Rewind 2017: Apple reveals most popular apps, music, movies & more

Apple today announced its annual App Store, iTunes Store, iBooks Store and other content rankings, highlighting App of the Year, Game of the Year and other Best of 2017 top charts whilst announcing winners via the Today section of iOS 11’s revamped App Store.

Aside from apps and games, the company celebrated the most popular media content that customers were downloading and consuming throughout 2017 from Apple Music, iTunes Store, iBooks Store and Apple Podcasts. The showcase honors and celebrates the amazing experiences that developers have created for macOS, iOS, watchOS and tvOS platforms.

Apps and games

These are 2017’s most popular iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV apps and games:

Apple’s editors have identified these four breakout trends in app culture for 2017:

  • The introduction of augmented reality apps and games
  • The rise of real-time competitive gaming
  • Apps focused on mental health and mindfulness
  • Apps transforming storytelling and reading

Check out the full charts by clicking the links below:

NOTE: iPhone users running iOS 11 who tap the link will be presented with iPhone charts. Conversely, iPad users running iOS 11 will see iPad charts.

The top 20 free iPhone apps

Here are the top 20 free iPhone apps of 2017 on App Store:

  1. Bitmoji
  2. Snapchat
  3. YouTube
  4. Facebook Messenger
  5. Instagram
  6. Facebook
  7. Google Maps
  8. Netflix
  9. Spotify Music
  10. Uber
  11. Gmail
  12. Pandora Music
  13. Amazon
  14. WhatsApp Messenger
  15. Wish
  16. Twitter
  17. SoundCloud
  18. Google Chrome
  19. Waze
  20. Lyft

The top 20 paid iPhone apps

Here are the top 20 paid iPhone apps of 2017 on App Store:

  1. Facetune
  2. Tabs & Chords
  3. HotSchedules
  4. Enlight
  5. 7 Minute Workout Challenge
  6. Videoshop — Video Editor
  7. Dark Sky Weather
  8. Sky Guide AR
  9. Full Fitness: Exercise Workout Trainer
  10. Word Swag  — Cool Fonts
  11. iScanner — PDF Scanner App
  12. Scanner Pro
  13. The Wonder Weeks
  14. NOAA Radar Pro: Weather Alerts
  15. Toca Hair Salon 3
  16. LightX
  17. Scanner for Me + OCR
  18. 1 Second Everyday: Video Diary
  19. Fontmania—Add Artworks&Text to your Photos!
  20. Moji Maker

The top 20 free iPhone games

Here are the top 20 free iPhone games of 2017 on App Store:

  1. Super Mario Run
  2. 8 Ball Pool
  3. Snake VS Block
  4. Ballz
  5. Word Cookies!
  6. Subway Surfers
  7. Episode ft. Pitch Perfect
  8. Rolling Sky
  9. Block! Hexa Puzzle
  10. Paper.io
  11. Solitaire
  12. Bowmasters – Multiplayer Game
  13. Color Switch
  14. Piano Tiles 2
  15. Choices: Stories You Play
  16. Roll the Ball – slide puzzle
  17. Clash Royale
  18. ROBLOX
  19. Word Connect
  20. Candy Crush Saga

The top 20 paid iPhone games

Here are the top 20 paid iPhone games of 2017 on App Store:

  1. Heads Up!
  2. Minecraft
  3. Bloons TD 5
  4. Plague Inc.
  5. MONOPOLY Game
  6. Geometry Dash
  7. Monument Valley 2
  8. The Game of Life
  9. The Escapists
  10. Assassin’s Creed Identity
  11. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
  12. True Skate
  13. RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic
  14. Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Location
  15. Papa’s Freezer To Go!
  16. Five Nights at Freddy’s
  17. Hitman Sniper
  18. Terraria
  19. Reigns
  20. Tiny Wings

The top 20 free iPad apps

Here are the top 20 free iPad apps of 2017 on App Store:

  1. YouTube
  2. Netflix
  3. Facebook
  4. Facebook Messenger
  5. Google Chrome
  6. Amazon Prime Video
  7. Gmail
  8. YouTube Kids
  9. Amazon
  10. Spotify Music
  11. Pandora Music
  12. The Calculator
  13. The Weather Channel
  14. Google Docs
  15. Google
  16. Hulu
  17. Amazon Kindle
  18. Google Maps
  19. Google Drive
  20. Microsoft Word

