The BPI has released a brand new report detailing 2019's most streamed tracks in the UK, featuring hits from some of the biggest years in music from the past six decades.
Dating back to 1969 right up until last year, the report sees a list of some of the biggest songs in history as well as its most iconic artists, showing how classic songs still have as much prominence on streaming services the current chart toppers. Included within the list is The Beatles, Queen, Fleetwood Mac, Elvis Presley, Bill Withers and Bob Marley while more recent acts include Stormzy, Arctic Monkeys, Mabel and AJ Tracey.
The 1970s and 1980s accounted for 7.6% and 9.2% respectively of 2019's streams, while the 1990s also accounted for just under 10%. Last year saw the UK stream music over 114 billion times, increasing our level of plays up by 7.5% on its previous year.
Despite the range of years streamed, it was contemporary music that reached the highest number of streams last year, as Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber took the top spot at 138.8m with I Don't Care, and Billie Eilish followed closely behind at 137.1m for her hit Bad Guy. The complete list includes only a fifth of songs released in 2019, as it accounts for tracks released before 2018 which took up a staggering 60% of last year's streams.
BPI's Rob Crutchley commented: “The songs we all streamed in the UK in 2019, whether, perhaps, prompted in part by a film soundtrack or TV ad, a games music-bed, an artist live tour or anniversary, or by virtue of being a much loved festive hit, underscores streaming’s increasing ability to facilitate the public’s enduring love affair with classic hits alongside its passion for new music"
Rob Crutchley's BPI yearbook All About The Music 2020 will be released later this month.
See the full list of the most popular streamed years in music below...
1969
Here Comes The Sun – The Beatles (25.3m)
I Want You Back – The Jackson 5 (21.1m)
Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond (17.8m)
Come Together – The Beatles (12.5m)
Suspicious Minds – Elvis Presley (11.2m)
Fortunate Son – Creedence Clearwater Revival (10.7m)
Gimme Shelter – The Rolling Stones (10.5m)
Space Oddity – David Bowie (9.9m)
The Boxer – Simon & Garfunkel (7.2m)
Bad Moon Rising – Creedence Clearwater Revival (7.1m)
1977
Mr Blue Sky – ELO (31m)
The Chain – Fleetwood Mac (27.4m)
Dreams – Fleetwood Mac (24.2m)
We Will Rock You – Queen (23.1m)
We Are The Champions – Queen (18.1m)
Three Little Birds – Bob Marley & The Wailers (13.9m)
Lovely Day – Bill Withers (12.6m)
Stayin' Alive – The Bee Gees (12.4m)
She's Always A Woman – Billy Joel (10.9m)
Easy – Commodores (10.8m)
1984
Last Christmas – Wham (42m)
Do They Know It's Christmas – Band Aid (30.2m)
Take On Me – A-Ha (25.3m)
Summer Of '69 – Bryan Adams (25.2m)
I Want To Break Free – Queen (20.9m)
Radio Ga Ga – Queen (20.3)
Wake Me Up Before You Go Go – Wham (19.5m)
Footloose – Kenny Loggins (18m)
Dancing In The Dark – Bruce Springsteen (14.8m)
Purple Rain – Prince & The Revolution (13.5m)
1999
Dancing In The Moonlight – Toploader (27.3m)
No Scrubs – TLC (24.7m)
I Want It That Way – Backstreet Boys (22.4m)
Say My Name – Destiny's Child (19.4m)
All Star – Smash Mouth (16m)
Californication – Red Hot Chilli Peppers (15.6m)
Still Dre – Dr Dre Ft Snoop Dogg (15.5m)
All The Small Things – Blink 182 (14.7m)
Forgot About Dre – Dr Dre Ft Eminem (14.2m)
Keep On Movin' – Five (10.9m)
2006
Naive – The Kooks (27.4m)
Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol (26.6m)
She Moves In Her Own Way – The Kooks (21.8m)
Hips Don't Lie – Shakira Ft Wyclef Jean (18.2m)
Mardy Bum – Arctic Monkeys (18.2m)
How To Save A Life – The Fray (18m)
When The Sun Goes Down – Arctic Monkeys (17.7m)
Last Request – Paolo Nutini (17.5m)
I Write Sins Not Tragedies – Panic At The Disco (15.5m)
Chelsea Dagger – The Fratellis (15.2m)
2019
I Don't Care – Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber (138.8m)
Bad Guy – Billie Eilish (137.1m)
Vossi Bop – Stormzy (121.3m)
Location – Dave Ft Burna Boy (120.4m)
Giant – Calvin Harris & Rag'N'Bone Man (115.7m)
Piece Of Your Heart – Meduza Ft Goodboys (110.5m)
Don't Call Me Up – Mabel (107.4m)
Ladbroke Grove – AJ Tracey (106.7m)
Señorita – Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello (106.5m)
Dance Monkey – Tones & I (105.8m)
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