UPDATES December 6, 2016

Apple unveils Best of 2016 across apps, music, movies and more

Apple’s Best of 2016 celebrates the most popular content across the App Store, iTunes, Apple Music and iBooks.

Apple has unveiled its Best of 2016 lists, celebrating the most popular apps, music, movies, TV shows, books and podcasts across the App Store, iTunes, Apple Music and iBooks.

Showcasing editorial selections and top-selling and most downloaded charts, Apple’s Best of 2016 highlights the talented artists, storytellers and developers who are entertaining Apple customers around the world.

Drake tops the Apple Music song and album charts with “One Dance” and “Views,” respectively.

On Apple Music, Drake dominates the top song and album spots with “One Dance” and Views, respectively, while the Hamilton soundtrack is also a top-selling album. The Chainsmokers have two of the top 10 songs this year, and music fans still can’t get enough of Adele’s 25, Rihanna’s ANTI and Frank Ocean’s Blonde. The Beats 1 team will be counting down the biggest songs on the station in 2016 with a special Best of Beats 1 show on December 7. The Best of Beats 1 playlist will also be available on Apple Music and feature Christine And The Queens, Kiiara, The 1975, Kanye West, Solange, The Weeknd, DJ Khaled and more.

App and game developers continue to deliver incredible experiences to Apple customers, with games like Minecraft: Pocket Edition.

App Store editors reveal their App of the Year picks for 2016, including Prisma for iPhone, Sketchbook Motion for iPad, Twitter for Apple TV, MySwimPro – Personal Swim Trainer for Apple Watch and Bear for Mac. Game of the Year selections include Clash Royale for iPhone, Severed for iPad, Riptide GP: Renegade for Apple TV, Field Day for Apple Watch and Life Is Strange for Mac.

Snapchat is the most downloaded free iPhone app, while the craze of the summer, Pokémon GO, unsurprisingly lands on both the iPhone and iPad charts. The top paid iPhone apps cover a range of categories, with FaceTune, Heads Up!, 7 Minute Workout Challenge, KIMOJI, Geometry Dash and Face Swap Live among the top 10. Minecraft: Pocket Edition is the most downloaded paid iPad app, while YouTube is the top free iPad app.

“Moonlight,” written and directed by Barry Jenkins, was recognized by iTunes Movies editors as Best New Filmmaker.

The editors of iTunes Movies recognize inventive films like La La Land, Moonlight and Sing Street, and the top-selling charts feature huge blockbuster hits to buzzworthy indie titles, from Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Deadpool to Spotlight and The Hateful Eight.

iTunes highlights the year’s excellent TV series, including “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.”

iTunes TV’s top editorial picks include groundbreaking shows like Full Frontal with Samantha Bee and Atlanta, while longtime TV favorites Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead and Downton Abbey are top sellers.

Editorial selections like true crime podcast “My Favorite Murder” and comedy show “2 Dope Queens” draw loyal followings.

Podcasts hit an impressive milestone in 2016: globally, Apple listeners consumed over 10 billion downloads and streams over the past 12 months via iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and desktop. Fresh Air from NPR is the top downloaded podcast of the year.

iBooks names “Homegoing” by Yaa Gyasi the Debut of the Year.

This year’s editorial selections on iBooks include powerful titles, such as Homegoing, Evicted, Born to Run and If I Was Your Girl. The Girl on the Train is the top-seller in fiction and audiobooks, while readers continue to be moved by When Breath Becomes Air, the best-selling nonfiction title.

Overall, the Best of 2016 spotlights the fan-favorite entertainment that Apple customers couldn't get enough of this year, while also celebrating the breadth and depth of creativity across the App Store, iTunes and iBooks.

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