You’d think the answer to "what is Drake's most popular song" would be obvious. It’s the one with the crazy giveaway video, right? Or the one that birthed a thousand "Kiki, do you love me?" memes? Honestly, if you ask five different people, you'll probably get five different answers depending on whether they value Spotify streams, Billboard longevity, or just pure cultural "everywhere-ness."
But the numbers don't lie. Even in 2026, with the 6 God still churning out hits and lawsuits, one track sits on the throne with a crown that seems impossible to topple.
It’s One Dance.
By the start of this year, this 2016 juggernaut officially crossed the 3.9 billion stream mark on Spotify alone. Think about that for a second. That is nearly half the population of the entire planet having pressed play on a single song. While "God’s Plan" is often the one people point to as his "defining" solo moment, "One Dance" remains the actual statistical king of the hill.
The Streaming Giant: Why One Dance Won't Budge
It’s weird to look back at 2016. Drake was already huge, but "One Dance" changed the scale. He didn't even release an official music video for it—a move that would be career suicide for most artists. Instead, he let the song exist as this ghostly, hypnotic club staple that felt like it was playing from a car window three blocks away at all times.
Most people assume "God's Plan" is bigger because it debuted at number one and stayed there for 11 weeks. Sure, that's legendary. But "One Dance" was a slow-burn monster. It spent 15 consecutive weeks at the top of the UK charts, tying records that had stood for decades.
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Breaking Down the Top Three
If we’re looking at the podium of Drake's career, it basically looks like this:
- One Dance: Nearly 4 billion streams. It’s the global leader because it wasn't just a rap song; it was a fusion of Afrobeats and UK Funky that worked in a London club just as well as a Toronto wedding.
- God's Plan: Sitting around 2.9 billion streams. This is his most "American" hit. It’s the anthem of the benevolent superstar.
- Passionfruit: The dark horse. It has quietly racked up over 2 billion streams because it’s the ultimate "vibe" song that never gets old.
The gap between "One Dance" and the rest of his catalog is still massive. We’re talking about a billion-stream lead. Even with the massive success of For All The Dogs or the Kendrick beef tracks that spiked his numbers recently, nothing has the universal "play-it-anywhere" quality of that 2016 smash.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Success
There is this narrative that Drake just "stole" the sound for "One Dance" from the Caribbean and Africa. It’s a bit more nuanced than that. Basically, Drake is an aggregator. He saw where the world was going before the rest of the US industry did.
By bringing in Wizkid and sampling Kyla’s "Do You Mind," he didn't just make a hit; he built a bridge. Critics at the time called it "culture vulture" behavior, but if you talk to the artists involved, it was the moment Afrobeats finally got its global passport.
The song's "popularity" isn't just about radio play. It’s about utility. You can play "One Dance" at a funeral, a gym, a bar, or a baby shower and nobody will tell you to turn it off. That is the secret sauce of a song that ranks as the most popular. It’s the absence of friction.
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The "God's Plan" Counter-Argument
Now, if you’re a purist, you might argue that "God's Plan" is actually his most popular cultural export. And you might have a point. The music video—where Drake famously gave away his $996,631 production budget to random people in Miami—changed how artists handle "viral" moments.
It was the first time we saw the "Humanitarian Drake" persona at full tilt.
It felt important.
It felt like a moment in history.
But when the dust settles and we look at the raw data of what people are actually listening to on their morning commutes in 2026? They’re still picking the dance track. There’s something about that "higher powers taking a hold on me" line that just sticks.
The Stats That Actually Matter
- Billboard Dominance: Drake has 13 number-one hits, but "One Dance" was his first as a lead artist. That’s a huge distinction. Before that, his only number ones were features on Rihanna tracks.
- Longevity: Most hits die after six months. "One Dance" still pulls in over 2 million streams per day ten years after its release.
- The Apple Music Factor: While Spotify is the big talker, "God's Plan" actually holds the crown on Apple Music for the most-streamed Hip Hop song of all time.
So, who wins? If you’re in the US, you’d say "God's Plan." If you’re anywhere else in the world, it’s "One Dance" by a landslide.
Why He Might Never Top It
Can Drake actually beat his own record? Honestly, probably not. The music industry is too fragmented now. In 2016, we all listened to the same ten songs. Today, everyone has their own niche algorithm.
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To get to 4 billion streams, you need a perfect storm: a global sound, a lack of a music video (which forced people to go to streaming sites to hear it), and a timing that coincided with the literal birth of the streaming era.
If you want to understand the "Drake Effect," you have to look at these two songs as two sides of the same coin. One is the global pop star, the other is the rap kingpin. Both are "the most popular" depending on which map you're looking at.
To really see how Drake's popularity stacks up against the greats, you should compare his Billboard Top 10 count to Michael Jackson’s. Drake surpassed him years ago, currently sitting with over 80 Top 10 hits. It’s a different world. Jackson had the sales; Drake has the sheer, overwhelming volume of the internet.
If you’re trying to build a playlist that captures the height of the streaming era, start with "One Dance" and "God's Plan," but don't ignore "Nice For What." It’s the third piece of the puzzle that proves Drake’s "popularity" isn't just luck—it's a very specific, very calculated plan.
Go back and listen to the transition at the 1:30 mark of "One Dance." It still feels fresh. That's why it stays at the top. It doesn't sound like 2016; it just sounds like Drake.