The top 20 paid iPad apps

Here are the top 20 paid iPad apps of 2017 on App Store:

  1. Procreate
  2. Notability
  3. Toca Life: Hospital
  4. Toca Hair Salon 3
  5. GoodNotes 4
  6. Duet Display
  7. Toca Lab: Elements
  8. Toca Kitchen 2
  9. XtraMath
  10. Toca Life: Farm
  11. Toca Life: Office
  12. PDF Expert by Readdle
  13. Amaziograph
  14. Notepad+ Pro
  15. Toca Life: Vacation
  16. Pixelmator
  17. GoodReader
  18. Affinity Photo
  19. Toca Life: City
  20. Stack the States

The top 20 free iPad games

Here are the top 20 free iPad games of 2017 on App Store:

  1. Super Mario Run
  2. ROBLOX
  3. Rolling Sky
  4. Word Cookies!
  5. Bowmasters — Multiplayer Game
  6. Subway Surfers
  7. Paper.io
  8. slither.io
  9. Piano Tiles 2
  10. 8 Ball Pool
  11. Block! Hexa Puzzle
  12. Clash Royale
  13. Roll the Ball — slide puzzle
  14. Color Switch
  15. Minecraft: Story Mode
  16. Cooking Fever
  17. Hill Climb Racing 2
  18. Minion Rush
  19. Episode ft. Pitch Perfect
  20. Snake VS Block

The top 20 paid iPad games

Here are the top 20 paid iPad games of 2017 on App Store:

  1. Minecraft
  2. Geometry Dash
  3. Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Location
  4. Bloons TD 5 HD
  5. The Escapists
  6. Terraria
  7. Five Nights at Freddy’s
  8. Goat Simulator
  9. Monument Valley 2
  10. Heads Up!
  11. The Game of Life
  12. Scribblenauts Unlimited
  13. Five Nights at a Freddy’s 2
  14. Goat Simulator PAYDAY
  15. Octodad: Deadliest Catch
  16. Goat Simulator Waste of Space
  17. Plague Inc.
  18. LEGO Jurassic World
  19. Assassin’s Creed Identity
  20. SpongeBob Moves In

Music

Apple picked songs and albums that rocked the charts on Apple Music and iTunes in 2017.

According to iTunes editors:

Filled with fiery verses, larger-than-life-hooks and lots of “Despacito,” 2017 has been unforgettable. Big personalities—like Ed Sheeran, Drake, Taylor Swif and Kendrick Lamar—have dominated the conversation, while plenty of exciting new voices—SZA, Julia Michaels and Khalid included—scored major breakthroughs.

The albums and songs that received top honors are:

The company notes that Apple Music Up Next 2017 artists Khalid, Daniel Caesar and 6LACK all earned GRAMMY nominations as part of their success this year.

Check out the list of 2017’s most popular songs and albums on Apple Music and iTunes.

The top 100 songs

Here are the top 100 songs of 2017 on Apple Music and iTunes:

  1. “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran
  2. “Despacito (feat. Justin Bieber)” by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee
  3. “That’s What I Like” by Bruno Mars
  4. “HUMBLE.” by Kendrick Lamar
  5. “Body Like a Back Road” by Sam Hunt
  6. “Bad and Boujee (feat. Lil Uzi Vert)” by Migos
  7. “24K Magic” by Bruno Mars
  8. “I’m the One (feat. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper & Lil Wayne” by DJ Khaled
  9. “Congratulations (feat. Quavo)” by Post Malone
  10. “Black Beatles (feat. Gucci Mane)” by Rae Sremmurd
  11. “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker)” by ZAYN & Taylor Swift
  12. “Starboy (feat. Daft Punk)” by The Weeknd
  13. “Fake Love” by Drake
  14. “Say You Won’t Let Go” by James Arthur
  15. “Believer” by Imagine Dragons
  16. “Mask Off” by Future
  17. “Something Just Like This” by The Chainsmokers & Coldplay
  18. “XO TOUR Llif3” by Lil Uzi Vert
  19. “iSpy (feat. Lil Yachty)” by KYLE
  20. “Closer (feat. Halsey)” by The Chainsmokers
  21. “Issues” by Julia Michaels
  22. “I Feel It Coming (feat. Daft Punk)” by The Weeknd
  23. “Unforgettable (feat. Swae Lee)” by French Montana
  24. “Redbone” by Childish Gambino
  25. “Bounce Back” by Big Sean
  26. “Location” by Khalid
  27. “Stay” by Zedd & Alessia Cara
  28. “Bad Things” by Machine Gun Kelly & Camila Cabello
  29. “Wild Thoughts (feat. Rihanna & Bryson Tiller)” by DJ Khaled
  30. “Castle on the Hill” by Ed Sheeran
  31. “Love on the Brain” by Rihanna
  32. “It Ain’t Me” by Kygo & Selena Gomez
  33. “Mercy” by Shawn Mendes
  34. “Caroline” by Aminé
  35. “DNA.” by Kendrick Lamar
  36. “goosebumps” by Travis Scott
  37. “Slow Hands” by Niall Horan
  38. “Million Reasons” by Lady Gaga
  39. “Rockaby (feat. Sean Paul & Anne-Marie)” by Clean Bandit
  40. “All Time Low” by Jon Bellion
  41. “CAN’T STOP THE FEELING” by Justin Timberlake
  42. “Passionfruit” by Drake
  43. “There’s Nothing Holding’ Me Back” by Shawn Mendes
  44. “Attention” by Charlie Puth
  45. “Paris” by The Chainsmokers
  46. “Tunnel Vision” by Kodak Black
  47. “Slide (feat. Frank Ocean & Migos)” by Calvin Harris
  48. “T-shirt” by Migos
  49. “Don’t Wanna Know (feat. Kendrick Lamar)” by Maroon 5
  50. “Broccoli (feat. Lil Yachty)” by DRAM
  51. “In Case You Didn’t Know” by Brett Young
  52. “Bodak Yellow” by Cardi B
  53. “LOVE. (FEAT. ZACARI.)” by Kendrick Lamar
  54. “Side to Side (feat. Nicki Minaj)” by Ariana Grande
  55. “Both (feat. Drake)” by Gucci Mane
  56. “Blue Ain’t Your Color” by Keith Urban
  57. “How Far I’ll Go” by Auli’i Cravalho
  58. “Portland (feat. Quavo & Travis Scott)” by Drake
  59. “Let Me Love You (feat. Justin Bieber)” by DJ Snake
  60. “Strip That Down (feat. Quavo)” by Liam Payne
  61. “Look What You Made Me Do” by Taylor Swift
  62. “Slippery (feat. Gucci Mane)” by Migos
  63. “Despacito (feat. Daddy Yankee)” by Luis Fonsi
  64. “1-800-273-8255 (feat. Alessia Cara & Khalid” by Logic
  65. “Heathens” by twenty one pilots
  66. “Swang” by Rae Sremmurd
  67. “Sign of the Times” by Harry Styles
  68. “Play That Song” by Train
  69. “This Town” by Niall Horan
  70. “Scars to Your Beautiful” by Alessia Cara
  71. “Better Man” by Little Big Town
  72. “LOYALTY (FEAT. RIHANNA.)” by Kendrick Lamar
  73. “Now or Never” by Halsey
  74. “The Fighter (feat. Carrie Underwood)” by Keith Urban
  75. “Rolex” by Ayo & Teo
  76. “Magnolia” by Playboi Carti
  77. “Dirty on my Boots” by Jon Pardi
  78. “Starving (feat. Zedd)” by Hailee Steinfeld & Grey
  79. “Hurricane” by Luke Combs
  80. “Malibu” by Miley Cyrus
  81. “Down” by Marian Hill
  82. “Chained to the Rhythm (feat. Skip Marley)” by Katy Perry
  83. “Juju on That Beat (TZ Anthem) [Club Killers Remix]” by Zay Hilfigerrr & Zayion McCall
  84. “X (feat. Future)” by 21 Savage & Metro Boomin
  85. “Bank Account” by 21 Savage
  86. “Drowning (feat. Kodak Black)” by A Boogie with da Hoodie
  87. “Thunder” by Imagine Dragons
  88. “Cold (feat. Future)” by Maroon 5
  89. “Swalla (feat. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign)” by Jason Derulo
  90. “Sorry Not Sorry” by Demi Lovato
  91. “Party Monster” by The Weeknd
  92. “Gyalchester” by Drake
  93. “HandClap” by Fitz and the Tantrums
  94. “Deja Vu” by J. Cole
  95. “Feel It Still” by Portugal. The Man
  96. “Love Galore (feat. Travis Scott)” by SZA
  97. “Chill Bill (feat. J. Davi$ & Spooks)” by Rob $tone
  98. “Heavy (feat. Kiiara)” by LINKIN PARK
  99. “Sneakin’ (feat. 21 Savage)” by Drake
  100. “Praying” by Kesha

Apple Music subscribers can add this playlist to their library.

