Tag: top artist

The Top Songs, Artists, Podcasts, and Listening Trends of 2023 Revealed

November 29, 2023

Musically, 2023 was defined by the return of major female pop stars, sonic diversity that topped the charts, and a global music atmosphere that gave rise to powerful genres. On the podcast front, creators are responding to trends in real time, and audiences are turning to podcasts to join larger cultural conversations. As always, our 2023 Spotify Wrapped campaign reflects these trends, and our toplists showcase how over 574 million people around the world listened this year.  

Read on to learn more about the top artists, songs, albums, and podcasts of 2023, then take a look at the personalized Wrapped user experience that celebrates your own year in listening. 

The top global artists of 2023

Reimagined rereleases, record-breaking world tours, and colorful friendship bracelets—fans everywhere will be thrilled to see Taylor Swift as this year’s top artist, with more than 26.1 billion global streams since January 1. In the 48 hours leading up to this crowning moment, Spotify revealed 21 puzzle pieces with Taylor Swift-themed easter eggs in billboards from Sao Paulo to Jakarta. These clues culminated in a spotlight video that included nods to her universe—featuring everything from cats to her infamous red lips. For a limited time, when you play one of her songs on Spotify, watch as the progress bar changes and sparkles to match the song’s era color. 

Taking second place was reggaeton superstar Bad Bunny, who also had a standout year with a new album, nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana. Rounding up the top five were The Weeknd, Drake, and Peso Pluma.

The top global songs of 2023

The top song of the year, Miley Cyrus’s record-breaking “Flowers,” had incredible momentum from the day of its debut through the summer months and now counts more than 1.6 billion streams globally. In the second and third spots are “Kill Bill” by SZA and “As It Was” by Harry Styles. The fourth and fifth spots come from Jung Kook with “Seven (feat. Latto),” and Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma with “Ella Baila Sola.”

The top global albums of 2023 

Listeners looked to the past in choosing which albums to play, as several of this year’s top-five albums were released prior to 2023. The most-streamed album of the year for the second year in a row was Un Verano Sin Ti by Bad Bunny, with more than 4.5 billion streams globally, followed by Taylor Swift’s album Midnights. SZA takes the third spot with SOS. And in the fourth and fifth spots are Starboy by The Weeknd and MAÑANA SERÁ BONITO by KAROL G. 

The top global podcasts of 2023

Spotify is the most-used audio podcast platform in many key markets around the world and is also the number-one podcast publisher in the U.S., according to the most recent Edison Research data. And for the fourth time in a row, The Joe Rogan Experience takes the honor of top podcast of the year globally. In second place for the second year is Call Her Daddy, and in third, Huberman Lab, followed by anything goes with emma chamberlain and On Purpose with Jay Shetty. Eight of the top 25 podcasts on the global top lists are Spotify Owned & Licensed podcasts, and nine of the top 25 podcasts in the U.S. are as well. 

Throughout the year, these podcasts, as well as many others, spotlighted top moments in pop culture, from music to movies to technology. 

  • The spring and summer were full of girl- and women-powered media. The combinations of Beyonce’s Renaissance Tour, Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour, and the success of the Barbie movie led to cultural conversations across many genres of podcasts about both economics and entertainment. 
  • Throughout the year, the world was fascinated, frustrated, and sometimes frightened by the rise in AI. Podcasts offered a critical and nuanced take on the rising tech trend. 

Catch the full year in podcast trends here.

The global trends that shaped our year

These most-streamed artists, songs, albums, and podcasts weren’t the only guideposts to 2023. Pop culture trends also fueled listening, from themed playlists to song spikes. 

  • This year, Eurovision made a huge impact, as “Tattoo” by winner Loreen and “Cha Cha Cha” by runner-up Käärijä both reached the top 10 global daily chart the day after the final. 
  • Gen Z continues to embrace the genreless/genre-hybrid trend, refusing to be defined by only one genre, and instead moving seamlessly between sounds. They also embrace moods, looking for playlists and songs that best describe the mood or moment they’re in.
  • This year also marked a significant surge in Colombian enthusiasm for Mexican music. Colombia emerged as the fifth-largest consumer of Mexican music in 2023, showcasing an 85% increase in its consumption over the year. 
  • The consumption of Indian classical instrumental music continues to grow on Spotify in India and around the world. In the last 24 months, India’s classical music consumption grew by close to 500% on Spotify. Over 45% of Indian classical music listeners on Spotify are under the age of 25. 
  • Afrobeats is one of the fastest-growing genres on Spotify, growing by 550% since 2017 with new audiences emerging in Mexico and India. In 2023, Rema’s “Calm Down” became the first Afrobeats artist-led track to hit a billion streams on Spotify. 
  • Mandopop, with top artists like Jay Chou, JJ Lin, and Eason Chan, has received more than 500 million monthly streams globally, seeing an almost 45% increase in the past year.  

