Top-Grossing Films by Year: 1977 to 2024
Discover the top year-end box-office hits that captivated audiences—how many have you watched?
From left: Black Panther, Titanic, Spider-Man, Grease, Top Gun
Illustration by Juliette Toma
While most Billboard readers are familiar with the top albums and songs of each year, they may not be as acquainted with the highest-grossing films from each calendar year. Thankfully, boxofficemojo.com provides detailed records of box-office hits dating back to 1977, making it easy to explore cinematic history.
As we examine the list of top-grossing films from each year since Jimmy Carter’s presidency and Elvis Presley’s passing, a clear trend emerges: the overwhelming dominance of sequels and franchises in the film industry. Out of all the year-end box-office champions, only five films were standalone hits that neither belonged to a franchise nor inspired a reboot. These remarkable films are E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Ghost, Titanic, and Barbie.
The Star Wars franchise leads the pack, with six entries that claimed the title of the year’s highest-grossing film. Following closely is Batman with four films achieving the same feat, while Spider-Man ranks third with three films that topped the box office.
Notably, directors James Cameron and George Lucas share a unique distinction—each has helmed three films that have claimed the year-end box-office crown. In the next tier, Tim Burton, Sam Raimi, Tony Scott, Steven Spielberg, Andrew Stanton, and Robert Zemeckis are tied with two year-end champions each, showcasing their significant contributions to cinema.
Renowned composer John Williams is the standout film scorer, having composed the scores for ten films that achieved year-end box-office success. Close behind are Danny Elfman, Alan Silvestri, and Hans Zimmer, each scoring films that also finished first four times, highlighting their impact on the film music landscape.
Interestingly, Lucas and Williams are the sole director-composer duo to collaborate on three year-end box-office champions. Six additional teams have collaborated on two champions: Spielberg with Williams, Zemeckis with Silvestri, Scott with Faltermeyer, Cameron with Horner, Burton with Elfman, and Stanton with Newman, illustrating the power of creative partnerships in filmmaking.
Join us as we take a nostalgic journey through the films that have dominated the domestic box office in each calendar year since 1977, a time when Annie graced Broadway, Laverne & Shirley ruled television ratings, and Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours topped the Billboard 200 charts.
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1977: Unleashing the Epic Saga of ‘Star Wars’
Image Credit: ©Lucasfilm Ltd./Courtesy Everett Collection
Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing, Alec Guinness
Director: George Lucas
Music: John Williams
Release date: May 25
Domestic grosses that year: $196 million
Academy Awards: 10 nods, including best picture and directing. Six wins, including best original score, plus a special achievement award to Benjamin Burtt Jr. “for the creation of the alien, creature and robot voices featured in Star Wars.”
Soundtrack’s Billboard 200 peak: No. 2 (three weeks)
Notes: Williams won three Grammys and an Oscar for his work on the film. The double-disc soundtrack received a Grammy nomination for album of the year but lost to Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours. Williams’ recording of the main title theme reached No. 10 on the Hot 100, with a disco cover version by Meco hitting No. 1.
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1978: The Musical Phenomenon ‘Grease’
Stars: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, Jeff Conaway, Didi Conn
Director: Randal Kleiser
Music: Michael Gibson
Release date: June 16
Domestic grosses that year: $160 million
Academy Awards: One nod for “Hopelessly Devoted to You” as best original song.
Soundtrack’s Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (12 weeks)
Notes: Grease remains the only musical to take the year-end box-office crown, with four singles from the album reaching the top five on the Hot 100, including two No. 1 hits—“You’re the One That I Want” and “Grease.”
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1979: The Superhero Classic ‘Superman’
Stars: Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Ned Beatty
Director: Richard Donner
Music: John Williams
Release date: Dec. 15, 1978
Domestic grosses that year: $93 million
Academy Awards: Three nods, including best original score. The film won a special achievement award for special effects.
Soundtrack’s Billboard 200 peak: No. 44
Notes: Superman was the No. 9 box-office hit of 1978, yet it went on to gross more than any other film in 1979. The soundtrack included a minor hit, “Theme From Superman,” along with a ballad that became a mid-chart Hot 100 hit.
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1980: The Groundbreaking Sequel ‘The Empire Strikes Back’
Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Alec Guinness
Director: Irvin Kershner
Music: John Williams
Release date: May 21
Domestic grosses that year: $203 million
Academy Awards: Three nods, including best original score. One win for sound.
Soundtrack’s Billboard 200 peak: No. 4
Notes: The Empire Strikes Back became the first film to gross over $200 million in a calendar year, marking a pivotal moment in film history. The soundtrack was a commercial success, making Williams the first composer to have back-to-back year-end box-office champs.
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1981: The Superhero Sequel ‘Superman II’
Stars: Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, Jackie Cooper, Ned Beatty
Director: Richard Lester
Music: Ken Thorne
Release date: June 19
Domestic grosses that year: $108 million
Academy Awards: Not a single nomination.
Soundtrack’s Billboard 200 peak: No. 133
Notes: Ken Thorne took over the scoring duties from John Williams, who was busy with other projects.
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1982: The Heartwarming Adventure ‘E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial’
Image Credit: Universal Pictures/ Courtesy: Everett Collection
Stars: Dee Wallace, Henry Thomas, Peter Coyote, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore
Director: Steven Spielberg
Music: John Williams
Release date: June 11
Domestic grosses that year: $315 million
Academy Awards: Nine nods including best picture and best directing. Four wins, including best original score.
Soundtrack’s Billboard 200 peak: No. 37
Notes: E.T. was the first film to gross more than $300 million within one calendar year, setting a remarkable milestone. The film’s success also helped Michael Jackson achieve a Grammy for his narrated storybook album, highlighting the cultural impact of this beloved film.
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1983: The Epic Conclusion ‘Return of the Jedi’
Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels
Director: Richard Marquand
Music: John Williams
Release date: May 25
Domestic grosses that year: $247 million
Academy Awards: Four nods including best original score; no wins, but received a special achievement award for visual effects.
Soundtrack’s Billboard 200 peak: No. 20
Notes: This was the third installment in the Star Wars series. Like its predecessors, it became the year’s top-grossing hit, solidifying the franchise’s cultural significance. The music was released as a single-disc soundtrack, marking a change from the previous two films.
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1984: The Hilarious Supernatural Comedy ‘Ghostbusters’
Stars: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis
Director: Ivan Reitman
Music: Elmer Bernstein
Release date: June 8
Domestic grosses that year: $221 million
Academy Awards: Two nods, including best original song for the title theme.
Soundtrack’s Billboard 200 peak: No. 6
Notes: Ray Parker Jr.’s catchy title song became a massive hit, perfectly capturing the film’s essence. The soundtrack also featured another hit, “Cleanin’ Up the Town” by The Bus Boys, further solidifying the film’s cultural impact.
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1985: The Timeless Classic ‘Back to the Future’
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