The Top 150 Adult Contemporary Hits

Adult Contemporary Hits Overview

Adult contemporary Hits
Adult contemporary Hits

The top 150 adult contemporary hits is a listing of the top 150 songs from 1961-2001 from the Adult Contemporary Charts by Billboard. These songs are mainly easy listening. The chart was first issued in July of 1961. This chart provided a level playing ground for song stylists such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Al Martino and others to jockey for chart positions.

Soothing songs from a variety of genres appeared on the Easy Listening chart that was really known as Middle-Road, then Pop-Standard, and finally Adult Contemporary.

Unrelated news, now there is a way to preserve vinyl records and convert them to the CD format. Click here for more information.

The Ranking of the Songs

The songs were ranked by using the following criteria:

  • Highest Peak Position

    Top Adult Contemporary Hits Book By Joel Whitburn
    Top Adult Contemporary Hits Book By Joel Whitburn
  • Number of Weeks at Peak Position
  • Number of Weeks in the Top Ten
  • Number of Weeks in the Top Forty
  • Total Weeks Charted

During this period, there were a total of 690 songs that peaked at the number one position on the Adult Contemporary charts from 1961-2001.

We decided to expand the chart to include the top 150 positions.

The resource used to compile the chart was “Top Adult Contemporary 1961-2001” by Joel Whitburn.

Variety 107 FM Radio Call Letters
Variety 107 FM Radio Call Letters

Chart Information Facts

Here are some very interesting facts about the top 150 songs to make the chart.

  • The artist with the most charted songs is Celine Dion with 6.
  • The year with the most charted songs is 1994 with 7.
  • The year with the most songs that peaked at #1 is 1975 with 41.
  • The year with the least #1 songs is 1996 with 4.
  • The song with the longevity title is “I Knew I Loved You” #3, by Savage Garden with 124 weeks on the chart.
  • In order to make the chart, a song had to peak at #1 for 4 weeks or more.
  • To make the top 10, a song had to peak at #1 for 12 weeks or more.
  • To make the top 40, a song had to peak at #1 for 7 weeks or more.
  • There were a total of five instrumental songs that made the chart with “Love Is Blue” by Paul Mauriat ranking the highest at #20. The others are: “Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet” #37, “Stranger On The Shore” #45, “Taste Of Honey” #95 and “Chariots Of Fire” #110.
  • The top 20 songs are dominated by the decade of the 90’s with 14 hits.
  • A song had to be number 1 to make the top 150 chart.
  • The artist with the most hits in the top ten is “Faith Hill” with 2.
  • The year with the most top ten hits is 1996 with 3.
  • The decade of the 80’s highest ranking song is #64 “Cherish” by Kool & The Gang.

The Top 150 Songs

The top 150 Adult Contemporary hits below will display the rank, title, artist, number weeks at #1 (), and the year the song hit number one. The (I) after the title is an instrumental song.

