People could not get enough of these songs! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down the songs that have dominated Spotify as of March 2024.
Category
🎵
MusicTranscript
00:00 *Music*
00:05 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down the songs that have dominated Spotify as of March 2024.
00:11 Note that these numbers are subject to change.
00:14 *Music*
00:18 Number 30, Circles, Post Malone.
00:22 *Music*
00:28 There are a lot of facets to the music of Post Malone.
00:31 This inability to truly be pigeonholed has assisted the musician on the charts,
00:35 allowing songs from various genres to succeed without ever pinning Post Malone down to a single style.
00:40 *Music*
00:44 Circles highlights Malone's ability as a singer, albeit assisted by autotune,
00:48 presenting a bit more powerful vocalizing to go along with the singer's already proven ability to croon and connect with his audience.
00:54 Said audience has streamed Circles more than 2.4 billion times on Spotify,
00:59 and encouraging validation and victory for one of today's most popular artists.
01:03 *Music*
01:09 Number 29, Riptide, Vance Joy.
01:12 *Music*
01:16 Folk music isn't exactly a genre that, historically speaking, has burned up the Spotify streaming charts.
01:22 Then again, there's no rule that says the right folk track can't be a huge hit.
01:26 So here we are with Riptide from Vance Joy.
01:28 *Music*
01:34 The Australian singer-songwriter certainly seems to know a strong melody when he hears one,
01:38 and the chorus to Riptide is immediately hummable and memorable.
01:42 Joy's guitar playing is humble, but allows the song to breathe,
01:45 while his backing vocals work wonders on that aforementioned chorus.
01:49 Just over 2.4 billion Spotify users flocked to Riptide when it was released,
01:53 helping break Vance Joy into the mainstream.
01:55 *Music*
02:02 Number 28, Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen.
02:05 *Music*
02:12 It's the only classic rock entry on this list,
02:14 and the only example of older music finding a massive worldwide resurgence.
02:18 The 2018 biopic of Queen singer Freddie Mercury titled Bohemian Rhapsody
02:23 not only reminded older fans of how much they love this music,
02:26 but also exposed Queen to a whole new audience.
02:28 *Music*
02:34 As a result, this 1975 single from the group has been streamed again and again on Spotify.
02:40 Bohemian Rhapsody has exceeded 2.4 billion streams at the time of this writing,
02:44 and remains one of Queen's best-known and best-loved tracks.
02:47 *Music*
02:54 Number 27, Take Me to Church, Hozier.
02:57 *Music*
03:03 The grandiose production of Hozier's Take Me to Church seeks by design
03:06 to replicate the massive beauty often found within large-scale cathedrals.
03:10 The singer-songwriter's deep, brooding vocals underline this feeling of gothic menace,
03:15 while the choral accompaniment lends the song an almost post-punk vibe,
03:18 a la Joy Division or even Nick Cave.
03:20 *Music*
03:26 Spotify's streaming platform often highlights pop hits of the day,
03:29 but the success of Hozier proved that more cerebral content can also strike it big.
03:34 That said, Take Me to Church sits alongside comparatively lighter fare with Pride,
03:38 having been streamed over 2.4 billion times.
03:41 *Music*
03:47 Number 26, Thinking Out Loud, Ed Sheeran.
03:50 *Music*
03:54 Folk, rock, and pop collide within this heartfelt pop tune from singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran.
03:59 Thinking Out Loud was a single from the man's second full-length album,
04:03 and highlights a strong and powerful vocal performance from Sheeran.
04:06 *Music*
04:11 The live drums have a warm, intimate production kick to them,
04:14 and this reflects Sheeran's roots as a busker.
04:17 There's a confessional vibe here that also gives the song a universal appeal,
04:20 thanks largely to that great chorus.
04:23 And you know what?
04:24 The listeners seem to agree, having streamed Thinking Out Loud over 2.4 billion times on Spotify.
04:29 *Music*
04:37 Number 25, Photograph, Ed Sheeran.
04:39 *Music*
04:45 Leave it to Ed Sheeran to soften our calloused and jaded hearts with some home movies.
