With the year 2019 wrapped up, the the top hits, albums and artists of the year have been debated and reviewed extensively. Both new and established artists have been awarded the best album, song, chart-topper, and most streamed. 

Spotify released a list of top artists played on the music platform this year. Post Malone was the most streamed artist with over 6.5 billion streams, followed by Billie Eilish, the 17 year old singer-songwriter, and Ariana Grande. Post Malone placed in each of the top three music categories, which include top artists, top songs, and top albums. 

Billie Eilish, a first time grammy nominee, was recognized for her album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?, which had 6 billion streams. Her song “bad guy” ranks as the second-most-streamed song of the year. 

Ariana Grande’s album thank u, next earned her spot as the third most streamed artist, as well as the most-streamed female of the decade. Her song “7 rings” was in the top five most streamed songs this year.

2019’s most streamed song on Spotify was “Señorita” by Shawn Mendes and Camilla Cabello. It earned over 1 billion streams. Vulture’s top three songs included  “Con Altura” by Rosalía and J Balvin ft. El Guincho, “Lose You to Love Me” by Selena Gomez, and “The Greatest” by Lana Del Rey.

On Billboard charts, “Old Town Road” came in first, followed by “Sunflower” and “Without Me.”

The most streamed podcasts included The Joe Budden Podcast with Rory & Mal, My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, and Gemischtes Hack.

In decade reflections, CNN recognized the many artists that had transformed music over the course of the 2010’s, including Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West and Taylor Swift. 

Beyonce was recognized for her domination of popular music, credited for changing the way artists released their albums and releasing popular songs on her own. Kendrick Lamar was praised for taking rap to the next level. Drake mixed hip-hop and pop, creating a new genre. Kanye West continuously shocked the public, and Taylor Swift fought for the rights to her music while having her new songs reach top on the charts. 

As 2020 signals the start of a new decade, music will surely continue to evolve, pioneered by an ever-changing group of innovating artists and consumers.