The Most Popular Albums of 2022
2022 marked a big year for artists releasing new music, as they emerged from two years of pandemic lockdown with new albums ready to go. Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Bad Bunny were just a few of the artists who released hit albums this year that made a splash on the Billboard 200 albums chart. In the end, three albums reigned supreme on the Billboard 200 chart throughout the year.
‘Un Verano Sin Ti’ by Bad Bunny
Billboard ranked Bad Bunny’s fourth studio album Un Verano Sin Ti as the No. 1 album of 2022 on its Billboard 200 Year-End Chart. The album spent a total of 13 weeks at No. 1, and has spent a total of 30 weeks on the chart.
Un Verano Sin Ti debuted at No. 1 and has become the album with the most weeks at No. 1 in 2022. It’s also the first album in Billboard 200 history to spend its first six months on the chart in the top two, and was the first-ever Spanish-language album to top the Billboard 200 Year-End chart.
Bad Bunny has also already made history with Un Verano Sin Ti before the 2023 Grammy Awards. The album is nominated for Album of the Year at the ceremony, making it the first Spanish-language album in history to be up for the high honor.
’30’ by Adele
The No. 2 most popular album of 2022 wasn’t even released in 2022. Adele’s highly-anticipated fourth album 30 was released in November 2021 and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling nearly one million copies in its first week. It logged a total of six weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and has been a fixture on the chart ever since, with a total of 53 weeks (and counting).
Having been released in the 2023 Grammy Awards’ eligibility period, 30 earned Adele two nominations for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album. Adele’s previous albums 21 and 25 both have won Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album, setting a high bar for the singer to clear at the 2023 Grammys. (Coincidentally, just as the year when 25 famously beat out Beyoncé’s Lemonade, Adele and Beyoncé have albums competing again.)
‘Dangerous: The Double Album’ by Morgan Wallen
Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album was released way back in January 2021, but has managed to maintain a constant presence on the Billboard 200 chart since then. It debuted at No. 1 back in January 2021 and has been in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 ever since, for a total of 99 weeks so far.
The top 20
The Billboard 200 Year-End chart contained other standout projects from 2022, such as Taylor Swift’s smash album Midnights at No. 4 and Harry Styles’ Harry’s House at No. 7, as well as 2021 offerings including Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour and Drake’s Certified Lover Boy.
- Un Verano Sin Ti – Bad Bunny
- 30 – Adele
- Dangerous: The Double Album – Morgan Wallen
- Midnights – Taylor Swift
- Red (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift
- Encanto soundtrack
- Harry’s House – Harry Styles
- Sour – Olivia Rodrigo
- Certified Lover Boy – Drake
- The Highlights – The Weeknd
- Planet Her – Doja Cat
- I Never Liked You – Future
- 7220 – Lil Durk
- DS4EVER – Gunna
- = – Ed Sheeran
- My Turn – Lil Baby
- Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers – Kendrick Lamar
- Dawn FM – The Weeknd
- Still Over It – Summer Walker
- Hollywood’s Bleeding – Post Malone
