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2021 Billboard Number One Hits: Every Hot 100 Chart-Topper

The 2021 Billboard Number One Hits list captured a weird, busy, and very streaming-era year in pop music. Olivia Rodrigo arrived like a lightning bolt, BTS owned huge pieces of the summer, Adele returned with a major ballad, Taylor Swift turned a 10-minute song into a No. 1 single, and Mariah Carey handled the holiday paperwork.

This page follows the Billboard Hot 100 issue dates for 2021, shown here as easy-to-read weekly date ranges. Because Billboard chart weeks can cross calendar years, this list begins with a late-2020 holiday carryover and continues into early January 2022 when needed.

The Billboard Hot 100 ranks the most popular songs in the United States using streaming activity, radio airplay, and sales. These are official Billboard No. 1 songs, not personal favorites, playlist rankings, or “my cousin swears this was bigger” picks.

2021 Billboard Number One Hits by Week

  • December 27, 2020 – January 2, 2021: All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
  • January 3 – January 16, 2021: Mood – 24kGoldn featuring Iann Dior
  • January 17 – March 13, 2021: Drivers License – Olivia Rodrigo
  • March 14 – March 20, 2021: What’s Next – Drake
  • March 21 – March 27, 2021: Up – Cardi B
  • March 28 – April 3, 2021: Peaches – Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon
  • April 4 – April 10, 2021: Montero (Call Me by Your Name) – Lil Nas X
  • April 11 – April 17, 2021: Leave the Door Open – Silk Sonic
  • April 18 – May 1, 2021: Rapstar – Polo G
  • May 2 – May 15, 2021: Save Your Tears – The Weeknd & Ariana Grande
  • May 16 – May 22, 2021: Leave the Door Open – Silk Sonic
  • May 23 – May 29, 2021: Good 4 U – Olivia Rodrigo
  • May 30 – July 17, 2021: Butter – BTS
  • July 18 – July 24, 2021: Permission to Dance – BTS
  • July 25 – August 7, 2021: Butter – BTS
  • August 8 – September 4, 2021: Stay – The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber
  • September 5 – September 11, 2021: Butter – BTS
  • September 12 – September 18, 2021: Way 2 Sexy – Drake featuring Future & Young Thug
  • September 19 – October 2, 2021: Stay – The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber
  • October 3 – October 9, 2021: My Universe – Coldplay & BTS
  • October 10 – October 16, 2021: Stay – The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber
  • October 17 – October 23, 2021: Industry Baby – Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow
  • October 24 – November 20, 2021: Easy on Me – Adele
  • November 21 – November 27, 2021: All Too Well (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift
  • November 28 – December 18, 2021: Easy on Me – Adele
  • December 19, 2021 – January 8, 2022: All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey

Song-by-Song Notes on the 2021 Billboard No. 1 Hits

All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You opened the 2021 Hot 100 calendar after returning to No. 1 during the 2020 holiday season. Originally released in 1994, the song had become a modern annual chart tradition by the streaming era.

Its early-January run showed how holiday music could now dominate both the end of one year and the beginning of the next. The calendar changed, but Mariah apparently still had the aux cord.

Mood – 24kGoldn featuring Iann Dior

Mood carried over from 2020 and held No. 1 into January 2021. The song blended pop-rap, emo-pop, and a bright hook that made it a streaming and radio favorite during the transition between chart years.

Its success helped define the post-genre sound of early 2020s pop, where rap, alternative, pop, and internet-driven hooks often lived in the same song without asking permission.

Drivers License – Olivia Rodrigo

Olivia Rodrigo’s Drivers License debuted at No. 1 and became one of 2021’s biggest breakthrough singles. The song turned teenage heartbreak, cinematic songwriting, and social-media speculation into a massive chart moment.

Its eight-week run at No. 1 made Rodrigo an instant major pop figure. For a debut single, that was not just getting the keys; that was pulling out of the driveway and winning the race.

What’s Next – Drake

Drake’s What’s Next debuted at No. 1 in March 2021. The song came from his Scary Hours 2 release and continued his long streak of major Hot 100 moments.

Its chart debut was also part of a huge Drake week, when he occupied the top three spots on the Hot 100 at the same time. That is less a chart entry and more a takeover memo.

Up – Cardi B

Cardi B’s Up reached No. 1 after climbing from its debut position. The song’s sharp hook, bold delivery, and performance momentum helped turn it into another major success on Cardi’s chart.

It also showed Cardi’s ability to keep producing solo hits after the massive impact of Bodak Yellow and WAP. The title was accurate. The song did, in fact, go up.