Rank     Title/Artist /Peak Weeks /Year    

  1. You’ll Be In My Heart / Phil Collins (19) 1999
  2. Because You Loved Me / Celine Dion (19) 1996
  3. I Knew I Loved You / Savage Garden (17) 1999
  4. Breathe / Faith Hill (17) 2000
  5. Un-Break My Heart / Toni Braxton (14) 1996
  6. This I Promise You / NSYNC (13) 2000
  7. Change The World / Eric Clapton (13) 1996
  8. One Sweet Day / Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men (13) 1995
  9. Angel / Sarah McLachian (12) 1998
  10. There You’ll Be / Faith Hill (12) 2001
  11. Kiss From A Rose / Seal (12) 1995
  12. The River Of Dreams / Billy Joel (12) 1993
  13. I’m Your Angel / R. Kelly & Celine Dion (12) 1998
  14. Said I Loved You…But I Lied / Michael Bolton (12) 1993
  15. Hero / Enrique Iglesias (12) 2001
  16. I Hope You Dance / Lee Ann Womack (11) 2000
  17. Truly Madly Deeply / Savage Garden (11) 1998
  18. How Do I Live / LeAnne Rimes (11) 1997
  19. Now And Forever / Richard Marx (11) 1994
  20. Love Is Blue (I) / Paul Mauriat (11) 1968
  21. I Want It That Way / Backstreet Boys (10) 1999
  22. Something About The Way You Look Tonight / Elton John (10) 1997
  23. My Heart Will Go On / Celine Dion (10) 1997
  24. Time Passages / Al Stewart (10) 1978
  25. This Guy’s In Love With You / Herb Alpert (10) 1968
  26. Big Bad John / Jimmy Dean (10) 1961
  27. King Of The Road / Roger Miller (10) 1965
  28. Take A Bow / Madonna (9) 1994
  29. Hello Dolly! / Louis Armstrong (9) 1964
  30. Somethin’ Stupid / Frank & Nancy Sinatra (9) 1967
  31. You’re Still The One / Shania Twin (8) 1998
  32. To Love You More / Celine Dion (8) 1998
  33. Wild Night / John Mellencamp/Me’ Shell Ndeocello (8) 1994
  34. Can You Feel The Love Tonight / Elton John (8) 1994
  35. All I Wanna Do / Sheryl Crow (8) 1994
  36. (Everything I Do) I Do It For You / Bryan Adams (8) 1991
  37. Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet (I) / Henry Mancini (8) 1969
  38. Everybody Loves Somebody / Dean Martin (8) 1964
  39. Blue Velvet / Bobby Vinton (8) 1963
  40. You Sang To Me / Marc Anthony (7) 2000
  41. Back Here / BBMark (7) 2000
  42. I’ll Never Break Your Heart / Backstreet Boys (7) 1998
  43. I Don’t Wanna Fight / Tina Turner (7) 1993
  44. I’ll Be There For You / The Rembrandts (7) 1995
  45. Stranger On The Shore (I) / Mr. Acker Bilk (7) 1962
  46. Lead Me On / Maxine Nightingale (7) 1979
  47. We’ll Sing In The Sunshine / Gale Garnett (7) 1964
  48. I’ve Gotta Be Me / Sammy Davis Jr. (7) 1968
  49. Nobody Does It Better / Carly Simon (7) 1977
  50. Crazy Love / Poco (7) 1979
  51. Strangers In The Night / Frank Sinatra (7) 1966
  52. We’ve Only Just Begun / Carpenters (7) 1970
  53. Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head / B.J. Thomas (7) 1969
  54. Crying In The Chapel / Elvis Presley (7) 1965
  55. Butterfly Kisses / Bob Carlisle (7) 1997
  56. Song Sung Blue / Neil Diamond (7) 1972
  57. Only Time / Enya (6) 2001
  58. As I Lay Me Down / Sophie B. Hawkins (6) 1995
  59. Born Free / Roger Williams (6) 1966
  60. Love Theme From A Star Is Born (Evergreen) / Barbra Streisand (6) 1976
  61. A Whole New World / Peabo Byson & Regina Belle (6) 1992
  62. How Deep Is Your Love / Bee Gees (6) 1977
  63. The One / Elton John (6) 1992
  64. Cherish / Kool & The Gang (6) 1985
  65.  Wichita Lineman / Glen Campbell (6) 1968
  66. From A Distance / Bette Midler (6) 1990
  67. Right Here Waiting / Richard Marx (6) 1989
  68. If You Don’t Know Me By Now / Simply Red (6) 1989
  69. Hello / Lionel Richie (6) 1984
  70. You Are / Lionel Richie (6) 1983
  71. The Fool On The Hill / Sergio Mendes & Brazil 66 (6) 1968
  72. Go Away Little Girl / Steve Lawrence (6) 1962
  73. Lost In Love / Air Supply (6) 1980
  74. Snowbird / Anne Murray (6) 1970
  75. (They Long To Be) Close To You / Carpenters (6) 1970
  76. I Don’t Need You / Kenny Rogers (6) 1981
  77. Yesterday’s Songs / Neil Diamond (6) 1981
  78. Read ‘M And Weep / Barry Manilow (6) 1983
