Music streaming service Spotify has revealed the world’s favourite artists and tracks for the year.
Canadian rapper Drake tops the charts for the second year in a row with the most streamed album and single track.
Fans clicked on his songs 4.7 billion times in 2016 – more than double his winning figures from last year.
In 2015, he topped the charts with 1.8 billion clicks.
Spotify pay royalties of £0.004-£0.006 per stream, so 4.7 billion streams is worth an estimated £26.75 million.
Add to that iTunes royalties and earnings from merchandise and a sell-out tour and Drake – real name Aubrey Graham – is sitting pretty at just 30 years old.
Not all that cash is his.
Drake must pay off record labels, backing artists, promoters and a horde of other backroom staff that make him the phenomenon that he is in the world of pop music.
Stage fright
“Drake has been unstoppable this year, he’s a true global superstar,” said a Spotify spokesman.
“With the top album and the top song this year, as well as his successful Summer Sixteen tour, Drake continues to engage his fans in a way that only Drake can.
“It’s no surprise he is dominating the music industry.”
The album Views and song One Dance were the most streamed of the year on Spotify.
Drake has had more streams than any other performer.
One Dance was streamed more than 960 million times, making the rapper around £3.9 million in royalties.
Spotify’s new artist of 2016 was Zayn Malik, even though he previously found chart-topping fame with X-Factor winning boy band One Direction.
Malik has confronted his demon of stage fright to become one of the world’s leading artists.
Spotify’s most streamed of 2016
Most streamed artists worldwide
- Drake
- Justin Bieber
- Rihanna
- Twenty One Pilots
- Kanye West
Most streamed tracks worldwide
- One Dance (feat WizKid and Kyla) – Drake
- I Took A Pill in Ibiza (Seeb remix) – Mike Posner
- Don’t Let Me Down (feat Daya) – The Chainsmokers
- Work (feat Drake) – Rihanna
- Cheap Thrills – Sia
Most streamed albums
- Views – Drake
- Purpose – Justin Bieber
- Anti – Rihanna
- Blurryface – Twenty One Pilots
- Beauty Behind The Madness – The Weeknd