- Anusha Iyer, AIT
2020: A Musical Roundup
As the chaotic year comes to a close, let’s review some of the biggest music released in 2020. We’re going to look at some of the most popular albums and singles released each month. The biggest album for the month is determined by taking into consideration the number of pure album sales, on-demand streams, and album-equivalent sales.
January albums and singles:
Jan 10: “Rare” - Selena Gomez
Jan 10: “I Disagree” - Poppy
Jan 17: “Circles” - Mac Miller
Jan 17: “Maniac” - Halsey
Jan 17: “Music to be Murdered By” - Eminem
Jan 17: “070 Shake” - Modus Vivendi
Jan 31: “TREAT MYSELF” - Meghan Trainor
Jan 31: “Walls” - Louis Tomlinson
Jan 31: “High Road” - Kesha
Jan 31: “Funeral” - Lil Wayne
Biggest album: “Music to be Murdered By” - Eminem
“Music to be Murdered By” took the spot for the biggest album of January. It debuted at number one on the charts with 279,000 album-equivalent units and 117,000 album sales. With songs full of puns, COVID-19 references, and dark themes, “Music to be Murdered By” is described by many as “an album for the stans.”
February albums and singles:
Feb 13: “No Time to Die” (Single) - Billie Eilish
Feb 14: “The Slow Rush” - Tame Impala
Feb 14: “Changes” - Justin Beiber
Feb 21: “MAP OF THE SOUL: 7” - BTS
Feb 29: “YHLQMDLG” - Bad Bunny
Biggest album: “Map of the Soul: 7” - BTS
“Map of the Soul: 7,” the seventh studio album by Korean boy band BTS, debuted at number one in the United States with 422,000 album-equivalent sales and 347,000 album sales. With deeply personal lyrics and catchy pop and R&B beats, this album was certainly a crowd-pleaser.
March albums and singles:
Mar 6: “Eternal Atake” - Lil Uzi Vert
Mar 6: “Suga” - Megan Thee Stallion
Mar 13: “Heartbreak Weather” - Niall Horan
Mar 20: “After Hours” - The Weeknd
Mar 20: “Kid Krow” - Conan Gray
Mar 27: “Future Nostalgia” - Dua Lipa
Biggest album: “After Hours” - The Weeknd
The Weeknd’s “After Hours” was the biggest album of March, debuting at number one on charts with 444,000 album-equivalent sales. It had 221 million streams and sold 275,000 copies as an album. The album combined retro, disco, and futuristic sounds for a collection of songs that anyone can dance to.
April albums and singles:
Apr 3: “It Is What It Is” - Thundercat
Apr 3: “Toosie Slide” (Single) - Drake
Apr 9: “Level of Concern” (Single) - Twenty One Pilots
Apr 17: “BLAME IT ON BABY” - DaBaby
Apr 17: “SAWAYAMA” - Rina Sawayama
Apr 24: “THE SCOTTS” (Single) - Travis Scott & Kid Cudi
Biggest album: “BLAME IT ON BABY” - DaBaby
DaBaby took the spot for the biggest album in April, with his album “BLAME IT ON BABY” debuting at number one and scoring 124,000 album-equivalent sales. With mixed reviews from critics and fans alike, the album contained mature language and strong, violent lyrics.
May albums and singles:
May 1: “Dark Lane Demo Tapes” - Drake
May 1: “Good to Know” - Jojo
May 8: “Stuck with U” (Single) - Justin Bieber & Ariana Grande
May 8: “Half Written Story” - Hailee Steinfeld
May 15: “how i’m feeling now” - Charli XCX
May 29: “Chromatica” - Lady Gaga
Biggest album: “Chromatica” - Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga’s “Chromatica” topped the album charts and came in with 280,800 album-equivalent sales, 204,800 full-album sales, 43,000 sales of individual songs, and 76.5 million song streams. Needless to say, Gaga dove back into her dance-pop era to create an album that’s electric, fun, and dramatic.
June albums and singles:
Jun 12: “Ungodly Hour” - Chloe x Halle
Jun 19: “Translation” - Black Eyed Peas
Jun 19: “Bigger Love” - John Legend
Jun 19: “Black Parade” (Single) - Beyonce
Jun 19: “The Album” - Teyana Taylor
Biggest album: “The Album” - Teyana Taylor
Teyana Taylor’s “The Album” debuted at number eight on the charts, earning 32,000 album-equivalent sales and 4,000 pure album sales. “The Album” is deeply intimate and personal, with Taylor’s signature lush, smooth vocals, and steady R&B beat gracing each song.
July albums and singles:
Jul 10: “Legends Never Die” - Juice WRLD
Jul 24: “folklore” - Taylor Swift
Jul 30: “my future” (Single) - Billie Eilish
Biggest album: “folklore” - Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift’s “folklore” debuted on the charts at number one and was the first album of 2020 to sell a million copies in the U.S. It sold 615,000 copies in its first week and spent eight non-consecutive weeks atop the charts. The stories and clever lyrics combined with the soft vocals and guitar made “folklore” a favorite among Swifties across the globe.
August albums and singles:
Aug 7: “JAGUAR” - Victoria Monet
Aug 21: “In a Dream” - Troye Sivan
Aug 21: “Dynamite” (Single) - BTS
Aug 28: “Smile” - Katy Perry
Aug 28: “S&M2” - Metallica
Biggest album: “S&M2” - Metallica
Metallica’s “S&M2” was recorded as a live album and debuted at number four on the charts. It earned 56,000 album-equivalent sales and totaled 53,000 album sales. The album was said to be for hardcore fans only, and it was met with much praise from its audience.
