Morgan Wallen, SZA, Kendrick Lamar Lead Mid-Year Album Sales, Rock Has Most Growth Among Genres
The report, which examines the health of the music industry from various data points, notes an uptick in U.S. total album consumption, increasing 3.9 percent to 558.9 million compared to 537.9 million last year. Wallen's 'I'm the Problem' leads U.S. top 10 albums with 2.562 million total album-equivalent consumption, followed by SZA's 'SOS' (1.711 million), Lamar's 'GNX' (1.706 million), Bad Bunny's 'DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS' (1.650 million) and Sabrina Carpenter's 'Short n' Sweet' (1.331 million).
More from Variety
'KPop Demon Hunters' Soundtrack Hits New Peak of No. 2 on Albums Chart
Lorde's 'Virgin' Album Debuts at No. 2 on Billboard Chart
Drake Slams Former Friends in Fallout From Kendrick Lamar Beef on New Single 'What Did I Miss?'
Rounding out the top 10 include the Weeknd's 'Hurry Up Tomorrow,' Drake and PartyNextDoor's 'Some Sexy Songs 4 U,' Wallen's 'One Thing at a Time,' Lady Gaga's 'Mayhem' and Playboi Carti's 'Music.'
Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars have had the biggest song thus far this year on a global scale, topping the worldwide top 10 with 'Die With a Smile' (1.920 billion on-demand audio streams). Mars comes in yet again at No. 2 with Rosé for their collaboration 'APT.' (1.624 billion), followed by Billie Eilish's 'Birds of a Feather' (1.316 billion), Kendrick Lamar and SZA's 'Luther' (1.207 billion) and Bad Bunny's 'DtMF' (1.163 billion).
Streaming accounted for 92 percent of music consumption in the United States in early 2025. On the global front, on-demand audio song streams increased by 10.3 percent to 2.5 trillion compared to 2.3 trillion in the previous year.
Elsewhere, hip-hop and R&B outpaced other genres in the U.S. with the highest volume of on-demand audio streaming, leading with 171.1 billion. Behind it sits rock (123.3 billion), pop (83.3 billion), country (61.8 billion) and Latin (59.4 billion). Notably, rock had the highest growth compared to the same timeframe as last year, while Latin, country and Christian/gospel trailed behind it. Blues also had a bump in growth due to the 'Sinners' soundtrack and the tangential activity of featured artists.
Luminate also looked at the appeal of music documentaries, noting that viewers tend to gravitate towards films that focus on legacy artists as 'Becoming Led Zeppelin' rank at the top. Docs including 'Avicii — I'm Tim,' 'Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius),' 'Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley' and 'The Greatest Night in Pop' rank behind 'Zeppelin' in the top five, while additional films including 'Luther: Never Too Much' and 'Beatles '64' round out the top 10.
Best of Variety
'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples
Oscars 2026: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Wagner Moura and More Among Early Contenders to Watch
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
10 minutes ago
- CNN
American describes delivering pizza to the pope
American describes delivering pizza to the pope CNN's Laura Coates speaks with an American who traveled halfway around the world to deliver a pizza to Pope Leo. 01:12 - Source: CNN Vertical Trending Now 16 videos American describes delivering pizza to the pope CNN's Laura Coates speaks with an American who traveled halfway around the world to deliver a pizza to Pope Leo. 01:12 - Source: CNN Justin Trudeau sings 'Firework' at Katy Perry concert Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was seen singing and dancing at a Katy Perry concert in Montreal in late July. Two days earlier, Trudeau and Perry were seen having dinner together, sparking dating rumors across social media. 00:59 - Source: CNN New research reveals origin of potatoes Scientists traced the lineage of potatoes to a wild genetic fusion about 9 million years ago between a tomato ancestor and a tuberless plant. 01:04 - Source: CNN Blake Lively to be deposed against Justin Baldoni Blake Lively is set to be deposed Thursday in her legal battle against Justin Baldoni. 00:24 - Source: CNN Amusement park ride splits in half in Saudi Arabia At least 23 people were injured, three of them critically, when a fairground ride buckled in Saudi Arabia, sending passengers crashing to the ground, according to state media. 00:33 - Source: CNN Dozens injured on Delta flight Severe turbulence struck a Delta flight from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam Wednesday, causing service carts and unbelted passengers to hit the ceiling and forcing an emergency landing in Minnesota, where 25 people on board were taken to hospitals. 01:01 - Source: CNN Arrest made in Arkansas hiking murders A man has been arrested in connection with the deaths of a married couple attacked and killed while hiking with their two young daughters at a state park in the Ozark Mountains, according to the Arkansas State Police. 