Which 2020s Album Eras Produced the Biggest and Most Hits?

Album eras are usually remembered through their singles: the songs that break out everywhere, stick around, and make a project feel bigger than its first week. This ranking measures that kind of impact by totaling the points earned by all tracks from each era that charted on the Spotify/Billboard Global 200.

It is not a replacement for broader "total activity" lists that also capture pure album sales and the long-tail streams of deep cuts. Those metrics reflect consumption, fandom, and revenue. This one asks a narrower question: which albums produced the biggest global hit runs?

Methodology

• Albums must have been released on or after January 1, 2020. Pre-release single runs count toward the era's total, but only from October 1, 2019 forward.
• The ranking uses raw inverse-point totals from Spotify/Billboard Global 200 chart performance. Tracks are attached to an album era only where official chart treatment supports the merge, including eligible deluxe editions.
• Compilation-style releases are excluded (greatest-hits/anthologies, etc.).
• An album era needs at least 2 chart hits to qualify, defined here as songs with at least 1.0K points when rounded. Four albums are excluded due to that rule.

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#20. Jung Kook - 'GOLDEN' (2023) — 15.9K

Released on November 3, 2023, GOLDEN established Jung Kook as a full-scale solo global hitmaker. "Seven" did most of the lifting, debuting at #1, holding for 7 straight weeks, and spending 21 weeks in the top 10. "Standing Next to You" and "3D" then gave the era enough follow-through to secure a top-20 finish here.

In total, the era had 3 chart hits.

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#19. Teddy Swims - 'I've Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1)' (2023) — 18.3K

Released on September 15, 2023, I've Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1) is still overwhelmingly defined by "Lose Control," but the scale of that run is what makes the album competitive here. The song peaked at #4, spent 29 weeks in the top 10, then another 58 weeks at #11-20, giving it an extraordinary 87-week top-20 run. "The Door" kept the project from being a pure one-song case, peaking at #31 and adding 30 weeks in the top 50.

At the 2025 GRAMMYs, Teddy Swims was nominated for Best New Artist.

In total, the era had 2 chart hits.

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#18. Taylor Swift - 'Midnights' (2022) — 18.3K

Released on October 21, 2022, Midnights turned an event-level opening into a durable singles campaign. "Anti-Hero" led with 4 weeks at #1 and 14 weeks in the top 10, while "Lavender Haze" and "Karma" (feat. Ice Spice) kept the era active well beyond launch week. "Snow On The Beach" and "Midnight Rain" also cleared the cutoff, giving the album depth beyond its core singles.

At the 2024 GRAMMYs, Midnights won Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album.

In total, the era had 5 chart hits.

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#17. Justin Bieber - 'Justice' (2021) — 18.7K

Released on March 19, 2021, Justice rolled out in waves across radio and streaming. It started with "Holy" in September 2020, then "Lonely" later that year, followed by "Anyone" to keep things moving into 2021. "Hold On" set the stage for "Peaches," which became the era's biggest breakout and its first #1 hit. Final single "Ghost" kept the run going into early 2022 and helped make this one of Bieber's deepest singles eras.

At the 2022 GRAMMYs, Justice was nominated for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album.

In total, the era had 6 chart hits.

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#16. SZA - 'SOS' (2022) — 20.6K

Released on December 9, 2022, SOS hit like a blockbuster and then just kept going, with the LANA expansion at the end of 2024 giving it another jolt. "Kill Bill" was the defining hit, reaching #1 and spending 21 weeks in the top 10 across late 2022 and 2023. Around it, "Good Days" (2020), "I Hate U" (2021), "Snooze" (2022), and "Saturn" (2024) kept the era present across multiple chart years.

At the 2024 GRAMMYs, SOS won Best Progressive R&B Album, and "Kill Bill" was nominated for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

In total, the era had 4 chart hits.

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#15. Lil Nas X - 'MONTERO' (2021) — 21.1K

Released on September 17, 2021, MONTERO was powered by a run of big, headline-grabbing singles. "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)" kicked the era off as a cultural flashpoint, "INDUSTRY BABY" turned it into a longer mainstream peak, and "THATS WHAT I WANT" gave it a third pillar that carried through 2022.

