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Chart Beat
Breaking Down Billboard Canada's Year-End 2024 Charts
Breaking down the year in charts, from Shaboozey's historic run on the Canadian Hot 100 to the ongoing popularity of Punjabi music, from Drake and Kendrick's beef to Canadian artists breakthroughs.
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It's been an eventful year for music in Canada. Shaboozey set a record on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100, turning his crossover country hit "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" into the longest-running No. 1 since the chart's inception in 2007. Taylor Swift rode a wave of momentum from her massive Eras Tour (which finished its two-year run in Canada this month) to chart dominance. And a new wave of pop singers made a big splash.
Here in Canada, meanwhile, a number of homegrown artists also found their way onto the year-end charts. A few artists, like Tate McRae, established themselves as mainstay A-listers, while other breakouts, like LU KALA, started their path to glory. At the same time, some big Canadian favourites, like Sum 41 and Celine Dion, found themselves back on the charts with big comebacks.
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Billboard Canada has just published year-end versions of multiple charts: the Canadian Hot 100, Canadian Albums, Top Artists (which combines data from both), Canadian Airplay, Canadian Streaming and Canadian Digital Song Sales.
Each one tells a story about the Canadian music landscape in 2024. Explore them all below, then read our breakdowns of the biggest chart trends of the year.
Explore All of Billboard Canada’s 2024 Year-End Charts
Shaboozey Rules the Hot 100
It's no big surprise to see who tops the year-end Billboard Canadian Hot 100 chart. Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” broke the record for longest-leading No. 1 hit this year, surpassing Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” for 20 weeks at the top and then extending the record to 25 weeks at No. 1. He set a similar record on the U.S. Hot 100, but did it in Canada first and for longer (on the U.S. Year-End Hot 100, "Tipsy" finishes second behind "Lose Control" by Teddy Swims.)
Billboard Canadapresented him with a plaque for his No. 1 achievement at Toronto’s Danforth Music Hall in September, and he triumphantly showed why the song was so impactful. The Virginia artist played “Tipsy” three times in a row, bringing together a cup-raising crowd of country, pop and hip-hop fans in its union of drinking song bliss: “everybody in the bar getting tipsy.”
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Shaboozey isn’t new to music, but he rose to prominence as a featured guest on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter. Beyoncé still has starmaking power, and her mission to highlight Black country artists clearly worked – so much that Shaboozey’s hit finished at No. 1 while “Texas Hold ‘Em” finished at No. 25 on the Canadian Hot 100.
A big part of Shaboozey’s ascent came from radio play, so it is somewhat surprising to see his hit only at No. 7 on the year-end Canadian Hot 100 Airplay chart. On that chart, No. 1 belongs to Teddy Swims and “Lose Control” (No. 3 on the Canadian Hot 100 year-end chart). But “Tipsy” is at No. 1 on two other key Canadian charts: Streaming Songs and Digital Song Sales. Online, where genre and format matter less, everybody in Canada spent 2024 getting tipsy.
Drake vs. Kendrick Feud Spills Onto the Charts
The biggest music story of the year was Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar. It ruled online discourse, from concerts to basketball to even Chinese food. But what about the charts?
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If one song can be declared the winner, it’s “Not Like Us.” Even in Canada, where you could argue some of the sentiment directed at the country (or at least Drake’s hometown, Toronto), Kendrick’s irresistible diss track charted the highest. The song sits at No. 11 on the year-end Canadian Hot 100 and No. 11 on the year-end Streaming Songs chart. That chart success comes with some controversy, with Drake launching legal actions to accuse Universal Music Group, iHeartRadio and Spotify of conspiring to inflate the numbers. But the song was a bona fide hit.
