This is a series that will attempt to Sport(ify) music by creating a 5 member All-Pro/All League/All Star team (Sort of like the NBA first team all-stars) for each year in Music starting with 1964. It will rely heavily on Top 20 Hits from the year but also take into account Concert Tours, Music awards, Music Videos (MTV Crowd-You Tube), TV, Films, Pop Culture etc…..
2023
Taylor Swift – 11 top ten hits including KARMA
Drake – 10 top ten hits including SEARCH RESCUE
Morgan Wallen - – 5 top ten hits – a county singer? What
Bad Bunny – 4 top ten hits including WHERE SHE GO
Ice Spice – 4 top ten hits including PRINCESS DIANA
The last couple years did not go the way I anticipated – I am not sure how the Top hits are being processed. I just find it hard to believe that Drake had 36 top ten hits in around the last 3 years and I can't name one and I do listen to Iheart radio sometimes. A book that I had from 2003 indicated Elvis had 36 top 10 hits all-time. How Drake was able to do it in around 3 years is beyond me. The only hit I recognize from Taylor Swift the last 2 years was "Antihero" (if that is the name) not sure how she had 11 last year.
Since 2020, I got all my information from Wikipedia Billboard top ten singles. there is nothing in print form any more.
Something is going on that I don't understand - just from 2012 to 2017 according to Wikipedia the most top 10 hits by any artist was:
2012: 5
2013: 4
2014: 4
2015: 5
2016: 5
2017: 4
Those numbers seem high compared from 10, 20, 40 years ago but compared to the last 4 years they are low - the most top 10 hits by any artist::
2020: 7
2021: 13
2022: 13 (with number 2 at 11)
2023 11 (with number 2 at 10)
Something is going on that I don't understand, in the way hit music is being consumed. I don't think it is because I am old. But maybe. I guess it is based on how music is delivered to the consumer. If you are not on one of those pathways/platforms, you will never hear this stuff. Like I haven't.
I guess there has to be someone somewhere (a 13 year old?) who can name all 21 top 10 hits that Taylor Swift and Drake had in 2023. I can't.
added notes:
Where is Doja Cat I swore she had every song on the radio yet she only had 1 top ten hit in 2020, 1 in 2021, and 3 in 2022. I thought Dua Lipa would have also appeared but she only had 1 top ten hit in 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Never had a number one. I swore she would have been on this list one of those years. Also Missing - One Republic who I thought would have been on the list at least one year.
1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 |
The Beatles | The Beatles | The Beatles | The Beatles | The Beatles | 5th Dimension |
4 Seasons | Supremes | Rolling Stones | Monkees | Gary Pucket | 3 Dog Night |
Supremes | Rolling Stones | Frank Sinatra | Supremes | Simon & Garfunkel | Elvis Presley |
Bobby Vinton | Herman Hermits | Beach Boys | Rascals | Aretha Franklin | The Beatles |
Johnny Rivers | Byrds | Monkees | The Doors | Supremes | Rolling Stones |
1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 |
Jackson 5 | Osmonds | 3 Dog Night | Stevie Wonder | Elton John | John Denver |
The Beatles | Marvin Gaye | Michael Jackson | Elton John | John Denver | Elton John |
Simon & Garfunkel | Temptations | 5th Dimension | Paul Simon | Newton John | Eagles |
3 Dog Night | Jackson 5 | Don McLean | Wings | Wings | Sunshine Band |
Guess Who | 3 Dog Night | Moody Blues | Rolling Stones | Chicago | Starship |
1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 |