Peaches – Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon

Justin Bieber’s Peaches, featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon, debuted at No. 1 as part of the launch of his album Justice. The song mixed breezy R&B-pop production with three distinct vocal personalities.

The single also helped make Giveon and Daniel Caesar more visible to mainstream pop listeners. It was relaxed, polished, and extremely good at sounding like warm weather had a marketing team.

Montero (Call Me by Your Name) – Lil Nas X

Lil Nas X’s Montero (Call Me by Your Name) debuted at No. 1 and became one of 2021’s most discussed pop releases. The song’s sleek production, bold video imagery, and unapologetic identity made it both a hit and a cultural lightning rod.

Its success showed that Lil Nas X was not going to be defined only by Old Town Road. He turned attention, controversy, humor, and pop instincts into another Hot 100 chart-topper.

Leave the Door Open – Silk Sonic

Silk Sonic, the duo of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, reached No. 1 with Leave the Door Open. The song brought smooth 1970s soul influence into the 2021 pop conversation with lush vocals, retro production, and a wink that knew exactly what it was doing.

The song topped the Hot 100 twice in 2021, showing staying power beyond its debut moment. It was throwback soul with modern chart precision, which is a pretty good combination when done right.

Rapstar – Polo G

Polo G’s Rapstar debuted at No. 1 in April 2021 and spent two weeks at the top. The song mixed melodic rap with reflective lyrics about fame, pressure, and success.

Its No. 1 debut showed Polo G’s strong streaming pull and confirmed him as one of the key younger rap artists of the early 2020s.

Save Your Tears – The Weeknd & Ariana Grande

Save Your Tears reached No. 1 after The Weeknd released a remix with Ariana Grande. The original song came from After Hours, but the remix gave it renewed chart power and a superstar vocal pairing.

The song extended the long life of The Weeknd’s After Hours era after Blinding Lights had already dominated the charts. Apparently, that album campaign had excellent mileage.

Good 4 U – Olivia Rodrigo

Olivia Rodrigo scored her second No. 1 of 2021 with Good 4 U. The song shifted from the heartbreak-ballad style of Drivers License into pop-punk energy, sarcasm, and cathartic shouting.

It helped prove that Rodrigo’s debut success was not tied to just one mood. She could cry in the car, then kick the door open with guitars.

Butter – BTS

BTS dominated much of the 2021 Hot 100 story with Butter, which spent 10 total weeks at No. 1. The song was bright, smooth, English-language pop designed for maximum replay and fan-powered chart strength.

Its interrupted run kept returning throughout the summer, making BTS the year’s top No. 1 artist by total weeks. The title was fitting: it spread everywhere.

Permission to Dance – BTS

BTS replaced themselves at No. 1 when Permission to Dance took over from Butter in July. The song leaned into cheerful pop uplift and carried the group’s English-language Hot 100 momentum forward.

Its one-week run was still historically useful because it showed how BTS could create chart events on back-to-back singles. Not many acts hand the No. 1 spot to themselves.

Stay – The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber

Stay by The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber became one of 2021’s most durable pop hits. Its urgent synth-pop hook, short runtime, and big chorus helped it thrive across streaming, radio, and playlist culture.

The song gave The Kid Laroi his first Hot 100 No. 1 and added another major hit to Bieber’s long chart history. It also had the kind of chorus that seemed scientifically engineered to loop before you realized it.

Way 2 Sexy – Drake featuring Future & Young Thug

Drake’s Way 2 Sexy, featuring Future and Young Thug, debuted at No. 1 after the release of Certified Lover Boy. The song prominently interpolated Right Said Fred’s 1991 hit I’m Too Sexy, turning a novelty-pop hook into a rap chart event.

The single also gave Future his first Hot 100 No. 1 after a long run of chart appearances. Sometimes the road to No. 1 is serious artistry; sometimes it is being way too sexy for the charts.

My Universe – Coldplay & BTS

Coldplay and BTS reached No. 1 with My Universe, a global pop collaboration that mixed Coldplay’s arena-sized melody with BTS’s international fan power. The song appeared on Coldplay’s album Music of the Spheres.

Its debut at No. 1 showed how cross-border pop collaborations could create immediate chart impact in the streaming era.

Industry Baby – Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow

Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow reached No. 1 with Industry Baby, a bold, brass-heavy single from Lil Nas X’s album Montero. The song mixed triumph, humor, and defiance into one of the year’s biggest pop-rap hits.

It also gave Jack Harlow his first Hot 100 No. 1 as a featured artist, setting up the next phase of his mainstream rise.

