Top 30 Classic Pop Albums of the Streaming Era: Spotify Reveals

Spotify has put together a list of thirty “Classic Pop Albums of the Streaming Era,” starting in 2015, as curated by Spotify music editors. The albums aren’t ranked, but they feature some of the biggest albums from the last decade, like Adele’s famous release, ’25’, Ariana Grande’s ‘thank u, next’, Bruno Mars’ ’24K Magic’, The Weeknd’s ‘Starboy’, Charli XCX’s ‘Brat’, Ed Sheeran’s ‘Divide’, Dua Lipa’s ‘Future Nostalgia’, Harry Styles’ ‘Harry’s House’, Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘SOUR’, Justin Bieber’s ‘Purpose’, Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Short n’ Sweet’, and the timeless ‘Emotion’ by Carly Rae Jepsen. The list includes hits from familiar names like Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, and others you might not expect like Jessie Ware, Kacey Musgraves, Selena Gomez, and the revered late artist SOPHIE. Albums were picked for their “overall quality, execution, and cultural resonance,” rather than relying on stream counts or pure popularity. Choosing these albums was about showcasing a group of artists that have used and reshaped pop to push boundaries and express themselves freely. Through experimentation and ambition, these iconic albums have redefined what pop music can mean in this modern era. So the next time you’re looking to tune in, consider these albums to get a taste of where pop music stands today.