Next week marks one year since The Weeknd released his acclaimed album After Hours. Since then, the singer has had many accomplishments. He was invited to perform at the Super Bowl half time show, and even honored with his own day by Toronto’s mayor. Now, The Weeknd can claim another impressive achievement: “Blinding Lights” was officially the best-selling song of 2020.
According to a year-end report released by the International Federation Of The Phonographic Industry (IFPI), “Blinding Lights” sold more units globally than any other song last year. Coming behind him in second place is Tones And I with her 2019 track “Dance Monkey,” followed by Roddy Ricch’s “The Box,” Saint Jhn’s “Roses,” and Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now.”
Congratulations to @theweeknd, the winner of the #IFPIGlobalDigitalSingleChart 2020!
Full top :
@theweeknd
@tonesandimusic
@RoddyRicch@SAINtJHN@DUALIPA@1future ft. @Drake
Xiao Zhan@DaBabyDaBaby ft. @RoddyRicch@billieeilish@bts_bighithttps://t.co/JGAOaLAH5D pic.twitter.com/jLIaymQXP0— IFPI (@IFPI_org) March 9, 2021
While The Weeknd had the highest-performing song of the year, he wasn’t the best-selling artist. That title was recently given to BTS after they had a wildly successful year. The Weeknd did, however, come in at fourth place behind Drake and Taylor Swift.
News of the massive success of “Blinding Lights” arrives shortly after the song secured another feat. On Monday, “Blinding Lights” became the first single to ever spend a full year in the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “After Hours was always meant to be a very personal project. It’s a story I had to tell,” The Weeknd told Billboard about his chart victory. “The fact I’ve been able to tell it with the world listening is incredible. This Billboard chart record is truly a result of the fans. I’m so humbled and forever grateful to them.”
Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.