was” ending as the No. 1 Dance/Mix Show Airplay Song. Next on that year-end list, at No. 2, is Kx5’s first offering, “Escape,” featuring Hayla. “Escape” spent eight weeks at No. 1 from April-June; only “Cold Heart” reigned for longer. Kx5, the team of Deadmau5 and Kaskade (new as an entity in 2022), also finishes at No. 5 on the Top Dance/Electronic New Artist list.
When Bad Bunny appeared at No. 24 on 2021’s year-end Streaming Songs Artists chart, he found himself in a fairly elite group of acts who primarily record within Latin genres and in the Spanish language to make the annual list. What was more: he did so by virtue of multiple entries on the weekly Streaming Songs ranking. His predecessors, Luis Fonsi (No. 19, 2017) and Daddy Yankee (No. 25, 2017), made that year’s rundown solely on the strength of the Justin Bieber-featuring global phenomenon “Despacito,” also that year’s top-streamed song. Conversely, Bad Bunny’s 2021 included a slew of entries, including a pair of No. 2-peaking songs on the weekly survey (“Dakiti,” alongside Jhay Cortez, in November 2020 and “Yonaguni” in June 2021).
But the artist born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio leveled up in 2022 with May’s Un Verano Sin Ti. The streaming juggernaut of an album – by way of the streaming popularity of its songs –lands him at No. 1 on 2022’s Streaming Songs Artists chart.
In doing so, Bad Bunny becomes the first artist who records primarily in a language other than English to rule the year-end ranking, besting the likes of Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Morgan Wallen and Drake at Nos. 2-5, respectively. (The annual year-end Streaming Songs Artist recap began in 2013.)
Explore All of Billboard’s 2022 Year-End Charts
2022 saw Bad Bunny land his first weekly Streaming Songs No. 1, the two-week ruler “Me Porto Bonito” with Chencho Corleone. Exemplifying the long-tail virality of Un Verano, the song didn’t even hit No. 1 until its 10th week on the ranking and was still in the top five well into October.
Billboard’s year-end music recaps represent aggregated metrics for each artist, title, label and music contributor on the weekly charts dated Nov. 20, 2021 through Nov. 12, 2022. The rankings for Luminate-based recaps reflect equivalent album units, airplay, sales or streaming during the weeks that the titles appeared on a respective chart during the tracking year. Any activity registered before or after a title’s chart run isn’t considered in these rankings. That methodology details, and the November-November time period, account for some of the difference between these lists and the calendar-year recaps that are independently compiled by Luminate.
Six songs from the album debuted within the top 10 upon release week (May 21, 2022), too, with “Titi Me Pregunto” (No. 4) remaining in the top five or 10 through October, too.
In 2021, two Bad Bunny songs – “Dakiti” (No. 13) and “Yonaguni” (No. 62) – appeared on the year-end Streaming Songs ranking. 2022 finds him with eight, including his first top 10s: “Bonito” (No. 5) and “Pregunto” (No. 6).
The year, however, wasn’t all about Bad Bunny on streaming services – no matter what it may have felt like at times. After falling off Streaming Songs Artists entirely in 2021, Taylor Swift roars back with a vengeance at No. 2, her first time in the top 10 since she was No. 4 in 2015 and her highest year-end rank since it began being tabulated.
Chalk that one up to two different albums in the tracking period – one with fully new material, the other rerecorded. Her Red (Taylor’s Version), released in November 2021, boasted a weekly No. 1 in “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” and a collection of top 10s, while the release of November 2022’s Midnights marked the second time ever that an act occupied the entire top 10 of Streaming Songs in a single week, paced by “Anti-Hero.”
The sheer volume of Swift material to make the chart throughout 2022 is so staggering, in fact, that on the year-end song ranking, she appears just once – at No. 66 – with “All Too Well.”
An artist like Glass Animals took a separate approach. “Heat Waves” ranks as the No. 1 entry on the year-end Streaming Songs tally, while the band appears at No. 10 on the artists ranking, all by virtue of just one charting song on the weekly survey.
Originally released in 2020, “Heat Waves” first made the weekly Streaming Songs in April 2021 and had broken into the top 10 by the end of the 2021 chart year. The song never actually rose higher than No. 3, but it spent the entirety of the weeks Jan. 29-May 7, 2022 anywhere between Nos. 3 and 8, and largely in the top 20 after that. Basically, the song – which now holds the record for the most weeks spent on the Billboard Hot 100 in its history (91) – refused to go away, and even when it felt like it wasn’t everywhere anymore, it was still in the periphery.
“Heat Waves” becomes the second song in a row to reign over the year-end Streaming Songs chart despite having not been released in that chart year, following Dua Lipa’s “Levitating,” which ruled in 2021 after premiering in March 2020. The similarities don’t stop there, either – guess where “Levitating” peaked on the weekly Streaming Songs? That’s right, No. 3. Steady wins the game.
Harry Styles appears at No. 3 on the year-end Streaming Songs Artists survey after never ranking higher than No. 15 (2020). His 2022 finish was buoyed by two-week No. 1 “As It Was,” the year’s overall No. 2 (and, due to “Heat Waves,” the highest-ranking song actually released in 2022).
He’s followed by Morgan Wallen, who backs up being No. 11 in 2021 by rising to No. 4 on the Streaming Songs Artists roundup. All that despite not releasing an album in the tracking year; many of the country star’s streams came from 2021’s Dangerous: The Double Album, plus a trio of newly released singles and a featured role on Lil Durk’s “Broadway Girls.”
Wallen is the first act releasing music primarily in the country genre to appear in the ranking’s year-end top 10, let alone top five. And he paces a slew of artists from the genre who make the 25-position list; he’s followed by newcomer Bailey Zimmerman (No. 16), veteran Chris Stapleton (No. 22) and newer-guard acts Walker Hayes, Zach Bryan and Luke Combs at Nos. 23-25, respectively. Last year? It was just Wallen and Combs.
2022 also marks the return of Disney film franchises to the year-end chart, particularly its top 10. Encanto’s “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” a 13-week No. 1 at the start of the year, ends up at No. 7 on the Streaming Songs tally, following in the footsteps of Idina Menzel’s “Let It Go” from 2013’s Frozen, the No. 5 on the year-end 2014 list.