Captain Tennille | Fleetwood Mac | Bee Gees | Donna Summer | Blondie | Hall Oates |
Elton John | Eagles | Newton John | Bee Gees | Queen | Rolling Stones |
Aerosmith | Foreigner | Andy Gibb | Michael Jackson | Newton John | Rick Springfield |
Wings | Sunshine Band | Rolling Stones | Commadores | Diana Ross | Journey |
4 Seasons | B. Manilow | Billy Joel | Earth Wind Fire | Kenny Rogers | Foreigner |
1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 |
Stevie Wonder | Michael Jackson | Prince | Madonna | Madonna | Michael Jackson |
Paul McCarthy | Duran Duran | Cindy Lauper | Springsteen | Janet Jackson | Whit Houston |
Journey | Lionel Richie | Duran Duran | Phil Collins | Genesis | George Michael |
J Geils Band | Police | Madonna | Whit. Houston | Billy Ocean | Madonna |
Newton John | David Bowie | Michael Jackson | Billy Ocean | Prince | U2 |
1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 |
George Michael | New Kids Block | Janet Jackson | Mariah Carey | BoyzIIMen | Mariah Carey |
Michael Jackson | Madonna | Madonna | Paula Abdul | En Vogue | Paula Abdul |
Gun&Roses | Paula Abdul | MC Hammer | Whit Houston | Madonna | Whit Houston |
Bon Jovi | Bon Jovi | Bon Jovi | Bryan Adams | Whit Houston | Duran Duran |
Def Leppard | Milli Vanilli | Wilson Phillips | George Michael | Michael Jackson | AeroSmith |
1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
Mariah Carey | TLC | A Morrisette | Spice Girls | Celine Dion | C Aguilera |
BoyzIIMen | Mariah Carey | LL Cool J | Puffy Daddy | Monica | TLC |
Madonna | BoyzIIMen | Gin Blossoms | Backstreet Boys | Will Smith | Backstreet Boys |
Janet Jackson | Janet Jackson | Jewel | Notorious BIG | Spice Girls | Mariah Carey |
Pearl Jam | Michael Jackson | Keith Sweat | Elton John | N Sync | Brittany Spears |
2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 |
Destiny Child | Destiny Child | Ashanti | 50 Cent | Usher | Kelly Clarkson |
Brittany Spears | Usher | Ja Rule | Jay Z | Destiny Child | Black Eye Peas |
N Sync | Jennifer Lopez | Nelly | Beyonce | Beyonce | Mariah Carey |
C Aguilera | Jagged Edge | Eminem | Outcast | Maroon 5 | 50 Cent |
Jennifer Lopez | Janet Jackson | Jennifer Lopez | Sean Paul | Ciara | Gwen Stefani |
2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
Beyonce | J. Timberlake | Taylor Swift | Lady Gage | Rihanna | Rihanna |
J. Timberlake | Fergie | Chris Brown | Black Eye Peas | Katy Perry | Bruno Mars |
Fergie | Rihanna | Rihanna | Miley Cyrus | Kei$ha | Adele |
Chris Brown | T Pain | Lil Wayne | Flo Ride | Taylor Swift | Katy Perry |
Nelly Furtado | Maroon 5 | Beyonce | Taylor Swift | Tiao Cruz | Brittany Spears |
2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
Taylor Swift | Robin Thicke | Taylor Swift | The Weeknd | Justin Bieber | Ed Sheeren |
Katy Perry | Eminem | Ariana Grande | Taylor Swift | Rihanna | Taylor Swift |
Adele | Katy Perry | Iggy Azzala | One Direction | Chainsmokers | Post Malone |
Gotye | Miley Cyrus | Meghan Trainor | Adele | 21 Pilots | Weeknd |
Carly Rae Jepsen | Lorde | Pharrell Williams | Wiz Khalifa | Selena Gomez | Imagine Dragons |
2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
Drake | Post Malone | Drake | Drake | Drake | Taylor Swift |
Lil Wayne | Ariana Grande | Justin Bieber | J Cole | Taylor Swift | Drake |
Ariana Grande | Taylor Swift | Ariana Grande | Justin Bieber | 21 Savage | Morgan Wallen |
Camilla Cabello | Jonas Brothers | Taylor Swift | Olivia Rodrigo | Future | Bad Bunny |
Eminem | Nas X | The Weeknd | The Weeknd | Lil Baby | Ice Spice |
