Spotify Ranks Streaming Era's Greatest Pop

The ranking places Olivia Rodrigo's 2021 hit "drivers license" at the coveted number one spot. Upon its release, the song broke Spotify's record for the most single-day streams for a non-holiday track, and then broke its own record the following day. The song's debut was seen as a major event during a pandemic-era slowdown in the pop music industry. Rounding out the top five are Chappell Roan's "Pink Pony Club," Taylor Swift's "Cruel Summer," Dua Lipa's "Don't Start Now," and Carly Rae Jepsen's "Run Away with Me." The selection was not based on streaming numbers alone; a team of Spotify's editorial leads curated the list based on cultural impact, musicality, and artist storytelling. Taylor Swift appears more than any other artist, landing six songs on the list, including "Cruel Summer" at number three and "Delicate" at number 15. As of late 2025, Swift is the most-streamed artist in Spotify's history. The list also recognizes pop's global influences. The 2016 collaboration "One Dance" by Drake, Wizkid, and Kyla is ranked at number eight. The track is credited with being the first song to reach one billion streams on Spotify and for bringing Afrobeats into the global pop mainstream. While Spotify's list looks back at the last decade, the current pop landscape continues to evolve. On the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending February 28, 2026, Taylor Swift's "Opalite" holds the number one position. The current Hot 100 top ten also shows a strong presence from Bad Bunny, with three tracks: "DTMF," "Tití Me Preguntó," and "Baile Inolvidable." Bad Bunny has been Spotify's most-streamed artist in a given year four times, including 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2025.