Data Download: Summer 2015
Here at iHeartRadio, we can’t believe that it’s already time to stash our beach towels and pull out the sweaters — seems like this summer flew by in a blur of Taylor Swift, Omi and Fetty Wap. We hardly had the time to get all the steps to Silentó’s “Watch Me (Whip / Nae Nae)” memorized!
But, the leaves are changing and the temperature is dropping, and with that, it seems only fitting to reflect on what songs made up the soundtrack to Summer 2015. For the third installment of our monthly Data Download series, we’re taking a look back at Summer as a whole — Memorial Day to Labor Day — for a snapshot on the top artists, tracks and playlists that fueled your summer:
We can now say with absolute confidence that this was the summer of Taylor Swift. From May to July, Taylor Swift was the artist with the most Station Creates, likely due in no small part to her summer hit “Bad Blood”...
...however, in August, The Weeknd became the first artist of 2015 to surpass Taylor Swift’s number of Station Creates by artist. And as we transition to Fall, it’s possible that he will only become hotter.
We also saw an N.W.A listening renaissance as audiences flocked to theaters for “Straight Outta Compton.” The most popular tracks that fans couldn’t get enough of? “F*ck Tha Police” and “Straight Outta Compton,” obviously. But it didn’t stop there. Artists Eazy-E, Dr. Dre and Ice Cube also surged in popularity with a new generation of listeners.
Fans put forth a ton of support for country crooner Luke Bryan: listeners spent more time listening to his Artist Station than any other artist’s station! He also has the highest percentage of Thumbs Up ratings amongst the 20 most commonly streamed artists.
And now, what you’ve all been waiting for: the No. 1 Song of Summer. The votes are in and the most-listened-to song of the summer is Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen!” Silentó’s “Watch Me (Whip / Nae Nae)” didn’t lag too far behind, and of course Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” was close to the top, too. This shouldn’t come as a huge surprise—it’s not in our data, but we’re willing to bet there’s a 100% chance you’ve had at least one of these songs stuck in your head at some point this summer.
That’s it for now! Stay tuned for next month’s edition of “Data Download” to learn about the hottest songs, stations and more across the iHeartRadio network.