The top 100 albums

Here are the top 100 music albums of 2017 on Apple Music and iTunes:

  1. “More Life” by Drake
  2. “DAMN.” by Kendrick Lamar
  3. “reputation” by Taylor Swift
  4. “÷ (Deluxe)” by Ed Sheeran
  5. “Starboy” by The Weeknd
  6. “4 Your Eyez Only” by J. Cole
  7. “24K Magic” by Bruno Mars
  8. “Culture” by Migos
  9. “FUTURE” by Future
  10. “Moana (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [Deluxe Edition]” by Various Artists
  11. “Stoney (Deluxe)” by Post Malone
  12. “Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording)” by Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton
  13. “Trolls (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)” by Various Artists
  14. “Views” by Drake
  15. “I Decided.” by Big Sean
  16. “Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight” by Travis Scott
  17. “4:44” by JAY-Z
  18. “HNDRXX” by Future
  19. “America Teen” by Khalid
  20. “From A Room: Volume 1” by Chris Stapleton
  21. “A Pentatonix Christmas” by Pentatonix
  22. “Ctrl” by SZA
  23. “Grateful” by DJ Khaled
  24. “Harry Styles” by Harry Styles
  25. “Awaken, My Love!” by Childish Gambino
  26. “ANTI (Deluxe)” by Rihanna
  27. “True to Self” by Bryson Tiller
  28. “Traveller” by Chris Stapleton
  29. “La La Land (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)” by Various Artists
  30. “Painting Pictures” by Kodak Black
  31. “Evolve” by Imagine Dragons
  32. “Everybody” by Logic
  33. “Blurryface” by twenty one pilots
  34. “Memories…Do Not Open” by The Chainsmokers
  35. “Playboi Carti” by Playboi Carti
  36. “Issa Album” by 21 Savage
  37. “We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your service…” by A Tribe Called Quest
  38. “Love Is Rage 2” by Lil Uzi Vert
  39. “The Hamilton Mixtape” by Various Artists
  40. “Pretty Girls Like Trap Music” by 2 Chainz
  41. “Joanne (Deluxe)” by Lady Gaga
  42. “FREE 6LACK“ by 6LACK
  43. “Take Care (Deluxe Version)” by Drake
  44. “The Weight of These Wings” by Miranda Lambert
  45. “Hardwired…To Self-Destruct (Deluxe)” by Metallica
  46. “Wins & Losses” by Meek Mill
  47. “SremmLife 2 (Deluxe)” by Rae Sremmurd
  48. “T R A P S O U L” by Bryson Tiller
  49. “Illuminate (Deluxe)” by Shawn Mendes
  50. “Sing (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Deluxe)” by Various Artists
  51. “Fifty Shades Darker (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)” by Various Artists
  52. “The Return of East Atlanta Santa” by Gucci Mane
  53. “Dangerous Woman” by Ariana Grande
  54. “Savage Mode” by 21 Savage & Metro Boomin
  55. “Blonde” by Frank Ocean
  56. “Collage — EP” by The Chainsmokers
  57. “Rather You Than Me” by Rick Ross
  58. “25” by Adele
  59. “Death Of A Bachelor” by Panic! At The Disco
  60. “2014 Forest Hills Drive” by J. Cole
  61. “Beauty Behind the Madness” by The Weeknd
  62. “Lil Uzi Vert Vs. The World” by Lil Uzi Vert
  63. “Suicide Squad: The Album” by Various Artists
  64. “DC4” by Meek Mill
  65. “Dig Your Roots” by Florida Georgia Line
  66. “hopeless fountain kingdom (Deluxe)” by Halsey
  67. “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” by Drake
  68. “There’s Really a Wolf” by Russ
  69. “Melodrama” by Lorde
  70. “DS2 (Deluxe)” by Future
  71. “Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1” by Calvin Harris
  72. “Tremaine The Album” by Trey Songz
  73. “Nothing Was the Same” by Drake
  74. “Rainbow” by Kesha
  75. “17” by XXXTENTACION
  76. “Dear Evan Hansen (Original Broadway Cast Recording)” by Various Artists
  77. “Greatest Hits” by 2Pac
  78. “Montevallo” by Sam Hunt
  79. “Project Baby 2” by Kodak Black
  80. “Artist” by A Boogie wit da Hoodie
  81. “GTTM: Goin Thru the Motions” by PnB Rock
  82. “x (Wembley Edition)” by Ed Sheeran
  83. “Welcome Home” by Zac Brown Band
  84. “Cleopatra (Deluxe)” by The Lumineers
  85. “Perfectly Imperfect — EP” by Grace VanderWaal
  86. “good kid, m.A.A.d city (Deluxe Version)” by Kendrick Lamar
  87. “Ripcord” by Keith Urban
  88. “Purpose (Deluxe)” by Justin Bieber
  89. “The Fate of the Furious: The Album” by Various Artists
  90. “What A Time To Be Alive” by Drake & Future
  91. “Brett Young” by Brett Young
  92. “One More Light” by LINKIN PARK
  93. “BEAUTIFUL THUGGER GIRLS” by Young Thug
  94. “The Human Condition” by Jon Bellion
  95. “The Perfect LUV Tape” by Lil Uzi Vert
  96. “Vessel” by twenty one pilots
  97. “Life Changes” by Thomas Rhett
  98. “1989” by Taylor Swift
  99. “Back from the Edge” by James Arthur
  100. “Hero” by Maren Morris

