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2022 Billboard Number One Hits: Every Hot 100 Chart-Topper

The 2022 Billboard Number One Hits list mixed Disney soundtrack magic, superstar pop, streaming-era slow burns, hip-hop debuts, dance-floor revivals, and the annual return of Mariah Carey’s Christmas chart sleigh.

This page follows the Billboard Hot 100 issue dates for 2022, shown here as easy-to-read weekly date ranges. Because Billboard chart weeks do not always line up cleanly with the calendar year, this list includes the final carryover from late 2021 and the holiday run that continued into early 2023.

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 rankings or “that should have been bigger” arguments. Those are fun too, but this page is wearing its official chart shoes.

2022 Billboard Number One Hits by Week

  • December 26, 2021 – January 8, 2022: All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
  • January 9 – January 29, 2022: Easy on Me – Adele
  • January 30 – March 5, 2022: We Don’t Talk About Bruno – Carolina Gaitán, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz & the Encanto Cast
  • March 6 – April 9, 2022: Heat Waves – Glass Animals
  • April 10 – April 16, 2022: As It Was – Harry Styles
  • April 17 – April 23, 2022: First Class – Jack Harlow
  • April 24 – May 7, 2022: As It Was – Harry Styles
  • May 8 – May 14, 2022: Wait for U – Future featuring Drake & Tems
  • May 15 – May 28, 2022: First Class – Jack Harlow
  • May 29 – June 25, 2022: As It Was – Harry Styles
  • June 26 – July 2, 2022: Jimmy Cooks – Drake featuring 21 Savage
  • July 3 – July 23, 2022: As It Was – Harry Styles
  • July 24 – August 6, 2022: About Damn Time – Lizzo
  • August 7 – August 20, 2022: Break My Soul – Beyoncé
  • August 21 – August 27, 2022: Super Freaky Girl – Nicki Minaj
  • August 28 – October 1, 2022: As It Was – Harry Styles
  • October 2 – October 22, 2022: Bad Habit – Steve Lacy
  • October 23 – October 29, 2022: Unholy – Sam Smith & Kim Petras
  • October 30 – December 10, 2022: Anti-Hero – Taylor Swift
  • December 11, 2022 – January 7, 2023: All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey

Song-by-Song Notes on the 2022 Billboard No. 1 Hits

All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You carried over from the 2021 holiday season and opened the 2022 Hot 100 calendar at No. 1. Originally released in 1994, the song had become a recurring modern chart champion by the streaming era.

Its January 2022 run showed how holiday songs had turned into annual Hot 100 contenders, not just seasonal radio favorites. Mariah did not merely visit the chart; she unpacked ornaments.

Easy on Me – Adele

Adele’s Easy on Me returned to No. 1 in January 2022 after its huge late-2021 debut. The piano ballad came from her album 30 and gave Adele another signature heartbreak anthem built around emotional restraint and a massive vocal payoff.

The song’s early-year run helped bridge the chart from holiday music back into traditional pop ballad territory. After Mariah put away the sleigh bells, Adele brought the tissues.

We Don’t Talk About Bruno – Carolina Gaitán, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz & the Encanto Cast

We Don’t Talk About Bruno became one of the biggest pop-culture surprises of 2022. From Disney’s animated film Encanto, the ensemble song reached No. 1 and turned a musical-theater-style story song into a mainstream Hot 100 phenomenon.

The song stood out because it did not sound like a conventional radio single. It had multiple characters, shifting melodies, overlapping vocals, and a plot point right in the title. Apparently, everyone talked about Bruno after all.

Heat Waves – Glass Animals

Glass Animals’ Heat Waves became one of the most patient No. 1 hits in Hot 100 history. The song reached No. 1 in its 59th week on the chart, setting a then-record for the longest climb to the top.

Its dreamy production, streaming durability, and slow-building radio success made it Billboard’s top Hot 100 song of 2022. It was not a lightning strike; it was a space heater with excellent stamina.

As It Was – Harry Styles

Harry Styles’ As It Was became the dominant Billboard No. 1 song of 2022, spending 15 total weeks at the top. The song introduced his album Harry’s House with bright synth-pop production, emotional distance, and a chorus that felt instantly familiar.

Its run was interrupted several times, but it kept returning to No. 1 throughout spring, summer, and early fall. That kind of chart persistence made As It Was feel less like a single and more like the year’s polite tenant.

First Class – Jack Harlow

Jack Harlow’s First Class debuted at No. 1 with a prominent sample of Fergie’s 2006 hit Glamorous. The song leaned into Harlow’s relaxed charm and the kind of instantly recognizable hook that made it perfect for short-form video clips and radio play.

The single gave Harlow one of the biggest solo moments of his career and showed how a well-used sample could turn nostalgia into a fresh chart hit.

Wait for U – Future featuring Drake & Tems

Wait for U debuted at No. 1, bringing together Future, Drake, and Tems for one of 2022’s most memorable hip-hop and R&B collaborations. The song sampled Tems’ Higher, giving the track a haunting melodic center.

Its success reflected the streaming strength of all three artists and helped bring Tems even further into the U.S. pop conversation after her international rise.

Jimmy Cooks – Drake featuring 21 Savage

Drake and 21 Savage reached No. 1 with Jimmy Cooks, the closing track from Drake’s album Honestly, Nevermind. While much of that album leaned into dance and house influence, Jimmy Cooks stood out as a harder rap track.

The song’s success also foreshadowed Drake and 21 Savage’s later collaborative momentum. In hindsight, this one felt like the trailer before the buddy-movie album.

