2023 Wrapped: Canada’s Most Preferred Music Genres

By: Staff –

More and more of our favourite things are now available online, meaning we spend more time online than ever. From our favourite TV shows and movies to socializing and gambling on the best overall online casino in Ontario, our options seem endless. But one of the most popular online activities is listening to music.

The year-end brings along lists, best-ofs, and wrap-ups. In this spirit, we’re doing a wrap-up of Canada’s preferred music genres over 2023 to celebrate the beginning of a new year. Let’s take a look.

Pop

It’s easy to assume that any song or artist that gets played often falls into the pop category, which is a fair assumption; pop is short for popular music, after all. However, pop music doesn’t encompass all songs or artists that become popular. Instead, it’s all about songs that are created to have mass appeal. 

Unsurprisingly, this has resulted in pop music becoming, well, popular, including for Canadian music streamers. In 2023, pop music topped streaming platforms, the most popular pop song being Miley Cyrus’s song “Flowers.”

Of course, we can’t talk about top pop songs from 2023 without talking about Taylor Swift. Swift has managed to have several songs become chart-toppers throughout the past year, including “Cruel Summer,” “Anti-Hero,” and “Lavender Haze.” She’s showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon, something many Canadian Swifties are no doubt feeling grateful for.

You might have enjoyed other notable songs from this genre throughout 2023, including “Calm Down” by Rema with Selena Gomez, “Made You Look” by Meghan Trainor, “Eyes Closed” by Ed Sheeran, and “As It Was” by Harry Styles. 

Since this article focuses on Canadian music preferences, it feels appropriate to acknowledge the Canadian talent that’s stood out in the pop genre over the last year with their own pop singles highlighted by Billboard Canada:

Tate McRae

McRae is from Calgary, Alberta, and has had two big songs reach the top 100 in 2023, the single “Uh Oh” and a feature in “10:35” by Tiesto.

Rêve

Rêve hails from Montreal, Quebec. Before this year, one of her most popular songs on Spotify was “CTRL + ALT + DEL,” but in 2023, the song that stood out the most was “Whitney.” 

Jamie Fine

Jamie Fine is a singer-songwriter from Ottawa, Ontario, whose song “If Anything’s Left” was one of the most-played songs of 2023. 

Charlotte Cardin

Cardin, like Rêve, is from Montreal, Quebec, and rose to the Hot 100 billboard thanks to her electric-meets-pop song “Confetti.”

Rock & Alternative

Rock and alternative music remain some of Canada’s favourite music genres, with 44% of Canadians opting to listen to them. Artists including Post Malone, Stephen Sanchez, and David Kushner all made it onto the list of most-played songs for major music platforms like Apple Music, Spotify, and the Billboard Top 100 for this genre.

It wasn’t just online streaming that punctuated Canada’s love for this genre during 2023, either. Toronto and other major Canadian cities also hosted concerts with rock bands like Journey, Blink-182, Arctic Monkeys, Matchbox Twenty, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Paramore, drawing crowds from near and far to iconic concert venues like the Budweiser Stage. 

R&B

The same survey that showed how many Canadians enjoy rock and alternative music also revealed that 32% of Canadians enjoy listening to R&B, hip-hop, and rap genres. This, coupled with hits like “Kill Bill” by SZA, “Die for You” by The Weeknd and Ariana Grande, and “Creepin’” by Metro Boomin, The Weeknd and 21 Savage being in the top 15 of Billboard Canada’s Hot 100, it’s safe to say that Canadians have a soft spot for R&B in their playlists and genre preferences. 

Hip-Hop & Rap

Hip-hop and rap were popular genres across Canada in 2023, but Toronto’s love for them stands out the most, with singer and rapper Drake being the most-played artist in Toronto and the GTA. Considering that Drake hails from the Toronto area, it’s no surprise he’d see so much support in his hometown.

Of course, more artists than just Drake have been popular within this genre over this past year. J. Cole, 21 Savage, Future, Travis Scott, and Tyler, the Creator have all had enough streaming time this year for their songs to be among the top 100 most-played for 2023.

Country

While country music might draw the United States to mind, Canadians love it. The genre has done incredibly well in Canada over 2023, with multiple country songs becoming chart toppers and the year’s most streamed songs. Morgan Wallen, in particular, has become the country star of the year, with two songs in the top 20 on Spotify: “Last Night” and “You Proof.” He was followed closely by Luke Combs and Zach Bryan.

Indie & Folk

From Leonard Cohen and Gordon Lightfoot to Joni Mitchel and Nelly Furtado, Canada has introduced many talented singer-songwriters and folk artists to the world. So, it’s no surprise that folk artists, including indie and folk artists like Noah Kahan, Lord Huron, TALK (another Canadian talent), and Lizzy McAlpine still hold Canadians’ attention.

How Do Your Personal Music Tastes Compare to the Rest of Canada?

Music tastes and preferences can vary significantly from person to person; music is, after all, a subjective thing. But if you were to peruse through your most played songs and artists of 2023, do you find that your tastes align with these popular genres Canadians seem to love?