Most Billboard readers have at least a rough idea of the top albums and songs of each year but may be less familiar with the top box-office hits from each year. Fortunately, boxofficemojo.com has that information for each year dating back to 1977.

So what do we learn scrolling through the list of top-grossing films for each year since Jimmy Carter became president and Elvis Presley died? One thing that comes across loud and clear is the degree to which sequels and franchises have come to dominate the marketplace. Just five of the year-end box-office champs were films that were not part of franchises (or did not spark a franchise or a reboot of some kind). Those five films that stand alone are E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Ghost, Titanic and Barbie.

Star Wars is the top franchise on this recap, with six installments that have been the year’s top-grossing film. Batman is runner-up, with four installments that finished first for the year. Spider-Man is third, with three installments that yielded the year’s top box-office hit.

James Cameron and George Lucas are tied as the only directors who each directed three films that took the year-end crown. Tim Burton, Sam Raimi, Tony Scott, Steven Spielberg, Andrew Stanton and Robert Zemeckis are tied for second place, each having directed two year-end champs.

John Williams is far and away the top film scorer. The legendary composer scored 10 films that took the year-end box-office crown. Danny Elfman, Alan Silvestri and Hans Zimmer have each scored films that finished first four times.

Let’s scroll back through the films that had the most success at the domestic box office (that’s the U.S. and Canada) in each calendar year since 1977, when Annie debuted on Broadway, Laverne & Shirley was the top TV show and Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours dominated the Billboard 200.

• 1977: 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 (which was also the album that kept it out of the No. 1 spot). Williams’ recording of the main title theme reached No. 10 on the Hot 100. A disco cover version by Meco hit No. 1.

• 1978: 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. John Farrar wrote Newton-John’s showcase ballad.

  Soundtrack’s Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (12 weeks)

  Notes: Grease is the only musical to take the year-end box-office crown. Four singles from the album made the top five on the Hot 100. Two made No. 1 – Travolta & Newton-John’s “You’re the One That I Want” and Frankie Valli’s “Grease.” The double-disc soundtrack received a Grammy nod for album of the year, but lost to the Bee Gees-led Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.

• 1979: Superman

  Stars: Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Ned Beatty

  Director: Richard Donner

  Music: John Williams

  Release date: Dec. 15, 1978