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Diss tracks account for all of Kendrick Lamar’s biggest hits on the year-end charts. To be fair, the songs on his new album GNX came out too late to qualify. But his hits of 2024 until that point are all firmly directed at Drake. “Like That,” his song with Metro Boomin and Future that ignited the feud with Kendrick’s “fuck the big three / it’s just big me” line, sits at No. 32 on the Canadian Hot 100. “Euphoria,” the song that namedrops Toronto’s New Ho King restaurant and skewers Toronto slang, is at No. 81. When it comes to the Canadian Albums chart, though, perennial chart mainstay older albums DAMN. and good kid, m.A.A.d city make a good showing at No. 50 and 53 on the year-end version.
Drake’s biggest hits, meanwhile, have little to do with his Kendrick beef. “IDGAF” with Yeat at No. 54 and “Rich Baby Daddy” with SZA & Sexyy Red at No. 67 and “First Person Shooter” with J. Cole at No. 75 are all from his 2023 album For All The Dogs.
Those songs are in the top 100 of the year-end Canadian Streaming Songs chart too, with one addition for Drake: his diss track “Family Matters” at No. 97. His other diss track “Push Ups” also fell just outside the top 100 at No. 102. But streaming where you can see Drake’s golden touch, untouchable by a mere rap beef. Within the full list of 418 songs that made up the year-end chart, Drake or songs he features on account for 29 of them.
And on the 2024 Artists chart for Canada? Drake is at No. 4 and Kendrick is at No. 17.
Big Canadian Comebacks
We’re calling it a comeback: this year, a handful of iconic Canadian acts made big resurgences on the charts and the stage.
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Pop-rockers Sum 41, who first broke out during the pop-punk wave of the early 2000s, announced that they’re calling it quits, but not before making some final noise. They released their final record this year, the double album Heaven :x: Hell, which peaked at No. 37 on the Canadian Albums chart.
The lead single from that album, the highly catchy “Landmines,” set a new chart record when it topped the Alternative Airplay chart this year for longest break between No. 1’s on that chart — 22 years, to be exact, since the band’s Alternative Airplay No. 1 with “Fat Lip” in 2001. Another single, “Dopamine,” also hit No. 1 on the same chart this year. The band is going out on top.
Speaking of on top: Celine Dion made headlines from great heights this year with a comeback performance from the Eiffel Tower, opening the Paris Olympics. The Quebec superstar hadn’t performed publicly in years, since before her diagnosis with the degenerative condition Stiff Person Syndrome. Channeling French icon Edith Piaf, Dion found the strength to make about as high-profile of a return to performance as can be, belting Piaf’s “L’Hymne a L’amour” across the Paris skyline.
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The stunning performance sent a major boost to both Dion and Piaf’s streaming numbers, and Dion’s version of “L’Hymne a L’amour” proved to be a digital download hit, coming in at No. 141 on the year-end Canada Digital Song Sales chart. The release of her documentary, I Am: Celine Dion, brought Celine back to the Canadian Albums chart, with the soundtrack — featuring many of her greatest hits — peaking at No. 68 there.
That same week that Celine re-entered the Canadian Albums chart, so did another Canadian pop queen: Avril Lavigne, whose Greatest Hits peaked at No. 71 on the chart. Lavigne earned big accolades this year for her accompanying tour, which included a hit performance at the U.K.’s Glastonbury festival. Oh, and she was named to the Order of Canada.
The Tragically Hip, meanwhile, celebrated their 40th anniversary as a band in multimedia style, releasing a docuseries No Dress Rehearsal that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, as well as a reissue of their 1989 debut Up To Here. That reissue brought the album back to the Canadian Albums chart at No. 46, while their greatest hits record, Yer Favourites, came in at No. 86 on the year-end Canadian Albums chart.
Ontario pop prince Shawn Mendes returned to stages and charts after a couple of years away. In 2022, he cancelled his Wonder World Tour in order to take care of his mental health — helping to establish a precedent of artist care that has seen artists like Clairo following suit since. This year, he came back with his fifth album, the folksy self-titled Shawn. Though the record didn’t recapture the peak of Mendes’ popularity — it’s his first not to top the Billboard 200 — single “Why Why Why” has spent 16 weeks on the Canadian Hot 100 so far and landing at No. 396 on the year-end streaming chart. Mendes himself is No. 196 on the artists list.
