While awards like the recent Grammys (and the potentially dubious processes behind them) can be contested, the popular vote cannot. The people have spoken (or listened), and Spotify has the cold, hard numbers to back up the real winners of 2020 with its annual “Wrapped” breakdown of the most-streamed artists, songs, and podcasts of the year. Unfortunately, the most-streamed podcast is exactly what you think it is, and it doesn’t inspire a lot of hope for the future—results of the 2020 election notwithstanding. On the brighter side of the listening spectrum are Bad Bunny and Billie Eilish, the most-streamed artist and most-streamed female artist of 2020, respectively. Bad Bunny also topped the list of most-streamed albums with YHLQMDLG, followed by The Weeknd’s After Hours. In addition, The Weeknd ranks fifth in most-streamed artists, while his hit “Blinding Lights” is the most-streamed track of the year. “WAP” somehow didn’t rank in the five most-streamed songs of 2020, maybe because no one has figured out how to adjust streaming numbers for inflation.
Meanwhile, the top podcast genre of 2020 is “Lifestyle & Culture,” which includes—you guessed it—true crime. The Joe Rogan Experience ranks as the most-streamed podcast of the year, delivering handily on Spotify’s recent investment in what can only be described as a sentient thread from the Bodybuilding.com forum. This year’s other popular podcasts include The Daily from the New York Times and The Michelle Obama Podcast. In addition to the most-streamed artists and podcasts of the year (full list below), Spotify took note of some interesting numbers related to the ol’ pandy, including a 1400 percent increase in work from home-themed playlists and a 50 percent increase in “DIY stylists creating at-home hair cut playlists.” It’s unclear what exactly Spotify means by “DIY stylists”—are these professional hair stylists turning their homes into salons, or are they playlists created by people trying to psych themselves up to cut their own bangs after watching a couple of YouTube videos? How can Spotify tell the difference?!?! Why do we care so much?!
Spotify 2020 Wrapped Global Top Lists:
Most Streamed Artists Globally
Most Streamed Female Artists Globally
Most Streamed Albums Globally
- YHLQMDLG, Bad Bunny
- After Hours, The Weeknd
- Hollywood’s Bleeding, Post Malone
- Fine Line, Harry Styles
- Future Nostalgia, Dua Lipa
Most Streamed Songs Globally
- “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd
- “Dance Monkey” by Tones And I
- “The Box” by Roddy Ricch
- “Roses – Imanbek Remix” by Imanbek and SAINt JHN
- “Don’t Start Now” by Dua Lipa
Most Popular Podcasts Globally
Most Popular Podcast Genres Globally