On August 31, 2025, the Weeknd’s global smash “Blinding Lights” became the first song in Spotify history to surpass five billion streams. The milestone was confirmed by Spotify on its official X account and quickly echoed by The Weeknd himself on Instagram, where he celebrated with fans.

Music press outlets swiftly picked up the news. Billboard, reporting through Yahoo Entertainment, highlighted how the track has now set a streaming benchmark that no other song has reached. Independent chart monitors such as Chartmasters also recorded the moment, showing the counter tipping over five billion streams on the same day.

A New Ceiling for Streaming Records

Since its release in late 2019, “Blinding Lights” has been rewriting the record books. The single dethroned Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” as the most-streamed song on Spotify on January 1, 2023, and by January 2024 it had become the first track to cross four billion plays. Outlets including Stereogum documented that earlier milestone, underscoring the song’s unmatched staying power.

Beyond streaming, “Blinding Lights” has also left its mark on the charts. In 2021, Billboard officially ranked it as the No. 1 song in Hot 100 history, citing its record-breaking run on the weekly charts and its enduring performance years after release.

Why This Matters in 2025

Reaching five billion streams is more than a flashy headline. The track continues to draw one to two million plays per day, according to Chartmasters’ live Spotify tally. That kind of longevity reflects both playlist ubiquity and genuine listener replay value — the kind of sustained relevance few songs achieve in the algorithm-driven streaming economy.

The credibility of this milestone rests not just on third-party tracking but on first-party confirmation from Spotify, amplified by major outlets like Billboard and embraced by The Weeknd’s own team. The sequence of reporting ensures this is a thoroughly verified record.

Looking ahead, it seems unlikely that any competitor will dethrone “Blinding Lights” soon. While other songs are rising fast, none has matched the track’s unique combination of cross-generational appeal, global reach, and chart accolades. With five billion streams under its belt and a legacy already cemented as Billboard’s greatest Hot 100 song of all time, “Blinding Lights” stands alone at the summit of the streaming era.