It’s interesting that Taylor Swift’s album “reputation” has already shot up to #3 on the 2017 US top album charts, despite having only been available for a short period of time.

Movies

The top movie of the year 2017 on iTunes Store was “Moana,” followed by “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and “Wonder Woman.”

Apple commented:

This year, movie lovers couldn’t get enough of powerful, isolated female protagonists who discover their destinies: “Moana”, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and ”Wonder Woman” were our top-selling films.

Family-friendly fare with irresistible soundtrack was also huge, with “Sing”, “Trolls” and “Beauty and the Best” dancing their way into our top 10. Meanwhile, Marvel’s hot stream continued with “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” and “Doctor Strange”.

Don’t forget that iTunes is upgrading many 1080p movie purchases to 4K HDR for free.

Furthermore, new 4K purchases from iTune Store are priced the same as their 1080p counterparts. While you can download or stream movies in 1080p resolution, Apple currently does not allow 4K downloads (you can only stream 4K content).

Check out Apple’s list of 2017’s best flicks on iTunes Movies.

The top 50 movies

Here are the top 50 movies of 2017 on iTunes Movies:

  1. Moana
  2. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
  3. Wonder Woman
  4. Sing
  5. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
  6. Trolls
  7. Doctor Strange (2016)
  8. Beauty and the Beast (2017)
  9. Arrival
  10. Spider-Man: Homecoming
  11. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
  12. Logan
  13. The Boss Baby
  14. The LEGO Batman Movie
  15. Hacksaw Ridge
  16. The Accountant (2016)
  17. John Wick: Chapter 2
  18. Hidden Figures
  19. Baby Driver
  20. Passengers (2016)
  21. Kong: Skull Island
  22. Fifth Shades Darker
  23. La La Land
  24. The Girl On The Train (2016)
  25. Get Out
  26. Tthe Fate of the Furious
  27. Why Him?
  28. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
  29. Split (2017)
  30. Harry Potter Complete Collection
  31. A Dog’s Purpose
  32. Patriots Day
  33. Baywatch
  34. Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie
  35. Alien: Covenant
  36. Manchester By the Sea
  37. War for the Planet of the Apes
  38. Transformers: The Last Knight
  39. Cars 3
  40. The Founder
  41. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
  42. Moonlight
  43. The Edge of Seventeen
  44. The Mummy (2017)
  45. Atomic Blonde
  46. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
  47. The Lion King
  48. Deepwater Horizon
  49. Lion
  50. The Big Sick

Be sure to look for the 4K, HDR or Dolby Vision logos in the description section of the movie page to verify that your purchase or rental comes with sharper image and greater dynamic range (see how you can watch HDR movies on your iPad Pro).

