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Top Songs by Year, 1960 to 2025
The biggest songs of every year since 1960: each year's Billboard number ones and year-end hits, with a ready-to-burn mixtape of the year.
Pick a year to see every song that reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 that year, the year's biggest hits, and an 80-minute mix of the year sequenced to fit one CD.
A year makes a good theme for a mixtape: the year someone was born, graduated, got married or met. To find the exact song at number one on a birthday, use the birthday number one finder.
Chart data: Billboard Hot 100, as compiled on Wikipedia. Each year links its own sources.
The 1960s
Popular music in the 1960s moved from teen idols, girl groups and dance crazes to the British Invasion, Motown and folk rock. From 1960 to 1969, 203 songs reached number one on the Hot 100.
- 1960Year-end No. 1: “Theme from A Summer Place”, Percy Faith19 new number ones
- 1961Year-end No. 1: “Tossin' and Turnin'”, Bobby Lewis21 new number ones
- 1962Year-end No. 1: “Stranger on the Shore”, Acker Bilk19 new number ones
- 1963Year-end No. 1: “Surfin' U.S.A.”, The Beach Boys20 new number ones
- 1964Year-end No. 1: “I Want to Hold Your Hand”, The Beatles23 new number ones
- 1965Year-end No. 1: “Wooly Bully”, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs25 new number ones
- 1966Year-end No. 1: “California Dreamin'”, The Mamas & the Papas27 new number ones
- 1967Year-end No. 1: “To Sir With Love”, Lulu18 new number ones
- 1968Year-end No. 1: “Hey Jude”, The Beatles15 new number ones
- 1969Year-end No. 1: “Sugar, Sugar”, The Archies16 new number ones
The 1970s
Popular music in the 1970s ran from singer-songwriters and soft rock to soul, funk and, by the end of the decade, disco. From 1970 to 1979, 253 songs reached number one on the Hot 100.
- 1970Year-end No. 1: “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, Simon & Garfunkel21 new number ones
- 1971Year-end No. 1: “Joy to the World”, Three Dog Night18 new number ones
- 1972Year-end No. 1: “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”, Roberta Flack21 new number ones
- 1973Year-end No. 1: “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree”, Tony Orlando and Dawn27 new number ones
- 1974Year-end No. 1: “The Way We Were”, Barbra Streisand35 new number ones
- 1975Year-end No. 1: “Love Will Keep Us Together”, Captain & Tennille35 new number ones
- 1976Year-end No. 1: “Silly Love Songs”, Wings26 new number ones
- 1977Year-end No. 1: “Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)”, Rod Stewart28 new number ones
- 1978Year-end No. 1: “Shadow Dancing”, Andy Gibb19 new number ones
- 1979Year-end No. 1: “My Sharona”, The Knack23 new number ones
The 1980s
Popular music in the 1980s was led by pop stars built for music video, with synth-pop, arena rock, dance-pop and big ballads sharing the top of the chart. From 1980 to 1989, 231 songs reached number one on the Hot 100.
- 1980Year-end No. 1: “Call Me”, Blondie16 new number ones
- 1981Year-end No. 1: “Bette Davis Eyes”, Kim Carnes16 new number ones
- 1982Year-end No. 1: “Physical”, Olivia Newton-John15 new number ones
- 1983Year-end No. 1: “Every Breath You Take”, The Police16 new number ones
- 1984Year-end No. 1: “When Doves Cry”, Prince19 new number ones
- 1985Year-end No. 1: “Careless Whisper”, George Michael26 new number ones
- 1986Year-end No. 1: “That's What Friends Are For”, Dionne and Friends (Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Elton John and Stevie Wonder)30 new number ones
- 1987Year-end No. 1: “Walk Like An Egyptian”, The Bangles29 new number ones
- 1988Year-end No. 1: “Faith”, George Michael32 new number ones
- 1989Year-end No. 1: “Look Away”, Chicago32 new number ones
The 1990s
Popular music in the 1990s was shaped by R&B, hip-hop, pop ballads and alternative rock, and by changes in how the Hot 100 was counted. From 1990 to 1999, 140 songs reached number one on the Hot 100.
