In a musical landscape dominated by the modern giants of pop, country, and hip-hop, the best-selling rock album of 2024 hails not from the present but from the distant past—a full 47 years ago. Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, released in 1977, emerged as the highest-charting rock record on Billboard’s 2024 year-end Top 200 chart, securing the No. 34 spot. Trailing closely behind at No. 35 was Elton John’s Diamonds, a greatest hits anthology from 2017.
The year’s tally paints a sobering picture for rock aficionados: of the Top 200 albums, just 29 belonged to rock artists, and none were released in 2024. Even more telling is the dominance of nostalgia—24 of the 29 entries are greatest hits compilations.
Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours wasn’t alone among timeless stalwarts: Nirvana’s Nevermind, AC/DC’s Back in Black, Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory, and Sublime’s 1996 self-titled album were the only non-compilation rock records to grace the list. Each, it seems, remains firmly entrenched in the cultural consciousness while newer contenders struggle to leave their mark.
Here’s where rock’s torchbearers stood in Billboard’s 2024 final reckoning:
34. Fleetwood Mac – Rumours
35. Elton John – Diamonds
40. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Chronicle: Their 20 Greatest Hits
47. Queen – Greatest Hits
51. Bob Marley – Legend: The Best of Bob Marley and the Wailers
75. Nickelback – The Best of Nickelback: Volume 1
93. Nirvana – Nevermind
94. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Greatest Hits
99. Journey – Journey's Greatest Hits
104. Guns N’ Roses – Greatest Hits
106. Daryl Hall & John Oates – The Very Best of Daryl Hall & John Oates
112. ABBA – Gold: Greatest Hits
129. Aerosmith – Greatest Hits
141. Linkin Park – Papercuts
142. Foo Fighters – Greatest Hits
143. Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band – Greatest Hits
146. Lynyrd Skynyrd – All Time Greatest Hits
155. Bon Jovi – Greatest Hits: The Ultimate Collection
158. Fleetwood Mac – Greatest Hits
162. AC/DC – Back in Black
166. Elvis Presley – Elvis: 30 #1 Hits
169. Blink-182 – Greatest Hits
180. Linkin Park – Hybrid Theory
182. The Beatles – The Beatles 1967-1970
187. Eagles – Their Greatest Hits: 1971-1975
189. Billy Joel – The Essential Billy Joel
193. The Beatles – The Beatles 1962-1966
197. Sublime – Sublime
199. Creed – Greatest Hits
While rock music continues to endure, it is increasingly powered by the legends of its past. Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours—a masterpiece born from creative brilliance and interpersonal chaos—remains a lodestar, both commercially and culturally, nearly five decades on.
As younger artists grapple with the genre’s shifting identity, the likes of Nevermind, Back in Black, and Rumours offer more than just chart success—they provide a reminder of rock’s unparalleled staying power in an ever-changing musical world. Whether the future will produce albums capable of such longevity remains to be seen. For now, the giants of yesteryear continue to cast a long, unshakeable shadow.
