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Millennial artists top Instagram's biggest music acts of 2015

instagram biggest music acts of 2015 one direction press shot
One Direction had the most mentions on Instagram in 2015. Modest Management
Musicians dominated Instagram in 2015. The photo-sharing app’s newly released stats for the year show young artists, fueled by their fan armies, dominating the most mentions, likes, and song mentions categories.

One Direction was the most mentioned act on Instagram, beating out runners-up Ariana Grande, 5 Seconds of Summer, Justin Bieber, and Taylor Swift — all of whom made the top five.

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It’s a common sight on social networks to see fans of groups and of solo acts banding together to make a topic or artist trend online. Consequently, the artists with the most vocal followers won the Instagram charts. The most active “fan armies” on Instagram were Bieber’s “Beliebers,” Selena Gomez’s “Selenators,” and One Direction’s “Directioners.”

The most mentioned songs on the app were again dominated by younger acts. Although the likes of 5 Seconds of Summer or Gomez may not appeal to older listeners, their presence in the most mentioned song category (appearing in second and fourth place, respectively) is further evidence of Instagram’s millennial-driven user base. Bieber’s “What do You Mean?” was number one on the list, while Adele’s smash-hit single “Hello” and Taylor Swift’s ever-popular “Blank Space” also made the top five.

The most used hashtags on Instagram took things global with #kpop (Korean pop) appearing on the list. References to the song-making process were also ubiquitous, with #lyrics, #beats, and #producer making the cut.

Check out all the categories, including the most-Instagrammed U.S. music festivals, below.

Music artists with the most mentions on Instagram in 2015:

  1. One Direction (@onedirection)
  2. Ariana Grande (@arianagrande)
  3. 5 Seconds of Summer (@5sos)
  4. Justin Bieber (@justinbieber)
  5. Taylor Swift (@taylorswift)
  6. Selena Gomez (@selenagomez)
  7. Beyoncé (@beyonce)
  8. Rihanna (@badgalriri)
  9. Demi Lovato (@ddlovato)
  10. Miley Cyrus (@mileycyrus)
  11. Drake (@champagnepapi)
  12. Chris Brown (@chrisbrownofficial)
  13. Fall Out Boy (@falloutboy)
  14. Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos)
  15. Madonna (@madonna)

Songs with the most mentions on Instagram in 2015:

  1. What do You Mean? – Justin Bieber
  2. Good for You – Selena Gomez, A$AP Rocky
  3. Hello – Adele
  4. She’s Kinda Hot – 5 Seconds of Summer
  5. Blank Space – Taylor Swift
  6. Bad Blood – Taylor Swift
  7. Focus – Ariana Grande
  8. Worth it – Fifth Harmony
  9. Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran
  10. 100 – The Game, Drake
  11. Cool for the Summer – Demi Lovato
  12. Hotline Bling – Drake
  13. Suga” – Maroon 5
  14. Photograph – Ed Sheeran
  15. Chandelier – Sia
  16. Bitch Better Have My Money – Rihanna
  17. Infinity – One Direction
  18. I Want you to Know – Zedd, Selena Gomez
  19. Wildest Dreams – Taylor Swift
  20. Can’t Feel My Face – The Weeknd
  21. See You Again – Wiz Khalifa
  22. Black Magic – Little Mix
  23. Trap Queen – Fetty Wap
  24. Back to Back – Drake
  25. Jealous – Nick Jonas

Most active fan armies on Instagram in 2015:

  1. Beliebers (Justin Bieber)
  2. Selenators (Selena Gomez)
  3. Arianators (Ariana Grande)
  4. Swifties (Taylor Swift)
  5. Directioners (One Direction)
  6. Lovatics (Demi Lovato)
  7. Barbz (Nicki Minaj)
  8. Little Monsters (Lady Gaga)
  9. Beyhive (Beyoncé)
  10. Harmonizers (Fifth Harmony)

Most-Instagrammed music festivals in 2015:

  1. Coachella
  2. Austin City Limits
  3. Outside Lands
  4. Made in America Los Angeles
  5. Governor’s Ball
  6. Lollapalooza
  7. Ultra Music Festival
  8. Bonnaroo
  9. Electric Zoo
  10. Stagecoach Country Music Festival

Most-used Instagram music hashtags in 2015:

  • #music
  • #hiphop
  • #dj
  • #kpop
  • #flawless
  • #singer
  • #producer
  • #indie
  • #beats
  • #lyrics
  • #band
  • #soundcloud
  • #newmusic
  • #livemusic
  • #musician
  • #musicvideo
  • #radio
  • #musicislife
  • #freestyle
  • #iwokeuplikethis
  • #mtv
  • #tupac
  • #jayz
  • #yeezy
  • #northwest
Saqib Shah
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Saqib Shah is a Twitter addict and film fan with an obsessive interest in pop culture trends. In his spare time he can be…
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