Is hip hop now more popular than rock music?

A study suggests that this might well be the case.

Date published: 5th Jan 2018

Image: Kendrick Lamar (credit)    

For the first time in history, a new study has found that hip hop has topped rock music as the most consumed genre in the U.S.A, a sign that guitar music's stranglehold on our tastes may well be wavering. 

The Nielsen group, who offer “market research, insights and data about what people watch, listen to and buy” in the States have revealed the stats behind the country’s annual music consumption, and the results speak for themselves. 

Eight of the top ten most popular artists in terms of streaming and album sales fell into the hip hop and R'n'B category, with Drake coming out on top, followed by Kendrick Lamar in second.

The likes of Future, The Weeknd and Eminem also made the top 10, while the only non hip hop or R&B acts were, unsurprisingly, Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift.