List of Billboard Adult Contemporary number ones of 2022

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.

Adele returned to number one on the second chart of the year with "Easy on Me" and spent 21 weeks at number one in 2022.

The first number one of the year, in the issue of Billboard dated January 1, was "Merry Christmas" by Ed Sheeran and Elton John. It was John's 17th Adult Contemporary number one, extending his lead for the most among all artists on the chart, and also set a new record for the longest timespan of AC number ones by an artist, coming more than 48 years after he first topped the listing.^[1] The following week "Easy on Me" by Adele returned to the number one spot, having spent three weeks atop the chart in 2021;^[2] the song remained at number one for 19 consecutive weeks until it was replaced in the issue dated May 21 as John returned to number one with "Cold Heart (Pnau remix)", a collaboration with Dua Lipa.

In the issue dated December 3, Backstreet Boys topped the chart with their version of the 1980s song "Last Christmas", which remained in the peak position for the rest of the year. The song continued a trend of Christmas-themed tracks topping the AC chart in late November and throughout December, reflecting the fact that adult contemporary radio stations usually switch to playing exclusively festive songs in the period leading up to the holiday.^[3][4] It marked the first time the band had topped the chart since "I Want It That Way" in 1999.

Chart history

Elton John extended his record for the most AC number ones when "Merry Christmas", his collaboration with Ed Sheeran, topped the first chart of the year, and when "Cold Heart (Pnau remix)", his collaboration with Dua Lipa, topped the charts in May.

Key

†	Indicates best-performing AC song of 2022[5]

Issue date	Title	Artist(s)	Ref.
January 1	"Merry Christmas"	Ed Sheeran and Elton John	[6]
January 8	"Easy on Me" †	Adele	[2]
January 15			[7]
January 22			[8]
January 29			[9]
February 5			[10]
February 12			[11]
February 19			[12]
February 26			[13]
March 5			[14]
March 12			[15]
March 19			[16]
March 26			[17]
April 2			[18]
April 9			[19]
April 16			[20]
April 23			[21]
April 30			[22]
May 7			[23]
May 14			[24]
May 21	"Cold Heart (Pnau remix)"	Elton John and Dua Lipa	[25]
May 28	"Easy on Me" †	Adele	[26]
June 4	"Cold Heart (Pnau remix)"	Elton John and Dua Lipa	[27]
June 11			[28]
June 18	"Easy on Me" †	Adele	[29]
June 25	"Cold Heart (Pnau remix)"	Elton John and Dua Lipa	[30]
July 2			[31]
July 9			[32]
July 16			[33]
July 23			[34]
July 30			[35]
August 6			[36]
August 13			[37]
August 20			[38]
August 27			[39]
September 3			[40]
September 10	"As It Was"	Harry Styles	[41]
September 17			[42]
September 24			[43]
October 1			[44]
October 8			[45]
October 15			[46]
October 22			[47]
October 29			[48]
November 5			[49]
November 12	"Unstoppable"	Sia	[50]
November 19	"As It Was"	Harry Styles	[51]
November 26			[52]
December 3	"Last Christmas"	Backstreet Boys	[53]
December 10			[54]
December 17			[55]
December 24			[56]
December 31			[57]