Television series

Apple says drama is the genre dominating the iTunes charts this year, with favorites like “Game of Thrones” and “The Walking Dead” topping the year.

2017 is the year that winter finally came—so it’s no surprise that the addictive thrills of “Games of Thrones” landed in the top spot of our TV chart. What did surprise us was the massive showing from irreverent animated comedy “Rick and Morty”.

Long-running hits like “The Big Bang Theory” and ”The Walking Dead” continued to reign.

Newcomers like HBO’s “Big Little Lies” and NBC’s “This Is Us” shook things up with their rich ensembles and gripping storylines. “PAW Patrol” was the year’s top-selling kids show and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” proved that even a masked lip sync can’t ruin the fun.

Check out Apple’s list of 2017’s best series on iTunes TV.

The top 50 television series

Here are the top 50 TV series of 2017 on iTunes TV:

  1. Game of Thrones: Season 7
  2. The Walking Dead: Season 8
  3. The Big Bang Theory: Season 11
  4. Rick and Morty: Season 3 (Uncensored)
  5. The Americans: Season 5
  6. Suits: Season 7
  7. PAW Patrol: Vol. 8
  8. This Is Us: Season 2
  9. Modern Family: Season 9
  10. Grey’s Anatomy: Season 14
  11. Better Call Saul: Season 3
  12. Sherlock: Series 4
  13. Scandal: Season 7
  14. RuPaul’s Drag Race: Season 9 (Uncensored)
  15. Big Little Lies
  16. Doctor Who: Season 10
  17. Planet Earth II
  18. Homeland: Season 6
  19. The Flash: Season 4
  20. The Blacklist: Season 5
  21. Billions: Season 2
  22. Keeping Up With The Kardashians: Season 14
  23. Fargo: Season 3
  24. Designated Survivor: Season 2
  25. Star Wars Rebels: Season 4
  26. Vikings: Season 5
  27. The Expanse: Season 2
  28. The Handmaid’s Tale: Season 1
  29. Victoria: Season 1
  30. Outlander: Season 2
  31. American Horror Story
  32. Madam Secretary: Season 4
  33. Shameless: Season 7
  34. Riverdale: Season 2
  35. The Vietnam War: A Film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick
  36. Will & Grace (’17): Season 1
  37. The Real Housewives of New York City: Season 9
  38. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Vol. 10
  39. Younger: Season 4
  40. Psych: Season 1
  41. Westworld: Season 1
  42. The Simpsons: Season 29
  43. Fear the Walking Dead: Season 3
  44. Taboo: Season 1
  45. Arrow: Season 6
  46. Downton Abbey: Season 1
  47. Peppa Pig: Volume 1
  48. Archer: Season 8
  49. Mr. Robot: Season 3
  50. South Park: Season 21 (Uncensored)

Podcasts

The popularity of podcasts is not waning, quite the contrary, so Apple chose to highlight both new and true-blue podcast shows that rose to the top of Apple Podcasts this year.

Familiar voices like Terry Gross and Joe Rogan remain chart staples while shows like Brian Reed’s slow-burn Southern Gothic “S-Town” and the bite-sized news analysis of “The Daily” are captivating new listeners with their fresh approaches to storytelling.

“Fresh Air” remains the most-downloaded podcast of the year.

Daily news has proven a popular genre, with new podcasts this year like “The Daily” from the New York Times and “Up First” from NPR charting in 2017’s most-downloaded podcasts.

Meanwhile, true crime continues to drive listenership with top shows like “A Murder On Orchard Street,” “Dirty John” and “S-Town.”

In the past few years, many podcast shows and producers have expanded to cover tons of topics and niche interest, yet the medium’s possibilities still feel infinite.

Check out Apple’s list of 2017’s best shows on Apple Podcasts.

