American singer, Taylor Swift, has been named the 2014 International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, IFPI, Global Recording Artist for the most popular recording artist across music downloads, streaming and physical format sales worldwide.
No African musician made the top 10 selling artist list as UK/Irish band, One Direction, who topped the inaugural IFPI Global Recording Artist Chart last year came second.
Taylor Swift released her fifth studio album, 1989, in October 2014 and it sold more than 1.2 million copies in its first week of release in the US, thus becoming the highest debut sales in a week since Eminem’s The Eminem Show in 2002.
According to IFPI, 1989 also sold well worldwide. It was a top five hit in Germany, Japan and the UK, the next largest recorded music markets.
“The album’s lead single, Shake It Off, was a top five hit in more than 20 countries, from Canada to Japan, and its accompanying video was viewed more than 350 million times on YouTube,” IFPI said in a statement.
Third place was claimed by singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, who released his second studio album, xin, in June 2014. The album topped chart in 12 countries and reached the top five in a further 11 markets.
Streaming service Spotify announced that x was its most streamed album in the world in 2014.
Other musicians who made the top 10 Global Recording Artists 2014 include Coldplay, AC/DC, Michael Jackson, Pink Floyd in 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th position respectively. Coming 8th on the list is Sam Smith, while Katy Perry and Beyoncé were 9th and 10th.
Commenting on Taylor Swift’s achievement in 2014, Frances Moore, chief executive of IFPI, said she merited the award stating that the award reflects the global popularity of recording artists across the diverse ways in which fans choose to listen to music.
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