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What Is The Biggest Song Of All Time?

March 19, 2024 by newhiphopnews

People love superlatives: Best, strongest, fastest, etc. That’s especially true of the music world, which brings us to today’s question:

What Is The Biggest Song Of All Time?

There are at least a few ways you could look at it.

One is RIAA certifications. In January, Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” was certified 18-times platinum, tying it with Post Malone and Swae Lee’s “Sunflower” as the highest-certified song ever. However, in February, “Sunflower” re-took sole ownership of first place as it was certified 2-times diamond, or 20-times platinum. Currently in third behind both of those songs is Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” at 17-times platinum. Worth noting, though, is that RIAA certifications only take into account data from the United States.

Another aspect to consider is sales of physical singles. Per Guinness World Records, the best-selling physical single of all time is Bing Crosby’s 1942 recording of “White Christmas,” which has sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide. Meanwhile, according to a Far Out post from earlier this year, “Every Breath You Take” by The Police tops the list of the “most-played songs on radio stations worldwide.”

The fourth metric we’ll look at here is streams. As of January 2023, The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” is the most-streamed song globally in Spotify history. In January 2024, it became the first song to surpass 4 billion Spotify streams and it currently has 4.12 billion plays on the platform.

So, while there is concrete data to consider, what is truly the “biggest song of all time” depends on the value you place on said data. Maybe the answer is “Sunflower,” maybe it’s “White Christmas,” maybe it’s “Every Breath You Take,” maybe it’s “Blinding Lights,” or maybe it’s something else. Ultimately, it’s one of those questions that might be impossible to answer definitively.

The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” Becomes First Single to Stream Over 4 Billion Times on Spotify

January 16, 2024 by newhiphopnews

The Weeknd’s chart-topping anthem “Blinding Lights” continues to rewrite history as it surpasses its record and secures the title of the most-streamed song in Spotify’s history. With over four billion plays, the 80’s nostalgic track, known for its infectious beats and captivating melody, has not only dominated charts but has now etched its name in the annals of music streaming.

In February 2023, The Weeknd became the first artist on Spotify to amass a staggering 100 million monthly listeners. Fast forward to today, and he holds the coveted position as the platform’s number-one artist, commanding a massive audience of 113 million monthly listeners.

“I’ll never stop being humbled by anything I create making its way to millions of people let alone billions! I’m so thankful this song makes people feel a way that they keep going back to listen,” said Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye.

“Blinding Lights” has become an anthem for the ages, securing its place as the new No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 song of all time. The track’s monumental achievement surpasses Chubby Checker’s 1960 hit “The Twist,” solidifying The Weeknd’s legacy in the music industry.

As the Canadian artist continues to captivate global audiences with his unparalleled musical prowess, “Blinding Lights” is a testament to his ability to transcend time and make an indelible mark on the music landscape.

The post The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” Becomes First Single to Stream Over 4 Billion Times on Spotify first appeared on The Source.

The post The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” Becomes First Single to Stream Over 4 Billion Times on Spotify appeared first on The Source.

The Weeknd’s ‘Blinding Lights’ Just Made Spotify History By Being The First Song To Cross An Unreal Streaming Milestone

January 11, 2024 by newhiphopnews

The Weeknd is an undisputed king of the streaming music era, as evidenced by the fact that “Blinding Lights” is the most-played song in Spotify history. Since its release in late 2019, the song has been racking up streams, and now, it has reached a height no song before it ever has: It’s the first song to ever reach 4 billion total streams on Spotify.

As of this post, Spotify currently shows “Blinding Lights” as having 3,999,046,181 streams, but some started reporting this afternoon (January 11) that the song had eclipsed 4 billion. Regardless, if it hasn’t hit 4 billion quite yet, it will any second now (perhaps by the time you read this) and become the first song to ever do so.

Currently, after “Blinding Lights” on the all-time Spotify list are Ed Sheeran’s “Shape Of You” (3.74 billion streams), Lewis Capaldi’s “Someone You Loved” (3.15 billion), Post Malone and Swae Lee’s “Sunflower” (3.1 billion), and Tones And I’s “Dance Monkey” (2.97 billion). Just outside the top 5 is The Weeknd and Daft Punk’s “Starboy” at 2.95 billion plays.

