Drake, Metallica, Andrea Bocelli Climb Charts As YouTube Reflects COVID-19 Lockdown

Artists as varied as Drake, Metallica and Andrea Bocelli are climbing the YouTube charts. The Canadian rapper, American heavy-metal group and Italian opera singer reflect the world’s diverse musical tastes at the time of coronavirus lockdown.

Drake’s “Toosie Slide” has debuted at No. 2 on YouTube’s U.S. Top Videos chart and No. 9 on the Global Top Videos chart. The single has already appeared at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, making Drake the first male artist to debut three singles at the top. Drake is quarantined in Toronto and the video was filmed inside his mansion, with the hip-hop star wearing a mask and gloves to signify the COVID-19 precautions.

Metallica’s return to the U.S charts follows its recent series of classic performances uploaded to YouTube. The band has earned more than 3.7 million views across its streamed #MetallicaMondays performance clips. Pink Floyd, The Grateful Dead, Radiohead and Genesis are also among acts releasing unseen, rare or archived material amid the coronavirus lockdown. Many of the groups are using this live footage to raise funds and awareness for COVID-19 related causes.

Bocelli set a record for a classical live stream. His Easter Sunday performance at the empty Duomo in Milan had more than 2.8 million concurrent viewers at its peak. The video has racked up more than 35 million views.

Elsewhere on YouTube this week, Tones and I’s breakout hit “Dance Monkey” continues to dominate, holding the top slot on the Global Top Songs chart for the fifth consecutive week and 20th week overall. The act has just released a video in the new Artist On The Rise series.

Natti Natasha and Ozuna’s “Criminal” from 2017 has reached to billion views, while Pitbull’s “Rain Over Me” featuring Marc Antony, from 2011, now has a billion views. Daily views surged of the catalogue of singer-songwriter John Prine after his death, peaking at 6 million.