04:50 Parents from all walks of life will likely be moved to tears while watching the video for Sheeran's Photograph,
04:55 a clip that includes real footage from the singer's youth and childhood.
04:58 *Music*
05:05 The video works wonderfully with the song's moving and emotional melody and insistent rhythms.
05:10 Spotify is an audio medium, however, not a visual one,
05:13 and this means that Photograph also works on its own musical merits.
05:17 The proof?
05:17 It's 2.4 billion streams, and counting on the platform.
05:21 *Music*
05:28 Number 24, Something Just Like This, The Chainsmokers and Coldplay.
05:32 *Music*
05:38 Did the comic book movie revolution impact the decision for Something Just Like This
05:42 to reference Superman, Spider-Man, and Batman within its lyrics?
05:46 Probably.
05:46 But the song also seemed to resonate with listeners outside of the cross-brand promotional tactic,
05:51 chalking up 2.4 billion streams on Spotify.
05:54 *Music*
05:59 Chris Martin's instantly recognizable vocals lead the charge on Something Just Like This,
06:03 while The Chainsmokers' electronic accompaniment lends the song a vibe that's dancefloor-friendly.
06:08 There's even a cool guitar solo to lift things off at the end,
06:11 rounding off a very successful musical collab.
06:14 *Music*
06:20 Number 23, God's Plan, Drake.
06:23 *Music*
06:30 You can't please everybody when it comes to the music industry.
06:32 Critics were fairly split on Drake's single God's Plan back when it was released in 2018.
06:37 Some claimed that the tune didn't really break free from Drake's established MO of pop/trap rap,
06:42 but listeners didn't seem to mind more of the same.
06:44 *Music*
06:51 The song has been streamed 2.4 billion times on Spotify,
06:54 while also debuting at number one on the Billboard Top 100 chart.
06:58 Did this vindicate God's plan for Drake?
07:00 Well, it all depends on whether or not you dig on the man's sound,
07:03 but there's no denying that there's a lot of people out there paying attention.
07:06 *Music*
07:13 Number 22, Bad Guy, Billie Eilish.
07:16 *Music*
07:21 Was it 2019's Bad Guy that cemented Billie Eilish as a musician worth watching,
07:26 following, and admiring?
07:27 Maybe.
07:28 After all, there's a lot that feels revelatory and almost dangerous
07:32 within the song's provocative lyrics and downright sexy groove.
07:35 *Music*
07:42 The minimalist production feels like trap music, without the term's reductive reputation,
07:47 allowing Eilish's intimate vocals to reach out through the speakers and grab the listener.
07:51 It turns out there's been a lot of listeners too,
07:54 2.4 billion Spotify listeners to be precise.
07:57 It's never felt this good to be so bad.
07:59 *Music*
08:03 *Music*
08:06 Number 21, Lucid Dreams, Juice WRLD.
08:10 *Music*
08:15 It's clear right from Jump Street that Lucid Dreams isn't your average pop rap song.
08:20 Juice WRLD brings an open sensitivity to his vocal approach,
08:23 and a lyrical sensibility to his writing that isn't afraid to work with some dark metaphors.
08:27 *Music*
08:33 The autotune actually assists the song's apparition-like shuffle,
08:36 as Juice WRLD lays bare some personal thoughts to a beat that pumps lifeblood through the speakers.
08:41 Lucid Dreams is approaching 2.5 billion streams on Spotify at the time of this writing,
08:45 and it's easy to see why, because the song almost single-handedly
08:49 shoots holes into this idea of emo rap being a dirty word.
08:52 *Music*
09:01 Number 20, Don't Start Now, Dua Lipa.
09:04 *Music*
09:09 "Fun."
09:10 That is the first word that could potentially come to mind when describing
09:13 "Don't Start Now" from Dua Lipa.
09:15 This track from 2019 is an unapologetically retro-minded tune
09:19 that brings the electro and doesn't fake the funk for a minute.
09:22 *Music*
09:28 Heck, there's even some chic-style disco guitar and a driving backbeat
09:32 to make "Don't Start Now" feel like the best sort of time capsule club tune.
09:36 There's strings, synthesizer, and a great groove to be had here on "Don't Start Now,"
09:40 and it sort of makes sense that this tune has been streamed 2.5 billion times on Spotify.
