List of Billboard Adult Contemporary number ones of 2021
{{Short description|none}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:List of Billboard Adult Contemporary number ones of 2021}}
File:The Weeknd at Bumbershoot 2015 (21367628469).jpg returned to number one in the issue of Billboard dated January 9 with "Blinding Lights" and held the top spot for 30 non-consecutive weeks.]]
Adult Contemporary is a chart published by Billboard ranking the top-performing songs in the United States in the adult contemporary music (AC) market, based on weekly airplay data from radio stations compiled by Broadcast Data Systems.
In the issue of Billboard dated January 2, "White Christmas" by Meghan Trainor featuring Seth MacFarlane was at number one, its fourth week in the top spot. The following week it was replaced by "Blinding Lights" by Canadian singer the Weeknd, which returned to number one following a five-week run in the previous year, and topped the chart for 30 non-consecutive weeks. Its run was ended by "Levitating" by English singer Dua Lipa in the issue of Billboard dated July 31. "Blinding Lights" then returned to the top spot for a single week only for "Levitating" to replace it once again and hold the top spot for 12 consecutive weeks. The total of 35 weeks which the song spent at number one on the AC chart was one week short of the record held by "Girls Like You" by Maroon 5 and Cardi B.
In the issue dated November 13, British singer Adele topped the chart with "Easy on Me", which was her first chart topper since 2016. The song reached number one in its fourth week on the listing, the fastest rise to the top spot by a non-Christmas song since the same singer's track "Hello" in 2015 and tied for the second-fastest such rise since the chart began to be based on Nielsen data in 1993.{{Cite magazine|title=Adele Leads Hot 100 for Third Week, Glass Animals Complete Record Run to Top 10|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9656721/adele-glass-animals-hot-100-top-10/|access-date=November 8, 2021|magazine=Billboard|language=en}} It was replaced by another song by a British singer, Ed Sheeran's "Bad Habits", which reached the top spot in its 22nd week on the chart. In the issue dated December 11, Canadian singer Michael Bublé topped the chart with his version of the 1940s song "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!". The song continued a trend of Christmas-themed tracks topping the AC chart in December, reflecting the fact that adult contemporary radio stations usually switch to playing exclusively festive songs in the period leading up to the holiday.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8491346/katy-perry-cozy-little-christmas-no-1-adult-contemporary-chart|title=Katy Perry's 'Cozy Little Christmas' Hits No. 1 on Adult Contemporary Chart|magazine=Billboard|first=Gary|last=Trust|date=December 24, 2018|accessdate=April 10, 2019}}{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/jingle-bell-rock-lots-of-radio-stations-go-all-christmas-in-december-heres-why/2015/12/21/5b2a5836-a442-11e5-ad3f-991ce3374e23_story.html?noredirect=on|title=Jingle bell rock: Lots of radio stations go all-Christmas in December. Here's why.|newspaper=Washington Post|first=Maura|last=Judkis|date=December 21, 2015|accessdate=April 10, 2019}}
Chart history
File:Meghan Trainor in 2020.png's rendition of "White Christmas" was at number one on the first chart of 2021, the song's fourth week in the top spot.]]
File: Dua Lipa with Warner Music.jpg's song "Levitating" spent 14 non-consecutive weeks at number one.]]
File:Adele - Live 2016, Glasgow SSE Hydro 03.jpg's "Easy on Me" reached number one in its fourth week on the chart, the fastest rise for a non-Christmas song for six years.]]
File:Ed Sheeran-6826 (cropped).jpg topped the chart in December with his song "Bad Habits".]]
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;"
|+Key | style="background-color:#FFFF99" |{{dagger|alt=Best performing AC song of 2021}} |Indicates best-performing AC song of 2021{{Cite magazine|title=Billboard Adult Contemporary Year End, 2021|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2021/adult-contemporary-songs|access-date=December 2, 2021|magazine=Billboard}} |
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
!scope=col|Issue date !scope=col|Title !scope=col|Artist(s) !scope=col class=unsortable|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
| scope="row"|January 2
|{{sortname|Meghan|Trainor}} featuring Seth MacFarlane |
|---|
| scope="row"|January 9
| style="background-color:#FFFF99" rowspan="29" |"Blinding Lights" {{Dagger}} |rowspan="29" |{{sort|Weeknd|The Weeknd}} |
| scope="row"|January 16 |
| scope="row"|January 23 |
| scope="row"|January 30 |
| scope="row"|February 6 |
| scope="row"|February 13 |
| scope="row"|February 20 |
| scope="row"|February 27 |
| scope="row"|March 6 |
| scope="row"|March 13 |
| scope="row"|March 20 |
| scope="row"|March 27 |
| scope="row"|April 3 |
| scope="row"|April 10 |
| scope="row"|April 17 |
| scope="row"|April 24 |
| scope="row"|May 1 |
| scope="row"|May 8 |
| scope="row"|May 15 |
| scope="row"|May 22 |
| scope="row"|May 29 |
| scope="row"|June 5 |
| scope="row"|June 12 |
| scope="row"|June 19 |
| scope="row"|June 26 |
| scope="row"|July 3 |
| scope="row"|July 10 |
| scope="row"|July 17 |
| scope="row"|July 24 |
| scope="row"|July 31
|"Levitating" |{{sortname|Dua|Lipa}} |
| scope="row"|August 7
| style="background-color:#FFFF99"| "Blinding Lights" {{Dagger}} |{{sort|Weeknd|The Weeknd}} |
| scope="row"|August 14
|rowspan="13" |"Levitating" |rowspan="13" |{{sortname|Dua|Lipa}} |
| scope="row"|August 21 |
| scope="row"|August 28 |
| scope="row"|September 4 |
| scope="row"|September 11 |
| scope="row"|September 18 |
| scope="row"|September 25 |
| scope="row"|October 2 |
| scope="row"|October 9 |
| scope="row"|October 16 |
| scope="row"|October 23 |
| scope="row"|October 30 |
| scope="row"|November 6 |
| scope="row"|November 13
|rowspan="3" |"Easy on Me" |rowspan="3" |Adele |
| scope="row"|November 20 |
| scope="row"|November 27 |
| scope="row"|December 4
|"Bad Habits" |{{sortname|Ed|Sheeran}} |
| scope="row"|December 11
|rowspan="3"| "Let It Snow! (10th Anniversary)" |rowspan="3"|{{sortname|Michael|Bublé}} |
| scope="row"|December 18 |
| scope="row"|December 25 |