Gorillaz’s 2001 debut album had its biggest Spotify year ever in 2025

More than two decades after its release, Gorillaz self-titled debut album continues to reach new audiences. In fact, the iconic record experienced its biggest year ever on Spotify in 2025, highlighting the long-lasting impact of one of the most influential alternative and electronic crossover albums of the early 2000s.

Originally released on March 26, 2001, the album introduced the world to the virtual band created by Damon Albarn and visual artist Jamie Hewlett. The project blended trip-hop, alternative rock, dub and electronic music, setting it apart from the mainstream landscape at the time.

The album quickly became a global success, selling more than seven million copies worldwide and earning the group a Guinness World Record as the most successful virtual band.

Meanwhile, its singles remain widely recognized today. Tracks such as ‘Clint Eastwood’, ‘19-2000’, and ‘Rock The House’ helped define the project’s sound, while the animated characters 2-D, Murdoc, Noodle and Russel reshaped how audiences experienced music and visual storytelling.

Streaming data now shows that interest in the album continues to grow. Songs from the project collectively generate hundreds of millions of streams, with ‘Clint Eastwood’ alone surpassing the billion-stream mark on Spotify.

Therefore, the record’s continued streaming success reflects more than nostalgia. Instead, it demonstrates how Gorillaz’ genre-blending approach and unique visual identity continue to resonate with a new generation of listeners more than twenty years later.