2021: it was the rollercoaster ride that we didn’t need after the year that was 2020. There were plenty of strange events that occurred in the last twelve months, but here’s one that I think we can celebrate for the time being. Yes, my Top 100 of 2021 is now available below.
When it came to the music on my personal chart, 2021 was a particularly good year for good song titles: six of them rank in the top 100, including “Damn It Feels Good To Be Me”, “Good 4 U” and “We’re Good”. We also felt the force of three powerful pop releases: “Higher Power”, “Solar Power” and “Your Power”. Of course, there was a lot of love on the charts as well, including singles like “Can You Handle My Love??”, “Love Again”, “Talk About Love” and more. From “Cloudy Day” to “Remember That Night?” and “Drivers License” to “Last Train Home”, there was much to discover and enjoy on my record player, the radio, streaming platforms and, of course, TikTok.
So, after crunching all the numbers up, here are the top 100 songs based on my weekly personal chart:
The 2021 chart year encompasses a period of 52 weekly surveys from the chart dated December 6, 2020 to the chart dated November 28, 2021. Peaks noted for each entry reflect the highest position reached by the final list of this period. For any ties in points, an entry with the highest peak is listed first, and further ties are broken by the weeks at a song’s peak position and the amount of time charted in the top 40. 162 entries had at least one point qualify towards the year-end chart, a small decrease from the 166 that did so in 2020. A total of 14 titles reached the #1 spot for at least one week this year, up one from the 13 that achieved the feat in 2020.
01. OLIVIA RODRIGO, “Drivers License” (884 points)
Album: Sour
Label: Geffen/Interscope
Peak: #1 for eight weeks
02. COLDPLAY, “Higher Power” (816 points)
Album: Music Of The Spheres
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Peak: #1 for four weeks
03. DUA LIPA, “Love Again” (797 points)
Album: Future Nostalgia
Label: Warner
Peak: #1 for five weeks
04. ELLE KING & MIRANDA LAMBERT, “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” (783 points)
Album: (TBA)
Label: RCA
Peak: #1 for five weeks
05. OLIVIA RODRIGO, “Good 4 U” (756 points)
Album: Sour
Label: Geffen/Interscope
Peak: #1 for two weeks
06. ED SHEERAN, “Bad Habits” (738 points)
Album: =
Label: Atlantic
Peak: #2 for four weeks
07. SILK SONIC, “Leave The Door Open” (728 points)
Album: An Evening With Silk Sonic
Label: Aftermath Entertainment/Atlantic
Peak: #1 for three weeks
08. PASSENGER, “Sword From The Stone” (723 points)
Album: Songs For The Drunk And Broken Hearted
Label: Nettwerk
Peak: #1 for two weeks
09. TONES AND I, “Fly Away” (715 points)
Album: Welcome To The Madhouse
Label: Bad Batch/Elektra/EMG
Peak: #1 for two weeks
10. AVA MAX, “My Head & My Heart” (708 points)
Album: Heaven & Hell
Label: Artist Partner/Atlantic
Peak: #2 for six weeks
11. MILEY CYRUS featuring DUA LIPA, “Prisoner” (693 points)
Album: Plastic Hearts and Album: Future Nostalgia (The Moonlight Edition)
Label: RCA
Peak: #1 for four weeks
12. DUA LIPA, “We’re Good” (684 points)
Album: Future Nostalgia (The Moonlight Edition)
Label: Warner
Peak: #2 for two weeks
13. TAYLOR SWIFT, “Willow” (678 points)
Album: Evermore
Label: Republic
Peak: #3 for two weeks
14. IMAGINE DRAGONS, “Follow You” (637 points)
Album: Mercury – Act 1
Label: KIDinaKORNER/Interscope
Peak: #3 for two weeks
15. OLIVIA RODRIGO, “Déjà Vu” (631 points)
Album: Sour
Label: Geffen/Interscope
