{"id":257479,"date":"2025-12-30T05:41:23","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T05:41:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/257479\/"},"modified":"2025-12-30T05:41:23","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T05:41:23","slug":"a-look-at-2025s-biggest-winners-and-losers-in-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/257479\/","title":{"rendered":"A look at 2025\u2019s biggest winners and losers in music"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2018Tis the season for year-end lists, including those that opine on who won and who lost during 2025. Here are my picks for the winners and losers in music for the year.<\/p>\n

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Winner: Oasis<\/strong><\/p>\n

Somehow, the Oasis<\/a> reunion worked beyond anyone\u2019s wildest predictions. Liam and Noel hung together for 41 shows across five continents, drawing 2.89 million fans and grossing CAD$734.8 million at the box office, with untallied millions in merchandising sales. They \u2014 well, their fans \u2014 also set a record at Wembley Stadium by consuming an average of 250,000 pints of beer (worth more than two million pounds) on each night during their seven-show run. It\u2019s possible (but not confirmed) that Oasis may have had a food and beverage clause in their contract, entitling them to a percentage of concession sales, including beer. Smart move if they did.<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t2:01\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOasis set to play at Toronto\u2019s Rogers Stadium\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Winner: Coldplay<\/strong><\/p>\n

The never-ending Music of the Spheres tour has pushed Coldplay<\/a> to the top of the list of the highest-grossing touring acts of the millennium. Between 2001 and the end of this year, they\u2019ve brought in US$2.48 billion and sold 24.8 million tickets, according to Pollstar<\/a>, the live music bible. U2 is second, followed by Ed Sheeran and The Dave Matthews Band. Taylor Swift is down in fifth place, but she started touring later.<\/p>\n

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Winner:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not only did she pick up seven American Music Awards, but Billie Eilish<\/a> also managed to get under Elon Musk\u2019s skin<\/a> by calling him a \u201cp\u2014y b-tch coward\u201d at the Wall Street Journal Innovators Award in November for hoarding so much wealth in the midst of a global economic crisis. He responded by suggesting she was \u201cnot the sharpest tool in the shed.\u201d Ooo, good one.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t(L-R:) Billie Eilish attends the WSJ. Magazine Innovator Awards at The Museum of Modern Art on Oct. 29, 2025, in New York and Elon Musk at the 10th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on April 13, 2024.\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tEvan Agostini\/Invision\/AP\/Jeffrey Mayer\/MediaPunch\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Winner: TikTok<\/strong><\/p>\n

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TikTok<\/a> continues to create viral hits, often with unexpected songs and artists. The platform now influences everything from chart positions and streams to music sales and awards nominations. It\u2019ll be interesting to see what happens with TikTok when (if) the sale of its U.S.-based assets to American interests is finalized.<\/p>\n

Winner: Wired headphones<\/strong><\/p>\n

After years of forcing wireless headphones and earbuds on people who want to listen to music on their phones (hello, Apple), wired headphones are making something of a comeback for a variety of reasons. Celebrity endorsements help, but being seen with a wire dangling from your headphones is once again making a fashion statement, showing that you\u2019ve opted out of at least some of the digital world. Once phones start handling lossless files (ie, better-than-CD uncompressed music), wired headphones will become essential because Bluetooth connections don\u2019t offer enough bandwidth. It\u2019s a trend to watch in 2026. Subplot:<\/strong> Physical music magazines might be making a comeback. SPIN, NME\u00a0and Creem are printing issues again, while Mojo, Rolling Stone, Record Collector\u00a0and Alternative Press are keeping up the fight.<\/p>\n

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Winner: Rock<\/strong><\/p>\n

After years in the wilderness behind hip-hop and pop, rock is making a comeback. It was the second most-streamed genre in the U.S. and Canada, driven by young people discovering older songs via streaming and social media. Collectively, rock acts are selling more concert tickets than anyone else, too. Will the political situation in the U.S. drive more people to loud, aggressive, angry music in 2026? We\u2019ll see.<\/p>\n

Winner: Vinyl<\/strong><\/p>\n

For the second year in a row, vinyl outsold compact discs by a significant margin \u2014 200,000 units \u2014 in Canada, and posted a year-over-year increase of about 20 per cent. This hasn\u2019t happened since the early \u201990s, and the vinyl resurrection shows no signs of slowing down. Sub-winner:<\/strong> Turntables.<\/p>\n

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