Has it really been a year since 2017? Well, almost given that Billboard Magazine has now released its year-end charts based on chart performance from Dec. 2, 2017 to Nov. 17, 2018.
It was indeed a big year for hip-hop music. Not only because Drake is the top artist of the year. He is also No. 1 in the singles chart, the streaming and the hip-hop tabulations and he literally appears everywhere with several hit singles and featured appearances.
Note, too, the excellent performance of acts like Cardi B, Post Malone, the late XXXTENTACION and others. Hip-hop is tops and here to stay. It would be most interesting to watch it grow and evolve and give rise to other variants in the years to come.
Holding aloft the banner for pop is Taylor Swift with her No. 1 album reputation and Ed Sheeran, the top touring act of 2018 with his album Divide and single Perfect. It was also a good year for soundtracks, The Greatest Showman, Black Panther and A Star Is Born all figure prominently. The Korean group BTS is the social media star and as for rock music, well, Imagine Dragons is still around and doing very well.
Here now are the tops in popular music of 2018.
The Top 40 of the Billboard 200 Albums are: Reputation by Taylor Swift; Scorpion by Drake; beerbongs & bentleys by Post Malone; The Greatest Showman soundtrack; Divide by Ed Sheeran; Invasion Of Privacy by Cardi B; ASTROWORLD by Travis Scott; Stoney by Post Malone; ? by XXXTENTACION; Culture II by Migos.
Evolve by Imagine Dragons; Black Panther, the soundtrack by Kendrick Lamar; DAMN by Kendrick Lamar; KOD by J. Cole; American Teen by Khalid; Luv Is Rage by Lil Uzi Vert; Kamikaze by Eminem; Goodbye & Good Riddance by Juice WRLD; 17 by XXXTentacion; This One’s For You by Luke Combs.
Hamilton: An American Musical, the Broadway soundtrack; Red Pill Blues by Maroon 5; The Thrill Of It All by Sam Smith; Tha Carter V by Lil Wayne; Camila by Camila Cabello; 24K Magic by Bruno Mars; Kane Brown; Hearbreak On A Full Moon by Chris Brown; The Beautiful And Damned by G-Eazy; Rearview Town by Jason Aldean.
ctrl by SZA; Revival by Eminem; More Life by Drake; Traveller by Chris Stapleton; Tell Me You Love Me by Demi Lovato; Beautiful Trauma by Pink; A Star Is Born soundtrack by Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper; Sweetener by Ariana Grande; Harder Than Ever by Lil Baby; and Perception by NF.
The Top 40 of the Hot 100 are: God’s Plan by Drake; Perfect by Ed Sheeran; Meant To Be by Beb Rexha & Florida Georgia Line; Havana by Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug; Rockstar by Post Malone ft. 21 Savage; Psycho also by Post Malone ft. Ty Dolla $ign; I Like It by Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J. Balvin; The Middle by Zedd Maren & Grey; In My Feelings by Drake; Girls Like You by Maroon 5 & Cardi B;
Nice For What by Drake; Lucid Dreams by Juice World; Better Now by Post Malone; Finesse by Bruno Mars & Cardi B; Boo’d Up by Ella Mai; New Rules by Dua Lipa; Sad! by XXXTENTACION; Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello; Love Lies by Khalid & Normani; No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande; Mine by Bazzi.
Thunder by Imagine Dragons; Look Alive by BlocBoy JB ft. Drake; Delicate by Taylor Swift; Yes Indeed by Lil Baby & Drake; Friends by Marshmello & Anne-Marie; Bad At Love by Halsey; Taste by Tyga ft. Offset; Let You Down by NF; No Limit by G-Eazy ft. ASAP Rocky & Cardi B.
FEFE by 6ix9ine ft. Nicky Minaj & Murda Beatz; Tequila by Dan + Shay; Feel It Still by Portugal The Man; MotorSport by Migos, Nicky Minaj & Cardi B; I Like Me Better by Lauv; Youngblood by 5 Seconds of Summer; Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons; Ric Flair Drip by Offset & Metro Boomin’; I Fall Apart by Post Malone; and Pray For Me by The Weeknd & Kendrick Lamar.
The top artists of the year are: Drake, Post Malone, Ed Sheeran; Taylor Swift; Cardi B; XXXTENTACION; Imagine Dragons; BTS; Bruno Mars; and Camila Cabello. The top new artists are Cardi B; XXXTENTACION; Juice WRLD; Dua Lipa; and 6ix9ine.
Tops in radio airplay are Perfect by Ed Sheeran; The Middle by Zedd, Maren & Grey; Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line; Havana by Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug; Girls Like You by Maroon 5 & Cardi B; New Rules by Dua Lipa; God’s Plan by Drake; Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello; Delicate by Taylor Swift; and Finesse by Bruno Mars & Cardi B.
Tops in Digital Sales are reputation by Swift and Perfect by Sheeran. Tops in streaming is God’s Plan by Drake.