Peak: #4 for two weeks
16. JOHN MAYER, “Last Train Home” (629 points)
Album: Sob Rock
Label: Columbia
Peak: #3 for two weeks
17. ELTON JOHN & DUA LIPA, “Cold Heart” (599 points)
Album: The Lockdown Sessions
Label: Mercury/Interscope
Peak: #1 for eight weeks
18. DURAN DURAN, “Invisible” (597 points)
Album: Future Past
Label: Tape Modern/BMG
Peak: #3
19. MIMI WEBB, “Good Without” (594 points)
EP: Seven Shades Of Heartbreak
Label: Epic
Peak: #3 for three weeks
20. ED SHEERAN, “Afterglow” (577 points)
Album: (TBA)
Label: Atlantic
Peak: #2 for two weeks
21. HARRY STYLES, “Golden” (559 points) (2020 YE: #66)
Album: Fine Line
Label: Erskine/Columbia
Peak: #1 for four weeks
22. IMAGINE DRAGONS, “Wrecked” (542 points)
Album: Mercury – Act 1
Label: KIDinaKORNER/Interscope
Peak: #4 for four weeks
23. BLEACHERS, “Stop Making This Hurt” (538 points)
Album: Take The Sadness Out Of Saturday Night
Label: RCA
Peak: #6 for two weeks
24. SILK SONIC, “Skate” (532 points)
Album: An Evening With Silk Sonic
Label: Aftermath Entertainment/Atlantic
Peak: #2 for three weeks
25. BEN RECTOR featuring STEVE WINWOOD, “Range Rover” (512 points)
Album: (TBA)
Label: OK Kid
Peak: #5
26. TONES AND I, “Cloudy Day” (508 points)
Album: Welcome To The Madhouse
Label: Bad Batch/Elektra/EMG
Peak: #5
27. LANY, “If This Is The Last Time” (501 points)
Album: Mama’s Boy
Label: Polydor/Interscope
Peak: #3 for four weeks
28. MAROON 5, “Beautiful Mistakes” (496 points)
Album: Jordi
Label: 222/Interscope
Peak: #6 for two weeks
29. THE KNOCKS featuring FOSTER THE PEOPLE, “All About You” (492 points)
EP: Melody & Silence
Label: Big Beat/EMG
Peak: #6 for two weeks
30. CHRIS CORNELL, “Watching The Wheels” (488 points)
Album: No One Sings Like You Anymore, Vol. 1
Label: UMe
Peak: #7 for three weeks
31. SARA KAYS, “Remember That Night?” (486 points)
EP: Struck By Lightning
Label: Atlantic
Peak: #4 for two weeks
32. WALK THE MOON, “Can You Handle My Love??” (478 points)
Album: Heights
Label: RCA
Peak: #6
33. DUA LIPA, “Levitating” (474 points) (2020 YE: #58)
Album: Future Nostalgia
Label: Warner
Peak: #1 for five weeks (2020/2021)
34. MILKY CHANCE, “Colorado” (470 points)
Album: Trip Tape
Label: Muggelig/Further.
Peak: #5
35. JESSIA, “I’m Not Pretty” (456 points)
EP: How Are You?
Label: Artist Driven/Republic
Peak: #5 for three weeks
36. HARRY STYLES, “Treat People With Kindness” (453 points)
Album: Fine Line
Label: Erskine/Columbia
Peak: #7
37. OLIVIA RODRIGO, “Traitor” (451 points)
Album: Sour
Label: Geffen/Interscope
Peak: #7
38. KACEY MUSGRAVES, “Justified” (443 points)
Album: Star-Crossed
Label: MCA Nashville/Interscope
Peak: #3 for five weeks
39. SAM FISCHER & DEMI LOVATO, “What Other People Say” (443 points)
Album: Dancing With The Devil… The Art Of Starting Over
Label: RCA – Island/Republic
Peak: #7 for three weeks
40. TAYLOR SWIFT featuring HAIM, “No Body, No Crime” (434 points)
Album: Evermore
Label: Republic
Peak: #8
41. BEN PLATT, “Imagine” (427 points)
Album: Reverie
Label: Atlantic
Peak: #7
42. DUNCAN LAURENCE, “Arcade” (427 points)
Album: Small Town Boy
Label: Spark/Capitol
Peak: #8 for three weeks
43. JP SAXE, “A Little Bit Yours” (417 points) (2020 YE: #87)
Album: Dangerous Levels Of Introspection
Label: Arista
Peak: #2 for three weeks
44. ANNE-MARIE & NIALL HORAN, “Our Song” (414 points)
Album: Therapy
Label: Major Toms/Warner
Peak: #9 for two weeks
45. JP SAXE & MAREN MORRIS, “Line By Line” (410 points)
Album: Dangerous Levels Of Introspection
Label: Arista
Peak: #10 for two weeks
46. DURAN DURAN, “Anniversary” (404 points)
