CLASSIFICATIONS
The most listened songs on Spotify from 2012 to date
Every year Spotify, the well-known streaming music platform, publishes rankings regarding the most listened albums, songs and singers.
Among the rankings released by Spotify is one concerning the most listened songs during the year. It is surprising, but often the singer with the most streaming total does not coincide with the most listened to song of the year.
Browse through the photo gallery to learn what the most listened songs on Spotify year by year have been from 2012 to the present.
Most listened songs on Spotify from 2012 to present, year by year
Every year Spotify publishes rankings regarding albums, songs and singers with the most streams. Among the rankings released there is the one concerning the most listened songs during the year. It is surprising, but often the singer with the most stream total does not coincide with the most listened song of the year. Browse through the photo gallery to find out what were the most listened to songs on Spotify from 2012.
2012: Somebody That I Used to Know - Gotye feat. Kimbra
In addition to being the most streamed song in 2012, "Somebody That I Used to Know" became a worldwide hit, earning many certifications, including 50 platinum records (including as many as 17 in Australia), and even a diamond record, in the United States. In second place in 2012, however, was "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen.
2013: Can't Hold Us - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
In 2013 Macklemore & Ryan Lewis there were also the most listened artists on Spotify. To have great success was also the "Can't Hold Us" videoclip, directed by Ryan Lewis: the video managed to win two MTV Video Music Awards, as best video Hip-Hop and best cinematography.
2014: Happy - Pharrell Williams
In 2014 the singer who scored the most listens was Ed Sheeran (860 million stream), but the most successful song was "Happy". Thanks to this song, Pharrell Williams also won two Grammy Awards: best pop solo performance and best video clip.
2015: Lean On - Major Lazer feat. MØ & DJ Snake
"Lean On" has won as many as 56 platinum records, including seven in Italy, and also two diamond records, in France and the United States. In 2015, however, the most listened singer was Drake, but none of his songs are on the podium of the most-listened-to songs: in fact, in second place we find "Cheerleader" by Omi, third instead "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars.
2016: One Dance - Drake
2016 is all on Drake's side, who for the second year in a row is the most listened artist on Spotify. In addition, in that year, his song "One Dance" was the most played song ahead of "I Took a Pill in Ibiza" by Mike Posner and "Don't Let Me Down" (The Chainsmokers feat. Daya).
2017: Shape of You - Ed Sheeran
248 million streams in 2017 for "Shape of You", which turns out to be a worldwide hit. In fact, the song is the first by Ed Sheeran to reach the top spot on the Billboard 100. Currently, this song is also the second most played song on Spotify, with more than 3.4 billion listens!
2018: God's Plan - Drake
After a year's break, it is again a song by Drake that has the most listens. In 2018, "God's Plan" receives four diamond records (Brazil, Canada, France, United States) and becomes an international hit. In second place of the most listened songs in 2018, however, there is "Sad!" by XXXTentacion.
2019: Señorita - Camilla Cabello & Shawn Mendes
This is the second collaboration between Camilla Cabello and Shawn Mendes after the song "I Know What You Did Last Summer", and is an international hit (over a billion streams on Spotify in one year), as is the song's video clip, which won the award for best collaboration and best cinematography at the MTV Video Music Awards.
2020: Blinding Lights - The Weeknd
Thanks to 1.6 billion listens in one year, "Blinding Lights" is the most played song in 2020. This song continues to be highly popular: in fact, today it is the number one song with the most plays on Spotify.
2021: Drivers License - Olivia Rodrigo
In addition to being the most-listened-to song in 2021 (1.1 billion listens on Spotify), "Drivers License" also achieved a Grammy Award as the best pop solo performance. The song also became the fastest to cross the 100 million-listen threshold, achieving this result only eight days after it was released.
2022: As It Was - Harry Styles
"As It Was" was played 1.6 billion times worldwide in 2022, but it holds another record: it is in fact the most played song globally in a single day on Spotify for a male artist, with as many as 16.1 million daily streams. In 2022, in second place of the songs with the most listened to is "Heat Waves" by Glass Animals, in third place instead there are The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber with "Stay".
2023: ?
It is still too early to decree the most listened to song of 2023, but many clues (and data available on Spotify) make us think that it could be a "revenge song": at the moment, among the songs with the most stream since the beginning of 2023 there are in fact "Flowers" by Miley Cyrus and "Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions Vol. 53" by Bizarrap with Shakira.
Rankings
25/04/2024
The well-known US magazine Rolling Stone in 2021 has updated the list of the 500 most beautiful songs of all time.
The ranking was first published on December 11, 2003 and was compiled by a jury chosen by the editorial staff, composed of 172 musicians, music critics and experts in the recording industry. Subsequently, the ranking was changed twice: the first in 2010, the second in 2021, when 254 songs that were previously not present were added.
Obviously, there is nothing more subjective than music: these songs are considered the best according to the criteria defined by Rolling Stonemagazine, but each of us has his own personal ranking of the best songs ever. Here, however, is the Top 20 of Rolling Stone.
Rankings
23/04/2024
In 2008, 'Rolling Stone' compiled a list of the 100 best singers of all time.
This ranking was compiled 15 years ago by 180 people, including several musicians (e.g. Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart, Justin Timberlake, George Michael, Keith Richards), journalists and music experts.
On 1 January 2023, however, 'Rolling Stone' published an update of the ranking that revolutionised the list, especially with regard to the Top Ten. As the well-known US magazine was keen to point out, this ranking does not only take into account technical and vocal abilities (it is not a list of the best voices of all time), but also the originality of the vocal timbre, the record catalogue, the writing ability and the musical legacy of the singers in question. Here are the top 20 positions.