  79. Alone Again (Naturally) / Gilbert O’ Sullivan (6) 1972
  80. We’ll Never Have To Say Goodbye Again / England Dan & John Ford Coley (6) 1978
  81. Watching Scotty Grow / Bobby Goldsboro (6) 1970
  82. The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face / Roberta Flack (6) 1972
  83. Ringo / Lorne Greene (6) 1964
  84. Those Were The Days / Mary Hopkin (6) 1968
  85. Galveston / Glen Campbell (6) 1969
  86. Bridge Over Troubled Water / Simon & Garfunkel (6) 1970
  87. Can’t Help Falling In Love / Elvis Presley (6) 1962
  88. It’s All Coming Back To Me Now / Celion Dion (5) 1996
  89. Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman? / Bryan Adams (5) 1995
  90. Hold On My Heart / Genesis (5) 1992
  91. Have I Told You Lately /Rod Stewart (5) 1993
  92. To Love Somebody / Michael Bolton (5) 1992
  93. Don’t Know Much / Linda Ronstadt (5) 1989
  94. Another Day In Paradise / Phil Collins 5) 1989
  95. Taste Of Honey (I) / Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass (5) 1965
  96. You’re Only Lonely / J. D. Souther (5) 1979
  97. Stuck On You / Lionel Richie (5) 1984
  98. The Rose / Bette Midler (5) 1980
  99. It’s Sad To Belong / England Dan & John Ford Coley (5) 1977
  100. I Will Always Love You / Whitney Houston (5) 1992
  101. Rush, Rush / Paula Abdul (5) 1991
  102. Do You Remember? / Phil Collins (5) 1990
  103. Two Hearts / Phil Collins (5) 1988
  104. Woman In Love / Barbra Streisand (5) 1980
  105. You Were On My Mind / We Five (5) 1965
  106. Say You, Say Me / Lionel Richie (5) 1985
  107. Magic / Olivia Newton-John (5) 1980
  108. Any Day Now / Ronnie Milsap (5) 1982
  109. All Alone Am I / Brenda Lee (5) 1962
  110. Chariots Of Fire – Titles (I) – Vangells (5) 1981
  111. You Gotta Love Someone / Elton John (5) 1990
  112. Greatest Love Of All / Whitney Houston (5) 1986
  113. Glory Of Love / Peter Cetera (5) 1986
  114. Without You / Nilsson (5) 1971
  115. Ramblin’ Rose / Nat “King” Cole (5) 1962
  116. Michael / The Highwaymen (5) 1961
  117. There! I’ve Said It Again / Bobby Vinton (5) 1963
  118. I Can’t Stop Loving You / Ray Charles (5) 1962
  119. Blowin’ In The Wind / Peter, Paul & Mary (5) 1963
  120. Sukiyaki / Kyu Sakamoto (5) 1963
  121. Walk Right In / The Rooftop Singers (5) 1963
  122. Careless Whisper / Wahm! (5) 1984
  123. This Old Heart Of Mine (1989 Version) / Rod Stewart (w/Ronald Isley) (5) 1990
  124. Here We Are / Gloria Estefan (5) 1990
  125. Ebony And Ivory / Paul McCartney w/ Stevie Wonder (5) 1982
  126. Broken Hearted Me / Anne Murray (5) 1979
  127. The World We Knew / Frank Sinatra (5) 1967
  128. (What A) Wonderful World / Simon, Garfunkel & James Taylor (5) 1978
  129. It’s Too Late / Carole King (5) 1971
  130. All I Ever Need Is You / Sonny & Cher (5) 1971
  131. The Ballad Of The Green Berets / SSgt. Barry Sadler (5) 1966
  132. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down / Joan Baez (5) 1971
  133. In The House Of The Stone And Light / Martin Page (4)1995
  134.  Thankyou / Dido (4) 2001
  135. Sometimes Love Is Just Ain’t Enough / Patty Smyth w/ Don Henley (5) 1992
  136. Taking You Home / Don Henley (4) 2000
  137. When A Man Loves A Woman / Michael Bolton (4) 1991
  138. The Power Of Love / Celine Dion (4) 1994
  139. All The Man I Need / Whitney Houston (4) 1991
  140. Love Is A Wonderful Thing / Michael Bolton (4) 1991
  141. I’ll Remember / Madonna (4) 1994
  142. Love Will Lead You Back / Taylor Dayne (4) 1990
  143. My Cup Runneth Over / Ed Ames (4) 1966
  144. My Heart Belongs To Me / Barbra Streisand (4) 1977
  145. The Wheel Of Hurt / Margaret Whiting (4) 1966
  146. Never Gonna Let You Go / Sergio Mendes (4) 1983
  147. Just The Way You Are / Billy Joel (4) 1977
  148. Southern Nights / Glen Campbell (4) 1977
  149. Islands In The Stream / Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton (4) 1983
  150. Muskrat Love / Captain & Tennille (4) 1976

Go back to the top 100 songs of all time home page.

Back to Top