NPR

What The World Listened To Most In 2016

Deep within an annual report on the global music industry is a listing of the most popular songs and albums from around the world. We listen to 2016's biggest from Croatia, India, Ecuador and more.
K-pop group Twice during an autograph session on June 28, 2016 in Seoul, South Korea.

Yesterday, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry released its annual "Global Music Report," a close, numbers-focused breakdown of how the mainstream recording industry is faring economically. (You can read our analysis here.)

Often overlooked in coverage of the report — the irony isn't lost on us that a report on the world's recording industry basically never generates stories about the recordings that fuel it — are the country-by-country lists of best-selling songs and albums. Even if you pay attention to the tippy-top of the

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR3 min read
Floods In Southern Brazil Kill At Least 75 People Over 7 Days
Massive floods in Brazil's southern Rio Grande do Sul state have killed at least 75 people over the last seven days, and another 103 were reported missing, local authorities said Sunday.
NPR2 min read
Mystik Dan Wins The Kentucky Derby By A Nose
In a close finish, Mystik Dan won the Kentucky Derby by a horse's nostril over Sierra Leone. Contenders waited with bated breath in the seconds before the official decision was made. The thoroughbred had entered the race with 18-1 odds — a longshot c
NPR2 min readWorld
Ukraine's Zelenskyy Calls God An "Ally" Against Russia In Orthodox Easter Message
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Ukrainians in an Easter address to be united in prayer and called God an "ally" in the war with Russia.

Related Books & Audiobooks