September albums and singles:
Sep 4: “Detroit 2” - Big Sean
Sep 18: “Heaven and Hell” - Ava Max
Sep 18: “ALICIA” - Alicia Keys
Sep 25: “Tickets to my Downfall” - Machine Gun Kelly
Sep 25: “Nectar” - Joji
Sep 25: “After School” - Melanie Martinez
Biggest album: “Detroit 2” - Big Sean
“Detroit 2” took the spot for the biggest September album with a number one debut and 103,000 album-equivalent sales. This figure was made up of 94 million streams and 30,000 pure album sales. Though the album was met with mixed reviews, it featured a variety of artists and had personal and witty lyrics.
October albums and singles:
Oct 2: “The Album” - BLACKPINK
Oct 2: “The Rarities” - Mariah Carey
Oct 23: “Letter To You” - Bruce Springsteen
Oct 30: “positions” - Ariana Grande
Oct 30: “Love Goes” - Sam Smith
Biggest album: “positions” - Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande’s “positions” took the lead in October, debuting at number one and staying there for two weeks. The album earned 174,000 album-equivalent sales and 42,000 album sales. With plenty of whistle notes, soft, breathy vocals, and catchy R&B beats spanning a diverse range of songs, “positions” had something for everyone to enjoy.
November albums and singles:
Nov 6: “Confetti” - Little Mix
Nov 12: “Therefore I Am” (Single) - Billie Eilish
Nov 20: “Good News” - Megan Thee Stallion
Nov 20: “BE” - BTS
Nov 27: “Plastic Hearts” - Miley Cyrus
Biggest album: “BE” - BTS
BTS’s “BE” debuted at number one, earning 217,000 album-equivalent units and the top spot among November’s albums. It sold 136,700 copies and had 27.2 million streams. The boy band’s second album of the year had lyrics about quarantine and its frustrations while also delivering some fun dance songs.
December albums and singles:
Dec 1: “A Very Poppy Christmas” - Poppy
Dec 2: “Swimming in the Stars” (Single) - Brittney Spears
Dec 4: “Oh Santa!” (Single) - Mariah Carey, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson
Dec 4: “Wonder” - Shawn Mendes
Dec 4: “Nightmare Vacation” - Rico Nasty
Dec 8: “Christmas Saves the Year” (Single) - Twenty-One Pilots
Dec 11: “evermore” - Taylor Swift
Dec 11: “Treat Myself” (Single) - Victoria Justice
Dec 21: “Afterglow” (Single) - Ed Sheeran
Biggest album: “evermore” - Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift’s second surprise album of the year landed her atop the charts with 329,000 album-equivalent units. This comprises 154,500 album sales and 220.49 million on-demand streams. The sister album to “folklore,” released just a few months prior, did not disappoint, with songs about crime, proposals, and love spanning the album.
Sources:
Anderson, Trevor. “Teyana Taylor's 'Album' Is No. 1 on Top R&B Albums Chart.” Billboard, 1 July 2020, www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/9412555/teyana-taylors-album-no-1-top-rb-albums/.
Caulfield, Keith. “Ariana Grande Claims Fifth No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'Positions'.” Billboard, 8 Nov. 2020, www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/9480311/ariana-grande-positions-tops-billboard-200/.
Caulfield, Keith. “Eminem Scores Historic 10th No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'Music to Be Murdered By'.” Billboard, 26 Jan. 2020, www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/8549077/eminem-scores-10th-no-1-album-billboard-200-chart-music-to-be-murdered-by.
Caulfield, Keith. “Taylor Swift Achieves Seventh No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart & Biggest Week of 2020 With 'Folklore'.” Billboard, 3 Aug. 2020, www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/9428290/taylor-swift-folklore-billboard-200-number-1.
Caulfield, Keith. “Taylor Swift's 'Evermore' Arrives at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart.” Billboard, 21 Dec. 2020, www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/9503234/taylor-swift-evermore-tops-billboard-200-albums-chart/.
“January 2020 Album & Single Releases, Music Releases.” Album of The Year, www.albumoftheyear.org/2020/releases/january-01.php.
McIntyre, Hugh. “BTS's 'Map Of The Soul: 7' Is The Only Album To Actually Sell Half A Million Copies In The U.S. This Year.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 9 July 2020, www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2020/07/09/btss-map-of-the-soul-7-is-the-only-album-to-actually-sell-half-a-million-copies-in-the-us-this-year/?sh=3b9d86e84ebb.
Sisario, Ben. “Big Sean Ends Taylor Swift's Reign on Album Chart.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 14 Sept. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/09/14/arts/music/big-sean-detroit-2-billboard.html.
Sisario, Ben. DaBaby Unseats the Weeknd at No. 1. 27 Apr. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/04/27/arts/music/dababy-billboard.html.
Sisario, Ben. “The Weeknd's 'After Hours' Earns the Year's Biggest Debut Week.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 30 Mar. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/03/30/arts/music/the-weeknd-after-hours-billboard.html.
Staff. “Metallica's 'S&M2' Debuts In Top 5 On Billboard Chart.” KBPA - Austin, TX, 10 Sept. 2020, www.1035bobfm.com/2020/09/10/metallicas-sm2-debuts-in-top-5-on-billboard-chart/.
Willman, Chris. “BTS' 'BE' Easily Conquers Album Chart; Megan Thee Stallion in at No. 2.” Variety, Variety, 30 Nov. 2020, variety.com/2020/music/news/bts-be-album-chart-number-one-megan-thee-stallion-good-news-1234842363/.
Willman, Chris. Lady Gaga's 'Chromatica' Tops Album Chart, as Jimmy Buffett Has Surprise Second-Place Finish. 9 June 2020, variety.com/2020/music/news/lady-gaga-chromatica-album-chart-top-jimmy-buffett-1234629407/.
