Get All Access for $5/mo

In a World Without Taylor Swift and Adele, This Is Spotify's Most-Streamed Artist of 2015 Cue the GIFS for 'Hotline Bling.'

By Geoff Weiss

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Shutterstock

Drake has stormed the streaming throne.

In a domain devoid of industry titans such as Taylor Swift and Adele, the Canadian rapper has just been named Spotify's most-streamed artist of 2015, with more than 1.8 billion spins -- followed closely behind by Ed Sheeran, The Weeknd, Maroon 5 and Kanye West. Sheeran, who was last year's winner, is still Spotify's most-streamed artist of all time, the company said.

The list is conspicuously lacking any female musicians, though this is likely due to the fact that Swift and Adele yanked their most recent releases from Spotify -- which counts 20 million paying subscribers and 75 million users of the ad-supported version of the service -- in a bid to drive up physical album sales.

The year's most-streamed female artist is Rihanna, who tapped out at just over 1 billion streams -- a notable accomplishment since she didn't release a new album this year. Rihanna is trailed by Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé and Ellie Goulding.

Related: Why Taylor Swift Is Now the Most Powerful Person in Tech

The year's most-streamed song is "Lean On" by Major Lazer and DJ Snake (feat. MØ), Spotify said, while June 19 was -- rather randomly -- the biggest day in 2015 for overall music streaming.

As the most popular paid streaming service in the world (Pandora has more total users at 80 million, but only 4 million paying subscribers), Spotify has every reason to celebrate a booming 2015 -- though the glaring holdouts from Swift and Adele are undoubtedly thorns in its side in terms of potential revenue losses and bad PR.

While Swift has said in the past that she objects to free streaming, Adele has remained mum on why she chose to remove 25, her new album, from Spotify. Nevertheless, the move was a prescient one: 25 went on to sell a staggering 3.4 million copies in its first week -- the largest number since Nielsen began tracking the figure in 1991.

Related: Spotify, Reddit to Leap Into the Ever-Crowded Online Video Business

Geoff Weiss

Former Staff Writer

Geoff Weiss is a former staff writer at Entrepreneur.com.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Side Hustle

'Hustling Every Day': These Friends Started a Side Hustle With $2,500 Each — It 'Snowballed' to Over $500,000 and Became a Multimillion-Dollar Brand

Paris Emily Nicholson and Saskia Teje Jenkins had a 2020 brainstorm session that led to a lucrative business.

Business News

'I'm Shocked': Costco Customers Are Freaking Out About a Change to a Beloved Bakery Item

Costco customers are feeling burnt by a not-so-sweet switcheroo in the bakery department.

Science & Technology

5 Rule-Bending AI Hacks to Make Your Mornings More Productive and Profitable

By 2025, AI will transform productivity by streamlining workflows and cutting costs. Major companies like Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI are leading the way, advancing AI into "Phase 3," where tools act as digital assistants. Discover 5 AI hacks to boost efficiency and redefine your daily routine.

Science & Technology

5 Automation Strategies Every Small Business Should Follow

It's time we make IT automation work for us: streamline processes, boost efficiency and drive growth with the right tools and strategy.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.