Taylor Swift generated enough interest this year, to the point that her Eras tour has fetched as much money as the economies of small countries. She is in the billionaire ranks and she has also been declared Apple Music’s Artiste of the Year. Why stop there?! Apple Music has released its Year-End Charts.
In 2023, there was a rush of songs that smashed long-held chart records, and genres like Musica Mexicana and Afrobeats were embraced by more listeners worldwide than ever. Here’s more.
Country returns to #1
Morgan Wallen’s Last Night takes #1 on the Top Songs of 2023. It marks the first country song since Old Town Road (2019) to top the chart. In 2023, Last Night smashed the record for the country song with the most days at number one on the Global Daily Top 100. All told, 11 country songs reached the Top Songs of 2023: Global chart, up from four last year. Wallen also scored the number one album of the year with One Thing at a Time.
J-pop shines
On Apple Music’s inaugural Top 100 2023: Sing chart, which counts down the top songs of the year by plays using the Apple Music Sing feature, J-Pop duo YOASOBI rule with Idol. That song lands also at number seven on the year-end top songs chart, marking the highest entry so far for a J-pop song. It is one of two J-pop songs making the top 10 of the global songs chart, a new record for the genre. Official Hige Dandism’s Subtitle lands at #10.
African music reaches new heights
On the Top 100 2023: Shazam chart! Nigerian breakout star Rema rules with his Afrobeats Calm Down, exemplifying the growing global popularity of music from the African continent on Shazam. Rush by Ayra Starr and People by Libianca also end the year among the world’s top Shazamed songs. The remix to Calm Down featuring Selena Gomez finishes the year at #12 on the global songs chart — the highest entry ever for an African song.
A big dose of R&B
R&B also makes a particularly strong showing on the Year-End Charts, as SZA’s SOS was the second biggest album of the year on Apple Music worldwide. Kill Bill rules the Top 100 2023: Most-Read Lyrics chart, and also finishes at number three on the global songs chart. R&B songs account for more of the top 10 on the chart than any other genre this year, with three. All told, 14 R&B songs make the chart — up from 11 last year.
Musica Mexicana makes a grand entrance
Before this year, no Musica Mexicana song had managed to reach the year-end global songs chart. This year, there are a staggering four Musica Mexicana songs. Cracking the top 20 is Peso Pluma and Eslabon Armado’s history-making Ella Baila Sola (No. 18), which became the first Música Mexicana track ever to reach the top three of the Global Daily Top 100.
Top songs of 2023 (India)
Bollywood and Punjabi songs top the India playlist with Apna bana le from Bhediya, Main meri jaan by King and Dil nu by AP Dhillon, topping the charts. Meanwhile Arijit Singh, Pritam and AP Dhillon emerged as the top three most heard artiste in India.
Top 10 artistes (India)
The list reads: Arijit Singh, Pritam, AP Dhillon, Anirudh Ravichander, Sidhu Moose Wala, Karan Aujla, A.R. Rahman, The Weeknd, Shubh and Shreya Ghoshal.
Top 10 albums (India)
Here goes: Two Hearts Never Break the Same— AP Dhillon, Still Rollin — Shubh, Moosetape — Sidhu Moose Wala, Kabir Singh OST, Starboy — The Weeknd, Making Memories — Karan Aujla, Ikky, Champagne Talk — King, Heroes & Villains (Heroes Version) — Metro Boomin, Midnights (The Til Dawn Edition) — Taylor Swift, Hustle 2.0 — MTV Hustle Team.
Top 10 songs (India)
You want to read this: Apna bana le (from Bhediya) — Amitabh Bhattacharya, Arijit Singh, Sachin-Jigar; Maan meri jaan — King; Dil nu — AP Dhillon, Shinda Kahlon; Calm down — Rema, Selena Gomez; Summer high — AP Dhillon; Kesariya (from Brahmastra) — Amitabh Bhattacharya, Arijit Singh, Pritam; Baller — Shubh, Ikky; Obsessed — Riar Saab, Abhijay Sharma; Besharam rang (from Pathaan) — Shekhar Ravjiani, Shilpa Rao, Vishal & Shekhar, Vishal Dadlani, Caralisa Monteiro Kumaar; and Mi Amor — Sharn, 40K & The Paul.
