National Album Day on Deezer: the most streamed albums in 2023 so far

Deezer explores the impact of albums today, sharing insights on the biggest success stories in 2023 and what album listening habits look like across generations

Paris, October 16, 2023: Saturday was National Album Day, an occasion to reflect on the significance of albums in the current music landscape. In celebrating the dedication and artistry that goes into creating albums, Deezer dove into its data to deliver key insights on how people listen to albums in 2023. 

The stats include which album has garnered the most streams so far in 2023 and which ones gained rapid popularity with the highest number of streams within the day following its release. Finally, Deezer delivers insights on people’s relationship to the album listening experience and if there’s a difference between age groups.

The most-streamed album in 2023 so far*:

As of October 2023, Beyoncé’s highly anticipated seventh studio album, “RENAISSANCE” holds the record for the year’s most-streamed album by a global artist on Deezer, confirming the enthusiasm of her fan base. This album was streamed the most by users between 18 and 35 years. 

The albums with the fastest ascent within one day after release**:

Which global artist’s new album enjoyed the most streams in a single day after its release in 2023? The top 10 album list of global artists on Deezer provides a colorful blend of genres.

The American rapper Travis Scott secures the top spot with the eagerly awaited “UTOPIA“, over five years following the release of his “ASTROWORLD”. More than 50% who streamed the album are between 18 and 25 years old. 

Taylor Swift’s “Speak Now (Taylor’s version)” is a close second on the list. Established artists such as Lana Del Rey, Olivia Rodrigo, and Miley Cyrus secure the seventh, eighth, and ninth positions, respectively.

  1. Travis Scott – Utopia
  2. Taylor Swift – Speak Now (Taylor’s version)
  3. Depeche Mode – Memento Mori
  4. Ed Sheeran – – 
  5. Metallica – 72 seasons
  6. U2 – Songs of surrender
  7. Lana Del Rey – Did you know that there is a t
  8. Olivia Rodrigo – GUTS
  9. Miley Cyrus – Endless Summer Vacation
  10. Måneskin – RUSH!

And, who listens to albums nowadays?

When looking at how albums are consumed overall on Deezer, a clear pattern emerges. Globally, users aged 50 and above emerge as the primary audience for albums on Deezer, with nearly 45% of this age group starting on an album page when they want to listen to music. The younger people get, this percentage gradually declines***. This pattern is also true for music genres where fans tend to listen more to albums than individual songs.

  1. New Age
  2. Metal
  3. Folk
  4. Jazz
  5. Alternative

Looking at how different age groups listen to music, people aged 50 and above, really enjoy albums. But when their favorite artist releases new albums, younger people, between 18 and 35, also get excited about them. So, even though streaming single songs is popular, albums are still very much alive. 

About “the album”: 

The album as a concept has a rich history dating back to the early 20th century, but it truly became a music industry institution during the 1960s and 1970s. Artists like The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin pushed the boundaries of what an album could be, using it as a canvas for artistic expression and storytelling. These artists understood that an album was not just a collection of songs but a cohesive body of work that could convey a theme, emotion, or narrative. 

*data is based on streams from 01.01.2023 – 14.09.2023 via the artists album page only

** data is based on all streams from 01.01.2023 – 14.09.2023

*** 35-39 years: 45%

     25-34 years: 42%

    18-24 years: 37%

    under 18 years: 27%

*** ENDS ***

Press Contact Deezer

Karina Klusen | kklusen@deezer.com