Read on for a few notable trends that spiked throughout the year.

February

The Big Game and Valentine’s Day prompted huge increases in listening around moments that fans couldn’t help but love. 

March

Television finales and springtime vibes made way for character playlists and dreamy, twangy tracks. 

May

A new sports craze and the return of a beloved children’s movie resulted in two large spikes. 

July

Cherry-red tomatoes and hot-pink playlists colored a summer full of girl power.

October

Memes powered by social media played a pivotal role throughout the year in creating buzz and  playlists, and this October was no different. 


All year long:

 

Spotify 2023 Wrapped Global Top Lists 

Most-Streamed Artists Globally 

  1. Taylor Swift
  2. Bad Bunny
  3. The Weeknd
  4. Drake
  5. Peso Pluma
  6. Feid
  7. Travis Scott
  8. SZA
  9. Karol G 
  10. Lana Del Rey

Most-Streamed Songs Globally

  1. “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus
  2. “Kill Bill” by SZA
  3.  “As It Was” by Harry Styles
  4. “Seven (feat. Latto)” by Jung Kook
  5. “Ella Baila Sola” by Eslabon Armado, Peso Pluma
  6. “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift
  7. “Creepin’ (with The Weeknd & 21 Savage)” by Metro Boomin, The Weeknd, 21 Savage
  8. “Calm Down (with Selena Gomez)” by Rema, Selena Gomez
  9. “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” by Bizarrap, Shakira
  10. “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift

Most-Streamed Albums Globally 

  1. Un Verano Sin Ti by Bad Bunny
  2. Midnights by Taylor Swift
  3. SOS by SZA
  4. Starboy by The Weeknd
  5. MAÑANA SERÁ BONITO by KAROL G
  6. One Thing At A Time by Morgan Wallen
  7. Lover by Taylor Swift
  8. HEROES & VILLAINS by Metro Boomin
  9. GÉNESIS by Peso Pluma
  10. Harry’s House by Harry Styles

Top Podcasts Globally 

  1. The Joe Rogan Experience
  2. Call Her Daddy
  3. Huberman Lab
  4. anything goes with emma chamberlain
  5. On Purpose with Jay Shetty
  6. Crime Junkie
  7. This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
  8. Serial Killers
  9. The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett
  10. TED Talks Daily
  11. Relatos de la Noche
  12. Caso 63
  13. Psicologia Al Desnudo | @psi.mammoliti
  14. The Daily
  15. Lex Fridman Podcast
  16. Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
  17. El Podcast de Marian Rojas Estapé
  18. Gemischtes Hack
  19. The Psychology of your 20s
  20. Stuff You Should Know
  21. SmartLess
  22. La Cotorrisa
  23. Se Regalan Dudas
  24. The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
  25. Conspiracy Theories

Spotify 2023 Wrapped U.S. Top Lists

U.S. Most-Streamed Artists

  1. Taylor Swift
  2. Drake
  3. Morgan Wallen
  4. The Weeknd
  5. Bad Bunny
  6. 21 Savage
  7. SZA
  8. Zach Bryan
  9. Kanye West
  10. Peso Pluma

U.S. Most-Streamed Songs

  1. “Last Night” by Morgan Wallen
  2. “Kill Bill” by SZA
  3. “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus
  4. “Ella Baila Sola” by Eslabon Armado, Peso Pluma
  5. “Boy’s a liar Pt. 2” by PinkPantheress, Ice Spice
  6. “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift
  7. “Something in the Orange” by Zach Bryan
  8. “You Proof” by Morgan Wallen 
  9. “Creepin’ (with The Weeknd & 21 Savage)” by Metro Boomin, The Weeknd, 21 Savage
  10. “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift

U.S. Most-Streamed Albums

  1. One Thing At A Time by Morgan Wallen
  2. SOS by SZA
  3. Midnights by Taylor Swift
  4. HEROES & VILLAINS by Metro Boomin
  5. Dangerous: The Double Album by Morgan Wallen
  6. Lover by Taylor Swift
  7. Un Verano Sin Ti by Bad Bunny
  8. folklore by Taylor Swift
  9. GÉNESIS by Peso Pluma
  10. Starboy by The Weeknd

Top Podcasts in the U.S.