Easy on Me – Adele

Adele returned to No. 1 with Easy on Me, the lead single from 30. The piano ballad brought her back to the center of pop conversation with the kind of emotional vocal performance that had become her signature.

The song spent multiple weeks at No. 1 across late 2021 and early 2022. In a year full of hyperactive streaming hits, Adele reminded everyone that a piano, a voice, and a very complicated feeling could still stop the room.

All Too Well (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift’s All Too Well (Taylor’s Version) debuted at No. 1 in November 2021. At more than 10 minutes long, it became the longest song ever to top the Billboard Hot 100.

The song’s chart success came from Swift’s rerecording project, intense fan devotion, and the release of the extended 10-minute version connected to Red (Taylor’s Version). It was less a normal single than a full emotional filing cabinet.

All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You returned to No. 1 at the end of 2021 and continued into early January 2022. By this point, the song had become a predictable but still powerful December chart force.

Its return helped frame the 2021 Hot 100 year exactly as it began: with Mariah, holiday streaming, and the reminder that Christmas music now plays by modern chart rules.

About Levitating by Dua Lipa

Levitating by Dua Lipa was Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 song of 2021, but it never reached No. 1 on the weekly Hot 100. It peaked at No. 2 on the chart dated May 22, 2021, making it one of the clearest examples of a song that was massive throughout the year without ever topping the weekly chart.

That makes Levitating a useful footnote for this page. It was not a Billboard weekly No. 1 hit, but it was one of the defining pop songs of 2021. Chart history enjoys a technicality almost as much as music fans enjoy arguing about one.

Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Stories of 2021

Olivia Rodrigo Had a Breakout Year

Olivia Rodrigo reached No. 1 with both Drivers License and Good 4 U. Those two songs showed two sides of her debut-era appeal: vulnerable ballad storytelling and sharp pop-punk release.

BTS Owned the Most Weeks at No. 1

BTS spent 12 total weeks at No. 1 in 2021 across Butter, Permission to Dance, and My Universe with Coldplay. Butter alone spent 10 weeks at the top, making it the year’s longest-running No. 1 single.

Big Debuts Moved the Chart Fast

Several 2021 No. 1 songs debuted directly at the top, including Drivers License, What’s Next, Peaches, Montero (Call Me by Your Name), Rapstar, Butter, Permission to Dance, Way 2 Sexy, My Universe, Easy on Me, and All Too Well (Taylor’s Version).

Older Sounds Became New Hits

2021 made plenty of room for throwbacks and interpolations. Silk Sonic revived 1970s soul style with Leave the Door Open, while Drake’s Way 2 Sexy turned Right Said Fred’s early-1990s hook into a modern rap No. 1.

Holiday Music Kept Rewriting the Calendar

Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You topped the Hot 100 at both ends of the 2021 chart range. The song’s repeated return showed how streaming had made holiday classics part of the modern No. 1 conversation every year.

2021 Billboard Number One Hits Trivia

  • Levitating by Dua Lipa was Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 song of 2021, but it peaked at No. 2 on the weekly Hot 100.
  • Butter by BTS was the longest-running No. 1 song of 2021, spending 10 weeks at the top.
  • BTS spent 12 total weeks at No. 1 in 2021, more than any other artist that year.
  • Drivers License by Olivia Rodrigo spent eight consecutive weeks at No. 1.
  • All Too Well (Taylor’s Version) became the longest song ever to top the Hot 100.
  • Way 2 Sexy gave Future his first Hot 100 No. 1 after more than 100 prior chart entries.
  • Stay gave The Kid Laroi his first Hot 100 No. 1.
  • Industry Baby gave Jack Harlow his first Hot 100 No. 1 as a featured artist.
  • Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You appeared at both the beginning and end of the 2021 chart range.

Why the 2021 Billboard Number One Hits Matter

The 2021 Billboard Number One Hits showed how quickly the Hot 100 could shift in the streaming era. One-week debuts, fan-powered launches, viral breakthroughs, superstar comebacks, and old holiday favorites all competed for the same top position.

The year also captured several major pop storylines at once. Olivia Rodrigo became a new star, BTS showed enormous chart strength, Adele returned with a classic ballad, Taylor Swift made rerecording history, and Lil Nas X proved he could keep turning conversation into chart power.

For chart watchers, 2021 was busy in the best way. The Hot 100 had Disney-level drama without the Disney song, K-pop dominance, rap flexes, retro soul, breakup ballads, and Mariah Carey waiting patiently by the fireplace.

Sources

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  4. The Billboard Number One Hits of 2022