Album: Future Past
Label: Tape Modern/BMG
Peak: #1 for two weeks
47. ANSON SEABRA, “Walked Through Hell” (403 points)
Album: Feeling For My Life
Label: Virgin
Peak: #6
48. GWEN STEFANI, “Let Me Reintroduce Myself” (381 points)
Album: (TBA)
Label: Interscope
Peak: #9 for three weeks
49. ED SHEERAN, “Shivers” (379 points)
Album: =
Label: Atlantic
Peak: TBD
50. RITT MOMNEY, “Put Your Records On” (361 points)
Album: (TBA)
Label: Disruptor/Columbia
Peak: #6 for five weeks
51. LORDE, “Solar Power” (360 points)
Album: Solar Power
Label: Republic
Peak: #10
52. THE SCRIPT, “I Want It All” (351 points)
Album: Tales From The Script: Greatest Hits
Label: Legacy/The Orchard
Peak: TBD
53. THE STRUMBELLAS, “Greatest Enemy” (345 points)
Album: (TBA)
Label: Underneath A Mountain/Glassnote/AWAL
Peak: #10 for three weeks
54. P!NK, “All I Know So Far” (344 points)
Album: All I Know So Far (Setlist)
Label: RCA
Peak: #10 for two weeks
55. VAULTBOY, “Everything Sucks” (341 points)
EP: Vaultboy
Label: Fast Friends/Venice
Peak: #10
56. FITZ, “Head Up High” (323 points)
Album: Head Up High
Label: Elektra/EMG
Peak: #9 for two weeks
57. MILEY CYRUS, “Midnight Sky” (311 points) (2020 YE: #22)
Album: Plastic Hearts
Label: RCA
Peak: #1 for four weeks (2020)
58. BILLIE EILISH, “Your Power” (310 points)
Album: Happier Than Ever
Label: Darkroom/Interscope
Peak: #10
59. MAROON 5, “Lost” (303 points)
Album: Jordi
Label: 222/Interscope
Peak: #11
60. REGARD, TROYE SIVAN & TATE MCRAE, “You” (285 points)
Album: (TBA)
Label: Ministry Of Sound/Epic
Peak: #12
61. JOHN MAYER, “Wild Blue” (282 points)
Album: Sob Rock
Label: Columbia
Peak: #8 for four weeks
62. PARIS JACKSON, “Let Down” (271 points)
Album: Wilted
Label: Dragonflower/Republic
Peak: #10
63. BASTILLE, “Distorted Light Beam” (266 points)
Album: Give Me The Future
Label: Republic
Peak: #14
64. COLDPLAY x BTS, “My Universe” (263 points)
Album: Music Of The Spheres
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Peak: TBD
65. SANTANA, ROB THOMAS & AMERICAN AUTHORS, “Move” (263 points)
Album: Blessings And Miracles
Label: Starfaith/BMG
Peak: #14
66. ASHE & FINNEAS, “Till Forever Falls Apart” (256 points)
Album: Ashlyn
Label: Mom+Pop/Further.
Peak: #13
67. BLEACHERS featuring BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, “Chinatown” (256 points)
Album: Take The Sadness Out Of Saturday Night
Label: RCA
Peak: #15 for three weeks
68. THE BAND CAMINO, “1 Last Cigarette” (253 points)
Album: The Band CAMINO
Label: DBLBLK/Elektra/EMG
Peak: #13
69. ADELE, “Easy On Me” (250 points)
Album: 30
Label: Melted Stone/Columbia
Peak: TBD
70. TROYE SIVAN, “Angel Baby” (248 points)
Album: (TBA)
Label: Capitol
Peak: #10 for two weeks
71. AVA MAX, “Kings & Queens” (242 points) (2020 YE: #9)
Album: Heaven & Hell
Label: Artist Partner/Atlantic
Peak: #1 for three weeks (2020)
72. BASTILLE, “Survivin'” (237 points) (2020 YE: #95)
EP: Goosebumps
Label: Republic
Peak: #8
73. SHAWN MENDES & JUSTIN BIEBER, “Monster” (228 points)
Album: Wonder
Label: Island/Republic
Peak: #11 for three weeks
74. DAYGLOW, “Close To You” (225 points)
Album: Harmony House
Label: Very Nice/AWAL
Peak: #16 for two weeks
75. MUNA featuring PHOEBE BRIDGERS, “Silk Chiffon” (214 points)
Album: (TBA)
Label: Saddest Factory/Dead Oceans
Peak: TBD
76. MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD, “Good Day For A Good Day” (212 points)
Album: (TBA)
Label: Boo Boo Wax/Thirty Tigers
Peak: #15 for two weeks
77. ASHE, “Save Myself” (211 points) (2020 YE: #35)
Album: Ashlyn
Label: Mom+Pop/Further.
