Honestly, looking back at the music from a decade ago feels like opening a time capsule you forgot you buried in the backyard. 2017 was weird. It was the year of the "fidget spinner," the weirdly ubiquitous "salt bae" meme, and a musical landscape that was undergoing a massive, bone-deep identity crisis. If you look at the Billboard 2017 Hot 100, you’ll see the exact moment the old guard of radio-friendly pop started losing its grip to the lawless, high-velocity world of streaming.
Most people remember it as the year of "Shape of You."
They aren't wrong. Ed Sheeran was basically the final boss of the charts that year. But if you think 2017 was just a clean sweep for acoustic pop, you're missing the real story. It was actually the year Hip-Hop finally, officially, snatched the crown of "most dominant genre" in America. It was the year a Spanish-language track didn't just cross over; it demolished the gates.
The Shape of Ed Sheeran’s Dominance
Ed Sheeran’s "Shape of You" was a juggernaut. It spent 12 non-consecutive weeks at number one. It stayed in the top 10 for a then-record 33 weeks. It was the kind of song you couldn't escape—playing in every Uber, every H&M, and every dentist's office from Maine to Maui.
But here is the nuance: Ed Sheeran wasn't just winning because people liked the "marimba" beat. He was winning because he mastered the new math of the Billboard 2017 Hot 100. At the time, Billboard was still fine-tuning how to weigh a YouTube view versus a Spotify stream versus a radio play. Sheeran’s team flooded the zone. By releasing "Shape of You" and "Castle on the Hill" simultaneously, he essentially force-fed the algorithm.
When "Despacito" Broke the Rulebook
Then there was "Despacito."
Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee had a hit on their hands in the Latin market long before Justin Bieber hopped on the remix. But when Bieber joined in? Total chaos. The song spent 16 weeks at number one, tying a record held by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men since the mid-90s.
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It was the first primarily Spanish-language song to top the Hot 100 since "Macarena" in 1996.
Think about that gap. Over twenty years of radio programmers being terrified of songs that weren't in English. "Despacito" didn't just "bridge a gap"—it proved that the American listener, fueled by the freedom of Spotify, didn't care about language barriers as much as the gatekeepers thought.
The Hip-Hop Takeover You Might’ve Missed
If you look past the top three spots, the Billboard 2017 Hot 100 year-end list tells a much grittier story. This was the year of the SoundCloud rap explosion. Kendrick Lamar’s "Humble" peaked at number one, marking a career-defining moment for an artist who usually prioritizes "art" over "charts."
Then you had the "Migos" effect.
"Bad and Boujee" became a cultural phenomenon, helped in no small part by a viral Golden Globes shoutout from Donald Glover. It wasn't just a song; it was a meme. It was the blueprint for how rap would dominate the next five years.
Look at these names from the 2017 year-end top 20:
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- Migos ("Bad and Boujee")
- Future ("Mask Off")
- Post Malone ("Congratulations")
- Lil Uzi Vert ("XO Tour Llif3")
- Cardi B ("Bodak Yellow")
That’s a heavy-hitter list. Cardi B, specifically, did something historic. With "Bodak Yellow," she became the first solo female rapper to hit number one without a featured artist since Lauryn Hill in 1998. It was a massive middle finger to the idea that women in rap needed a pop hook to succeed.
The Weird Stats and One-Hit Wonders
Music charts are messy.
Take Sam Hunt’s "Body Like a Back Road." It finished at number eight for the entire year. It was a country song that crossed over so hard it basically lived on pop radio. Or look at The Chainsmokers. They had three songs in the year-end top 50, including "Closer," which was still charting from the previous year.
Billboard 2017 Hot 100 Top 10 (Year-End):
- Shape of You – Ed Sheeran
- Despacito – Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber
- That's What I Like – Bruno Mars
- Humble. – Kendrick Lamar
- Something Just Like This – The Chainsmokers & Coldplay
- Bad and Boujee – Migos ft. Lil Uzi Vert
- Closer – The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey
- Body Like a Back Road – Sam Hunt
- Believer – Imagine Dragons
- Congratulations – Post Malone ft. Quavo
It’s a bizarre mix. You have "Believer," which felt like it was in every movie trailer for three years, sitting right next to "Congratulations," a song that basically invented the "chill-trap" vibe that Post Malone would ride to superstardom.
The Death of the "Digital Download"
2017 was effectively the funeral for the iTunes era.
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Nielsen’s 2017 year-end report showed a 59% increase in on-demand audio streams. Meanwhile, digital track sales were cratering. People stopped "buying" songs. They started "consuming" them.
This change explains why a song like "XO Tour Llif3" could become a top 15 hit despite having zero "traditional" pop appeal. It was a dark, emo-rap song about substance abuse and heartbreak. In 2010, that song never touches the top 40. In 2017? It was the anthem of a generation.
What This Means for You Today
If you’re a data nerd or just someone trying to understand why modern music sounds the way it does, 2017 is the "Patient Zero" year. It’s where the "playlist-ification" of music began. Artists realized they didn't need to please a DJ in Des Moines; they needed to please an algorithm in Silicon Valley.
Actionable Insights from the 2017 Chart Era:
- Genre fluidity is the new normal. If you're an artist or creator, 2017 proved you don't have to stay in one lane. Look at how Taylor Swift pivoted to the darker, trap-influenced "Look What You Made Me Do" (ranked 39th for the year).
- Collaborations are a cheat code. Six of the top 10 number-one hits in 2017 were collaborations. It’s a math game—combine two fanbases, double the reach.
- Cultural authenticity wins. "Despacito" and "Mi Gente" (Beyoncé remix) proved that American audiences are hungry for global sounds, even if they don't understand every word.
The Billboard 2017 Hot 100 wasn't just a list of songs. It was a map of a world changing its mind about how it wanted to listen. Whether you loved the "Shape of You" era or couldn't wait for it to end, you have to admit: it was the last time the "monoculture" really felt like it was all listening to the same thing at once.
Now, go listen to "Redbone" by Childish Gambino. It was 25th on that list, and honestly? It's probably the only one that still sounds like it could have been released tomorrow.
Next Steps for Music History Buffs:
To truly understand the 2017 shift, compare the Year-End Hot 100 of 2017 with 2014. You’ll notice the near-total disappearance of "EDM-pop" and the sudden, aggressive rise of "Trap" percussion. Understanding this pivot is key to predicting where the 2020s "Retro-Revival" trend is heading next.