The last song to break this sort of ground was “Shape Of You.” It used to be Spotify’s most-streamed track ever, and in December 2021, it became the first song to hit 3 billion plays on the platform. At the time, “Blinding Lights” was second on the all-time list, but it rose to No. 1 in January 2023.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Weeknd On “Blinding Lights”: “I Thought It Was Gonna Be A Flop”

May 16, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Abel Tesfaye is going through major changes, and the world is certainly taking notice. As the 33-year-old continues to distance himself from his long-time stage name, The Weeknd, he appears to be moving away from the world of music and instead, expanding his acting and producing resume. Fans have been tirelessly waiting for the quickly approaching premiere of HBO’s The Idol, in which Tesfaye stars alongside Lily-Rose Depp. In addition to that, he reportedly wrapped filming on another project – this one opposite Jenna Ortega – over the weekend, though few details regarding that have been shared at this time.

Somewhere in the midst of his busy schedule, the After Hours artist found time to sit down with Vanity Fair for their annual TV issue. The Weeknd posed for the magazine’s cover. He also spoke with them about his Sam Levinson-directed series, his music career, and plans for the future, among other things. Perhaps the most surprising issue from Tesfaye in his interview was an admission that he wasn’t confident in one of his biggest songs in recent memory, “Blinding Lights” before releasing it.

The Weeknd Lacked Confidence in “Blinding Lights”

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“I thought [that song] was gonna be a flop,” the Canadian confessed. Thanks to a boost from platforms like TikTok, however, “Blinding Lights” went on to find massive success. It’s since been certified diamond by the RIAA with 10 million copies sold. Reflecting on how social media influences music today, Tesfaye explained, “It’s a new generation of angsty teens discovering all the dark music like when I was 14. Kurt Cobain, Wu-Tang, and all these songs that, as a kid, I probably shouldn’t be listening to, and 50 Cent. This f*cking dark and amazing escape.”

Elsewhere, the genre-bending vocalist recalls some of his earlier releases, admitting that, in the beginning, his music was “very cult-y.” Interestingly, The Idol sees him take on the role of a Hollywood cult leader. He lures Depp’s young pop star character into living a wild and salacious life in the name of fame and fortune.

More from Abel Tesfaye’s Vanity Fair Cover Story

Keep scrolling to see more photos and quotes from The Weeknd’s Vanity Fair cover story. Are you looking forward to the multi-talent’s various upcoming projects over the next few months? Let us know in the comments, and tap back in with HNHH later for more pop culture news updates.

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The Weeknd Was Undoubtedly Surprised By The Success Of ‘Blinding Lights’ Because He Thought ‘It Was Gonna Be A Flop’

May 16, 2023 by newhiphopnews

The Weeknd 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards — Getty Image

Abel Tesfaye said that he plans to kill off his musical persona, The Weeknd, to venture into other creative realms. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to graciously bow out on top after becoming the first artist to cross 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify. However, despite the milestones he’s reached, there are still some accomplishments that even shocked him.

During an interview with Vanity Fair, the musician confessed that he was undoubtedly surprised by the success of one of his biggest songs. “I thought ‘Blinding Lights’ was gonna be a flop,” Tesfaye said.

Co-produced by Max Martin and Oscar Holter, “Blinding Lights” was the second single released off The Weeknd’s After Hours album. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the song is now certified diamond after selling 10 million copies.

With an unpredictable boost from TikTok, the entertainer is excited to see how the younger demographic has latched onto his work and the music he was inspired by.

“It’s a new generation of angsty teens discovering all the dark music like when I was 14,” he said. “Kurt Cobain, Wu-Tang, and all these songs that, as a kid, I probably shouldn’t be listening to, and 50 Cent. This f*cking dark and amazing escape.”

Only time will tell if The Weeknd truly retires from music.

Spotify Has A New Most-Streamed Song Of All Time, Ending Ed Sheeran’s No. 1 Run Of Over Five Years

January 2, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Ed Sheeran 2022 Radio 1's Big Weekend — Getty Image

The top ranks of Spotify’s most-streamed songs of all time don’t change too often. The last time we got a new song at No. 1 was in September 2017, when Ed Sheeran’s “Shape Of You” passed Drake’s “One Dance” to become the new champion. Sheeran’s hit had about 1.3 billion plays at the time and since then, it became the first song to pass 2 and 3 billion streams on the platform.

