Music Merit Badge History

Earned through 20201,388,218

Best year197434,060 earned

All-time popularity#33official, as of 2020#33by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1911. Peak year 1974 with 34,060. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

19112 earned#11 of 22

191227 earned#19 of 51

191358 earned#28 of 56

1914118 earned#29 of 58

1915125 earned#26 of 58

1916129 earned#28 of 56

1917188 earned#28 of 58

1918253 earned#28 of 58

1919188 earned#44 of 59

1920408 earned#33 of 59

1921754 earned#32 of 61

19221,007 earned#32 of 61

19231,067 earned#31 of 63

19241,144 earned#28 of 64

19251,455 earned#29 of 64

19262,535 earned#28 of 65

19273,685 earned#25 of 68

19286,876 earned#25 of 88

19296,243 earned#24 of 89

19306,711 earned#24 of 92

19317,106 earned#27 of 96

19327,124 earned#25 of 98

19337,468 earned#26 of 101

19346,608 earned#27 of 101

19357,935 earned#26 of 101

19366,434 earned#26 of 101

19376,476 earned#27 of 102

19389,869 earned#24 of 105

193910,565 earned#24 of 106

194011,026 earned#24 of 106

19419,733 earned#23 of 106

19429,191 earned#23 of 110

194310,483 earned#21 of 112

194412,206 earned#21 of 111

194511,359 earned#22 of 111

19469,217 earned#22 of 111

19478,790 earned#22 of 111

19488,560 earned#22 of 111

19499,935 earned#22 of 111

195012,751 earned#22 of 111

195113,715 earned#22 of 111

195214,114 earned#22 of 120

195313,029 earned#21 of 105

195414,012 earned#24 of 103

195514,605 earned#27 of 100

195614,577 earned#27 of 100

195714,182 earned#27 of 100

195816,606 earned#26 of 101

195918,814 earned#26 of 101

196022,667 earned#25 of 100

196122,878 earned#25 of 101

196221,890 earned#26 of 101

196323,497 earned#25 of 102

196425,222 earned#23 of 107

196525,114 earned#21 of 109

196626,258 earned#21 of 110

196727,456 earned#22 of 112

196827,201 earned#22 of 112

196927,039 earned#22 of 113

197025,898 earned#22 of 113

197124,563 earned#22 of 113

197224,043 earned#21 of 124

197322,758 earned#23 of 122

197434,060 earned#24 of 121

197532,406 earned#27 of 128

197626,862 earned#29 of 130

197721,728 earned#30 of 130

197818,439 earned#32 of 131

197913,786 earned#35 of 132

19808,822 earned#37 of 132

198113,549 earned#33 of 134

1982No data available

1983No data available

1984No data available

1985No data available

1986No data available

1987No data available

1988No data available

1989No data available

1990No data available

1991No data available

1992No data available

199312,379 earned#45 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

199612,919 earned#45 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

200012,685 earned#48 of 128

200112,748 earned#46 of 129

200213,931 earned#46 of 129

200314,304 earned#44 of 130

200415,337 earned#44 of 121

200514,640 earned#40 of 121

200614,894 earned#39 of 121

200715,114 earned#38 of 121

200815,325 earned#39 of 121

200917,565 earned#38 of 122

201016,623 earned#37 of 125

201115,875 earned#40 of 129

201215,088 earned#37 of 132

201314,223 earned#30 of 129

201412,903 earned#47 of 136

201512,369 earned#46 of 138

201611,689 earned#48 of 138

201710,592 earned#50 of 139

201811,860 earned#47 of 139

201912,882 earned#40 of 139

202010,069 earned#25 of 137

2021No data available#56 of 137

2022No data available#52 of 138

2023No data available#46 of 138

2024No data available#42 of 138

2025No data available#44 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#44 of 141" means the badge was number 44 of the 141 merit badges earned that year. National counts have not been published since 2020, but the rankings have. The grand total comes from official reports and includes the years without a known count. The 2025 all-time place is an estimate, because the counts for 2021 to 2025 are worked out from each year's official ranking and the total number of merit badges earned that year.