Tate McRae Joins Drake and The Weeknd as Chart Mainstays
Tate McRae is here to stay. The Calgary singer who first charted in 2020 with “You Broke Me First” had a massive international breakthrough in 2023 with her Canadian and Global No. 1 “Greedy.” For those who might have thought “Greedy” was a one-off, McRae looks poised to stick around on the charts and in the pop zeitgeist.
She’s not quite as big as this year’s top pop breakouts like Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan, but she’s got strong streaming numbers and a growing group of stans. McRae is at No. 14 on the year-end Artists chart, while her 2023 album Think Later is at No. 22 on the Canadian Albums year-end list. 2024 single “It’s Ok I’m Ok” is also at No. 137 on the streaming songs year-end chart, even though it came out shortly before the cut off date.
With a new album on the horizon and a world tour — including her first arena tour through multiple Canadian cities — Tate is looking like she’ll only continue to climb in 2025, making her the first new Canadian chart mainstay to join Drake and The Weeknd in nearly a decade, since Shawn Mendes’ breakthrough. As Mendes looks to be settling into a smaller career reach, Tate is carrying on the flame.
Quebec Artists Break Through
Quebec’s music scene made waves on the Billboard Canada year-end charts in 2024, thanks to the immense success of both established artists and rising stars.
Les Cowboys Fringants, one of Quebec's most beloved folk rock bands, saw a powerful resurgence following the death of lead singer Karl Tremblay in 2023. The group released their surprise full-length Pub Royal to strong streaming numbers, with several of the album’s tracks placing in the top 400 of the year-end Canada Streaming Titles chart. Pub Royal peaked at No. 3 on the Canadian Albums chart, and won the group a pair of awards at Quebec’s ADISQ Gala.
Their heartfelt tracks, like “Sur mon épaule” and “Les étoiles filantes,” captivated listeners, propelling them to major chart positions. The emotional weight of their music resonated deeply with fans, catapulting their legacy to new heights.
Charlotte Cardin, a shining star on the international scene, captivated global audiences with her haunting vocals and introspective style. In 2024, the same year she won Woman of the Year at Billboard Canada Women in Music, Cardin ranked at No. 59 on the Artists chart. She also charted two songs on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, with her songs “99 Nights” (No. 16) and “Confetti” (No. 38) heating up radio across the country a year after they were released on her breakthrough album 99 Nights. From intimate ballads to upbeat tracks, Charlotte’s infectious hooks and widespread appeal won the hearts of fans around the world, making her one of Quebec’s new most influential musical figures.
Zeina and Rêve also made significant marks on the charts. Zeina’s “Hooked” resonated deeply on the Airplay chart (No. 19), while Rêve’s “ContemporaryLove” hit No. 20 on the same chart. Both artists, blending R&B and electro-pop vibes, have built loyal fanbases across Canada, adding to Quebec's growing presence on the national stage.
In addition to these Quebec talents, Yseult, the Belgian singer who performs in French and has a big fanbase in the province, made a notable impact with strong chart placements, including No. 275 on the year-end Artists chart.
Canadian Radio Lifts Homegrown Pop Songs
LU KALA was Billboard Canada’s Rising Star of the year, and it’s easy to see why. The infectious pop singer was all over the charts, both in Canada and the U.S., and became a hot collaborator in the studio and behind the scenes for artists like Katy Perry and Latto.
Her empowering kiss-off anthem “Hotter Now” was her biggest breakthrough, landing at No. 90 on the year-end Billboard Canadian Hot 100 chart. That’s one of the highest for a Canadian artist, behind powerhouses like Drake, The Weeknd and Tate McRae. The song, with its so-memorable “you missed this booty ever since it bounced” refrain, was a radio favourite too, hitting No. 15 on the Canadian Airplay chart. And it hit No. 102 on Canadian Digital Song Sales. LU KALA herself, meanwhile, finished at 128 on the Artists chart.
