Why Are Many 2024 Songs in the 2025 Year-End Chart?

Have you noticed something unusual in this years music rankings? More than half of the top hits in 2025 actually originate from 2024. According to data compiled by Luminate, only seven songs released in 2025 made it to the year-end list as of November 20, while 16 tracks from 2024 remain on the chart.

Notably, four entries in the 2025 top 10 Teddy Swims Lose Control (originally from 2023), Benson Boones Beautiful Things, Shaboozeys A Bar Song (Tipsy), and Kendrick Lamars Not Like Us also appeared in the 2024 top 10. Billie Eilishs Birds of a Feather sits just outside the top 10, at number 12.

Some 2024 songs gained their popularity only this year. Tracks from artists such as Marias, Leon Thomas, and Gracie Abrams didnt make a strong impact initially but climbed the charts in 2025. In another twist, Chappell Roans 2024 hit Good Luck Babe! was surpassed this year by Pink Pony Club, a song originally released in 2020.

This phenomenon prompted Billboard to adjust its Hot 100 eligibility rules in October, shortening the window for how long a song can be counted as current.

Several factors explain this trend. Release timing is crucial: songs that chart early in the year accumulate more weeks of data than later releases. Streaming fragmentation and a shortage of major album releases also contribute, but these elements only partially explain the pattern.

Jaime Marconette, VP of Music Insights & Industry Relations at Luminate, highlighted two key reasons. First, 2024 was a strong year for pop music, producing hits with long-lasting appeal. Artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Charlie XCX, Chappell Roan, Benson Boone, Teddy Swims, and Shaboozey delivered massive songs that continue to resonate, often overshadowing new releases. Swims Lose Control even set a record by spending over 92 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.

Marconettes second factor is what he calls the nostalgia and escapism effect, a tendency for listeners to gravitate toward familiar songs during uncertain times. Early 2025 saw a dip in new pop releases, and audiences returned to older hits for comfort, similar to trends observed during the pandemic.

Although newer releases in the third quarter, including works from Carpenter, Justin Bieber, Twice, and the album KPop Demon Hunters, began to shift attention, the influence of 2024 tracks remains significant. This delayed impact is unusual, indicating that last years hits continue to shape the current years charts.

Author: Caleb Jennings