At the 2022 GRAMMYs, MONTERO was nominated for Album of the Year, while "INDUSTRY BABY" and "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)" earned major nominations across rap and general-field categories.

In total, the era had 3 chart hits.

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#14. Taylor Swift - 'The Life Of A Showgirl' (2025) — 21.2K

Released on October 3, 2025, The Life Of A Showgirl turned a huge opening into immediate chart depth. "The Fate Of Ophelia" emerged as the defining hit, "Opalite" supplied a strong second wave, and album tracks like "Elizabeth Taylor" and "Father Figure" added meaningful support. For a release this recent, the breadth is what stands out.

As of March 2026, the era has not yet been through a full GRAMMY cycle, so major nominations and wins remain to be seen.

In total, the era had 4 chart hits.

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#13. The Kid LAROI - 'F*CK LOVE 3+: OVER YOU' (2021) — 23.5K

Released on July 27, 2021, F*CK LOVE 3+: OVER YOU is one of the clearest examples here of a massive era built on just two songs. "STAY" accounts for most of the total, spending 11 weeks at #1, 43 weeks in the top 10, and currently ranks #7 on the Biggest Global Chart Hits of the 2020s ranking. "WITHOUT YOU" gave the project a real second hit, but this placement is mostly about how enormous "STAY" was.

In total, the era had 2 chart hits.

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#12. Bad Bunny - 'DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS' (2025) — 24.7K

Released on January 5, 2025, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS ranks this high because it kept producing meaningful songs rather than leaning on one runaway single. "DtMF" led the era with 5 weeks at #1 and 13 weeks in the top 10, while "BAILE INoLVIDABLE," "NUEVAYoL," and "EoO" helped give it one of the broadest supporting casts anywhere on this list.

At the 2026 GRAMMYs, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS won both Album of the Year and Best Música Urbana Album. "DtMF" was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year, while "EoO" won Best Global Music Performance.

Bad Bunny's 2026 Super Bowl halftime show pulled the era back into the spotlight, adding late points and lifting its final score here.

In total, the era had 6 chart hits.

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#11. Benson Boone - 'Fireworks & Rollerblades' (2024) — 25.3K

Released on April 5, 2024, Fireworks & Rollerblades leans heavily on "Beautiful Things," and that one song is enough to carry it this high. It spent 7 weeks at #1, 58 weeks in the top 10, and currently ranks #3 on the Biggest Global Chart Hits of the 2020s ranking. "Slow It Down" was modest by comparison, but it provided the second qualifying hit needed to give the album real depth here.

At the 2025 GRAMMYs, Benson Boone was nominated for Best New Artist.

In total, the era had 2 chart hits.

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#10. Ed Sheeran - 'Equals' (2021) — 27.5K

Released on October 29, 2021, Equals is a relatively narrow era, but both of its main singles were huge. "Bad Habits" powered the campaign with a #1 peak and 30 weeks in the top 10, while "Shivers" nearly matched it, peaking at #3 and lasting 31 weeks in the top 10. That one-two punch is enough to keep the album narrowly in the top 10.

At the 2022 GRAMMYs, "Bad Habits" was nominated for Song of the Year.

In total, the era had 2 chart hits.

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#9. Harry Styles - 'Harry's House' (2022) — 27.5K

Released on May 20, 2022, Harry's House arrived with "As It Was" already looking like one of the defining songs of the decade. Released April 1, 2022, it debuted at #1, stayed there for 15 weeks, spent 41 weeks in the top 10, and currently ranks #5 on the Biggest Global Chart Hits of the 2020s ranking. "Late Night Talking" was far smaller, but a #2 peak and 2 weeks in the top 10 were enough to give the era a credible second hit.

At the 2023 GRAMMYs, Harry's House won Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album, while "As It Was" landed major nominations including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

In total, the era had 2 chart hits.