00:45 - Source: CNN Crypto attack on OnlyFans streamer caught on camera Several crypto investors, including streamer and content creator Kaitlyn 'Amouranth' Siragusa, have been targeted in a series of violent attacks by gangs attempting to access their crypto wallets. Blockchain intelligence firms believe that the perceived anonymity and irreversibility of crypto transactions make investors an attractive target. 02:05 - Source: CNN High Noon recalls vodka seltzer mislabeled as Celsius High Noon has issued a voluntary recall after mislabeling some of its vodka seltzer as Celsius energy drinks. The FDA says no adverse events or illnesses have been reported. 00:55 - Source: CNN Jet2 holiday singer speaks out after White House uses meme British singer Jess Glynne responded to the White House's decision to use the viral TikTok sound, which includes her 2015 song "Hold My Hand" and Jet2's commercial. Glynne criticized the White House for using the audio to show the ongoing mass deportations in the United States. 01:10 - Source: CNN Fans pay tribute as emotional Sharon Osbourne lays flowers at Ozzy memorial Thousands of fans paid their respects to Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne as his hearse made its way through the streets of Birmingham, the English city where he grew up and where the band was formed in 1968. Osbourne died last Tuesday at the age of 76. 00:46 - Source: CNN Shannon Sharpe out at ESPN after settling sexual assault lawsuit Former NFL star Shannon Sharpe, who has been one of the faces of ESPN's morning sports debate show 'First Take,' is no longer with the network, a source with knowledge of the situation told CNN. 00:54 - Source: CNN Crocodile gets caught underneath moving truck A bystander captured video of a crocodile caught underneath a truck driving through high water in Australia at Kakadu National Park. 00:25 - Source: CNN Beyoncé brings out Destiny's Child during final show Beyoncé reunited Destiny's Child during her concert at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, with Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland joining her on stage to perform a medley of the group's biggest hits, as part of her final Cowboy Carter show. 00:45 - Source: CNN Gwyneth Paltrow joins Astronomer as temporary spokesperson Actress and Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow appeared in a new ad for Astronomer, the tech firm whose former CEO and human resources chief were caught in an awkward moment on a Jumbotron at a Coldplay concert last week. Paltrow is the ex-wife of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. 00:51 - Source: CNN 'South Park' skewers Trump after signing new Paramount deal In their first episode of the season, the creators of "South Park" mocked President Donald Trump and Paramount after they just signed a new $1.5 billion contract. Paramount is looking to merge with Skydance Media and needs the Trump-influenced FCC to approve the deal. 01:24 - Source: CNN
CNN
20 minutes ago
- CNN
American describes delivering pizza to the pope
American describes delivering pizza to the pope CNN's Laura Coates speaks with an American who traveled halfway around the world to deliver a pizza to Pope Leo. 01:12 - Source: CNN Vertical Trending Now 16 videos American describes delivering pizza to the pope CNN's Laura Coates speaks with an American who traveled halfway around the world to deliver a pizza to Pope Leo. 01:12 - Source: CNN Justin Trudeau sings 'Firework' at Katy Perry concert Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was seen singing and dancing at a Katy Perry concert in Montreal in late July. Two days earlier, Trudeau and Perry were seen having dinner together, sparking dating rumors across social media. 00:59 - Source: CNN New research reveals origin of potatoes Scientists traced the lineage of potatoes to a wild genetic fusion about 9 million years ago between a tomato ancestor and a tuberless plant. 01:04 - Source: CNN Blake Lively to be deposed against Justin Baldoni Blake Lively is set to be deposed Thursday in her legal battle against Justin Baldoni. 00:24 - Source: CNN Amusement park ride splits in half in Saudi Arabia At least 23 people were injured, three of them critically, when a fairground ride buckled in Saudi Arabia, sending passengers crashing to the ground, according to state media. 00:33 - Source: CNN Dozens injured on Delta flight Severe turbulence struck a Delta flight from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam Wednesday, causing service carts and unbelted passengers to hit the ceiling and forcing an emergency landing in Minnesota, where 25 people on board were taken to hospitals. 01:01 - Source: CNN Arrest made in Arkansas hiking murders A man has been arrested in connection with the deaths of a married couple attacked and killed while hiking with their two young daughters at a state park in the Ozark Mountains, according to the Arkansas State Police. 00:45 - Source: CNN Crypto attack on OnlyFans streamer caught on camera Several crypto investors, including streamer and content creator Kaitlyn 'Amouranth' Siragusa, have been targeted in a series of violent attacks by gangs attempting to access their crypto wallets. Blockchain intelligence firms believe that the perceived anonymity and irreversibility of crypto transactions make investors an attractive target. 