BTS’ “Butter” wraps as the top title on Billboard’s 2021 Songs of the Summer chart.
The 20-position Songs of the Summer running tally tracks the most popular tracks based on cumulative performance on the weekly streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Billboard Hot 100 from Memorial Day through Labor Day (this year encompassing charts dated June 12 through Sept. 11).
“Butter,” a 10-week No. 1, and counting, on the Hot 100, claims top honors on the 2021 Songs of the Summer chart over Olivia Rodrigo’s “Good 4 U” (No. 2); Dua Lipa’s “Levitating” (No. 3); Doja Cat’s “Kiss Me More,” featuring SZA (No. 4); and The Weeknd and Ariana Grande’s “Save Your Tears” (No. 5).
Rounding out the 2021 Songs of the Summer top 10: Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” (No. 6); Rodrigo’s “deja vu” (No. 7); Justin Bieber’s “Peaches,” featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon (No. 8); Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak)’s “Leave the Door Open” (No. 9); and The Kid LAROI and Bieber’s “Stay” (No. 10).
As for the top titles this summer in each of the Hot 100’s, and the Songs of the Summer chart’s, three metrics, Lipa’s “Levitating” was the most-heard on radio (1.1 billion audience impressions, according to MRC Data, as reflected on charts dated June 12 through Sept. 11); Rodrigo’s “Good 4 U” was the most-streamed (380 million); and BTS’ “Butter” was the most-sold (1.7 million).
“Butter” also led the Songs of the Summer chart each week this year. It’s the first song to sweep a season since Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, in 2019.
Among other honors for “Butter,” it’s the first Songs of the Summer No. 1 by a duo or group in 10 years, since twosome LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem,” featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock, in 2011. Just two other songs by groups have taken the title since 2000: The Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling” (2009) and matchbox twenty’s “Bent” (2000).
Also notably, the 2021 Song of the Summer top 10 is dominated by pop songs. Of the 10 titles, only two were eligible to appear on any of Billboard’s genre-based weekly song charts that use the same methodology: “Peaches” and “Leave the Door Open” both hit No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot R&B Songs. (The Hot 100 is the de facto “pop” singles chart, as there is no specific multi-metric chart for songs that do not fit under country, R&B/hip-hop, rock/alternative or other genre classifications.)
Conversely, in both 2020 and 2019, seven of the top 10 Songs of the Summer hits appeared on such weekly genre rankings. In 2018, eight did, after nine did in 2017.
Check out the top 10 summer songs every year throughout the Hot 100’s history (from the chart’s start in 1958) and the season-ending 2021 Songs of the Summer survey in its entirety.
Plus, relieve the 500 biggest warm-weather hits from over the past six decades-plus on the newly-revealed Greatest of All Time Songs of the Summer retrospective in the charts menu on Billboard.com.
