Taylor Swift named IFPI Global Recording Artist of 2019

02 March 2020 - Press release

IFPI, the organisation that represents the recorded music industry worldwide, has named Taylor Swift the world’s best-selling recording artist of 2019. This is the second time Swift has won the award; the first time being in 2014. 

Taylor Swift had another hugely successful year in 2019, releasing her seventh studio album, Lover, in August. The album debuted at number one in more than ten countries and reached three million album-equivalent sales worldwide by the end of its first week of release. Three singles were released off the Lover album last year: ME!, featuring Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco; You Need To Calm Down, and the title track, Lover. ME!, the first release from the album, opened at number one on the global Spotify charts. 

Frances Moore, chief executive of IFPI, said: “Taylor Swift is the epitome of a truly global star. She continues to grow as an artist and maintains an incredibly strong connection with her fanbase, whilst continuing to evolve her sound with each album. It is a pleasure to be able to present her with the Global Recording Artist of the Year award for the second time. 

“The ‘top ten’ showcases some of the brightest and most talented artists from around the world, from newer stars, such as Billie Eilish and BTS, to legacy acts like The Beatles and Queen. This range demonstrates how people’s love of music can be continually ignited by new and diverse artists and yet endures across decades. I congratulate all the artists in the chart.” 

Ed Sheeran takes second place, his third consecutive appearance in the global top 10, following the success of his album No. 6 Collaborations Project, featuring artists such as Stormzy, Cardi B, Camila Cabello and Khalid. The album reached number one in 19 countries while the lead single, I Don’t Care with Justin Bieber reached number one in 26 countries. 

Following another successful year, Post Malone takes third place in this year’s chart, up from fourth position the previous year. Malone’s single, Sunflower, with Swae Lee remained a popular track across streaming services into 2019 and was followed in September by his third studio album, Hollywood’s Bleeding, which reached number one in countries including Australia, Canada, the UK and the US. 

Taylor Swift is the recipient of the seventh IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year Award, the unique and authoritative accolade that reflects an artist’s worldwide success across digital and physical music formats, from streams to vinyl. Previous recipients of this prestigious award are One Direction (2013), Taylor Swift (2014), Adele (2015), Drake (2016 & 2018) and Ed Sheeran (2017). 

IFPI Top 10 Global Recording Artists of 2019 

1. Taylor Swift
2. Ed Sheeran
3. Post Malone
4. Billie Eilish
5. Queen
6. Ariana Grande
7. BTS
8. Drake
9. Lady Gaga
10. The Beatles
    (source: IFPI) 

Previous winners 

2018 – Drake
2017 – Ed Sheeran
2016 – Drake
2015 - Adele
2014 – Taylor Swift
2013 – One Direction
(source: IFPI) 

The IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year Award and top 10 chart is the only ranking to accurately measure consumption across all formats (including streaming channels, digital and physical album and singles sales) and all countries. It is weighted based on the relative value of each method of consumption.