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#8. Olivia Rodrigo - 'SOUR' (2021) — 27.9K

Released on May 21, 2021, SOUR turned Olivia Rodrigo's breakout into a genuine multi-hit campaign. "drivers license" opened the run with 8 weeks at #1, while "good 4 u" ultimately finished as the era's biggest points-scorer after debuting at #1 and spending 6 weeks on top. With "deja vu" and "traitor" also clearing the bar, the album stands as the strongest debut hit run of the decade.

At the 2022 GRAMMYs, SOUR won Best Pop Vocal Album, Rodrigo won Best New Artist, and "drivers license" won Best Pop Solo Performance.

In total, the era had 4 chart hits.

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#7. Lady Gaga - 'MAYHEM' (2025) — 31.8K

Released on March 7, 2025, MAYHEM is built around one of the decade's biggest songs. "Die With A Smile," released in August 2024 ahead of the album, spent 18 weeks at #1 and 62 weeks in the top 10, making it the #2 song on the Biggest Global Chart Hits of the 2020s ranking (for the direct head-to-head with "Blinding Lights," see Blinding Lights vs. Die With A Smile). "Abracadabra" then gave the era a real second pillar, peaking at #5 and spending 8 weeks in the top 10.

At the 2025 GRAMMYs, "Die With A Smile" won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and was nominated for Song of the Year; at the 2026 GRAMMYs, MAYHEM won Best Pop Vocal Album and "Abracadabra" won Best Dance Pop Recording while also earning a Song of the Year nomination.

In total, the era had 2 chart hits.

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#6. Sabrina Carpenter - 'Short n' Sweet' (2024) — 33.7K

Released on August 23, 2024, Short n' Sweet was the moment Sabrina Carpenter became a true global hitmaker. "Espresso" triggered the breakout, reaching #1 for 3 weeks and spending 33 weeks in the top 10. "Please Please Please" followed with another #1 and 18 top-10 weeks, while "Taste" and "Bed Chem" rounded the era into one of the deepest recent pop runs.

At the 2025 GRAMMYs, Carpenter won Best Pop Vocal Album for Short n' Sweet and Best Pop Solo Performance for "Espresso," with nominations across all four general-field categories.

In total, the era had 4 chart hits.

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#5. Billie Eilish - 'HIT ME HARD AND SOFT' (2024) — 33.8K

Released on May 17, 2024, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT opened with "LUNCH," but "BIRDS OF A FEATHER" quickly became the clear centerpiece. That song reached #1 for 3 weeks, spent 58 weeks in the top 10, and currently ranks #4 on the Biggest Global Chart Hits of the 2020s ranking. "WILDFLOWER" then emerged as a major second hit, which is what pushes the album comfortably into the top five.

At the 2025 GRAMMYs, both HIT ME HARD AND SOFT and "BIRDS OF A FEATHER" were nominated in major general-field categories. At the 2026 GRAMMYs, "WILDFLOWER" won Song of the Year and was also nominated for Record of the Year.

In total, the era had 4 chart hits.

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#4. Dua Lipa - 'Future Nostalgia' (2020) — 36.6K

Released on March 27, 2020, Future Nostalgia is one of the decade's most complete pop campaigns, and the later Moonlight Edition helped keep it active well into 2021. "Levitating" finished as the top scorer after peaking at #2 and spending 32 weeks in the top 10, while "Don't Start Now" matched that scale with a #2 peak and 33 top-10 weeks, including its late-2019 pre-release run. That combination, plus further support from "Physical," "Break My Heart," and "Un Dia (One Day)," makes this one of the deepest eras in the ranking.

At the 2021 GRAMMYs, Future Nostalgia won Best Pop Vocal Album and was nominated for Album of the Year, while "Don't Start Now" earned Record of the Year and Song of the Year nominations.

In total, the era had 5 chart hits.

