During Stream On, we’ll share new developments to help creators continue to chart pathways to success and build a truly global audience.
When competition is fair, both consumers and companies win. Learn about our efforts to even the playing field for all developers.
Artists deserve clarity about the economics of music streaming. This site sheds light on the global streaming economy and royalty system.
Music and football come together in a way that’s entirely new in our partnership with FC Barcelona.
During Stream On, we’ll share new developments to help creators continue to chart pathways to success and build a truly global audience.
When competition is fair, both consumers and companies win. Learn about our efforts to even the playing field for all developers.
Artists deserve clarity about the economics of music streaming. This site sheds light on the global streaming economy and royalty system.
Music and football come together in a way that’s entirely new in our partnership with FC Barcelona.
November 29, 2023
Musically, 2023 was defined by the return of major female pop stars, sonic diversity that topped the charts, and a global music atmosphere that gave rise to powerful genres. On the podcast front, creators are responding to trends in real time, and audiences are turning to podcasts to join larger cultural conversations. As always, our 2023 Spotify Wrapped campaign reflects these trends, and our toplists showcase how over 574 million people around the world listened this year.
Read on to learn more about the top artists, songs, albums, and podcasts of 2023, then take a look at the personalized Wrapped user experience that celebrates your own year in listening.
Reimagined rereleases, record-breaking world tours, and colorful friendship bracelets—fans everywhere will be thrilled to see Taylor Swift as this year’s top artist, with more than 26.1 billion global streams since January 1. In the 48 hours leading up to this crowning moment, Spotify revealed 21 puzzle pieces with Taylor Swift-themed easter eggs in billboards from Sao Paulo to Jakarta. These clues culminated in a spotlight video that included nods to her universe—featuring everything from cats to her infamous red lips. For a limited time, when you play one of her songs on Spotify, watch as the progress bar changes and sparkles to match the song’s era color.
Taking second place was reggaeton superstar Bad Bunny, who also had a standout year with a new album, nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana. Rounding up the top five were The Weeknd, Drake, and Peso Pluma.
The top song of the year, Miley Cyrus’s record-breaking “Flowers,” had incredible momentum from the day of its debut through the summer months and now counts more than 1.6 billion streams globally. In the second and third spots are “Kill Bill” by SZA and “As It Was” by Harry Styles. The fourth and fifth spots come from Jung Kook with “Seven (feat. Latto),” and Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma with “Ella Baila Sola.”
Listeners looked to the past in choosing which albums to play, as several of this year’s top-five albums were released prior to 2023. The most-streamed album of the year for the second year in a row was Un Verano Sin Ti by Bad Bunny, with more than 4.5 billion streams globally, followed by Taylor Swift’s album Midnights. SZA takes the third spot with SOS. And in the fourth and fifth spots are Starboy by The Weeknd and MAÑANA SERÁ BONITO by KAROL G.
Spotify is the most-used audio podcast platform in many key markets around the world and is also the number-one podcast publisher in the U.S., according to the most recent Edison Research data. And for the fourth time in a row, The Joe Rogan Experience takes the honor of top podcast of the year globally. In second place for the second year is Call Her Daddy, and in third, Huberman Lab, followed by anything goes with emma chamberlain and On Purpose with Jay Shetty. Eight of the top 25 podcasts on the global top lists are Spotify Owned & Licensed podcasts, and nine of the top 25 podcasts in the U.S. are as well.
Throughout the year, these podcasts, as well as many others, spotlighted top moments in pop culture, from music to movies to technology.
Catch the full year in podcast trends here.
These most-streamed artists, songs, albums, and podcasts weren’t the only guideposts to 2023. Pop culture trends also fueled listening, from themed playlists to song spikes.
Read on for a few notable trends that spiked throughout the year.
The Big Game and Valentine’s Day prompted huge increases in listening around moments that fans couldn’t help but love.
Television finales and springtime vibes made way for character playlists and dreamy, twangy tracks.
A new sports craze and the return of a beloved children’s movie resulted in two large spikes.
July
Cherry-red tomatoes and hot-pink playlists colored a summer full of girl power.
October
Memes powered by social media played a pivotal role throughout the year in creating buzz and playlists, and this October was no different.
All year long:
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