Drake already topped streaming charts in 2016 on the back of his monstrous VIEWS, so it should come as no surprise that the Canadian rap icon has been named the world's best-selling artist of last year by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).
The IFPI Global Recording Artist Award, of which Drake is the fourth-ever recipient, "reflects an artist's worldwide success across physical and digital formats, including downloads and streams." A press release notes that VIEWS was the first album to reach one billion streams on Apple Music, while ubiquitous single "One Dance" was the first song to be played a billion times on Spotify.
Coming in close behind Drake on the global sales charts were David Bowie, Coldplay, Adele, Justin Bieber, Twenty One Pilots, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Prince and the Weeknd.
Bowie released his Blackstar LP only two days before his passing in January of last year, having it top the charts in 24 countries. Coldplay and Adele found their respective 2015 records, A Head Full of Dreams and 25, remained popular throughout 2016.
"I'm delighted to be able to honour Drake as the IFPI Global Recording Artist 2016," IFPI chief executive Frances Moore said in a statement. "Drake's phenomenal success reflects how deeply his unique sound appeals to an enormous global audience. The Global Top 10 list features a number of amazing artists, and the variety and vibrancy of their art speaks volumes about the exciting state of music today."
Previous recipients of the IFPI Global Recording Artist award include One Direction (2013), Taylor Swift (2014) and Adele (2015). Find the complete 2016 list below.
Top 10 Global Recording Artists of 2016:
1. Drake
2. David Bowie
3. Coldplay
4. Adele
5. Justin Bieber
6. Twenty One Pilots
7. Beyoncé
8. Rihanna
9. Prince
10. The Weeknd
The IFPI Global Recording Artist Award, of which Drake is the fourth-ever recipient, "reflects an artist's worldwide success across physical and digital formats, including downloads and streams." A press release notes that VIEWS was the first album to reach one billion streams on Apple Music, while ubiquitous single "One Dance" was the first song to be played a billion times on Spotify.
Coming in close behind Drake on the global sales charts were David Bowie, Coldplay, Adele, Justin Bieber, Twenty One Pilots, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Prince and the Weeknd.
Bowie released his Blackstar LP only two days before his passing in January of last year, having it top the charts in 24 countries. Coldplay and Adele found their respective 2015 records, A Head Full of Dreams and 25, remained popular throughout 2016.
"I'm delighted to be able to honour Drake as the IFPI Global Recording Artist 2016," IFPI chief executive Frances Moore said in a statement. "Drake's phenomenal success reflects how deeply his unique sound appeals to an enormous global audience. The Global Top 10 list features a number of amazing artists, and the variety and vibrancy of their art speaks volumes about the exciting state of music today."
Previous recipients of the IFPI Global Recording Artist award include One Direction (2013), Taylor Swift (2014) and Adele (2015). Find the complete 2016 list below.
Top 10 Global Recording Artists of 2016:
1. Drake
2. David Bowie
3. Coldplay
4. Adele
5. Justin Bieber
6. Twenty One Pilots
7. Beyoncé
8. Rihanna
9. Prince
10. The Weeknd
