This list is about the #1 most successful songs per release year (understand “which have generated the most sales”).
This list really is about the most relevant songs of each year . If you’ve been listening to the radio at some point, you won’t be too surprised by the number ones listed here!
Please keep in mind that some artists are missing, because their analysis has not been done yet. Here is the complete list of covered artists .
Top song – Equivalent album sales (EAS) – Yearly #1s
EAS
1939
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2,107
All or Nothing at All
All or Nothing at All
Frank Sinatra
1,779,000
1940
1Mxqyy3pSjf8kZZL4QVxS0
1,366
I'll Never Smile Again
I'll Never Smile Again
Frank Sinatra
2,836,000
1941
1Mxqyy3pSjf8kZZL4QVxS0
4,952
This Love of Mine
This Love of Mine
Frank Sinatra
573,000
1942
1Mxqyy3pSjf8kZZL4QVxS0
2,541
Night and Day
Night and Day
Frank Sinatra
1,414,000
1943
1Mxqyy3pSjf8kZZL4QVxS0
4,203
I Couldn't Sleep a Wink Last Night
I Couldn't Sleep a Wink Last Night
Frank Sinatra
722,000
1944
1Mxqyy3pSjf8kZZL4QVxS0
1,906
Saturday Night (Is the Loneliest Night of the Week)
Saturday Night (Is the Loneliest Night of the Week)
Frank Sinatra
2,015,000
1945
1Mxqyy3pSjf8kZZL4QVxS0
2,646
Put Your Dreams Away (For Another Day)
Put Your Dreams Away (For Another Day)
Frank Sinatra
1,345,000
1946
1Mxqyy3pSjf8kZZL4QVxS0
1,987
Jingle Bells
Jingle Bells
Frank Sinatra
1,916,000
1947
1Mxqyy3pSjf8kZZL4QVxS0
1,809
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Frank Sinatra
2,145,000
1948
1Mxqyy3pSjf8kZZL4QVxS0
1,890
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
Frank Sinatra
2,031,000
1949
1Mxqyy3pSjf8kZZL4QVxS0
9,868
Some Enchanted Evening
Some Enchanted Evening
Frank Sinatra
201,000
1950
1Mxqyy3pSjf8kZZL4QVxS0
3,554
When You're Smiling
When You're Smiling
Frank Sinatra
905,000
1951
1Mxqyy3pSjf8kZZL4QVxS0
586
You Make Me Feel So Young
You Make Me Feel So Young
Frank Sinatra
5,774,000
1952
1Mxqyy3pSjf8kZZL4QVxS0
5,390
Why Try to Change Me Now?
Why Try to Change Me Now?
Frank Sinatra
503,000
1953
1Mxqyy3pSjf8kZZL4QVxS0
1,349
I Get a Kick Out of You
I Get a Kick Out of You
Frank Sinatra
2,879,000
1954
43ZHCT0cAZBISjO8DG9PnE
1,848
That's All Right
That's All Right
Elvis Presley
2,095,000
1955
1Mxqyy3pSjf8kZZL4QVxS0
1,603
In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning
In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning
Frank Sinatra
2,443,000
1956
1Mxqyy3pSjf8kZZL4QVxS0
196
I've Got You Under My Skin
I've Got You Under My Skin
Frank Sinatra
11,673,000
1957
43ZHCT0cAZBISjO8DG9PnE
54
Jailhouse Rock
Jailhouse Rock
Elvis Presley
18,565,000
1958
1Mxqyy3pSjf8kZZL4QVxS0
1,834
Angel Eyes
Angel Eyes
Frank Sinatra
2,110,000
1959
43ZHCT0cAZBISjO8DG9PnE
2,111
A Big Hunk Of Love
A Big Hunk Of Love
Elvis Presley
1,776,000
1960
43ZHCT0cAZBISjO8DG9PnE
734
It's Now Or Never
It's Now Or Never
Elvis Presley
4,910,000
1961
43ZHCT0cAZBISjO8DG9PnE
12
Can't Help Falling in Love
Can't Help Falling in Love
Elvis Presley
28,914,000
1962
