Team Live
Unless you moved to a condominium on the moon, you know Drake has absolutely been killing it. Granted, he’s usually killing it, but in 2018 he seems to be enjoying more success than usual.
His recent rash of record-setting accomplishments are due to his new album, Scorpion. Undoubtedly, the 6 God will keep his super-hot streak going when he launches a concert tour of North America later this year. Drake’s one of the top 20 concert tours in the Fall 2018.
What exactly has Drake achieved?
Below, we look at 10 of the most impressive records recently set by October’s Very Own. What’s even more amazing is several of the records he broke were his own.
- Scorpion Hits The “Spot”-ify
Not only did Drake’s fifth studio album, Scorpion, hit “spot-ifty,” it broke it too. Scorpion set the service’s one-day global record for album streams with 132 million. He beat the old mark by more than 50 million.
- An Apple a Day
Many subscribers complained about the amount of attention Spotify gave Drake and his latest offering. Their objections would carry more weight if Scorpion had flopped on Apple Music. The album did just the opposite. Scorpion set Apple Music’s single-day record for streams with 170 million. Who did Drake beat out? He bested himself and his 2017 mixtape, More Life.
- Billion
Scorpion was streamed one billion times during its first week of release. Obviously, that’s the most one-week streams in the history of the internet. The previous mark was nearly 700 million by Post Malone. Drake broke Malone’s tally in three days.
- Scorpion Stings Its Way to 2018’s Top Premiere
Scorpion dropped on June 29 and garnered the year’s best debut—732,171 in “equivalent album units” and 160,000 in “traditional album sales.” The oeuvre went straight to number one giving Drake his eighth chart topper. He’s now tied with Eminem and Kanye West for second-most number one albums by a hip hop artist. Jay-Z is first with 14.
- Drake Bests The Beatles
In mid-July, the top 10 of Billboard’s main singles chart, known as the Hot 100, contained seven Drake tracks. That’s a record. The previous standard was held by the Beatles. In 1964, the Fab Four placed five singles in the top 10. To really beat the mop tops, Drake has some more work to do. The Beatles are the only act to simultaneously hold spots one through five. Drake held spots one, two, four, six, seven, eight, and nine.
- Drake Bests Michael Jackson
Recently, Michael Jackson achieved his 30th top ten single. He posthumously reached this feat thanks to Drake. The King of Pop is featured in Drizzy’s track “Don’t Matter to Me.” Released on July 6, the single peaked at number nine. Jackson would hold the record for most singles in the top 10 by a male soloist but “Don’t Matter to Me” upped Drake’s total to 31.
- Drake Ties Rihanna
Drake and Rihanna are tied for the third most top ten singles by any act. With 31, both trail The Beatles with 34 and Madonna with 38.
- 27 Titles in Billboard’s Hot 100
For the chart ending July 14, Drake saw 27 of his singles in the Hot 100. That’s a record, and once again, Drake outdid himself. On April 8, 2017, he placed 24 singles. A week later, he placed 21. Drake was the first artist to ever place 20 singles in the Hot 100. He did so in May of 2016.
- Drake is Second to One
Here’s a surefire bar bet for you. This question is guaranteed to win you at least one alcoholic beverage. What act has the most charted Hot 100 titles? The answer is the cast of Glee. The karaoke singers of the popular television program charted 207 singles. Thanks to his latest opus, Drake is firmly in second place with 186.
- Toronto’s Own
We don’t know if this is an actual record, but it’s impressive. According to marketing consultant Gordon Hendren, Drake is responsible for five percent, or $440 million, of Toronto’s $8.8 billion annual tourist income. Toronto, the fourth largest city in North America, loves to tell anyone who will listen that Drake is their favorite son. Of course, his biggest accomplishment, and the one he’ll never surpass no matter how many albums he makes, is making it cool to be a fan of the Toronto Raptors. If it wasn’t for Drake, the Raptors would be nothing more than a forgettable franchise of tall NBA players who curl up in the fetal position every time the playoffs roll around (case in point, ten consecutive losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers).
