ArtistDirect News
Apple Music Reveals All-Time Top 20 Artists, Highlighting Drake, Swift and Others
Apple Music unveiled its inaugural all‑time top‑20 streamed‑artist list on June 18, 2026, in partnership with Chart Data. The ranking, posted across Apple’s social‑media channels, aggregates every stream each artist has garnered since the service launched on June 30, 2015.
Drake leads the pack, with Taylor Swift in second place. Both artists were part of Apple Music from day one: Drake headlined the launch event, while Swift’s 1989 debuted on the platform after Apple agreed to pay for streams during the first three‑month free trial. Swift’s entire catalog was added eight months later, after she withdrew from Spotify in protest over streaming’s impact on album sales.
The Weeknd claims the seventh spot. He first appeared on Apple Music 1—then Beats 1—during the WWDC 2015 keynote with the single “Can’t Feel My Face.” His 2020 album After Hours became the most pre‑added album of all time by a male artist. Apple named him Global Artist of the Year in 2021 and used his 2024 music video for “Dancing in the Flames” to showcase the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s camera.
Future tops the list in third place. He premiered his 2016 album EVOL on DJ Khaled’s We The Best Radio show, which later joined Apple Music 1. Bad Bunny, crowned Global Artist of the Year in 2022, follows with Un Verano Sin Ti, which shattered worldwide single‑day streaming records and became the biggest album in Apple Music history.
Lil Baby, who earned the Global Artist of the Year title in 2020, and Kanye West, who staged the 2021 Donda listening parties that set platform streaming records, also appear. West later declined to release Donda 2 on any streaming service.
Other names on the list include Ed Sheeran, Kendrick Lamar, Lil Durk, Post Malone, and Ariana Grande. Sheeran performed at Apple Music Live’s inaugural concert in London in 2022. Lamar and Durk granted Apple exclusive rights to film their stadium tours, while Malone and Grande have launched new albums via Apple Music 1 and Zane Lowe’s interview studio.
Apple’s approach to artists has been a key differentiator from rivals. The company is often described as a “friend to songwriters” and reportedly pays higher per‑stream royalties than competitors such as Spotify. Apple hosts annual Apple Music Awards, produces documentaries, and offers a free radio service—Apple Music 1—that broadcasts live 24 hours a day.
The release of the all‑time list comes as Apple Music approaches its eleventh anniversary. The service now boasts more than 150 million songs and operates in 167 countries. In 2023, the most streamed song on Apple Music was Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You,” with over 930 million plays.
Apple’s strategy has centered on building deep, transactional relationships with artists, providing higher royalty rates, exclusive video content, and promotional opportunities. This model has helped the platform maintain a distinct identity in a market dominated by algorithmic curation.
The top‑20 list is the first time Apple has shared all‑time streaming data. While the names largely match expectations, the order offers a snapshot of the artists who have shaped Apple Music’s history from launch to the present.
The list is available on Apple’s website and social‑media channels, underscoring the platform’s continued emphasis on artist partnership and high‑quality streaming experiences.
Drake leads the pack, with Taylor Swift in second place. Both artists were part of Apple Music from day one: Drake headlined the launch event, while Swift’s 1989 debuted on the platform after Apple agreed to pay for streams during the first three‑month free trial. Swift’s entire catalog was added eight months later, after she withdrew from Spotify in protest over streaming’s impact on album sales.
The Weeknd claims the seventh spot. He first appeared on Apple Music 1—then Beats 1—during the WWDC 2015 keynote with the single “Can’t Feel My Face.” His 2020 album After Hours became the most pre‑added album of all time by a male artist. Apple named him Global Artist of the Year in 2021 and used his 2024 music video for “Dancing in the Flames” to showcase the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s camera.
Future tops the list in third place. He premiered his 2016 album EVOL on DJ Khaled’s We The Best Radio show, which later joined Apple Music 1. Bad Bunny, crowned Global Artist of the Year in 2022, follows with Un Verano Sin Ti, which shattered worldwide single‑day streaming records and became the biggest album in Apple Music history.
Lil Baby, who earned the Global Artist of the Year title in 2020, and Kanye West, who staged the 2021 Donda listening parties that set platform streaming records, also appear. West later declined to release Donda 2 on any streaming service.
Other names on the list include Ed Sheeran, Kendrick Lamar, Lil Durk, Post Malone, and Ariana Grande. Sheeran performed at Apple Music Live’s inaugural concert in London in 2022. Lamar and Durk granted Apple exclusive rights to film their stadium tours, while Malone and Grande have launched new albums via Apple Music 1 and Zane Lowe’s interview studio.
Apple’s approach to artists has been a key differentiator from rivals. The company is often described as a “friend to songwriters” and reportedly pays higher per‑stream royalties than competitors such as Spotify. Apple hosts annual Apple Music Awards, produces documentaries, and offers a free radio service—Apple Music 1—that broadcasts live 24 hours a day.
The release of the all‑time list comes as Apple Music approaches its eleventh anniversary. The service now boasts more than 150 million songs and operates in 167 countries. In 2023, the most streamed song on Apple Music was Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You,” with over 930 million plays.
Apple’s strategy has centered on building deep, transactional relationships with artists, providing higher royalty rates, exclusive video content, and promotional opportunities. This model has helped the platform maintain a distinct identity in a market dominated by algorithmic curation.
The top‑20 list is the first time Apple has shared all‑time streaming data. While the names largely match expectations, the order offers a snapshot of the artists who have shaped Apple Music’s history from launch to the present.
The list is available on Apple’s website and social‑media channels, underscoring the platform’s continued emphasis on artist partnership and high‑quality streaming experiences.