Spotify 2020 Wrapped reveals the big winners in music streaming this year
The end is finally in sight for 2020, and Spotify has pulled together the big music trends of the year so as to declare the biggest winners in streaming. Just like Apple declared the best apps for iPhone and Mac in 2020 yesterday, Spotify Wrapped does the same for artists, songs, albums, and podcasts – including a way to see just what you were listening to get your through the past twelve months.
Biggest winner of the year, Spotify says, was Bad Bunny. The Puerto Rican rapper hit more than 8.3 billion streams globally, the company says, with his album "YHLQMDLG" the number one streaming album, too.
Drake takes the second spot for most streams, and then J Balvin, with Juice WRLD and The Weeknd clocking in at fourth and fifth place. For female artists specifically, Billie Eilish takes the top spot for most streams – the second year in a row that's happened – with Taylor Swift coming in at number two, and Ariana Grande at number three. Dua Lipa and Halsey take fourth and fifth places, respectively.
Spotify's most-streamed songs and albums of 2020
While The Weeknd may not have been in pole position for overall global streams, track "Blinding Lights" does come in at the most-streamed song. It hit almost 1.6 billion streams overall this year, Spotify says, ahead of Tones And I's "Dance Monkey" and Roddy Ricch's "The Box" in second and third place.
Imanbek and SAINt JHN's "Roses – Imanbek Remix" took fourth place, and "Don't Start Now" by Due Lipa slides into the fifth place spot.
As for albums, behind Bad Bunny's 3.3 billion stream-scoring "YHLQMDLG" there's The Weeknd's "After Hours" in second place. Post Malone's "Hollywood's Bleeding" was third, with Harry Styles' "Fine Line" and Dua Lipa's "Future Nostalgia" in fourth and fifth.
Spotify Wrapped personal results are in the app
If you want more personalized results, meanwhile, they're found in the Spotify app itself. There you'll find your own standout tracks for the year, and your most favored artists and genres. It's also where Spotify will wrap up your new music versus fresh discoveries.
There's the option to share those results on social – if you've seen the brightly colored "top 5" images lately on Twitter and Instagram, this is where they're coming from – and to create a special, 100 track playlist of your most-played songs of 2020.
It's definitely been an unusual year, and that has shaped how – and where – we listen to music and podcasts, Spotify says. There's a 1,400-percent increase in work-from-home themed playlists, the company suggests, along with a 430-percent uptick in garden-themed playlists. Streaming on consoles has surged, too, with a 55-percent global increase versus 2019, Spotify says.