Only ranking list, no exact values
How many streams the individual artists actually achieved remains unclear. Apple only publishes the order and therefore does not allow any conclusions to be drawn about how large the distances between the individual places are. However, given the comparable values of other streaming services, the frontrunner is likely to have accumulated a mid to high double-digit billion number of streams over the past eleven years. Of course, it should also be taken into account that providers who were represented with large catalogs from the start had more time to increase their view count.
Drake being at the top is therefore hardly surprising, as the Canadian artist has been one of Apple Music’s most prominent partners for years. He appeared at the launch of the service back in 2015, then ran his own show, “OVO Sound Radio,” on Apple’s Beats 1 radio station and regularly used it to premiere new music – including exclusive releases on the service.
Apple Music: Always dominated by hip hop
At the same time, the list shows which genres are particularly well represented on Apple Music. Hip-hop, rap and R&B take up a significantly larger space than rock, electronic music or pop groups. Spotify also published such a list a few months ago, with Taylor Swift ahead of Bad Bunny and Drake.