Spotify is now 10 years old, and the company which popularized music streaming has taken the opportunity to look back over a decade of discovery. Which means lists of the most-streamed artists and songs, plus other milestones from the past 10 years.
A Brief History of Spotify
Daniel Ek and his Swedish cohorts launched Spotify in October 2008, having founded the company two years previously. Spotify soon spread from its home country of Sweden to the U.K., and then in 2011, Spotify was launched in the United States.
Spotify is now available in 60 countries worldwide, and boasts hundreds of millions of users, millions of which pay for the privilege. In April 2018, Spotify started trading publicly, with its shares listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Spotify Serves Up Statistics
With 10 years under its belt, Spotify has decided to look back over what it terms a "Decade of Discovery". And the statistics paint a fascinating picture of what we've all been listening to on Spotify between 2008 and 2018.
The most-streamed artists of all time are:
- Drake
- Ed Sheeran
- Eminem
- The Weeknd
- Rihanna
- Kanye West
- Coldplay
- Justin Bieber
- Calvin Harris
- Ariana Grande
The most-streamed songs of all time are:
- Ed Sheeran – "Shape Of You"
- Drake – "One Dance"
- The Chainsmokers, Halsey – "Closer"
- Post Malone – Rockstar" (feat. 21 Savage)
- Ed Sheeran – "Thinking Out Loud"
- Major Lazer, MØ, DJ Snake – "Lean On"
- Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, Justin Bieber – "Despacito - Remix"
- Justin Bieber – "Love Yourself"
- Justin Bieber – "Sorry"
- The Chainsmokers – "Don't Let Me Down"
There's more to learn too. Such as Humans by The Killers being the most-streamed song in 2008. And the fact that Rihanna was the first artist to reach 1 billion streams. Or, most impressive of all, Spotify racking up 16,858,080 years in total time streamed.
The Decade of Discovery Playlist
Given Spotify's propensity to create playlists from the data it gathers, it should come as no surprise to learn there's also a Decade of Discovery playlist. This is packed full of the most-streamed songs people have listened to on Spotify over the past 10 years.
Whether you're a Spotify veteran or a relative n00b, be sure to read our unofficial guide to Spotify. Or, if you're experiencing issues with Spotify, read how to fix common Spotify problems. And if you've had enough, here's how to delete your Spotify account.