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

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