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266
Love Me Do
Love Me Do
The Beatles
9,906,000
1963
3WrFJ7ztbogyGnTHbHJFl2
58
I Want to Hold Your Hand
I Want to Hold Your Hand
The Beatles
18,028,000
1964
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10
The Sound of Silence
The Sound of Silence
Simon & Garfunkel
29,942,000
1965
3WrFJ7ztbogyGnTHbHJFl2
33
Yesterday
Yesterday
The Beatles
22,151,000
1966
22bE4uQ6baNwSHPVcDxLCe
76
Paint It Black
Paint It Black
The Rolling Stones
16,811,000
1967
74oJ4qxwOZvX6oSsu1DGnw
102
Sunshine of Your Love
Sunshine of Your Love
Cream
15,592,000
1968
70cRZdQywnSFp9pnc2WTCE
47
Mrs. Robinson
Mrs. Robinson
Simon & Garfunkel
19,595,000
1969
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7
Sweet Caroline
Sweet Caroline
Neil Diamond
34,941,000
1970
6PAt558ZEZl0DmdXlnjMgD
4
Layla
Layla
Derek and the Dominos
37,437,000
1971
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14
Stairway To Heaven
Stairway To Heaven
Led Zeppelin
27,359,000
1972
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25
Smoke on the Water
Smoke on the Water
Deep Purple
23,972,000
1973
7Ey4PD4MYsKc5I2dolUwbH
78
Dream On
Dream On
Aerosmith
16,724,000
1974
7jmTilWYlKOuavFfmQAcu6
133
The Way We Were
The Way We Were
Barbra Streisand
14,367,000
1975
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8
Bohemian Rhapsody
Bohemian Rhapsody
Queen
34,649,000
1976
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2
Hotel California
Hotel California
Eagles
53,823,000
1977
1LZEQNv7sE11VDY3SdxQeN
9
Stayin' Alive
Stayin' Alive
Bee Gees
33,717,000
1978
0WwSkZ7LtFUFjGjMZBMt6T
30
Sultans of Swing
Sultans of Swing
Dire Straits
22,419,000
1979
711MCceyCBcFnzjGY4Q7Un
40
Highway to Hell
Highway to Hell
AC/DC
20,111,000
1980
1dfeR4HaWDbWqFHLkxsg1d
24
Another One Bites the Dust
Another One Bites the Dust
Queen
24,084,000
1981
0rvjqX7ttXeg3mTy8Xscbt
11
Don't Stop Believin'
Don't Stop Believin'
Journey
29,107,000
1982
3fMbdgg4jU18AjLCKBhRSm
3
Billie Jean
Billie Jean
Michael Jackson
43,926,000
1983
5NGO30tJxFlKixkPSgXcFE
5
Every Breath You Take
Every Breath You Take
The Police
35,112,000
1984
1zuJe6b1roixEKMOtyrEak
21
What's Love Got to Do with It
What's Love Got to Do with It
Tina Turner
24,681,000
1985
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101
Money for Nothing
Money for Nothing
Dire Straits
15,629,000
1986
58lV9VcRSjABbAbfWS6skp
18
Livin' on a Prayer
Livin' on a Prayer
Bon Jovi
25,282,000
1987
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20
With Or Without You
With Or Without You
U2
24,685,000
1988
7oPgCQqMMXEXrNau5vxYZP
68
Fast Car
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
17,619,000
1989
4lxfqrEsLX6N1N4OCSkILp
41
Another Day in Paradise
Another Day in Paradise
Phil Collins
20,049,000
1990
4BclNkZtAUq1YrYNzye3N7
56
Friends In Low Places
Friends In Low Places
Garth Brooks
18,261,000
1991
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36
(Everything I Do) I Do It for You
(Everything I Do) I Do It for You
Bryan Adams