19112#11 of 22

191227#19 of 51

191358#28 of 56

1914118#29 of 58

1915125#26 of 58

1916129#28 of 56

1917188#28 of 58

1918253#28 of 58

1919188#44 of 59

1920408#33 of 59

1921754#32 of 61

19221,007#32 of 61

19231,067#31 of 63

19241,144#28 of 64

19251,455#29 of 64

19262,535#28 of 65

19273,685#25 of 68

19286,876#25 of 88

19296,243#24 of 89

19306,711#24 of 92

19317,106#27 of 96

19327,124#25 of 98

19337,468#26 of 101

19346,608#27 of 101

19357,935#26 of 101

19366,434#26 of 101

19376,476#27 of 102

19389,869#24 of 105

193910,565#24 of 106

194011,026#24 of 106

19419,733#23 of 106

19429,191#23 of 110

194310,483#21 of 112

194412,206#21 of 111

194511,359#22 of 111

19469,217#22 of 111

19478,790#22 of 111

19488,560#22 of 111

19499,935#22 of 111

195012,751#22 of 111

195113,715#22 of 111

195214,114#22 of 120

195313,029#21 of 105

195414,012#24 of 103

195514,605#27 of 100

195614,577#27 of 100

195714,182#27 of 100

195816,606#26 of 101

195918,814#26 of 101

196022,667#25 of 100

196122,878#25 of 101

196221,890#26 of 101

196323,497#25 of 102

196425,222#23 of 107

196525,114#21 of 109

196626,258#21 of 110

196727,456#22 of 112

196827,201#22 of 112

196927,039#22 of 113

197025,898#22 of 113

197124,563#22 of 113

197224,043#21 of 124

197322,758#23 of 122

197434,060#24 of 121

197532,406#27 of 128

197626,862#29 of 130

197721,728#30 of 130

197818,439#32 of 131

197913,786#35 of 132

19808,822#37 of 132

198113,549#33 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

199312,379#45 of 123

1994—

1995—

199612,919#45 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

200012,685#48 of 128

200112,748#46 of 129

200213,931#46 of 129

200314,304#44 of 130

200415,337#44 of 121

200514,640#40 of 121

200614,894#39 of 121

200715,114#38 of 121

200815,325#39 of 121

200917,565#38 of 122

201016,623#37 of 125

201115,875#40 of 129

201215,088#37 of 132

201314,223#30 of 129

201412,903#47 of 136

201512,369#46 of 138

201611,689#48 of 138

201710,592#50 of 139

201811,860#47 of 139

201912,882#40 of 139

202010,069#25 of 137

2021—#56 of 137

2022—#52 of 138

2023—#46 of 138

2024—#42 of 138

2025—#44 of 141

Grand total through 2020:

This page keeps growing. More of this badge's history, including its patches and pamphlets, is being checked and will be added once it is confirmed.

Music: workbook data

Printings (0)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	SKU	SA #	HC	Notes

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1911	2	11	22
1912	27	19	51
1913	58	28	56
1914	118	29	58
1915	125	26	58
1916	129	28	56
1917	188	28	58
1918	253	28	58
1919	188	44	59
1920	408	33	59
1921	754	32	61
1922	1,007	32	61
1923	1,067	31	63
1924	1,144	28	64
1925	1,455	29	64
1926	2,535	28	65
1927	3,685	25	68
1928	6,876	25	88
1929	6,243	24	89
1930	6,711	24	92
1931	7,106	27	96
1932	7,124	25	98
1933	7,468	26	101
1934	6,608	27	101
1935	7,935	26	101
1936	6,434	26	101
1937	6,476	27	102
1938	9,869	24	105
1939	10,565	24	106
1940	11,026	24	106
1941	9,733	23	106
1942	9,191	23	110
1943	10,483	21	112
1944	12,206	21	111
1945	11,359	22	111
1946	9,217	22	111
1947	8,790	22	111
1948	8,560	22	111
1949	9,935	22	111
1950	12,751	22	111
1951	13,715	22	111
1952	14,114	22	120
1953	13,029	21	105
1954	14,012	24	103
1955	14,605	27	100
1956	14,577	27	100
1957	14,182	27	100
1958	16,606	26	101
1959	18,814	26	101
1960	22,667	25	100
1961	22,878	25	101
1962	21,890	26	101
1963	23,497	25	102
1964	25,222	23	107
1965	25,114	21	109
1966	26,258	21	110
1967	27,456	22	112
1968	27,201	22	112
1969	27,039	22	113
1970	25,898	22	113
1971	24,563	22	113
1972	24,043	21	124
1973	22,758	23	122
1974	34,060	24	121
1975	32,406	27	128
1976	26,862	29	130
1977	21,728	30	130
1978	18,439	32	131
1979	13,786	35	132
1980	8,822	37	132
1981	13,549	33	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	12,379	45	123
1994
1995
1996	12,919	45	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	12,685	48	128
2001	12,748	46	129
2002	13,931	46	129
2003	14,304	44	130
2004	15,337	44	121
2005	14,640	40	121
2006	14,894	39	121
2007	15,114	38	121
2008	15,325	39	121
2009	17,565	38	122
2010	16,623	37	125
2011	15,875	40	129
2012	15,088	37	132
2013	14,223	30	129
2014	12,903	47	136
2015	12,369	46	138
2016	11,689	48	138
2017	10,592	50	139
2018	11,860	47	139
2019	12,882	40	139
2020	10,069	25	137
2021		56	137
2022		52	138
2023		46	138
2024		42	138
2025		44	141