Spotify just released its year in review numbers, and — unsurprisingly, given the dominance of blockbuster hits like “Shape of You” — Ed Sheeran has emerged as the platform’s most popular artist. The Brit-pop juggernaut is followed by three stars of hip-hop and R&B — Drake, The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar — with EDM duo The Chainsmokers rounding out the top five.
The top of the list is dominated by male artists. In fact, a female artist doesn’t even show up until the 15th spot, held by Rihanna. The next woman on the list is Taylor Swift — who just added her own song catalogue to the service this summer, and didn’t make her November album release available on Spotify for three weeks — followed by fellow pop icons Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande and Sia.
Naturally, the summer hit “Despacito” also took a number of highly-ranked spots, with the remix and the original coming in at number two and three, respectively, for most streamed track. When narrowed down to just U.S. listeners, however, “Despacito” falls slightly lower, at number five. Instead, Kendrick Lamar, Lil Uzi Vert and Post Malone found popularity stateside, illustrating the growing rift between pop-leaning radio and hip-hop-leaning streaming, thanks to the preferences of the younger demographic that gravitates to digital services.
You can check out your own Spotify listening stats at their year in review hub, or explore the associated playlists across genres.
Most Streamed Tracks
- “Shape of You,” Ed Sheeran
- “Despacito (Remix),” Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber
- “Despacito,” Luis Fonsi feat. Daddy Yankee
- “Something Just Like This,” The Chainsmokers feat. Coldplay
- “I’m the One,” DJ Khaled, Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper, Quavo, Lil Wayne
Top Artists (Overall)
- Ed Sheeran
- Drake
- The Weeknd
- Kendrick Lamar
- The Chainsmokers
Top Artists (Female)
- Rihanna
- Taylor Swift
- Selena Gomez
- Ariana Grande
- Sia
Top Artists (Male)
- Ed Sheeran
- Drake
- The Weeknd
- Kendrick Lamar
- The Chainsmokers
Top Artists (Groups)
- Coldplay
- Imagine Dragons
- Maroon 5
- Linkin Park
- Migos
Top Tracks (U.S.)
- “HUMBLE.,” Kendrick Lamar
- “XO TOUR Llif3,” Lil Uzi Vert
- “Shape of You,” Ed Sheeran
- “Congratulations,” Post Malone feat. Quavo
- “Despacito (Remix),” Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber
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