The Biggest of 2017: Billboard Reveals the Top Music of the Year

by VVN Music

When all is said and done, it has been a pretty decent year for veteran artists in the world of music.

While only a few new releases by those artists struck a chord (albums by Jay-Z, Linkin Park, The Rolling Stones, Kenny Chesney, Gorillaz), there were many more from previous years that sold well throughout the year.

The biggest album of the year by a veteran artist was actually released in 2016, Metallica's Hardwired...To Self Destruct which came in at 12 overall. The second biggest, Keith Urban's Ripcord (#27) was from the same year.

The biggest that was actually released in 2017 was Jay-Z's 4:44 which came in at 36. The second Guardians of the Galaxy mix of 70's songs was at 43.

Overall, 41 of the top 200 was by a veteran artist with Garth Brooks and Eminem each having three while Metallica, Beyonce, Linkin Park and The Beatles each having two.

Also of note is the age of a few of the top selling albums of the year.  Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles (#141) is 50 years old, Abbey Road by the Beatles (#138) is 48 years old, Chronicle by Creedence Clearwater Revival (#133) is 41 years old, Rumours by Fleetwood Mac (#155) is 40 years old and Legend by Bob Marley & the Wailers (#73) is 33 years old.

For each of the charts, here are the top three with veteran artists that charted lower:

Billboard 200 Albums

• 001. DAMN. - Kendrick Lamar
• 002. 24K Magic - Bruno Mars
• 003. Starboy - The Weeknd
• 012. Hardwired...To Self Destruct - Metallica
• 027. Ripcord - Keith Urban
• 036. 4:44 - Jay-Z
• 043. Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix, Vol. 2 - Various Artists
• 071. Lemonade - Beyonce
• 073. Legend - Bob Marley & the Wailers
• 075. The Eminem Show - Eminem
• 076. Curtain Call: The Hits - Eminem
• 078. Greatest Hits - 2Pac
• 082. This is Acting - Sia
• 090. One More Light - Linkin Park
• 092. Greatest Hits - Journey
• 094. We Got It From Here...Thank You 4 Your Service - A Tribe Called Quest
• 095. Metallica (Black Album) - Metallica
• 111. Blue & Lonesome - Rolling Stones
• 116. Greatest Hits - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
• 125. Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix, Vol. 1 - Various Artists
• 126. The Essential Michael Jackson - Michael Jackson
• 132. Live in No Shoes Nation - Kenny Chesney
• 133. Chronicle: The 20 Greatest Hits - Creedence Clearwater Revival
• 135. Greatest Hits I, II & III - Queen
• 138. Abbey Road - Beatles
• 139. Humanz - Gorillaz
• 140. Greatest Hits - Guns N' Roses
• 141. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Beatles
• 146. Christmas - Michael Buble
• 147. The Ultimate Collection - Garth Brooks
• 149. 1 - Beatles
• 155. Rumours - Fleetwood Mac
• 158. 4Ever - Prince
• 165. Greatest Hits - Red Hot Chili Peppers
• 168. Recovery - Eminem
• 169. Greatest Hits - Notorious B.I.G.
• 177. Concrete & Gold - Foo Fighters
• 178. [Hybrid Theory] - Linkin Park
• 183. Nevermind - Nirvana
• 185. Christmas Together - Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood
• 188. Now - Shania Twain
• 196. Sing It Now: Songs of Faith & Hope - Reba McEntire
• 197. Beyonce - Beyonce
• 198. The Ultimate Hits - Garth Brooks

Hot 100 Songs

• 01. "Shape of You" - Ed Sheeran
• 02. "Despacito" - Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Featuring Justin Bieber
• 03. "That's What I Like" - Bruno Mars
• 20. "Starboy" - The Weeknd Featuring Daft Punk
• 34. "I Feel It Coming" - The Weeknd Featuring Daft Punk
• 49. "Can't Stop the Feeling!" - Justin Timberlake
• 50. "Mi Gente" - J Balvin & Willy William Featuring Beyonce
• 74. "Feels" - Calvin Harris Featuring Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry & Big Sean
• 100. "The Fighter" - Keith Urban Featuring Carrie Underwood

Top 40 Rock Albums

• 01. Hardwired...To Self Destruct - Metallica
• 02. Evolve - Imagine Dragons
• 03. Blurryface - twenty one pilots
• 04. Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix, Vol. 2 - Various Artists
• 07. One More Light - Linkin Park
• 09. Blue & Lonesome - Rolling Stones
• 10. Greatest Hits - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
• 11. Greatest Hits - Journey
• 14. Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix, Vol. 1 - Various Artists
• 15. Humaz - Gorillaz
• 16. Metallica (Black Album) - Metallica
• 18. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Beatles
• 19. Chronicle: The 20 Greatest Hits - Creedence Clearwater Revival
• 20. [Hybrid Theory] - Linkin Park
• 21. Greatest Hits - Guns N' Roses
• 22. Greatest Hits I, II & III - Queen
• 23. Rumours - Fleetwood Mac
• 25. 1 - Beatles
• 27. Abbey Road - Beatles
• 28. Greatest Hits - Red Hot Chili Peppers
• 29. Concrete & Gold - Foo Fighters
• 30. Nevermind - Nirvana
• 36. The Getaway - Red Hot Chili Peppers
• 39. Back in Black - AC/DC