The Canadian Hot 100 Airplay chart is filled with rising homegrown pop artists given a significant boost from Canadian Content rules on the local radio airwaves. Preston Pablo’s “Dance Alone” is at No. 22. Jamie Fine’s “you’re like” finishes at No. 40 and Mike Demero & Zagata’s “Take Me Away” is at No. 26. Those songs, with their digestible and hummable hooks, played in Ubers and grocery stores throughout the country and made their way onto quite a few playlists.
Country singer Josh Ross hit No. 50 on that chart with his 2023 hit “Ain’t Doin’ Jack” while his newer “Single Again” was the one that performed on the Digital Song Sales chart at No. 123. Ross and the up-and-coming Ontario small-town hitmaker Owen Riegling hit the year-end Artists chart at No. 136 and No. 158, which maybe shouldn’t come as a surprise. Country artists dominated that chart, with American stars Morgan Wallen, Zach Bryan, Luke Combs and Post Malone all in the top 10. Canada clearly loves men singing about whiskey.
Punjabi Music’s Popularity in Canada Continues
Canada is a major worldwide market for the ever-growing Punjabi Wave, and Punjabi songs regularly chart in the country. The genre’s songs often debut stronger than they last throughout the year, which means they aren’t filling the very top spots of the year-end charts but Punjabi-Canadian artists are very well-represented when you dig a little deeper.
The B.C.-based Karan Aujla, who had a big year that saw him win the Fan Choice Award at the Junos and embark on his first arena tour, hit No. 163 on the Artists chart. “Tauba Tauba,” his first Bollywood single with a blockbuster video featuring star Vicky Kaushal, shows up at No. 212 on the year-end Streaming Songs chart.
AP Dhillon, who signed a big major label deal with Republic Records and played a much-talked-about set at Coachella, is No. 221 on the Artists chart, while the popular enigma Shubh lands at No. 193 while his song “King Shit” hits 224 on the Streaming Songs chart.
And two years after his tragic death, trailblazer Sidhu Moose Wala had a number of posthumous songs that landed in the latter end of the Streaming chart, including the anthemic “Drippy” at No. 236, whose chart debut became news in Canada, India and the U.K.
Global star Diljit Dosanjh also made history with the biggest Punjabi concert ever outside of India, at Vancouver's BC Place. Stay tuned to Billboard Canada in the coming days for more on this milestone achievement.
Anthemic Singer-Songwriters Belt Onto the Charts
This was a big year for boys who belt. Following Noah Kahan’s enormous 2023, in 2024, anthemic male singer-songwriters dominated the charts. Some are more clearly in Kahan’s folk mould, like this year’s Canadian chart first-timer, B.C. singer Cameron Whitcomb. Others like Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” (No. 3 on the year-end Canadian Hot 100) tap into soulful blues, and some are power-pop balladeers, like Canadian Alexander Stewart with “I Wish You Cheated,” No. 16 on the year-end Airplay chart. There’s also the darker, mournful belting of Irish songwriter Hozier, whose “Too Sweet” finished at No. 8 on the year-end Canadian Hot 100.
But they all share a tendency toward intense emoting at the top of their lungs. That trend could be boosted by TikTok, where belting boys like Max McNown have built followings through powerhouse covers that grab the attention on a busy app. Many of the belting boys also bear the influence of Christian rock and gospel, channeling the intensity of faith into cathartic music.
Case in point: this year’s biggest belter, Benson Boone. Boone’s “Beautiful Things” is the No. 2 song on the year-end Canadian Hot 100 and topped the chart for 9 weeks. Canadians are particularly into the belters — Boone, for example, peaked at No. 2 south of the border. Though pop girlies and rap beef dominated much of the music conversation this year, the belting boys were very loud on the charts.
