Wizkid Ranks as Top African Artist on ChartMasters’ All-Time Best-Selling List

Wizkid, the renowned Nigerian musician, has attained recognition as the top African artist in the ChartMasters ranking of global best-selling artists, with a notable record of 13.18 million album sales worldwide as of March 3, 2026.

According to the recently published data from the music analytics platform ChartMasters, Wizkid is placed at No. 544 on the global chart that includes 641 artists. He stands out as the leading African artist on this list, with Nigerian colleague Burna Boy following closely in the rankings at No. 547.

ChartMasters detailed their ranking methodology, stating, "This list compiles data from various formats such as physical sales, downloads, and streams, each given a specific weight to represent its contribution to an artist's achievements." The company added, "Our approach utilizes the CSPC method, and the rankings are updated daily."

Their CSPC (Comprehensive Sales Plus Consumption) approach aggregates physical album sales, digital downloads, streaming equivalents, physical singles, digital singles, and album track equivalents to assess an artist's lifetime commercial success. Wizkid's total of 13.18 million encompasses studio albums, compilations, singles, and streaming figures compiled throughout his career.

This accomplishment arrives as Wizkid sustains his streaming success in 2026. His collaborative single with Asake, titled "Jogodo," has reached No. 1 on Spotify Nigeria’s Daily Top Songs chart for 46 days. Additionally, the track led the UK Official Afrobeats Chart for five weeks, concluding February as the most-streamed Nigerian song of the year to date.

Furthermore, the EP "REAL," featuring Wizkid and Asake, has garnered over 80 million streams on Spotify. Wizkid has also crossed the threshold of 10 billion streams on the platform, marking him as the first African artist to achieve this significant milestone and recognition as one of the top artists on Billboard’s list of the 100 greatest pop songs of the streaming era.

ChartMasters emphasizes that their rankings are dynamic and updated daily to incorporate both historical and current performance data across various markets. Distinct from certification organizations such as the IFPI, ChartMasters operates independently, implementing its own methods on publicly accessible sales and streaming data.

While current evaluations position Wizkid as the highest-ranking African act on the global list, music historians often highlight that numerous African icons attained significant commercial triumph prior to the digital tracking age.

For instance, the 1976 hit "Sweet Mother" by Prince Nico Mbarga is documented to have sold 13 million physical copies, making it one of the best-selling singles worldwide. Other legendary figures such as Fela Kuti, King Sunny Ade, and Brenda Fassie also achieved noteworthy commercial success, although comprehensive historical sales data remains scarce.

As the landscape of music consumption evolves with the rise of streaming, the latest findings from ChartMasters showcase Wizkid at the forefront of Africa’s digital music achievements, with Burna Boy trailing closely on the all-time rankings.