The Weeknd, Drake and Ariana Grande Top Spotify’s Most-Streamed Artists List

Spotify has released its first-ever list of the most-streamed artists, albums, songs, podcasts, and audiobooks in the platform’s history, marking its 20th anniversary with a comprehensive look at global listening habits as of April 2026.

The announcement, made on April 23, 2026, identifies Taylor Swift as the most-streamed artist of all time on Spotify, followed by Bad Bunny, Drake, The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, Billie Eilish, Eminem, Kanye West, Travis Scott, BTS, Post Malone, Bruno Mars, J Balvin, Rihanna, Coldplay, Kendrick Lamar, Future, and Juice WRLD.

Bad Bunny also claims the title of most-streamed male artist in Spotify’s history, while BTS is recognized as the most-streamed group. Taylor Swift is the only female artist to have topped Spotify’s yearly most-streamed artists list, achieving the feat in 2023 and 2024.

The Weeknd, Drake, and Ariana Grande featured prominently across multiple categories, with The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” named the most-streamed song of all time. His albums “Starboy” and “After Hours” also ranked among the most-streamed albums.

Drake’s “One Dance” featuring Wizkid and Kyla, and Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” and “Perfect” were also listed among the top streamed songs. Ariana Grande appeared in the most-streamed artists list and her presence was noted in the context of 2021 streaming leadership alongside Bad Bunny and Taylor Swift.

In the albums category, Bad Bunny’s “Un Verano Sin Ti” topped the list, followed by The Weeknd’s “Starboy,” Ed Sheeran’s “÷ (Deluxe),” Olivia Rodrigo’s “SOUR,” and The Weeknd’s “After Hours.” Other notable albums included SZA’s “SOS,” Post Malone’s “Hollywood’s Bleeding,” Taylor Swift’s “Lover,” Arctic Monkeys’ “AM,” Billie Eilish’s “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?,” Dua Lipa’s “Future Nostalgia,” and multiple entries from Bad Bunny, Drake, and The Weeknd.

The data reflects global Spotify streams accumulated over the platform’s two-decade history and was drawn from listening activity across hundreds of millions of users. Spotify emphasized that the lists capture artists and works that didn’t just break through but became embedded in everyday life worldwide.

Alongside music, Spotify also revealed its most-streamed podcasts and audiobooks for the first time, though specific titles were not detailed in the verified sources consulted for this report. The announcement included a Spotify 20 hub featuring curated playlists and a visual history of the platform’s evolution.