Billboard Decade-End is a series ofmusic charts reflecting the most popular artists, albums, and songs in theUnited States throughout a decade.[1]Billboard first published their first decade-end rankings in December 1970, listing the artists with the most number ones of the 1960s.The Beatles was named the TopPop LP Artist of the Decade and the TopPop Singles Artist of the Decade. In the 1980s,Billboard decade-end rankings were based on the magazine reader's votes, withMadonna becoming the Pop Artist of the Decade. In December 1999,Billboard published decade-end lists based on statistical performances on weeklyBillboard charts, withMariah Carey being dubbed the Pop Artist of Decade. Other artists receiving the honor in the following decades areEminem (2000s) andDrake (2010s).
Category | LP Artist of the Decade | Singles Artist of the Decade |
---|---|---|
Pop | The Beatles | The Beatles |
Country | Buck Owens | Buck Owens |
Soul | The Temptations | James Brown |
In December 1989,Billboard published their lists of most popular artists, albums, and songs of the 1980s decade in various genres. The magazine readers submitted their votes through the December 23, 1989 edition of the magazine. A trophy was given to the winner of each categories.[3] At the 55th anniversary of theBillboard Hot 100 in 2013,Billboard retrospectively named Madonna the Artist of the 1980s based on the chart performance during the decade.[4] In 2019,Billboard also named "Physical" byOlivia Newton-John as the Top Song of the 1980s based on an inverse point system on the Hot 100 chart.[5]
Category | Artist of the Decade | Album of the Decade | Single of the Decade |
---|---|---|---|
Pop | Madonna | Thriller byMichael Jackson | "Every Breath You Take" byThe Police |
Dance | Madonna | — | "Into the Groove" byMadonna |
Black | Michael Jackson | Thriller byMichael Jackson | "Billie Jean" byMichael Jackson |
Adult Contemporary | Lionel Richie | — | "That's What Friends Are For" byDionne Warwick & friends |
Gospel | Amy Grant | Age to Age byAmy Grant | — |
Jazz | Kenny G | Duotones byKenny G | — |
Country | Alabama | Always & Forever byRandy Travis | "Always on My Mind" byWillie Nelson |
Classical | Luciano Pavarotti | Horowitz in Moscow byVladimir Horowitz | — |
Mariah Carey accepted the trophy during the ceremony of the1999Billboard Music Awards held on December 8, 1999.[6][7] In 2013,Billboard retrospectively named Carey theHot 100 Artist of the 1990s based on the chart performance of her singles throughout the decade.[4] "One Sweet Day", a duet byMariah Carey andBoyz II Men, was named the Pop Single of the 1990s in the original issue. However,Billboard later published another two lists of top songs of the 1990s using different calculation, with "How Do I Live" byLeAnn Rimes topping the 2014 version and "Smooth" bySantana featuringRob Thomas topping the 2019 version.[8][9][10]
Category | Artist of the Decade | Album of the Decade | Single of the Decade |
---|---|---|---|
Pop | Mariah Carey | Jagged Little Pill byAlanis Morissette | "One Sweet Day" byMariah Carey andBoyz II Men |
R&B/Hip-hop | Mariah Carey | — | — |
Country | Garth Brooks | — | — |
Latin | Selena | — | — |
Eminem never accepted the trophy of the Artist of the Decade from theBillboard Music Awards due to the absence of the ceremony between 2007 and 2010.[12][13]
Drake accepted the trophy during the ceremony of the2021Billboard Music Awards held on May 23, 2021.[15]
Category | Artist of the Decade | Album of the Decade | Song of the Decade |
---|---|---|---|
Overall | Drake | — | — |
Hot 100 | — | — | "Uptown Funk" byMark Ronson featuringBruno Mars |
Billboard 200 | — | 21 byAdele | — |
Streaming | — | — | "Gangnam Style" byPsy |
Radio | — | — | "Shape of You" byEd Sheeran |
Digital Songs | — | — | "Perfect" byEd Sheeran |
Social 50 | Justin Bieber | — | — |
Country | Luke Bryan | Traveller byChris Stapleton | "Meant to Be" byBebe Rexha andFlorida Georgia Line |
Rock | Imagine Dragons | Blurryface byTwenty One Pilots | "Believer" byImagine Dragons |
R&B/Hip-Hop | Drake | Take Care byDrake | "Thrift Shop" byMacklemore & Ryan Lewis featuringWanz |
Latin | Romeo Santos | Formula, Vol. 2 byRomeo Santos | "Despacito" byLuis Fonsi andDaddy Yankee featuringJustin Bieber |
Christian | MercyMe | How Can It Be byLauren Daigle | "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" byHillsong United |
Gospel | Tasha Cobbs Leonard | Best Days byTamela Mann | "Every Praise" byHezekiah Walker |
Dance/Electronic | The Chainsmokers | The Fame byLady Gaga | "Happier" byMarshmello andBastille |
Touring | U2 | — | — |