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Chart Beat

These Popular Canadian Songs Are All Part of Spotify's Billions Club

The Weeknd isn't the only one. Canadian hits by Justin Bieber, Tate McRae, Alessia Cara, Ali Gatie, Ruth B. and more all have over a billion plays on Spotify.

Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber

via Def Jam
The Weeknd recently made headlines for having the first song to surpass four billion streams on Spotify, with his megahit "Blinding Lights." (The song was also named the No. 1 Hot 100 hit of all time by Billboard in 2021). The Weeknd isn't the first Canadian to make history on the popular streaming platform — in 2016, Drake's "One Dance" became the first song to hit a billion streams.
Drake and The Weeknd might have been the first to break those records, but they aren't the only Canadians to hit a billion streams on Spotify — in fact, they don't even have the most songs in Spotify's "Billions Club," a playlist featuring every song with over a billion plays. That title goes to Justin Bieber, who has fifteen songs on the playlist, including each of his eight No. 1 hits. Drake follows with 13 entries, The Weeknd claims nine, and singers Alessia Cara and Shawn Mendes have five and four, respectively.

As of publication, there are 568 songs on the Billions Club playlist, with Canadians featuring on 58, or over 10%. The whole list leans heavily towards recent releases — though classics by AC/DC, Bon Jovi and Fleetwood Mac have hit a billion plays, the Billions Club is much more likely to include songs that released after Spotify launched in 2008. Canada had plenty of popular acts in the '80s, '90s and 2000s, but the only Canadian throwback hits in the Billions Club are Nelly Furtado's "Promiscuous" and Bryan Adams' "Summer of '69." (No Avril, Shania or Celine — the Billions Club clearly doesn't count karaoke performances).
The list does include Canadian artists on the rise, though, including 2023's biggest chart breakthrough, Tate McRae. Though current No. 3 hit (and "Promiscuous"-inspired) "greedy" hasn't hit a billion plays yet, her 2021 ballad "You Broke Me First" makes the cut. Ruth B., who won a 2017 Juno for Breakthrough Artist, has reached the Billions Club with the TikTok-viral "Dandelions." Iraqi-Canadian artist Ali Gatie has also cracked the club with his 2019 romantic plea, "It's You," and so have Loud Luxury's dance-pop bop "Body" and Powfu's sad-rap single "Death Bed."

The list, then, is a better indicator of where Canadian music is going than where it's been — and though Drake, Bieber and The Weeknd remain dominant, artists like McRae are ready to join the club.


Here's every Canadian song with a billion plays on Spotify:
  1. Daniel Caesar Featuring H.E.R, "Best Part"
  2. Nelly Furtado Featuring Timbaland, "Promiscuous"
  3. Drake, "Nice for What"
  4. 21 Savage, Metro Boomin, and The Weeknd, "Creepin"
  5. Drake Featuring Rihanna, "Too Good"
  6. Skrillex & Diplo with Justin Bieber, "Where Are Ü Now"
  7. Ruth B., "Dandelions"
  8. The Weeknd Featuring Ariana Grande, "Save Your Tears"
  9. Carly Rae Jepsen, "Call Me Maybe"
  10. The Weeknd, "Die For You"
  11. Justin Bieber, "Ghost"
  12. Tate McRae, "You Broke Me First"
  13. JP Saxe Featuring Julia Michaels, "If The World Was Ending"
  14. Bryan Adams, "Summer Of '69"
  15. Calvin Harris, Sam Smith & Jessie Reyez, "Promises"
  16. Loud Luxury Featuring brando, "Body"
  17. Lil Baby & Drake, "Yes Indeed"
  18. Drake, "Nonstop"
  19. Drake, "Hotline Bling"
  20. Meek Mill Featuring Drake, "Going Bad"
  21. The Weeknd, "Save Your Tears"
  22. The Weeknd, "Can't Feel My Face"
  23. Alessia Cara, "Scars To Your Beautiful
  24. Zedd & Alessia Cara, "Stay"
  25. Justin Bieber, "What Do You Mean"
  26. Justin Bieber, "Sorry"
  27. DJ Khaled Featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper, "I'm The One"
  28. Powfu Featuring Beabadoobee, "Death Bed"
  29. Logic Featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid, "1 800 273 8255"
  30. Justin Bieber & Quavo, "Intentions"
  31. Justin Bieber Featuring Daniel Caesar, "Peaches"
  32. Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Featuring Justin Bieber, "Despacito"
  33. Justin Bieber, Major Lazor and MØ, "Cold Water"
  34. Future Featuring Drake, "Life Is Good"
  35. Don Toliver, Gunna, and Internet Money Featuring NAV, "Lemonade"
  36. Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber, "10,000 Hours"
  37. Robin Shulz & Francesco Yates, "Sugar"
  38. Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber, "I Don't Care"
  39. Justin Bieber & The Kid LAROI, "Stay"
  40. Shawn Mendes, "Mercy"
  41. Shawn Mendes, "Stitches"
  42. DJ Snake Featuring Justin Bieber, "Let Me Love You"
  43. Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello, "Señorita"
  44. Ali Gatie, "It's You"
  45. Shawn Mendes, "Treat You Better"
  46. MAGIC!, "Rude"
  47. Rihanna Featuring Drake, "Work"
  48. Drake Featuring Wizkid & Kyla, "One Dance"
  49. Drake, "In My Feelings"
  50. Bad Bunny & Drake, "MIA"
  51. Drake, "God's Plan"
  52. Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber, "Stuck With U"
  53. The Weeknd, "Earned It"
  54. The Weeknd, "The Hills"
  55. The Weeknd, "Call Out My Name"
  56. The Weeknd, "Blinding Lights"
  57. Justin Bieber, "Love Yourself"
  58. Drake, "Toosie Slide"
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Ms. Lauryn Hill
Courtesy Photo

Ms. Lauryn Hill

Rb Hip Hop

Ms. Lauryn Hill To Embark On Intimate Cross-Canada Tour

Presented by independent promoter F7, the eight-date Artist In Residence tour marks Hill’s return to the Canadian stage since 2023. She will come to Vancouver, Hamilton, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and Ottawa starting on November 19, 2025.

Ms. Lauryn Hill is making her return to Canada.

Independent, female-led promoter F7 announced the news, sharing the details of Hill’s tour, which kicks off this fall. The legendary American R&B singer and Fugees member is set to perform eight cross-country shows in intimate venues as part of her Artist In Residence tour.

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