Top 20 Hard Rock Albums

• 01. Hardwired...To Self Destruct - Metallica
• 02. Metallica - Metallica
• 03. [Hybrid Theory] - Linkin Park
• 04. Greatest Hits - Guns N' Roses
• 05. Greatest Hits I, II & III - Queen
• 06. Concrete & Gold - Foo Fighters
• 08. Greatest Hits - Journey
• 09. Mothership - Led Zeppelin
• 10. Back in Black - AC/DC
• 11. Greatest Hits - Foo Fighters
• 13. Meteora - Linkin Park
• 14. ...and Justice For All - Metallica
• 15. Villains - Queens of the Stone Age
• 16. Masters of Puppets - Metallica
• 17. Greatest Hits - Aerosmith
• 18. Greatest Hits: The Ultimate Collection - Bon Jovi
• 19. Feed the Machine - Nickelback
• 20. Greatest Hits - Queen

Top 20 Americana/Folk Albums

• 01. Traveller - Chris Stapleton
• 02. From a Room: Volume 1 - Chris Stapleton
• 03. Cleopatra - Lumaneers
• 08. Greatest Hits - Simon & Garfunkel
• 17. Windy City - Alison Krauss
• 18. You Want It Darker - Leonard Cohen

Top 40 Country Albums

• 01. Traveller - Chris Stapleton
• 02. From a Room: Volume 1 - Chris Stapleton
• 03. Ripcord - Keith Urban
• 18. Live in No Shoes Nation - Kenny Chesney
• 21. The Ultimate Collection - Garth Brooks
• 30. Cosmic Hallelujah - Garth Brooks
• 31. Christmas Together - Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood
• 33. Sing It Now: Songs of Faith & Hope - Reba McEntire
• 34. Now - Shania Twain
• 36. The Legend of Johnny Cash - Johnny Cash
• 39. The Ultimate Hits - Garth Brooks

Top 40 Country Songs

• 01. "Body Like a Back Road" - Sam Hunt
• 02. "In Case You Didn't Know" - Brett Young
• 03. "Hurricane" - Luke Combs
• 07. "The Fighter" - Keith Urban Featuring Carrie Underwood
• 13. "Blue Ain't Your Color" - Keith Urban
• 14. "God, Your Mama, and Me" - Florida Georgia Line Featuring Backstreet Boys
• 32. "If I Told You" - Darius Rucker
• 39. "All the Pretty Girls" - Kenny Chesney

Top 15 Bluegrass Albums

• 01. Windy City - Alison Krauss
• 02. Call Me Old Fashioned - Bradley Walker
• 03. 50 Years of Blonde on Blonde - Old Crow Medicine Show
• 04. Circlin' Back: Celebrating 50 Years - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
• 05. Swimmin' Pools, Movie Stars - Dwight Yoakam
• 06. The Long Awaited Album - Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers
• 07. Way Out West - Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives
• 10. Bidin' My Time - Chris Hillman
• 11. American Grandstand - Rhonda Vincent & Daryle Singletary

Top 25 R&B Albums

• 01. 24K Magic - Bruno Mars
• 02. Starboy - The Weeknd
• 03. American Teen - Khalid
• 08. Lemonade - Beyonce
• 13. Legend - Bob Marley & the Wailers
• 17. The Essential Michael Jackson - Michael Jackson
• 19. 4Ever - Prince
• 21. Beyonce - Beyonce
• 22. I Am...Sasha Fierce - Beyonce
• 23. Strength of a Woman - Mary J. Blige
• 24. Thriller - Michael Jackson

Top 25 R&B Songs

• 01. "That's What I Like" - Bruno Mars
• 02. "Wild Thoughts" - DJ Khaled Featuring Rihanna & Bryson Tiller
• 03. "25K Magic" - Bruno Mars
• 04. "Starboy" - The Weeknd Featuring Daft Punk
• 06. "I Feel It Coming" - The Weeknd Featuring Daft Punk
• 12. "Feels" - Calvin Harris Featuring Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry & Big Sean
• 15. "Party" - Chris Brown Featuring Usher & Gucci Mane
• 20. "Shining" - DJ Khaled Featuring Beyonce & Jay-Z

Top 25 Blues Albums

• 01. Blue & Lonesome - Rolling Stones
• 02. TajMo - Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo'
• 03. Chuck - Chuck Berry
• 04. Roots of Blues - Various Artists
• 05. Live From the Fox Oakland - Tedeschi Trucks Band
• 06. Lay It On Down - Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band
• 07. Blues of Desperation - Joe Bonamassa
• 09. Live at Carnegie Hall: An Acoustic Evening - Joe Bonamassa
• 10. Live at the Greek Theatre - Joe Bonamassa
• 11. MEmphis Rock & Soul - Melissa Etheridge
• 12. I Still Do - Eric Clapton
• 14. Fire on the Floor - Beth Hart
• 15. Dig in Deep - Bonnie Raitt

Top 25 Dance/Electronic Albums

• 01. Memories: Do Not Open - Chainsmokers
• 02. Collage (EP) - Chainsmokers
• 03. Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 - Calvin Harris
• 07. Demon Days - Gorillaz
• 17. Random Access Memories - Daft Punk

Top 25 Dance Club Songs

• 01. "Shape of You" - Ed Sheeran
• 02. "Be the One" - Dua Lipa
• 03. "Love on the Brain" - Rihanna
• 04. "Let the World Be Ours Tonight" - Deborah Cox
• 07. "Move Your Body" - Sia