About Damn Time – Lizzo

Lizzo’s About Damn Time reached No. 1 in the summer of 2022 and became one of the year’s biggest feel-good pop moments. Its disco-funk groove, flute-bright personality, and self-encouragement hook made it a natural fit for radio, streaming, and dance challenges.

The title doubled as a reaction to its own success. After years of Lizzo building a strong pop identity, About Damn Time sounded like the victory lap already knew the choreography.

Break My Soul – Beyoncé

Beyoncé’s Break My Soul reached No. 1 as the lead single from Renaissance. Built with house and dance-music influence, the song brought club energy, resilience, and release into the center of mainstream pop.

Its success helped frame Renaissance as one of 2022’s major pop events, while also pointing listeners toward dance music’s Black and LGBTQ+ roots.

Super Freaky Girl – Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj’s Super Freaky Girl debuted at No. 1 with a prominent sample of Rick James’ Super Freak. The song became Minaj’s first solo Hot 100 No. 1 and one of the year’s biggest sample-driven pop-rap hits.

It connected a familiar funk hook with Minaj’s punchy delivery and fan-driven launch power. The sample did not exactly sneak in quietly; it arrived wearing glitter boots.

Bad Habit – Steve Lacy

Steve Lacy’s Bad Habit climbed to No. 1 after building slowly through streaming, radio, and online attention. The song’s lo-fi groove, falsetto hook, and awkward-romantic lyrics made it one of 2022’s most distinctive chart-toppers.

Its rise was especially notable because Lacy came from a more alternative and R&B-rooted lane than many Hot 100 No. 1 artists. Bad Habit felt like a bedroom-pop idea that accidentally found the penthouse.

Unholy – Sam Smith & Kim Petras

Sam Smith and Kim Petras reached No. 1 with Unholy, a dramatic, club-ready pop single with a heavy hook and theatrical edge. The song became a major milestone for both artists and one of the year’s most recognizable pop singles.

Its chart success also carried historical significance: Smith and Petras became the first openly nonbinary and openly transgender solo artists, respectively, to top the Hot 100.

Anti-Hero – Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift’s Anti-Hero debuted at No. 1 after the release of Midnights and became one of her most recognizable 2020s singles. The song paired sleek synth-pop production with lyrics about anxiety, self-image, fame, and personal flaws.

Its six-week 2022 run helped close the year before the holiday songs returned. It also gave Swift one of her most meme-ready choruses, which is a modern chart skill whether anyone admits it or not.

All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You returned to No. 1 in December 2022 and continued into January 2023. By this point, the song had become the modern Hot 100’s most reliable holiday visitor.

The late-year return helped make 2022 another chart year framed by Mariah Carey. That is either seasonal dominance or very festive time management.

Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Stories of 2022

As It Was Kept Coming Back

Harry Styles’ As It Was spent 15 total weeks at No. 1 in 2022, but not in one clean uninterrupted run. It repeatedly lost and regained the top spot, which made its chart dominance feel even more impressive.

Heat Waves Was the Year’s Slow-Burn Champion

Glass Animals’ Heat Waves became Billboard’s top Hot 100 song of 2022 after one of the longest climbs to No. 1 in chart history. It was a reminder that not every hit arrives like fireworks; some sneak in through the side door and stay for months.

Soundtracks Still Had Chart Power

We Don’t Talk About Bruno proved that a Disney ensemble song could still become a mainstream pop phenomenon. The song was unusual for the Hot 100 because it functioned as part of a movie story, not just as a standalone radio single.

Samples Were Everywhere

Several 2022 No. 1 songs used familiar musical DNA. First Class drew from Fergie’s Glamorous, Super Freaky Girl leaned on Rick James’ Super Freak, and Wait for U built around Tems’ Higher.

Dance-Pop Came Back Strong

Lizzo’s About Damn Time and Beyoncé’s Break My Soul helped bring disco, funk, house, and club influence back into the center of pop conversation. The year had plenty of moody streaming hits, but it also remembered how to move.

2022 Billboard Number One Hits Trivia

  • Heat Waves by Glass Animals was Billboard’s year-end No. 1 Hot 100 song for 2022.
  • Heat Waves reached No. 1 in its 59th week on the Hot 100, setting a then-record for the longest climb to No. 1.
  • As It Was by Harry Styles spent 15 total weeks at No. 1 in 2022.
  • We Don’t Talk About Bruno became one of the rare Disney movie songs to top the Hot 100.
  • Super Freaky Girl gave Nicki Minaj her first solo Hot 100 No. 1.
  • Unholy made Hot 100 history for Sam Smith and Kim Petras.
  • Anti-Hero gave Taylor Swift another major No. 1 single and carried into the early part of the 2023 chart story.
  • Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You appeared at both ends of the 2022 chart range, because holiday hits do not respect calendar boundaries.

Why the 2022 Billboard Number One Hits Matter

The 2022 Billboard Number One Hits showed how wide the Hot 100 had become. A Disney cast song, an alternative-pop slow burner, a former One Direction star, a superstar dance comeback, a sample-heavy rap single, and a 1994 Christmas classic all reached No. 1 in the same chart year.

The year also showed how modern hits could take very different routes to the top. Heat Waves climbed slowly, First Class and Anti-Hero arrived with huge debut energy, We Don’t Talk About Bruno grew through movie fandom, and All I Want for Christmas Is You returned through seasonal streaming power.

For chart fans, 2022 was a year of repeat visits, delayed victories, soundtrack surprises, and familiar hooks becoming new hits. The Hot 100 sounded less like one lane and more like a very crowded intersection with excellent speakers.

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Related posts:

  1. Billboard Number One Hits Of 2020
  2. The Billboard Number One Hits of 2021
  3. The Billboard Number One Hits of 2023
  4. The Billboard Number One Hits of 2024