Meanwhile, The Weeknd released “Blinding Lights” in November 2019 and it has been making its way up the list since then. Now, it has found the very top: On the evening of December 31, 2022, Chart Data noted that “Blinding Lights” had passed “Shape Of You” to become the most-streamed song in Spotify history. As of this morning (January 2), “Blinding Lights” has 3,332,163,962 streams and “Shape Of You” has 3,332,016,196.

.@theweeknd‘s “Blinding Lights” is now the #1 most streamed song in Spotify history, surpassing @edsheeran‘s “Shape of You” (3.332 billion).

— chart data (@chartdata) December 31, 2022

As for other songs that perhaps have a shot at someday taking over No. 1, Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves” is the most-played 2020 song with about 2.2 billion streams, The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber’s “Stay” is the top 2021 hit with 2.3 billion, and Harry Styles’ “As It Was” is currently the only 2022 song in the all-time top 100, with 1.7 billion.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Weeknd Celebrates As “Blinding Lights” Becomes Spotify’s Most Streamed Song

January 2, 2023 by newhiphopnews

The Weeknd’s hit song, “Blinding Lights,” has reportedly become the most-streamed song on Spotify of all time. The Toronto singer celebrated the news on Twitter on New Year’s Eve.

“FOR NEW YEARS ???,” The Weeknd wrote, before following up, “happy new years to blinding lights. the most streamed song of all time tonight.”

TAMPA, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 07: The Weeknd performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show at Raymond James Stadium on February 07, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

The Weeknd first shared “Blinding Lights” back on November 29, 2019, as the second single from his fourth studio album, After Hours. The track debuted at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 but went on to spend four weeks at the top spot. It eventually became the first song to hold a spot in the top 10 on the chart for an entire year.

According to Spotify’s Daily Global chart, the song has passed Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” by 918K filtered streams. Sheeran discussed the possibility of “Blinding Lights” passing his song on The Breakfast Club, earlier this year.

“‘Blinding Lights’ is about to take over ‘Shape of You’ as the most-streamed song of all time. And I don’t think that that debuted at #1. I think it debuted at like 11 or 12. And then it grew, and now it’s the biggest song of all time,” Sheeran said at the time.

In addition to “Blinding Lights,” The Weeknd also ended 2022 as Spotify’s most-streamed artist of the year. He dropped his latest album, Dawn FM, back in January. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 with 148,000 album-equivalent units. It was supported by the singles, “Take My Breath”, “Sacrifice”, “Out of Time” and “Less than Zero.”

Check out The Weeknd’s celebration on Twitter below.

happy new years to blinding lights. the most streamed song of all time tonight @Spotify pic.twitter.com/kNL0X6zK2o

— The Weeknd (@theweeknd) December 31, 2022

The Weeknd Now Has The Second-Most Diamond Singles Ever Thanks To Two New RIAA Certifications

April 5, 2022 by newhiphopnews

The Weeknd is one of the most decorated artists both in recent years and over the course of the modern music industry more broadly. That’s true pretty much regardless of whatever measure you use, but right now, let’s look at certifications from the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America). There’s actually some news on that front today, as two The Weeknd songs — “Blinding Lights” and “Starboy” — have now achieved Diamond certification, indicating sales of at least 10 million units in the US.

That in itself is a big deal, but what’s even more noteworthy is what this does for The Weeknd’s placement on the all-time ranks: According to the RIAA website, today’s certifications put The Weeknd at three total Diamond singles, which is the second-most ever. (His other Diamond single, by the way, is “The Hills.”)

He’s now behind only Bruno Mars, who has four Diamond singles. The Weeknd is currently tied with Ed Sheeran, Eminem, Imagine Dragons, Katy Perry, and Maroon 5, at three. All those artists are among the few who have multiple Diamond singles: Those with two Diamond singles are Cardi B, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Post Malone, and that’s it.

Meanwhile, The Weeknd got some other RIAA certifications today, too: “I Feel It Coming” is now 6-times Platinum, “Die For You” is 4-times Platinum, “Heartless,” “Party Monster,” and “Reminder” are 3-times Platinum, and as far as albums, Starboy is 4-times Platinum. Overall, The Weeknd now has 30 Gold singles, 30 Platinum singles, and 16 multi-Platinum singles.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.