Spotify Wrapped shows 2021 had two clear breakout artists

By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer
Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

    Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

    People might have buzzed about Taylor Swift’s 10-minute-long version of “All Too Well” and Adele’s triumphant return, but when it comes to streaming music, Bad Bunny and Olivia Rodrigo have earned the crown in 2021.

    Spotify Wrapped, the streaming giant’s annual look back on the year, has categorized 2021’s top artists, albums, songs, and podcasts. The study looks at the songs and artists that the company’s 381 million users have gravitated toward as they go about their lives.

    Topping the artists globally was Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, who saw over 9.1 billion streams this year. More impressive, he did that without releasing a new album. This is the second consecutive year Bad Bunny has topped the list, but he became a bigger pop culture figure for many people, appearing in commercials for Corona beer alongside Snoop Dogg and actually wrestling in the WWE’s WrestleMania 37. (Drake topped artists in the U.S.)

    Taylor Swift is ranked second among the most streamed artists, but the other real breakout star of 2021 is Rodrigo, who boasted two of the most globally streamed songs of the year—“Driver’s License,” which topped the list, and “Good 4 U,” which was fourth. The songs claimed the top two spots in the U.S. Her debut album, Sour, was also the year’s most streamed full album.

    While new music was, of course, most popular with users, Spotify says there was a clear trend toward older tunes as well, with people rediscovering old favorites (or hearing them on TikTok or other social media channels).

    Among the most streamed classics were “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac, “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen, and “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana.

    Joe Rogan had the most popular podcast, though true crime and news continued to be popular genres.

    Here’s how the lists broke down:

    Most streamed artists

    RankGlobalU.S.
    1Bad BunnyDrake
    2Taylor SwiftTaylor Swift
    3BTSJuice WRLD
    4DrakeKanye West
    5Justin BieberBad Bunny

    Most streamed songs

    RankGlobalU.S.
    1“Driver’s License” by Olivia Rodrigo“Driver’s License” by Olivia Rodrigo
    2“Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” by Lil Nas X“Good 4 U” by Olivia Rodrigo
    3“Stay” (with Justin Bieber) by the Kid Laroi“Kiss Me More” (feat. SZA) by Doja Cat
    4“Good 4 U” by Olivia Rodrigo“Heat Waves” by Glass Animals
    5“Levitating” (feat. DaBaby) by Dua Lipa“Levitating” (feat. DaBaby) by Dua Lipa

    Most popular podcasts

    RankGlobalU.S.
    1The Joe Rogan ExperienceThe Joe Rogan Experience
    2Call Her DaddyCrime Junkie
    3Crime JunkieCall Her Daddy
    4TED Talks DailyThe Daily
    5The DailyNPR News Now

    Subscribe to Fortune Daily to get essential business stories delivered straight to your inbox each morning.