- 1990Year-end No. 1: “Hold On”, Wilson Phillips25 new number ones
- 1991Year-end No. 1: “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You”, Bryan Adams27 new number ones
- 1992Year-end No. 1: “End of the Road”, Boyz II Men12 new number ones
- 1993Year-end No. 1: “I Will Always Love You”, Whitney Houston10 new number ones
- 1994Year-end No. 1: “The Sign”, Ace of Base9 new number ones
- 1995Year-end No. 1: “Gangsta's Paradise”, Coolio featuring L.V.11 new number ones
- 1996Year-end No. 1: “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)”, Los del Río8 new number ones
- 1997Year-end No. 1: “Candle in the Wind 1997 / Something About the Way You Look Tonight”, Elton John9 new number ones
- 1998Year-end No. 1: “Too Close”, Next15 new number ones
- 1999Year-end No. 1: “Believe”, Cher14 new number ones
The 2000s
Popular music in the 2000s was dominated by hip-hop, R&B and pop, and featured guest artists became a regular part of number one hits. From 2000 to 2009, 129 songs reached number one on the Hot 100.
- 2000Year-end No. 1: “Breathe”, Faith Hill17 new number ones
- 2001Year-end No. 1: “Hanging by a Moment”, Lifehouse14 new number ones
- 2002Year-end No. 1: “How You Remind Me”, Nickelback7 new number ones
- 2003Year-end No. 1: “In da Club”, 50 Cent11 new number ones
- 2004Year-end No. 1: “Yeah!”, Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris11 new number ones
- 2005Year-end No. 1: “We Belong Together”, Mariah Carey8 new number ones
- 2006Year-end No. 1: “Bad Day”, Daniel Powter18 new number ones
- 2007Year-end No. 1: “Irreplaceable”, Beyoncé17 new number ones
- 2008Year-end No. 1: “Low”, Flo Rida featuring T-Pain14 new number ones
- 2009Year-end No. 1: “Boom Boom Pow”, The Black Eyed Peas12 new number ones
The 2010s
Popular music in the 2010s moved from electronic dance-pop to hip-hop and streaming-era pop as listening shifted to streaming services. From 2010 to 2019, 116 songs reached number one on the Hot 100.
- 2010Year-end No. 1: “Tik Tok”, Kesha17 new number ones
- 2011Year-end No. 1: “Rolling in the Deep”, Adele13 new number ones
- 2012Year-end No. 1: “Somebody That I Used to Know”, Gotye featuring Kimbra12 new number ones
- 2013Year-end No. 1: “Thrift Shop”, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz10 new number ones
- 2014Year-end No. 1: “Happy”, Pharrell Williams9 new number ones
- 2015Year-end No. 1: “Uptown Funk”, Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars8 new number ones
- 2016Year-end No. 1: “Love Yourself”, Justin Bieber10 new number ones
- 2017Year-end No. 1: “Shape of You”, Ed Sheeran11 new number ones
- 2018Year-end No. 1: “God's Plan”, Drake11 new number ones
- 2019Year-end No. 1: “Old Town Road”, Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus15 new number ones
The 2020s
Popular music in the 2020s has been driven by streaming, with pop, hip-hop and country crossover songs topping the Hot 100. From 2020 to 2025, 89 songs reached number one on the Hot 100.
- 2020Year-end No. 1: “Blinding Lights”, The Weeknd20 new number ones
- 2021Year-end No. 1: “Levitating”, Dua Lipa17 new number ones
- 2022Year-end No. 1: “Heat Waves”, Glass Animals12 new number ones
- 2023Year-end No. 1: “Last Night”, Morgan Wallen17 new number ones
- 2024Year-end No. 1: “Lose Control”, Teddy Swims15 new number ones
- 2025Year-end No. 1: “Die with a Smile”, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars8 new number ones