From blockbuster films to record-breaking tours and viral streaming hits, 2025 was a massive year for global pop culture. A new roundup highlights the biggest winners across movies, music, television, books, podcasts, social media, and technology.
Netflix’s animated musical “KPop Demon Hunters” stood out as one of the year’s biggest cultural hits. The film became a streaming sensation and produced the viral song “Golden,” which dominated music charts and social platforms throughout the year.
Movies Rule the Box Office
The U.S. box office earned $8.14 billion in 2025, with numbers expected to rise due to late releases.
The top-grossing movies of the year included:
- “A Minecraft Movie” — $423.9 million
- “Lilo & Stitch” — $423.7 million
- “Superman” — $354.1 million
- “Jurassic World Rebirth” — $339.6 million
- “Wicked: For Good” — $312.1 million
“A Minecraft Movie” came close to earning $1 billion worldwide, making it the year’s biggest global hit.
Streaming and TV Favorites
Children’s show “Bluey” became the most-watched program of 2025, with 31.9 billion minutes viewed on Disney+.
The most-watched streaming originals were led by:
- “KPop Demon Hunters” (Netflix) — 9.36 billion minutes
- “The Night Agent” (Netflix)
- “Reacher” (Amazon Prime)
- “Wednesday” (Netflix)
Music’s Biggest Stars
Taylor Swift had a historic year with her album “The Life of a Showgirl,” which recorded the biggest first-week debut ever, earning 4 million units.
Billboard’s top album of 2025 was:
- “The Life of a Showgirl” — Taylor Swift
The biggest song of the year was:
- “Die With A Smile” — Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars
Highest-Grossing Concert Tours
Live music returned stronger than ever. The top tours of 2025 were:
- Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour — $407.6 million
- Oasis ’Live’ 25 Tour — $405.4 million
- Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres Tour — $390.4 million
Podcasts, Books and Social Media
“The Joe Rogan Experience” remained the most popular podcast, averaging 3.7 million downloads per episode.
In publishing:
- “Sunrise on the Reaping” by Suzanne Collins was the top fiction book
- “The Let Them Theory” by Mel Robbins led nonfiction sales
Reddit became the most-used social media platform in 2025, surpassing TikTok and Facebook in average monthly users.
AI and Technology Leaders
ChatGPT continued its dominance in artificial intelligence. It ranked as the most-used AI chatbot on both desktop and mobile devices in the U.S., beating competitors like Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini.