The top 20 most-downloaded podcast shows

Here are the top 20 most-downloaded shows of 2017 on Apple Podcasts:

  1. “Fresh Air” by NPR
  2. “The Joe Rogan Experience” by Joe Rogan
  3. “Stuff you Should Know” by HowStuffWorks
  4. “The Dave Ramsey Show” by Ramsey Solutions
  5. “The Daily” by The New York Times
  6. “This American Life” by This American Life
  7. “TED Radio Hour” by NPR
  8. “Planet Money” by NPR
  9. “Pod Save America” by Crooked Media
  10. “TED Talks Daily” by TED
  11. “Freakonomics Radio” by Stephen J. Dubner and WNYC Studios
  12. “Up First” by NPR
  13. “My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark” by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
  14. “Radiolab” by WNYC Studios
  15. “NPR Politics Podcast” by NPR
  16. “The Bill Simmons Podcast” by The Bill Simmons Podcast
  17. “S-Town” by Serial & This American Life
  18. “Up and Vanished” by Tenderfoot TV
  19. “Global News Podcast” by BBC World Service
  20. “Stuff You Missed in History Class” by HowStuffWorks

The top 20 most-downloaded new podcast shows

Here are the top 20 most-downloaded new shows of 2017 on Apple Podcasts:

  1. “The Daily” by The New York Times
  2. “Pod Save America” by Crooked Media
  3. “Up First” by NPR
  4. “S-Town” by Serial & This American Life
  5. “Side Hustle School” by Chris Guillebeau / Onward Project / Panoply
  6. “1A” by NPR
  7. “Pod Save The World” by Crooked Media
  8. “Lovett or Leave It” by Crooked Media
  9. “Missing Richard Simmons” by Topic / Pineapple Street Media / Stitcher
  10. “Binge Mode: Weekly” by The Ringer
  11. “VIEWS with David Dobrik and Jason Nash” by Cadence13
  12. “Serial Killers” by Parcast Network
  13. “Can He Do That?” by The Washington Post
  14. “With Friends Like These” by Crooked Media
  15. “Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations” by Oprah
  16. “Pod Save The People” by Crooked Media
  17. “Wow in the World” by NPR
  18. “30 for 30 Podcasts” by ESPN, ESPN Films & 30f0r30
  19. “Beyond the Darkness” by PodcastOne
  20. “Intercepted With Jeremy Scahill” by The Intercept / Panoply

The top 20 most-downloaded podcast comedies

Here are the top 20 most-downloaded comedies of 2017 on Apple Podcasts:

  1. “The Joe Rogan Experience” by Joe Rogan
  2. “My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark” by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
  3. “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me” by NPR
  4. “WTF with Marc Maron Podcast” by Marc Maron
  5. “Adam Carolla Show” by PodcastOne / Carolla Digital
  6. “Monday Morning Podcast” by Bill Burr
  7. “The Nerdist” by Chris Hardwick
  8. “Last Podcast on the Left” by The Last Podcast Network
  9. “Welcome to Night Vale” by Night Vale Presents
  10. “My Brother, My Brother and Me” by The McElroys
  11. “How Did This Get Made” by Earwolf and Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael and Jason Mantzoukas
  12. “The Adventure Zone” by The McElroys
  13. “The Adam and Dr. Drew Show” by PodcastOne / Carolla Digital
  14. “Comedy Bang Bang: The Podcast” by Earwolf and Scott Aukerman
  15. “Shane and Friends” by Shane Dawson
  16. “2 Dope Queens” by WNYC Studios
  17. “The Dollop with Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds” by Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds
  18. “The Sports Junkies” by Radio.com
  19. “The Read” by LoudSpeakersNetwork.com
  20. “Anna Farris is Unqualified” by Unqualified Media

Books

Fiction charts were filled with titles adapted into TV shows, like “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Big Little Lies,” as well as feel-good fiction such as “Before We Were Yours.”

According to the Cupertino technology giant, “Hillbilly Elegy” topped the non-fiction charts, leading a wave of podcast titles focused on current events and politics.

Check out Apple’s list of 2017’s most-popular books on iBooks Store.

Courses and lectures

Computer science was a huge area of interest on iTunes U in 2017.

The top 3 courses focus on learning to code and developing apps with Swift, Apple’s programming language. Some of the most popular ones covered the breadth of human curiosity, from the language of music to human emotions to personal finance to machine learning.

Check out Apple’s list of 2017’s most-popular courses on iTunes U.

Head over to the Apple website for more information about Best of 2017 charts.

It’s a wrap-up, folks!

Congratulations to the developers, musicians, content makers and artists featured in Apple’s Best of 2017 charts! Granted, not everyone will agree with Apple’s selections.

We want to hear your thoughts in terms of the best app, game, movie and more of 2017.

Feel free to share your personal favorites down below in the comments section!