02:05 - Source: CNN High Noon recalls vodka seltzer mislabeled as Celsius High Noon has issued a voluntary recall after mislabeling some of its vodka seltzer as Celsius energy drinks. The FDA says no adverse events or illnesses have been reported. 00:55 - Source: CNN Jet2 holiday singer speaks out after White House uses meme British singer Jess Glynne responded to the White House's decision to use the viral TikTok sound, which includes her 2015 song "Hold My Hand" and Jet2's commercial. Glynne criticized the White House for using the audio to show the ongoing mass deportations in the United States. 01:10 - Source: CNN Fans pay tribute as emotional Sharon Osbourne lays flowers at Ozzy memorial Thousands of fans paid their respects to Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne as his hearse made its way through the streets of Birmingham, the English city where he grew up and where the band was formed in 1968. Osbourne died last Tuesday at the age of 76. 00:46 - Source: CNN Shannon Sharpe out at ESPN after settling sexual assault lawsuit Former NFL star Shannon Sharpe, who has been one of the faces of ESPN's morning sports debate show 'First Take,' is no longer with the network, a source with knowledge of the situation told CNN. 00:54 - Source: CNN Crocodile gets caught underneath moving truck A bystander captured video of a crocodile caught underneath a truck driving through high water in Australia at Kakadu National Park. 00:25 - Source: CNN Beyoncé brings out Destiny's Child during final show Beyoncé reunited Destiny's Child during her concert at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, with Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland joining her on stage to perform a medley of the group's biggest hits, as part of her final Cowboy Carter show. 00:45 - Source: CNN Gwyneth Paltrow joins Astronomer as temporary spokesperson Actress and Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow appeared in a new ad for Astronomer, the tech firm whose former CEO and human resources chief were caught in an awkward moment on a Jumbotron at a Coldplay concert last week. Paltrow is the ex-wife of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. 00:51 - Source: CNN 'South Park' skewers Trump after signing new Paramount deal In their first episode of the season, the creators of "South Park" mocked President Donald Trump and Paramount after they just signed a new $1.5 billion contract. Paramount is looking to merge with Skydance Media and needs the Trump-influenced FCC to approve the deal. 01:24 - Source: CNN
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Tony Hadley dismisses the prospect of a Spandau Ballet reunion
Tony Hadley doubts that a Spandau Ballet reunion would work. The 65-year-old singer quit as lead singer of the True band in 2017 due to "circumstances beyond my control" and was surprised to hear his ex-bandmate Gary Kemp suggest earlier this year that he would like to do another tour. Tony told Classic Pop magazine: "Really? That's news to me. "I don't think it would work. I haven't seen Gary, Martin (Kemp) or John (Keeble) in eight years. Steve (Norman) is the only one I'm vaguely in contact with. "We had some good times, but unfortunately there were some bad times as well. That's just life. We had some good laughs on the last tour, then unfortunately John fell ill and it wasn't the same without him. That was difficult." Tony doesn't want animosity amongst his former Spandau Ballet bandmates but is happy to be focusing on his solo career now. He said: "I wish Gary, Martin and John well, but I'm happy doing what I'm doing. I love the freedom I have now, the fact I can go from a bit of swing to a bit of rock. You can't do that within the confines of a band." Spandau Ballet had a huge hit with Gold in 1983 and Tony believes that the track continues to be popular as it is easy for people to sing along to. He explained: "You can't fail with Gold. There are times I get distracted singing it. I will suddenly come to and think: 'God, what's the second verse?' I get round it by going: 'Right, you lot can sing it...' However, Tony is still baffled that the band chose not to perform the song during their set at Live Aid in 1985. The singer said: "My one issue with Gold is, why didn't we play it at Live Aid? I think it's because we didn't think we could reproduce the orchestral touches at Wembley. Whatever, it didn't make any sense to me why we didn't do it." Hadley has been involved in music for over 40 years and believes that his distinctive voice has been pivotal to his success. He explained: "I've always had a big voice and it's always sounded like me. That gives me an identity, whether you like my voice or not. "My influences are all brilliant voices, but I'm not interested in technicality. Loads of singers can do more vocal twiddles than me and are technically better, but that's not what I'm interested in."
