Which singers had the Arab world crooning to their tunes this past year?
According to a list released by the World Music Awards, Lebanese singing sensation Elissa was the most viewed Arab artist on YouTube in 2016.
The “Halet Hob” singer beat another Lebanese legend Fairuz to top the list, surprising many music lovers.
Elissa has sold over 30 million albums and was the highest-selling female Middle Eastern artist for 2005, 2006, 2009, and 2010. In 2005, 2006, and 2010 she received the World Music Award for Best Selling Middle Eastern Artist. She released her album “Saharna Ya Leil” featuring 16 tracks last year.
Elissa also got an award from YouTube for crossing a million followers on her official YouTube channel in 2016.
Amr Diab finished third, Nancy Ajram came in fourth and Tamer Hosny came fifth on the list.
Egyptian singer Sherine Abdel-Wahab occupied the sixth position, while George Wassouf came in seventh.
Wael Jassar occupied the eighth place, while Kathem Al-Saher and Majid Al-Muhandis occupied the ninth and tenth places, respectively.
Here is a look at the top 10 Arab stars and the number of views they garnered on YouTube in 2016:
1. Elissa — 1.4 billion
2. Fairuz — 1.2 billion
3. Amr Diab — 800 million
4. Nancy Ajram — 482 million
5. Tamer Hosny — 472 million
6. Sherine Abdel-Wahab — 448 million
7. George Wassouf — 338 million
8. Wael Jassar — 382 million
9. Kathem Al-Saher — 349 million
10. Majid Al-Muhandis — 302 million

Source: Arab News