  1. The Joe Rogan Experience
  2. Call Her Daddy
  3. Crime Junkie
  4. This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
  5. The Daily
  6. Huberman Lab
  7. Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard 
  8. SmartLess
  9. Up First
  10. anything goes with emma chamberlain
  11. 2 Bears, 1 Cave with Tom Segura & Bert Kreischer
  12. Morbid
  13. The Journal.
  14. Stuff You Should Know
  15. On Purpose with Jay Shetty
  16. Lex Fridman Podcast
  17. NPR News Now
  18. Serial Killers 
  19. New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce
  20. Dateline NBC
  21. Conspiracy Theories 
  22. Distractible
  23. The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
  24. The Psychology of your 20s
  25. Science Vs 

 

Spotify Celebrates 3 Years of Record-Breaking Bad Bunny Streaming With a Mexico City Fiesta

December 13, 2022

By now, the news of Bad Bunny’s record-breaking streaming success has ricocheted far and wide. The global recording artist generated over 18.5 billion streams in 2022, landing him the title of Spotify’s top artist for the third year in a row—the first artist ever to claim such an accomplishment. If you ask us, that’s cause for celebration. 

With Mexico leading over the past three years as the top market to stream Bad Bunny, it only seemed fitting to celebrate the artist’s success with 1,000 of his biggest fans, collaborators, and supporters there. So this past weekend, Spotify and Rimas (Bad Bunny’s label) joined forces to throw the ultimate after-party at Ragga Club in Mexico City to celebrate the end of his World’s Hottest Tour. Artists Rauw Alejandro, paopao, Jowell & Randy, Carin Leon, Danna Paola, Kim Loaiza, Juan de Dios Pantoja, Mario Bautista, Buscabulla, and Arcángel were among some of the guests toasting the Puerto Rican native. 

Benito himself even took to the stage in a surprise special performance where he thanked everyone for streaming his music and for celebrating this incredible moment with him. He surprised the crowd with an improvised performance of his hit “Despues de la Playa,” and with acoustic versions of “Neverita,” “Callaita,” and “El Apagon” with the backing of a Dahian El Apechao’s live merengue band. 

Key to the celebration was the Ring Ceremony, where Jeremy Erlich, Spotify’s Global Head of Music Content, joined Benito for a celebratory moment on behalf of Spotify. “Congratulations on the three-peat—the first time any artist is the most streamed for three years in a row,” he shared. “An epic showing for a career-defining year.” 

J Balvin Skyrockets to the Most Popular Artist on Spotify

June 25, 2018

J Balvin has been on a mission to blow reggaeton into a global phenomenon since he started making music at 14. The Latin pop superstar, now 33, has done it at last. Today, Balvin snagged Spotify’s top spot with the Most Monthly Listeners Globally, surpassing Drake’s long-held record. With over 48.1 million monthly listeners, he is officially the most popular artist on our platform.

“It is so rewarding to have achieved this goal,” says Balvin. “I’ve spoken often about my belief that we can change the concept of what is ‘mainstream’ – that people around the world can vibe with the rhythms of our Latin culture, and this special moment continues to prove that point. I have the utmost gratitude to Spotify for the long support for my music, and I am beyond honored to join the ranks of Drake and others that have been able to connect with people of so many nationalities through Spotify playlists. We’ve proved that Reggaeton HAS gone global, and that songs in Spanish can stand alongside the best pop music on the planet.”

With musical roots steeped in rap, R&B, bachata, reggae and champeta, the Colombian-born José Álvaro Osorio Balvín is a crossover king who understands the multiplicative power of partnership. The proof: his growing list of chart-topping collabs with today’s hottest pop and hip-hop artists including Justin Bieber, Maroon 5, Ariana Grande, Pharrell Williams (he has also toured with Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull).

And who can forget “Mi Gente,” his smash-hit summer jam? The multicultural dance anthem rocketed to Number One on the Spotify Global Top 50 Chart last August. Just one month later, the “Mi Gente” Beyoncé remix—in which Queen Bey sings in Spanish, English and French—landed on the U.S. Top 10 Songs Chart. The breakthrough single further catapulted reggaeton into the global spotlight. During this landmark year in Balvin’s career, Latin music listening increased by 110 percent on Spotify.

The Latin Grammy Award-winning singer blasted into 2018 on a collaborative roll, churning out a string of hit dream-team singles: “Machika” with Brazilian funk star Anitta, “X” with Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Nicky Jam, “Familiar” with former One Direction member Liam Payne and “I Like It” with Cardi B and Bad Bunny.

Balvin’s meteoric rise on the global charts and Spotify—the leading music streaming service in the world—is a testament to not only his barrier-breaking body of work, but also to the explosion of Latin music around the globe. With his Spanish language-only hit “Mi Gente,” the bilingual sensation showed that Spanish-language music is conquering pop on a global level, in both English and Spanish speaking regions alike.

To explore J Balvin’s eclectic array of hypnotic multicultural rhythms, check out the This Is: J Balvin playlist on Spotify.