The Weeknd Wins IFPI Global Digital Award - Noise11.com
The Weeknd

The Weeknd

The Weeknd Wins IFPI Global Digital Award

by Music-News.com on March 10, 2021

in News

IFPI, the organisation that represents the recorded music industry worldwide, has announced that Blinding Lights by The Weeknd is the winner of 2020’s IFPI Global Digital Single Award.

The IFPI Global Digital Single Award is presented to the world’s best-selling single of the year across all digital formats – including single track downloads, and streams on both paid subscription services and ad-supported platforms.

Blinding Lights was the second single from The Weeknd’s fourth studio album After Hours, which was released in March 2020. A critical and commercial triumph, Blinding Lights peaked at #1 in more than 30 countries across the globe, fuelled a viral TikTok dance challenge, and shattered records for the most weeks in both the top 10 and top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. Overall, the track delivered 2.72 billion subscription stream equivalents globally.

The Weeknd has appeared in the top 10 of IFPI’s Global Artist Chart in four of the last five years, and landed at #4 in this year’s chart, his best performance to date.

Frances Moore, Chief Executive of IFPI, said: “Blinding Lights was undoubtedly one of the year’s biggest record breakers and most loved songs. It caught the attention of music lovers all over the world. We would like to congratulate The Weeknd on his success, and it is an honour to award him this title.”

Blinding Lights was joined in the top three by Tones and I’s Dance Monkey, which spent a second successive year in the top ten and improved its chart position versus last year, a feat only matched by Ed Sheeran’s Perfect in 2018. Roddy Ricch’s The Box, which spent 11 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped charts across the world as well as being the top streaming track of 2020 on Apple Music, took #3 in the chart. Roddy Ricch also featured on the #8 track, ROCKSTAR with fellow chart debutant DaBaby, making him the only artist to appear twice in the top 10.

Elsewhere in the top 10, Chinese superstar Xiao Zhan landed at #7, following the outstanding success of Made to Love in his home country, where it broke records for digital download sales. BTS landed their first appearance in the IFPI Global Digital Single chart with Dynamite. Last year’s #1, Billie Eilish’s bad guy, spent a second year in the top 10 landing at #9.

The IFPI Global Digital Single Award is the second award announced by IFPI for 2020, following the announcement that BTS were the winners of 2020’s IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year Award.

IFPI will count down the top albums of the year in two charts over the next two days, beginning with the Global Album All Format Chart on Wednesday 10th March 13.00 GMT, and the Global Album Sales Chart on Thursday 11th March at the same time.

Top 10 Global Digital Singles 2020 (image of the full top ten available on request)

Rank | Artist | Track Name | Global Subscription Stream Equivalents (Billions)

The Weeknd | Blinding Lights | 2.72
Tones and I | Dance Monkey | 2.34
Roddy Ricch | The Box | 1.67
SAINt JHN | Roses | 1.64
Dua Lipa | Don’t Start Now | 1.62
Future (feat. Drake) | Life Is Good | 1.57
Xiao Zhan | Made To Love | 1.48
DaBaby (feat. Roddy Ricch) | ROCKSTAR | 1.45
Billie Eilish | bad guy | 1.36

music-news.com

Noise11.com

Follow Noise11 on Social Media

NEW: Noise11 on YouTube SUBSCRIBE

Noise11 on Instagram

You’ll discover music news first following Noise11 on Twitter

Comment on the news of the day, join Noise11 on Facebook

Related Posts

Twenty One Pilots
Twenty One Pilots Announce World Tour And Premiere New Song

Twenty One Pilots will tour the world and have a new album ‘Clancy’ to go along with it.

1 day ago
Beyonce Cowboy Carter
It Looks Like Beyoncé Has Covered Dolly Parton

Beyoncé has released a tracklisting for her upcoming album ‘Cowboy Carter'.

1 day ago
PJ Morton Noise11
PJ Morton Was A Stevie Wonder fan and Now Stevie Is A Friend

Maroon 5 keyboard player PJ Morton is in Australia for his own shows and told Noise11 about his longtime friendship with Stevie Wonder.

2 days ago
Taylor Swift at the MCG Melbourne 16 February 2024 Photo Credit TAS Rights Management
Taylor Swift’s Father Will Not Be Charged By Australian Police

Australian police will not be pursuing charges against Taylor Swift's father Scott Swift over an alleged clash with a photographer in Sydney.

2 days ago
Marlon Williams media 2024
Marlon Williams Reactivated His Cancelled 2020 and 2021 ‘An Evening With Marlon Williams’ Tour

Marlon Williams will perform his first solo Australian shows in 10 years when ‘An Evening With Marlon Williams’ finally gets underway in June.

3 days ago
Cosmo Jarvis is Shogun Photo credit: Kurt Iswarienko/FX
Former Singer Songwriter Cosmo Jarvis Is The Star Of Shōgun

One time singer songwriter Cosmo Jarvis plays the starring role of John Blackthorne in the hit series ‘Shōgun’ currently streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

4 days ago
David Draiman Disturbed at Margaret Court Arena on Saturday 12 November 2016 photo by Ros O'Gorman
Lzzy Hale Joins Disturbed As The Ann Wilson Fill-in At Knotfest

Disturbed are touring Australia on Knotfest and while the Ann Wilson duet ‘Don’t Tell Me’ is in the setlist, Ann Wilson is not. In her place, Lzzy Hale of Halestorm stepped in at Knotfest Melbourne.

7 days ago