Top Ten Albums of 2024: Billboard Year End Charts

The Billboard 200 determines which albums have made waves based on sales within the United States, both retail and digital. This year, we witnessed hip-hop return to its roots while introducing a new sound. As the year comes to a close, we want to highlight the top ten albums of 2024 according to the Billboard Hot 200 charts.

1. The Tortured Poets Department – Taylor Swift

Released on April 19, this seventeen-song single album served as Swift’s eleventh studio album. The album was produced by Aaron Dessner, Jack Antonoff, Patrik Berger, and Taylor Swift. It sold 2.61 million album units, with 1.914 million being traditional album sales, including digital, CDs, vinyl LPs, and cassettes. Top songs from the album include “Fortnight” featuring Post Malone, “But Daddy, I Love Him,” and “Down Bad,” to name a few.

2. 1989 (Taylor’s Version)

Released on October 27, 2023, this 22-song album served as the fourth re-recorded album by Swift. The album, produced by Taylor Swift, Christopher Rowe, Jack Antonoff, Ryan Tedder, Noel Zancanella, Imogen Heap, Shellback, and Patrik Berger, topped charts worldwide. The original album was released in 2014 and was inspired by a 1980s sound, reminiscent of the era in which Taylor was born. The album also contained five songs that Taylor described as being from the vault, addressing issues she faced between 2014 and the present. Swift was the only artist to sell 2 million album copies in 2023 with this re-release.

3. One Thing At A Time – Morgan Wallen

Released on March 2, 2023, this thirty-six track album, produced by Joey Moi, Cameron Montgomery, Charlie Handsome, and Jacob Durrett, charted in ways no one could have imagined. The album’s 5.362 million equivalent album units earned in 2023 is a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since Adele in 2015. With 326,000 sold in traditional sales in 2023, it became the thirteenth biggest-selling album of the year. The album’s breakout single, “Last Night,” spent sixteen weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

4. Stick Season – Noah Kahan

Released on October 14, 2022, this fourteen-track album is the third oldest on the 2024 Billboard Hot 200 top ten charts. Despite debuting at No. 14 on the Billboard 200 charts in 2022, the title track of Stick Season spent almost 30 weeks on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. In 2023, a deluxe version of the album was released, causing it to shoot back up the charts. With over 500,000 units sold, the album has become 4x platinum as of July 2024 and surpassed one billion streams on Spotify.

5. For All The Dogs – Drake

Released on October 6, 2023, this twenty-three track album was produced by 40, The Alchemist, Onyx, Boi-1da, Can Cobain, and Southside, to name a few. With 402,000 equivalent album units, the album earned Drake his thirteenth No.1 album. According to Billboard, all twenty-three songs placed on the Hot 100 chart when the album was released, with hit singles “Rich Baby Daddy”, “First Person Shooter”, “Virginia Beach”, and “IDGAF”.

6. SOS – SZA

Released on December 9, 2022, SOS, the twenty-three-track album, is the fifth oldest in the Billboard Hot 200 top ten. Produced by the likes of Babyface, Beat Butcha, Jeff Bhasker, Darkchild, and Still Woozy, to name a few, the album featured hit singles like “Snooze” and “Kill Bill.” The Missouri-born singer earned her first No. 1 with this album, earning 318,000 equivalent album units, which made it the fifth-largest debut of 2022.

7. Zach Bryan – Zach Bryan

Released on August 25, 2023, the sixteen-track album, produced by Zach Bryan and Eddie Spear, served as the singer’s first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200. With his fourth studio album, Bryan earned 200,000 equivalent album units, the largest for a rock album in four years. The album features breakout songs “East Side of Sorrow,” “Hey Driver,” “I Remember Everything,” and “Tourniquet.”

8. Dangerous: The Double Album – Morgan Wallen

Released on January 8, 2021, this album is the second oldest in the Billboard 200 Top Ten charts. Produced by Joey Mi, Jacob Durrett, Charlie Handsome, Matt Dragstrem, and Dave Cohen, the thirty-three track, two-disc album sold 265,000 units in its first week. The double album served as Wallen’s sophomore studio album and spent eighty-six non-consecutive weeks in the Top Ten charts. The album boosted four major breakout singles: “More Than My Hometown,” “7 Summers,” “Wasted on You,” and “Sand in My Boots.”

9. Lover – Taylor Swift

Released on August 23, 2019, this album is the oldest in the Billboard 200 Top Ten and sold 867,000 copies in its first week. Produced by Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff, Joel Little, Louis Bell, and Frank Dukes, the eighteen-track album marked the best-selling week for an album in the U.S. since Reputation. Notable singles from the album include “ME!”, “You Need to Calm Down,” “Lover,” “Cruel Summer,” and “The Man.”

10. Midnights – Taylor Swift

Released on October 21, 2022, Midnights is the fourth oldest album on the Billboard Hot 200. This thirteen-track album sold one million copies within five days. It was released in four different editions: Lavender Edition, 3am Edition, Til Dawn Edition, and Late Night Edition. The album was produced by Swift, Jack Antonoff, Sounwave, Jahaan Sweet, and Keanu Beats. Midnights became the top-selling album of 2022.

Taylor Swift dominated the charts this year with four albums appearing on the Billboard Hot 200. This success could be attributed to Taylor rereleasing several albums amid her legal battle with her former manager. Additionally, Swift spent more than a year on tour with her Eras Tour, bringing in over $100 million.

Tennessee-born singer Morgan Wallen follows closely behind with two albums placing on the charts. Wallen competed in season six of The Voice, initially teamed up with Usher before switching to Adam Levine’s team. After being eliminated, the country star was signed to Panacea Records and released his first EP in 2015.