INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE  ·  EST. 2019
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2026Press DeskSubscribe
VOL. 8 · MUSIC · ENTERTAINMENT · CELEBRITIES · BUSINESS
AUTHORITY
DAILY
— The Magazine of Music & Culture —
— Year-End Charts —

The Best-Selling Albums and Songs of 2018

Drake swept all three artist categories — combined, albums and singles — the only clean sweep of the decade.

Artists of the Year

Top ArtistDrakeCombined albums + singles performance
Top Albums ArtistDrake
Top Singles ArtistDrake

Top 10 Albums of 2018 Billboard 200

  1. 1ReputationTaylor Swift
  2. 2ScorpionDrake
  3. 3Beerbongs & BentleysPost Malone
  4. 4The Greatest ShowmanSoundtrack
  5. 5÷ (Divide)Ed Sheeran
  6. 6Invasion of PrivacyCardi B
  7. 7AstroworldTravis Scott
  8. 8StoneyPost Malone
  9. 9?XXXTentacion
  10. 10Culture IIMigos

Top 10 Songs of 2018 Hot 100

  1. 1God’s PlanDrake
  2. 2PerfectEd Sheeran
  3. 3Meant to BeBebe Rexha ft. Florida Georgia Line
  4. 4HavanaCamila Cabello ft. Young Thug
  5. 5RockstarPost Malone ft. 21 Savage
  6. 6PsychoPost Malone ft. Ty Dolla $ign
  7. 7I Like ItCardi B, Bad Bunny and J Balvin
  8. 8The MiddleZedd, Maren Morris and Grey
  9. 9In My FeelingsDrake
  10. 10Girls Like YouMaroon 5 ft. Cardi B

What the 2018 Charts Show

  • Drake swept all three artist titles in 2018: combined, albums and singles.
  • Post Malone placed 2 albums inside the year-end top 10 — a share of the chart almost nobody manages.
  • 2 albums held their top-10 places from 2017: ÷ (Divide) and Stoney — the streaming era’s long tail at work.

How the 2018 charts were compiled

Every position here is a chart placement — measured sales, radio airplay and streaming across Billboard’s tracking year — not an editorial ranking. Albums come from the year-end Billboard 200, songs from the year-end Hot 100.

Billboard’s tracking year runs from roughly late October to mid-October rather than January to December, which is why a late-autumn release can win the following year and why a song can appear on two consecutive year-end lists.

Liner Notes

The stories behind the music, every week.

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