21,598,000
1992
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6
I Will Always Love You
I Will Always Love You
Whitney Houston
35,014,000
1993
4iHNK0tOyZPYnBU7nGAgpQ
103
Hero
Hero
Mariah Carey
15,579,000
1994
4iHNK0tOyZPYnBU7nGAgpQ
46
All I Want for Christmas Is You
All I Want for Christmas Is You
Mariah Carey
19,759,000
1995
2DaxqgrOhkeH0fpeiQq2f4
70
Wonderwall
Wonderwall
Oasis
17,419,000
1996
0uq5PttqEjj3IH1bzwcrXF
34
Wannabe
Wannabe
Spice Girls
22,067,000
1997
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1
My Heart Will Go On
My Heart Will Go On
Celine Dion
63,739,000
1998
26dSoYclwsYLMAKD3tpOr4
49
...Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time
Britney Spears
19,477,000
1999
5rSXSAkZ67PYJSvpUpkOr7
44
I Want It That Way
I Want It That Way
Backstreet Boys
19,908,000
2000
51Blml2LZPmy7TTiAg47vQ
108
Beautiful Day
Beautiful Day
U2
15,382,000
2001
6deZN1bslXzeGvOLaLMOIF
165
How You Remind Me
How You Remind Me
Nickelback
12,559,000
2002
7dGJo4pcD2V6oG8kP0tJRR
61
Lose Yourself
Lose Yourself
Eminem
17,865,000
2003
6vWDO969PvNqNYHIOW5v0m
219
Crazy in Love
Crazy in Love
Beyonce ft. Jay-Z
10,995,000
2004
7KMqksf0UMdyA0UCf4R3ux
218
You're Beautiful
You're Beautiful
James Blunt
11,006,000
2005
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233
Fix You
Fix You
Coldplay
10,574,000
2006
31TPClRtHm23RisEBtV3X7
508
SexyBack
SexyBack
Justin Timberlake ft. Timbaland
6,383,000
2007
5pKCCKE2ajJHZ9KAiaK11H
430
Umbrella
Umbrella
Rihanna ft. Jay-Z
7,336,000
2008
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178
Viva La Vida
Viva La Vida
Coldplay
12,120,000
2009
1HY2Jd0NmPuamShAr6KMms
334
Bad Romance
Bad Romance
Lady Gaga
8,640,000
2010
4dpARuHxo51G3z768sgnrY
107
Rolling In The Deep
Rolling In The Deep
Adele
15,385,000
2011
4dpARuHxo51G3z768sgnrY
72
Someone Like You
Someone Like You
Adele
17,272,000
2012
53XhwfbYqKCa1cC15pYq2q
470
Radioactive
Radioactive
Imagine Dragons
6,872,000
2013
0LyfQWJT6nXafLPZqxe9Of
241
Let It Go
Let It Go
Various Artists
10,353,000
2014
06HL4z0CvFAxyc27GXpf02
301
Blank Space
Blank Space
Taylor Swift
9,229,000
2015
4dpARuHxo51G3z768sgnrY
186
Hello
Hello
Adele
11,953,000
2016
1Xyo4u8uXC1ZmMpatF05PJ
506
Starboy
Starboy
The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk
6,413,000
2017
6eUKZXaKkcviH0Ku9w2n3V
200
Shape of You
Shape of You
Ed Sheeran
11,576,000
2018
246dkjvS1zLTtiykXe5h60
573
Sunflower
Sunflower
Post Malone & Swae Lee
5,837,000
2019
3Nrfpe0tUJi4K4DXYWgMUX
494
Boy with Luv
Boy with Luv
BTS ft. Halsey
6,557,000
2020
3Nrfpe0tUJi4K4DXYWgMUX
360
Dynamite
Dynamite
BTS
8,252,000
2021
4dpARuHxo51G3z768sgnrY
823
Easy on Me
Easy on Me
Adele
4,468,000
2022
06HL4z0CvFAxyc27GXpf02
1,105
Anti-Hero
Anti-Hero
Taylor Swift
3,428,000
2023
7nqOGRxlXj7N2JYbgNEjYH
744
Super
Super
Seventeen
4,853,000
2024
7nqOGRxlXj7N2JYbgNEjYH
1,841
Love, Money, Fame
Love, Money, Fame
Seventeen
2,105,000
2025
2YZyLoL8N0Wb9xBt1NhZWg
12,848
30 for 30
30 for 30
Kendrick Lamar & SZA
126,000
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