Are you ready to feel old? Spotify, the music streaming platform that revolutionised the way we listen to music, celebrates its 20th anniversary today. Founded in 2006, it has rapidly become the go-to destination for music lovers, offering over 100 million tracks.
To mark this milestone, Spotify has for the first time unveiled the most-streamed artists, songs, albums, podcasts, and audiobooks in its history. 'Drawn from years of listening across hundreds of millions of fans, these lists capture the music and stories that didn't just break through, but stayed, becoming part of everyday life around the world,' the company explained.
Most-Streamed Artists
Topping the list of most-streamed artists is Taylor Swift, who surpasses Bad Bunny, Drake, and The Weeknd. The top 10 includes Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, Billie Eilish, Eminem, and Kanye West. Further down, Travis Scott, BTS, Post Malone, Bruno Mars, J Balvin, Rihanna, Coldplay, Kendrick Lamar, Future, and Juice WRLD also feature prominently.
Most-Streamed Songs
When it comes to songs, The Weeknd leads the pack with his 2020 hit 'Blinding Lights', which is the most-streamed track of all time on Spotify. It is followed by 'Shape of You' by Ed Sheeran, 'Sweater Weather' by The Neighbourhood, 'Starboy' by The Weeknd and Daft Punk, and 'As It Was' by Harry Styles. Other notable entries include 'Someone You Loved' by Lewis Capaldi, 'Sunflower' by Post Malone and Swae Lee, 'One Dance' by Drake, Wizkid and Kyla, and 'Perfect' by Ed Sheeran.
Most-Streamed Albums
The most-streamed album is 'Un Verano Sin Ti' by Bad Bunny, followed by 'Starboy' by The Weeknd, '÷ (Deluxe)' by Ed Sheeran, 'SOUR' by Olivia Rodrigo, and 'After Hours' by The Weeknd. The list also features 'SOS' by SZA, 'Hollywood's Bleeding' by Post Malone, 'Lover' by Taylor Swift, 'AM' by Arctic Monkeys, and 'WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?' by Billie Eilish.
Most-Streamed Podcasts and Audiobooks
In the podcast category, 'The Joe Rogan Experience' is the top choice, ahead of 'Gemischtes Hack', 'Crime Junkie', 'Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard', and 'Last Podcast On The Left'. Other popular podcasts include 'The Daily', 'Fest & Flauschig', 'Morbid', 'My Favorite Murder', and 'Call Her Daddy'. For audiobooks, Sarah J. Maas dominates with her 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' series taking multiple spots, including the top position. Other popular audiobooks include 'The Fellowship of the Ring' by J.R.R. Tolkien, 'Fourth Wing' by Rebecca Yarros, and 'I'm Glad My Mom Died' by Jennette McCurdy.
A Surprising Trend
Despite Spotify's vast library of older classics, the top lists are overwhelmingly dominated by newer artists and tracks, indicating a strong preference for contemporary music among users.
Spotify was founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon and launched to the public in 2008. It added podcasts in 2015 and entered the audiobook market in 2022. Today, the platform boasts over 751 million users, including 290 million subscribers, across 184 markets.
The news of Spotify's 20-year anniversary has surprised many users, with fans taking to social media to express their disbelief. 'Wait what? 20 years? Didn't it start around 2011–2012?' one user asked. Another added: '20 years, wow. I started using this app back in 2016 and came back 2023. What a ride.' And one joked: 'Happy 20th Spotify. Thanks for knowing my personality more than my therapist.'
