1954 Best-Selling Literary Phenomenon Is One of the 'Most-Streamed Audiobooks of All Time' on Spotify

Carly SilvaSat, April 25, 2026 at 12:29 PM UTC

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It's been over 70 years since it first hit bookshelves, but this 1954 novel is still precious to readers.

J.R.R. Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring was recently named among the most-streamed audiobooks of all time on Spotify, according to new data published by the streamer on Thursday, April 23.

In honor of its 20th anniversary celebration, Spotify released a series of "Top 20" lists ranking what fans have listened to the most, including the 20 most-streamed audiobooks in premium plans (Audiobooks aren’t included with free plans on Spotify.)

Despite being published over 50 years before Spotify even existed, The Fellowship of the Ring earned the No. 2 spot on the list.

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Tolkien's genre-defining fantasy novel, the first volume in the Lord of the Ringstrilogy, is the only title on the list to have been published before the 1990s, with the second-oldest book on the list being George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones (1996).

Fans apparently still love listening to The Fellowship of the Ring, which has sold around 150 million copies globally and is one of the best-selling novels ever.

Other titles on Spotify's most-streamed audiobooks list include Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses (No. 1), Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing (No. 3), Jennette McCurdy's I'm Glad My Mom Died (No. 4) and Maas' A Court of Mist and Fury (No. 5), among several other notable titles.

The Fellowship of the Ring is the first volume of Tolkien's legendary Lord of the Rings trilogy that was adapted into the famous films by Peter Jackson. The first part of the epic fantasy adventure is followed by volume 2, The Two Towers, and volume 3, The Return of the King.

Tolkien is also responsible for the Lord of the Rings prequel story The Hobbit, which was published in 1937. A number of his other books centering around Middle-Earth and its lore were also published after Tolkien's death in 1973.

Related: 2005 Film Based on a Classic Book Is One of the 'Most Rewatched' Romance Movies Ever

This story was originally published by Parade on Apr 25, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”