Peak: #3 for two weeks (2020)
78. WHY DON’T WE, “Fallin'” (211 points) (2020 YE: #93)
Album: The Good Times And The Bad Ones
Label: Signature Entertainment/Atlantic
Peak: #8 for two weeks
79. ABBA, “Don’t Shut Me Down” (210 points)
Album: Voyage
Label: Polar/Capitol
Peak: #17 for three weeks
80. BIG RED MACHINE featuring TAYLOR SWIFT, “Renegade” (205 points)
Album: How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last?
Label: Jagjaguwar/37d03d
Peak: #15
81. TROYE SIVAN, KACEY MUSGRAVES & MARK RONSON, “Easy” (204 points)
EP: In A Dream
Label: Capitol
Peak: #17
82. REMI WOLF, “Hello Hello Hello” (203 points)
EP: I’m Allergic To Dogs!
Label: Island/Republic
Peak: #16
83. BRYNN ELLIOTT, “Tell Me I’m Pretty” (201 points)
EP: Can I Be Real?
Label: Atlantic
Peak: #18
84. BELLA POARCH, “Build A Bitch” (198 points)
Album: (TBA)
Label: Warner
Peak: #16
85. ANDY GRAMMER, “Damn It Feels Good To Be Me” (196 points)
Album: (TBA)
Label: S-Curve/Hollywood
Peak: #14
86. JAX, “Like My Father” (195 points)
Album: (TBA)
Label: Atlantic
Peak: #9 for three weeks
87. JOEL CORRY featuring MNEK, “Head & Heart” (194 points) (2020 YE: #48)
Album: (TBA)
Label: Big Beat/EMG
Peak: #4 (2020)
88. KATY PERRY, “Electric” (191 points)
Album: Pokémon 25
Label: Capitol
Peak: #17
89. SHAWN MENDES & TAINY, “Summer Of Love” (175 points)
Album: (TBA)
Label: Island/Republic
Peak: #17
90. DAYA, “Bad Girl” (168 points)
EP: The Difference
Label: Sandlot/AWAL
Peak: #19
91. STING, “Rushing Water” (161 points)
Album: The Bridge
Label: A&M/Interscope
Peak: TBD
92. FOREST BLAKK, “If You Love Her” (159 points)
Album: (TBA)
Label: Atlantic/EMG
Peak: #20
93. ROYAL & THE SERPENT, “Overwhelmed” (157 points) (2020 YE: #57)
EP: Get A Grip and EP: Searching For Nirvana
Label: Atlantic
Peak: #6 (2020)
94. DEMI LOVATO, “Dancing With The Devil” (150 points)
Album: Dancing With The Devil… The Art Of Starting Over
Label: Island/Republic
Peak: #19
95. CHARLI XCX, “Good Ones” (149 points)
Album: Crash
Label: Atlantic/EMG
Peak: TBD
96. SHAWN MENDES, “Wonder” (144 points) (2020 YE: #74)
Album: Wonder
Label: Island/Republic
Peak: #8 for three weeks (2020)
97. ABBA, “I Still Have Faith In You” (142 points)
Album: Voyage
Label: Polar/Capitol
Peak: #21 for two weeks
98. ZARA LARSSON, “Talk About Love” (141 points)
Album: Poster Girl
Label: TEN/Epic
Peak: #20
99. KELSEA BALLERINI & LANY, “I Quit Drinking” (139 points)
Album: GG BB XX (Deluxe)
Label: Black River Entertainment/The Orchard – Polydor/Interscope
Peak: #22 for two weeks
100. BANNERS, “Someone To You” (134 points) (2020 YE: #31)
EP: Empires On Fire and Album: Where The Shadow Ends (Reissue)
Label: Island/Republic
Peak: #2 (2020)
Happy New Year from PGTC! See you in 2022.
POP! Goes The Charts 