Wizkid Ranked Best-Selling African Artist of All Time

Wizkid has been ranked the highest-selling African artist on ChartMasters’ global all-time best-selling artists list, with 13.18 million equivalent album sales recorded worldwide.

The ranking, published by music data platform ChartMasters, places Wizkid at No. 545 out of 641 artists listed globally. Among African acts included in the ranking, he holds the highest position. Burna Boy follows closely at No. 548.

According to ChartMasters, the figures are calculated using its CSPC (Comprehensive Sales Plus Consumption) methodology. The system aggregates an artist’s commercial performance across multiple formats, including physical album sales, digital downloads, streaming equivalents, physical singles, digital singles, and album track equivalents. Each format is assigned a specific weight designed to reflect its relative contribution to overall consumption.

Wizkid’s reported total of 13.18 million equivalent album sales combines data from studio albums, other long-form projects such as compilations, as well as single releases and streaming performance.

The placement comes amid continued chart activity for the singer in 2026. His recent collaboration with Asake, ‘Jogodo,’ has spent 46 days at No. 1 on the Spotify Nigeria Daily Top Songs chart. The track also held the top position on the UK Official Afrobeats Chart for five weeks and closed February as the most-streamed Nigerian song of the year so far.

In addition, Wizkid and Asake’s joint EP ‘ REAL’ has surpassed 80 million streams on Spotify.

Wizkid has also recorded several recent notable streaming milestones. He was named among the artists featured on Billboard’s list of the 100 greatest pop songs of the streaming era, making him one of only three African artists included. He also became the first African artist to surpass 10 billion streams on Spotify, a benchmark that reflects sustained global consumption across his catalogue.

ChartMasters describes its ranking as a dynamic list that is refreshed daily. The platform compiles historical and ongoing performance data to estimate lifetime commercial impact across markets. Unlike certification bodies such as the IFPI or national chart authorities, ChartMasters operates as an independent analytics platform that applies its own methodology to publicly available sales and streaming data.

The publication of the list places Wizkid ahead of other African artists included in the global ranking, making him the highest-positioned act from the continent under the platform’s current calculations.

As the ranking is updated daily, positions may shift based on new data or revised calculations. However, at the time of publication, Wizkid remains the highest-ranked African artist on ChartMasters’ all-time global best-selling artists list.

While ChartMasters’ methodology places Wizkid as the continent’s commercial king, African music has seen great musicians who broke records across different eras.

For example, Prince Nico Mbarga’s ‘Sweet Mother,’ reportedly sold 13 million physical copies in 1976, which places it among the best-selling singles globally. Nigerian legendary musicians like Fela Kuti, King Sunny Ade, Chief Olisa Osadebe, Majeck Fashek, General Ayinla Kollington, and Sir Shina Peters all sold tens of millions of albums during their commercial peak. Other African icons, Brenda Fassie and Hugh Masekela, Angelique Kidjo, Salif Keita, Oumou Sangaré, Youssou N'Dour, Lucky Dupe, and many more, all reached great commercial heights

The lack of exhaustive data that captures their sales and impact often makes it difficult for a full appreciation of their commercial success, especially when weighed against the stars who have shaped the digital era. 

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