As physical media gets less popular, more of us are taking to streaming our favourite movies, TV shows and, of course, music! At The Insurance Emporium, when listening to some of our favourite tracks, we wondered who the most streamed artists of all time might be. That’s why we’ve looked into it and found the most streamed artists of all time*!
10. Taylor Swift
Starting off this list with a bang, we’ve got the queen of modern country pop music… Taylor Swift, with over 17-billion total listens! Her song-writing has gone from strength to strength over the years, and it’s no surprise her 2020 album folklore was one of the top albums of the year.
9. J Balvin
Certified Global Icon José Álvaro Osorio Balvín, better known as J Balvin, has had an incredible music career. Breaking into the mainstream in 2014, Balvin topped Spotify’s Global Top 50 in 2017 with Mi Gente. Since then, he’s collaborated with huge artists like Cardi B, Beyoncé and The Black Eyed Peas. He was even featured in Times magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world in 2020!
8. Justin Bieber
Bieber rose to fame when he was just a Baby in 2010, when his first studio album dropped at just 16 years old. Growing up in the spotlight can’t have been easy, but his place on this list speaks for itself. Though there have been a few controversies over the years, he’s remained a prominent voice in the music industry since his debut!
7. The Weeknd
We’re passing the 20-billion mark now with The Weeknd, who has over 21-billion total streams! Another massive influence to fans and other musicians alike, The Weeknd is known for his versatile vocals and eccentric personality! We love the excellent Blinding Lights, which was a number 1 hit in the UK chats in early 2020!
6. Eminem
Is it any surprise the Rap God has made the top ten most streamed artists? Detroit-born rapper Marshall Mathers has held many monikers over the years – we can’t forget the villainous Slim Shady – and Eminem is still a huge presence in the rap game! His latest big hit Godzilla featuring the late, great Juice WRLD had fans trying to keep up with lightning fast, tongue twisting verses. But it’s still the old favourites which see the most plays!
5. Bad Bunny
Puerto Rican rapper, singer and songwriter Bad Bunny closes in on the top 5 most streamed artists of all time. His popularity’s skyrocketed since his 2016 debut, earning himself a spot on the front cover of Rolling Stone in 2020. Bad Bunny was the first ever Latin artist to appear on the front cover of Rolling Stone too!
4. Post Malone
Breaking through boundaries in the hip-hop world, Post Malone weaves in and out of genres so seamlessly, it’s no surprise he’s one of the most streamed artists of all time. His music’s broken through popular culture too, featuring in the beautifully animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and most recently performing a virtual concert as part of the Pokémon 25th anniversary celebration.
3. Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande began her career at just 15 years old, when she featured on Broadway in the musical 13. Since then, she’s starred in a Nickelodeon show, had a very public relationship with comedian Pete Davidson, and obviously an incredible music career! We can’t mention Grande without mentioning the tragedy of the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017. Last year, on the anniversary of the tragedy, Ariana took to Instagram to write, “Not a day goes by that this doesn’t affect you and all of us still … My heart, thoughts, prayers are with you always.”
2. Ed Sheeran
Even as the second most streamed artist of all time, Ed Sheeran still wins hearts for his unassuming nature and relatable lyrics. He’s definitely flexing his stardom in more recent projects though, with features from other musicians on this list like Eminem and Justin Bieber. He also holds the accolade for most streamed song of all time with 2017’s smash hit Shape of You!
1. Drake
A record-breaking 27 Billboard Music Awards. The most charted songs of any artist ever on the Billboard Hot 100. Over 170-million records sold. Is it any surprise that Drake also holds the record for the most streamed artist of all time? At over 36-billion streams, he’s head and shoulders above the competition too. It doesn’t look like anyone’s going to be dethroning Drake any time soon!
Are you an aspiring musician, inspired by any of the artists on your list? If you’re a budding musician, you might want to think about taking out insurance for your musical instrument or DJ equipment! At The Insurance Emporium, our Music Insurance includes a range of Standard Benefits, like cover for Theft, Loss or Accidental Damage of your musical equipment. Head on down to The Insurance Emporium to see if we have the right policy for you!
* Based on Spotify statistics from chartmasters.org and correct as of 08/03/2021.
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