Spotify Top Albums

"KPop Demon Hunters" is #1 on both the Global and USA charts.

However, Bad Bunny's "DeBi TiRAR Más FOToS" is #2 globally, but only #8 in the USA.

Morgan Wallen's "I'm the Problem" is #2 in the USA and #5 globally. Used to be that American country music didn't translate overseas, this is no longer true. However, Wallen is the only country artist in either Top 50, so...maybe he's just a phenomenon, an outlier, but what a success!

Lauvey's ""A Matter of Time" is #17 globally, but #3 in the USA. This is astounding, not only because Lauvey is Icelandic, but Laufey has only had two songs on the American chart, and both were Christmas tunes and one went to #89 and the other to #56. Then again, in truth this album just came out on August 22nd. But it has not been forgotten by listeners. They didn't check it out and move on, they continued to listen. This is akin to the old days, the truly old days, the sixties and seventies, when an artist who didn't sound like anybody else could carve out their own niche. And the funny thing is it's not even on a major label, it was released by AWAL...then again, at this point AWAL is part of Sony.

Deftones' "private music" is #46 globally and #14 domestically. Pretty amazing for a band whose first album came out THIRTY YEARS AGO! Sure, the album came out on August 22nd, but the band is playing stadiums and very occasionally an act would have a hit single years later, but usually with the help of a current artist, and it was usually just about the single, the album did not sell in prodigious numbers. Would Deftones be as big if it weren't for the internet, where all their music is available 24/7 around the world, able to be discovered and played by new fans? This proves you don't need Spotify Top 50 hits to be a successful artist. Furthermore, "private music" sounds nothing like anything in the Spotify Top 50. Everybody's chasing hits yet here a career act with hard core fans is triumphing doing it their own way.

Noah Kahan's "Stick Season" is #13 domestically, even though it came out in 2022! This would be impossible in the old days. Once radio stopped playing the singles, the album stopped selling. But people love Kahan and keep streaming his music and this is what new acts have to compete with, stars with established fan bases. Best to start off slow and find your way with authentic music and hope to get lucky as time goes by than polish a written by committee single that might stream but doesn't generate a dedicated fan base. Furthermore, the lyrics of "Stick Season" are personal and not always positive. Kahan is breaking all the rules and continuing to triumph.

Billie Eilish's "Hit Me Hard and Soft" is #6 globally and #23 domestically. Are streams higher internationally because she was on tour over there? Tours drive streams.

Beéle's "BORONDO" is #7 internationally. He doesn't chart domestically. He's Colombian. Not only is Latin music a big market, it's bigger than ever because it can be listened to with a click around the world.

Fuerza Regida may have a Spanish name, but they're from San Bernardino. Their album "111xpantia" is #10 internationally. And this does not represent the burst of streams of a recent release, this album came out on May 2nd, it's got staying power. The album is #30 in the U.S.

"Mi Vida Mi Muerte" by Neton Vega is #21 internationally. He's a Mexican artist, but he's playing as far north as Jones Beach. The same album is #41 domestically.

Mexican artist Junior H's "$ad Boyz 4 Life II" is #28 internationally and #42 domestically.

No one may want Katy Perry's new albums, but 2012's "Teenage Dream" is #40 internationally, it's not on the USA chart. Katy did four Mexican dates in April and two Australian dates at the beginning of June... So international touring is not driving these streams.

Mexican rapper Tito Double P's "Incómodo" is #43 internationally. It doesn't chart in the Top 50 domestically. The music is released by the Orchard via Sony.

Mexican urban music star Victor Mendivil's "Tutankamon" is #45 internationally, it's not in the domestic Top 50. He has no Wikipedia page. The music is distributed via Downtown...and you wonder why the majors are buying up the indie distributors...they're the ones with all the breaking talent! The majors can't find new hit music, never mind sign it and promote it. They rely on people who are in the weeds, who make deals that are far from rich.

Morgan Wallen's 2023 album "One Thing at a Time" is #9 domestically. Wallen has two albums in the Top Ten, Taylor Swift only one, #6's "Tortured Poets Department." However, "Folklore" is #15, "Lover" is #26, "Midnights" is #35 and "reputation" is #36. Morgan Wallen's "Dangerous: The Double Album" is #20.

"Hamilton" is #22 domestically. I guess it doesn't translate overseas. However, one must note the album came out TEN YEARS AGO!

"Rumours" is #19 domestically and #33 internationally.

Arctic Monkeys' "AM" is #22 internationally. It came out in 2013. In the days of physical retail, most stores would not have even stocked it. But today, the great records of the past never die.

Christian artist Forrest Frank's 2024 album "Child of God" is #47. It came out in 2024, "Child of God II" came out in May. Both are distributed by Warner.

Hozier's 2014 self-titled debut is #34 domestically. Welcome to the modern world where your original work can overshadow your newer music.

The Marías 2024 album "Submarine" is #25 domestically. They sing in English and Spanish, as for the style of music...can I say it's all over the place? (In a good way!) This is on Atlantic, but the contract pre-dates Elliott Grainge's tenure. The deal is through producer Ricky Reed's Nice Life, which also has Lizzo and Pussy Riot as well as Tinashe, but the latter is distributed by RCA.


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