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#3. KPop Demon Hunters Cast - 'KPop Demon Hunters (Soundtrack)' (2025) — 40.8K

Released in June 2025, KPop Demon Hunters arrived as a Netflix animated musical about a fictional K-pop trio, HUNTR/X, who fight demons when they're not on stage. The soundtrack is written like a proper movie-musical set of set pieces: "Golden" is the big mission-statement number, while "Soda Pop" and "Your Idol" introduce their supernatural rivals, the Saja Boys.

It also turned into a chart monster almost immediately. "Golden" surged to #1 for 18 weeks and spent 34 weeks in the top 10, while "Soda Pop" and "Your Idol" both peaked at #3, spending 17 and 15 weeks in the top 10, respectively.

At the 2026 GRAMMYs, "Golden" was nominated for Song of the Year, confirming the soundtrack's crossover impact.

In total, the era had 7 chart hits.

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#2. Bad Bunny - 'Un Verano Sin Ti' (2022) — 42.8K

Released on May 6, 2022, Un Verano Sin Ti is the clearest depth-driven entry on the list. Its top song accounts for less than a quarter of the era's total, the smallest leading-share of any album here, because the points are spread across 10 qualifying hits.

For most of the cycle, "Me Porto Bonito" was the era's biggest song, but a post-Super Bowl lift in 2026 pushed "Tití Me Preguntó" slightly ahead in this update. "Tití" never reached #1, but it spent 8 weeks at its #4 peak and 27 weeks in the top 10, while "Me Porto Bonito" peaked at #2 for 2 weeks and spent 24 weeks in the top 10.

At the 2023 GRAMMYs, Un Verano Sin Ti was nominated for Album of the Year and Best Música Urbana Album.

In total, the era had 10 chart hits, the most of any album on the Biggest Global Chart Hits of the 2020s ranking.

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#1. The Weeknd - 'After Hours' (2020) — 60.1K

Released on March 20, 2020, After Hours is the top album era this decade.

The run opened with "Heartless" in November 2019. It hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and had a solid chart run in the US, but globally it spent just one week in the top 10 before the next single overtook it.

That next single, "Blinding Lights," arrived only two days after "Heartless" and became the real engine of the era. It was a global breakout, spending 13 weeks at #1 and 65 weeks in the top 10. Its run was so extraordinary that it became the biggest hit of all time on the Billboard Hot 100, and it currently ranks #1 on the Biggest Global Chart Hits of the 2020s ranking. (For a direct comparison with decade runner-up "Die With A Smile," see Blinding Lights vs. Die With A Smile).

"Blinding Lights" largely overshadowed the next single, "In Your Eyes," in 2020, and the After Hours era did not regain momentum until "Save Your Tears" was pushed as a single at the end of the year and then boosted further by The Weeknd's Super Bowl performance in February 2021.

"Save Your Tears" had already spent a healthy stretch in the top 10 in early 2021 as a solo single before the Ariana Grande remix launched it to #1 and kept it parked in the top 10 for months. It spent 35 weeks total in the top 10, with points still accruing through 2022, and currently ranks #6 on the Biggest Global Chart Hits of the 2020s ranking. It is also the decade's biggest long-tail hit, with the most points earned outside the top 10 of any song that has ever charted.

Despite that dominance, The Weeknd received no nominations at the 2021 GRAMMYs, a snub that became one of the decade's biggest awards controversies.

In total, the era had 4 chart hits. While that's lower than the previous two album eras on this list, the sheer dominance of "Blinding Lights" and "Save Your Tears" was enough to push After Hours to the top spot — and by a wide margin.

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Runner-Ups (Just Outside the Top 20)

Two more contenders just missed the top 20:

• #21. BTS - BE (2020): 15.6K
  Nearly all of the total comes from "Dynamite" (14.2K), with smaller support from "Life Goes On," "Blue & Grey," "Stay," "Fly To My Room," "Telepathy," and "Dis-ease."
• #22. Doja Cat - Planet Her (2021): 15.4K
  Built on a strong three-hit core: "Kiss Me More" (7.7K), "Woman" (3.0K), and "Need To Know" (2.9K), plus smaller contributions from "You Right," "Ain't Shit," and "Get Into It (Yuh)."