Seventy years of the UK Official Singles Chart are being marked by the release of top 10s of the most-streamed songs, split into decades. The streaming number ones range from Singin' In The Rain by Gene Kelly in 1952, the Chart's first year, to As It Was, by Harry Styles in 2022.
The BBC will mark the anniversary on Radio 2 by broadcasting each of the most streamed songs from 1960-1999 during their Sounds Of The 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s shows on the weekend of November 11-12. There is also a one-off programme on BBC Sounds – Most Streamed Chart: 1952-1959 – which will showcase the songs from those years, presented by Ricky Wilson. BBC Radio 1 will also get in on the act by broadcasting the most-streamed songs released from 2000-2022.
The most streamed songs of the past 70 years include some classics – (Sittin' On The) Dock Of The Bay, by Otis Redding in 1968, for example, and 1988's Everywhere, by Fleetwood Mac. But there are a few surprises in there also – Fluorescent Adolescent, by Arctic Monkeys, only reached number 5 in then Chart, but was most-streamed song released in 2007.
Martin Talbot, Chief Executive of the Official Charts Company, says: “As ever, the data doesn’t lie; this is a collection of indisputable classics spanning over seven decades of Official Chart history, as affirmed by the British public and their playlist selections.”
The full chart is as follows:
Most Streamed Chart: 1952-1959
1952 Singin' In The Rain by Gene Kelly
1953 That’s Amore, by Dean Martin
1954 I've Got A Woman, by Ray Charles
1955 Tutti Frutti, by Little Richard
1956 I Walk The Line,, by Johnny Cash
1957 Jailhouse Rock, by Elvis Presley
1958 Johnny B Goode, by Chuck Berry
1959 Put Your Head On My Shoulder, by Paul Anka
Most Streamed Chart: 1960-1969
1960 At Last, by Etta James
1961 Stand By Me, by Ben E King
1962 Cry To Me, by Solomon Burke
1963 Be My Baby, by The Ronettes
1964 My Girl, by The Temptations
1965 I Can't Help Myself, by The Four Tops
1966 Paint It Black, by The Rolling Stones
1967 Ain't No Mountain High Enough, by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
1968 (Sittin' On The) Dock Of The Bay, by Otis Redding
1969 Here Comes The Sun, by The Beatles
Most Streamed Chart: 1970-1979
1970 Your Song, by Elton John
1971 Take Me Home Country Roads, by John Denver
1972 Tiny Dancer, by Elton John
1973 Jolene, by Dolly Parton
1974 Sweet Home Alabama, by Lynyrd Skynyrd
1975 Bohemian Rhapsody, by Queen
1976 Go Your Own Way, by Fleetwood Mac
1977 Dreams, by Fleetwood Mac
1978 September, by Earth Wind & Fire
1979 Don't Stop Me Now, by Queen
Most Streamed Chart: 1980-1989
1980 Another One Bites The Dust, by Queen
1981 Don't Stop Believin’, by Journey
1982 Africa, by Toto
1983 Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This), by Eurythmics
1984 Wake Me Up Before You Go Go, by Wham
1985 Summer Of '69, by Bryan Adams
1986 Livin' On A Prayer, by Bon Jovi
1987 I Wanna Dance With Somebody, by Whitney Houston
1988 Everywhere, by Fleetwood Mac
1989 We Didn't Start The Fire, by Billy Joel
Most Streamed Chart: 1990-1999
1990 Thunderstruck, by AC/DC
1991 Smells Like Teen Spirit, by Nirvana
1992 Creep, by Radiohead
1993 What Is Love, by Haddaway
1994 Juicy, by The Notorious B.I.G
1995 Wonderwall, by Oasis
1996 No Diggity, by Blackstreet Ft. Dr Dre
1997 Bitter Sweet Symphony, by The Verve
1998 Iris, by Goo Goo Dolls
1999 No Scrubs, by TLC
Most Streamed Chart: 2000-2010
2000 Dancing In The Moonlight, by Toploader
2001 How You Remind Me, by Nickelback
2002 Lose Yourself, by Eminem
2003 Mr Brightside, by The Killers
2004 Let Me Love You, by Mario
2005 I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor, by Arctic Monkeys
2006 Naïve, by The Kooks
2007 Fluorescent Adolescent, by Arctic Monkeys
2008 I'm Yours, by Jason Mraz
2009 Party In The USA, by Miley Cyrus
2010 Love The Way You Lie, by Eminem Ft. Rihanna
Most Streamed Chart: 2011-2022
2011 Someone Like You, by Adele
2012 Let Her Go, by Passenger
2013 Riptide, by Vance Joy
2014 Thinking Out Loud, by Ed Sheeran
2015 Cheap Thrills, by Sia
2016 Say You Won't Let Go, by James Arthur
2017 Shape Of You, by Ed Sheeran
2018 Someone You Loved, by Lewis Capaldi
2019 Dance Monkey, by Tones & I
2020 Head & Heart, by Joel Corry Ft. MNEK
2021 Bad Habits, by Ed Sheeran
2022 As It Was, by Harry Styles
The full chart can be accessed now on BBC Sounds. Please note, the chart does not include the hit Christmas singles from each of the decades, but a show – The Most Streamed Christmas No.1s – will be broadcast on the BBC over the festive season.
