Spotify names Talha Anjum as Pakistan’s most-streamed artist over the past five years

ISLAMABAD: Spotify Pakistan has released a list of the country’s most-streamed artists over the last five years, placing rapper Talha Anjum at the top of the ranking.

The music streaming platform shared the list on Instagram, according to Dawn, and the top 10 names reflect the growing popularity of Pakistani music across genres. Alongside Talha Anjum, the ranking includes Atif Aslam, Young Stunners, Abdul Hannan, Hasan Raheem, Talha Yunus, Ali Zafar, Asim Azhar, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Annural Khalid.

Talha Anjum’s position at number one was described as unsurprising in the report, which noted his prominence in Pakistan’s music scene in recent years. Atif Aslam was ranked second, while Young Stunners secured the third spot. Abdul Hannan and Hasan Raheem followed in fourth and fifth place respectively.

The list also featured Talha Yunus at number six, Ali Zafar at seven, Asim Azhar at eight, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan at nine and Annural Khalid at 10.

Dawn reported that Spotify Pakistan also highlighted the significance of the ranking by pointing to the changing listening habits of audiences and the strong performance of local artists on the platform. The list spans a five-year period and offers a snapshot of which Pakistani musicians have drawn the highest number of streams during that time.

The inclusion of both contemporary performers and an iconic legacy artist such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan indicates the breadth of listener preferences on the platform. The ranking includes artists associated with pop, rap and other popular genres, underlining the diversity of Pakistan’s music audience.

Talha Anjum, who is also part of Young Stunners, appears on the list both as a solo artist and through the duo’s placement in the top three. The presence of Talha Yunus, the other half of Young Stunners, further reflects the group’s wide reach on Spotify Pakistan over the period covered by the ranking.

Abdul Hannan, Hasan Raheem, Asim Azhar and Annural Khalid also represent a younger generation of Pakistani musicians who have built strong digital audiences in recent years. Meanwhile, Atif Aslam and Ali Zafar remain among the country’s most recognisable mainstream artists.

The ranking was presented as Spotify Pakistan’s roundup of the top Pakistani artists from the last five years, offering a platform-based measure of sustained popularity rather than a single-year snapshot.

Top 10 Pakistani artists on Spotify over five years

The top 10 artists named by Spotify Pakistan are Talha Anjum, Atif Aslam, Young Stunners, Abdul Hannan, Hasan Raheem, Talha Yunus, Ali Zafar, Asim Azhar, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Annural Khalid.