Calling all music lovers! Are you wondering which songs have broken all streaming records?
Across all eras, the the most-streamed song in the world is «Blinding Lights» by The Weeknd, with approximately 5.4 billion streams on Spotify (Chartmasters estimate, mid-2026).
In this article, we invite you to discover:
- The hottest trend right now,
- The all-time rankings,
- The world's most-streamed artists,
- The most-listened-to genres,
- A focus on France if you're looking for the French-language rankings.
The Most-Streamed Songs Right Now (July 2026)
Among the songs that have been huge hits worldwide in recent months are:
- 🎵 «Die With a Smile» – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars
- 🎵 «APT.» – ROSÉ (BLACKPINK) & Bruno Mars
- 🎵 «BIRDS OF A FEATHER» – Billie Eilish
These songs are among the most popular tracks right now and have racked up hundreds of millions, or even several billion, streams.
Since their release, they have remained firmly at the top of global playlists and are on constant rotation among the general public.
⚠ Full disclosure: The «current» rankings change every week. As a result, it’s impossible to pinpoint a «current number one» because it usually changes three months later.
The Most-Streamed Songs of All Time
Throughout the history of streaming, only 9 songs have surpassed 4 billion streams and only one song has surpassed 5 billion streams on Spotify: «Blinding Lights» by The Weeknd.
Check out all these hits in this chart!
| 🏆 Rank | 🎵 Title | 🎤 Artist(s) | 🎧 Streams (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blinding Lights | The Weeknd | ~5.4 billion |
| 2 | Shape of You | Ed Sheeran | ~4.9 billion |
| 3 | Sweater Weather | The Neighborhood | ~4.6 billion |
| 4 | Starboy | The Weeknd & Daft Punk | ~4.5 billion |
| 5 | As It Was | Harry Styles | ~4.4 billion |
| 6 | Someone You Loved | Lewis Capaldi | ~4.3 billion |
| 7 | sun flower | Post Malone & Swae Lee | ~4.2 billion |
| 8 | One Dance | Drake | ~4.2 billion |
| 9 | Perfect | Ed Sheeran | ~4.0 billion |
⚠ This ranking is based on the official Spotify list (20 years) and streaming estimates from Chartmasters/Kworb, mid-2026.
As you can see, the top is much dominated by English-language songs released between 2017 and 2022, a period when streaming became the go-to way to listen to music.
Other than that, in addition to these 9 hits, several songs are nearing the 4-billion-stream mark. This is the case for «Stay» by The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber which currently has 3.9 billion streams on Spotify.
As a bit of trivia, this song by The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber made Spotify history: Upon its release in 2021, it became the fastest song to reach one billion streams (118 days), dethroning Ed Sheeran’s «Shape of You.» The record has since been broken several times, notably by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars« »Die With a Smile,” but it’s still impressive!
Other than that, there's also «Believer» by Imagine Dragons, which has racked up more than 3.8 billion streams.
The Most-Streamed Artists in the World
As for the artists, the ranking depends on what you measure. Based on total all-time streams (the standard ranking, excluding collaborations), here is the Top 5 in the world :
- Taylor Swift
- Bad Bunny
- Drake
- The Weeknd
- Ariana Grande
Unsurprisingly, Taylor Swift tops this benchmark ranking. Drake led the pack for a long time before being overtaken in February 2024! Bad Bunny, meanwhile, remains the driving force behind Latin music and proves that global success is no longer limited to English-language music!
On the French-speaking side, artists such as Aya Nakamura and Gims show that a strategy focused on international collaborations makes it possible to reach audiences far beyond French-speaking markets.
The most listened to genres of music in the world
Beyond individual songs, certain genres dominate global listening habits.
According to a major international survey (involving approximately 18,000 respondents in 18 countries), the ranking has remained fairly stable in recent years:
- 🎤 Pop
- 🎸 Rock
- 🎧 Electronic music
Next up are hip-hop/rap/trap, pop, classical/opera, R&B, soul/blues, and metal.
Unsurprisingly, pop remains by far the most-listened-to genre, and that makes sense: the vast majority of songs in the global charts are pop or urban pop tracks.
When it comes to electronic music, dance tracks continue to hold a prominent place in the global music scene, as does R&B, which continues to influence much of today's pop music.
⚠ These data reflect a general trend rather than a fixed ranking: habits vary widely by country and generation.
For more information, you can read our article on different styles of music.
What about France?
The world rankings are heavily dominated by English-speaking countries.
But on the French side, it's mainly rap and urban pop that dominate streaming plays.
Among the most-streamed artists in France are: Ninho, Gasoline, naps, Aya Nakamura, Orelsan or Stromae which are often at the top of the charts.
FAQs
What is the most-streamed song of all time worldwide?
«Blinding Lights» by The Weeknd, with approximately 5.4 billion streams on Spotify (Chartmasters estimate, mid-2026). As of now, it is the only song to have surpassed 5 billion streams.
Who is the most-streamed artist in the world?
In terms of total all-time streams (excluding collaborations), Taylor Swift ranks first, ahead of Bad Bunny and Drake.
However, the ranking may change if we measure current monthly listeners rather than the historical total.
Where can I buy or download this music?
You can find our guides at The Best Places to Buy Music Online and how to download music from YouTube !
Beyond Spotify, these songs and their albums are available on most platforms: Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music or Deezer.
Each platform has its own charts, which explains why the number-one song may vary from one service to another.
And by the way, for content creators, feel free to check out Our review of Epidemic Sound.
What about you? What's your favorite song? The one you can listen to on repeat for hours? Share your favorites with us in the comments!
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