Grammy Award-winning Nigerian superstar Burna Boy has achieved another historic milestone after overtaking fellow Nigerian music icon Wizkid to become the best-selling African artist of all time in the modern streaming era.
According to the latest comprehensive music consumption data compiled by ChartMasters, Burna Boy now leads Africa’s streaming-era sales rankings with more than 14.46 million global Equivalent Album Sales (EAS) consumption units.
The achievement sees him narrowly edge past Wizkid, who now occupies second place with approximately 14.4 million equivalent album units.
The updated rankings further cement Burna Boy’s position among the most commercially successful African musicians in history and underline the remarkable global growth of Afrobeats over the past decade.
Fans can explore the latest artist rankings and music consumption data on the ChartMasters official website.
Burna Boy reaches another historic milestone
Beyond overtaking Wizkid, Burna Boy has also reached another landmark achievement.
The “Last Last” crooner has become the first African artist ever to surpass 800 million monthly listeners on YouTube Music, highlighting his enormous international appeal.
The milestone places him among the world’s most-streamed musicians across digital platforms and reflects his growing influence in North America, Europe, Asia and other international markets.
His continued dominance on streaming platforms demonstrates how African music has evolved into a truly global genre.
Modern streaming success
ChartMasters uses Equivalent Album Sales (EAS) to estimate an artist’s commercial performance by combining physical album sales, digital downloads and streaming figures into a single metric.
This modern measurement allows industry analysts to compare artists whose careers span different eras of music consumption.
Under this methodology, Burna Boy currently tops all African artists in the streaming era.
His consistent international releases, global tours and collaborations with leading international musicians have significantly contributed to his commercial success.
Wizkid remains one of Africa’s biggest stars
Although Burna Boy has moved into first place, Wizkid remains one of the continent’s most successful and influential artists.
The Grammy-winning singer has played a major role in introducing Afrobeats to global audiences through hit songs and collaborations with international stars including Drake, Beyoncé, Justin Bieber and Chris Brown.
His commercial achievements continue to place him among Africa’s biggest music exports despite the latest rankings.
The close gap between both artists highlights the fierce competition at the top of African music.
Cheb Khaled still leads historically
While Burna Boy now leads the streaming-era rankings, legendary Algerian singer Cheb Khaled continues to hold the overall historical record based on traditional record sales.
Industry estimates credit Khaled with selling approximately 81 million records worldwide, making him Africa’s highest-selling artist in terms of total lifetime physical sales.
His success predates the streaming revolution and reflects an era when CDs, cassette tapes and vinyl records dominated the music industry.
As a result, both achievements represent different periods in the evolution of global music consumption.
Burna Boy’s global rise
Over the last several years, Burna Boy has steadily built one of the strongest international careers by any African musician.
His albums have consistently charted across Europe and North America, while his sold-out arena concerts have demonstrated his worldwide popularity.
The Nigerian singer has also received numerous international awards, including a Grammy Award, BET Awards, MTV Europe Music Awards and MOBO Awards.
His collaborations with artists such as Ed Sheeran, Stormzy, Justin Bieber, J Hus and Dave have further expanded his global audience.
Afrobeats continues to dominate
The latest milestone also reflects the continued rise of Afrobeats on the global stage.
Artists including Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, Rema, Tems and Asake have helped transform Nigerian music into one of the world’s fastest-growing genres.
Streaming platforms have played a crucial role in exposing African music to new audiences across different continents.
As international demand for Afrobeats continues to grow, industry analysts expect African artists to achieve even greater commercial success in the coming years.
Fans celebrate online
News of Burna Boy’s latest achievement quickly spread across social media, where fans congratulated the singer for another record-breaking accomplishment.
Supporters praised his consistency, work ethic and ability to continuously push African music onto the global stage.
Others acknowledged Wizkid’s enormous contribution to the genre while celebrating the healthy rivalry between two of Nigeria’s biggest music icons.
With over 14.46 million equivalent album sales and more than 800 million monthly YouTube Music listeners, Burna Boy has once again demonstrated why he remains one of Africa’s most influential and commercially successful artists in the digital streaming era.