Taylor Swift Takes Over Everything
It’s never a surprise to see Taylor Swift ruling the year-end charts, but her unprecedented Eras Tour – undoubtedly the highest-grossing of all time – has given her an extra boost this year as she finished it off in Canada, in Toronto and Vancouver in November and December. All of Taylor’s eras (or albums, if you’re old-fashioned) got a boost, which made her a lock for No. 1 on the Artists chart, which combines data from the Canadian Hot 100 and Canadian Albums chart.
On that latter chart, Swift holds four of the top 10 spots: The Tortured Poets Department at No. 1, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) at No. 4 and Lover and Midnights at No. 9 and 10.
As for songs, the immortal “Cruel Summer” lands the highest on the year-end Canadian Hot 100 at No. 14 (the same spot the song finished on the Streaming songs chart) – she’s a rare artist at the top whose albums are the driver more than singles at the moment – but she landed five of them in the top 100, including “Fortnight,” her collab with Post Malone, landing two spots lower at No. 16.
Beyoncé’s Country Success – and Success for Canadian Songwriters
Beyoncé made chart history this year. With her county album Cowboy Carter, she became the first Black woman to lead Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, and the third woman in Billboard’s chart history to notch over 100 Hot 100 titles. The album made a strong statement, highlighting Black contributions to country music’s past and present and pulling at the edges of the genre itself, blending it with dance music and hip-hop. Cowboy Carter is country music on Beyoncé’s terms, a rich document that asserts the superstar’s musical fluency and adventurousness.
For her foray into country music, Beyoncé tapped several Canadians as key contributors. Lead single “Texas Hold ‘Em,” which comes in at No. 25 on the Canadian Hot 100 year-end chart, was co-written by the team of Nate Ferraro, Lowell, and Megan Bülow, earning all three of them Grammy nominations for song of the year. (Lowell, for her work with The Beaches, also won this year’s inaugural Billboard Canada Non-Performing Songwriter Award, co-presented by SOCAN.)
Producer and songwriter Dave Hamelin, previously of Montreal band The Stills, made significant contributions to Carter, with writing and production credits on six songs (including late album cut “II Hands II Heaven,” which should go down as one of Beyoncé’s finest all-time tracks.) Hamelin picked up a Grammy nod for album of the year thanks to his work.
Whether Cowboy can win is another question — Beyoncé faces off against Taylor Swift in the category — but there’s no question that one of the year’s most celebrated albums has some serious Canadian cred.
A Year for the Pop Girlies
The Powerpuff Girls are back, and they’re making hits. This year’s trio of pop breakthroughs: Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, and Charli XCX (numbers 6, 20, and 37 on the year-end Artists chart in Canada) are delightfully mappable onto the distinct personalities of those cartoon superheroes. Like Bubbles, Blossom and Buttercup, they each offer something different to pop listeners: Chappell’s campy queer confidence, Charli’s hedonistic bratty bangers, and Sabrina’s caffeined-up confections each brought a burst of much-needed pop glamour to the charts.
In a year where established pop stars seemed to under-deliver — save a few exceptions, like Billie Eilish and her deliciously gay third LP — the new girlies all had something key in common: an exciting sense of play. While the boys were busy belting their feelings, the girls were getting cheeky with it. In terms of numbers, they might not have had the year’s biggest hits — though “Espresso” finishes at No. 6 on the year-end Canadian Hot 100 — but they captured the zeitgeist, minting a whole host of new pop classics that will live on Brat Summer playlists forever.
@chappellroan Osheaga ‘24🧚 @OSHEAGA
Billboard’s year-end music recaps represent aggregated metrics for each artist, title, label and music contributor on the weekly charts from Oct. 28, 2023, through Oct. 19, 2024. Rankings for Luminate-based recaps reflect equivalent album units, airplay, sales or streaming during the weeks that the titles appeared on a respective chart during the tracking year. Any activity registered before or after a title’s chart run isn’t considered in these rankings. That methodology detail, and the October-October time period, account for some of the difference between these lists and the calendar-year recaps that are independently compiled by Luminate.
Explore All of Billboard Canada’s 2024 Year-End Charts
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