09:45 *Music*
09:52 Number 19, Watermelon Sugar, Harry Styles.
09:55 *Music*
10:01 The sophomore album from former One Direction member Harry Styles did a great job
10:05 at differentiating itself from Styles' boyband past.
10:08 A fine example of this differentiation is "Watermelon Sugar," a song that still
10:12 possesses a pop soul, sure, but also dabbles with art rock, a la Peter Gabriel or David Bowie.
10:17 *Music*
10:23 Styles' voice really works on the track, while the production is modern enough to feel commercial,
10:27 while also referencing 1960s bubblegum within its chorus melody.
10:32 The mixture is odd, but totally works, to the tune of nearly 2.6 billion streams on Spotify.
10:37 *Music*
10:44 Number 18, Señorita, Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello.
10:48 *Music*
10:52 This musical collaboration between Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello was so successful,
10:56 the track was included on different versions of albums from both singers.
11:00 This speaks to the massive popularity of "Señorita," a Latin-infused pop song that
11:04 makes the most out of both Mendes and Cabello's vocals.
11:07 *Music*
11:14 The dance floor is the destination when it comes to this jam, and Señorita isn't ashamed to drive
11:19 home this aim with every insistent beat and groove. Meanwhile, Mendes and Cabello harmonize
11:24 well on the track, creating pop success to the tune of over 2.6 billion streams on Spotify.
11:30 *Music*
11:35 Number 17, Say You Won't Let Go, James Arthur.
11:38 *Music*
11:45 We live in an age where it becomes very difficult to come up with something new
11:48 when it comes to composing chord phrasings and melodic choices.
11:51 "Say You Won't Let Go" from British singer James Arthur was forced to include the Irish rock band
11:56 The Script as songwriters when it was revealed that Arthur's song was composed in too similar
12:00 a fashion to a song of theirs.
12:02 *Music*
12:08 Does this little bit of trivia impact the fact that "Say You Won't Let Go" has been
12:11 streamed 2.7 billion times on Spotify? Not particularly. But then again, not every hit
12:17 song drinks from the creative well of originality.
12:19 *Music*
12:25 Number 16, Lovely, Billie Eilish and Khalid.
12:29 *Music*
12:36 It was the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, and its accompanying second season soundtrack,
12:40 that served as the source for this hit from Billie Eilish and Khalid. The performers collaborate on
12:45 an atmospheric and haunting ballad that feels dramatic, with palpable gravitas.
12:49 *Music*
12:56 The sentimentality and melancholy of Lovely never feels forced here, and it's this authenticity
13:00 that perhaps resonates with listeners so much that they've streamed the track over 2.7 billion
13:06 times on Spotify. The echoed production enhances the sad string section that occurs near the song's
13:11 finale as well, making Lovely reverberate in listeners' hearts long after the song has faded away.
13:16 *Music*
13:22 Number 15, Sweater Weather, The Neighborhood.
13:25 *Music*
13:32 The California-based alternative rock band The Neighborhood may currently be on musical hiatus
13:37 while their lead singer seeks a solo career, but they can always look back on the success of
13:41 Sweater Weather.
13:42 *Music*
13:49 Partially due to its popularity on TikTok, it has racked up over 2.7 billion streams on Spotify,
13:55 and it's easy to see why, right from the opening breakbeat on the drums.
13:58 The ghostly production on the twangy guitar gives Sweater Weather a feeling
14:03 that's evocative of a film score, while also retaining a rock edge.
14:06 *Music*
14:12 It's a moody piece with strong vocals and a diverse array of rhythms to keep things interesting,
14:17 including an ending coda that drives home Sweater Weather as something of a modern classic.
14:21 *Music*
14:29 Number 14, Closer, The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey.
14:33 *Music*
14:40 Does it matter that there's six credited songwriters on Closer? We're not sure,
14:44 but there's no denying that this hooky pop hit is difficult to forget once you hear it.
14:49 The song has been streamed over 2.7 billion times on Spotify, ramming home the fact that
14:54 its chorus sounds remarkably like other hit songs over the years.
14:56 *Music*
15:02 Specifically, Closer was forced to credit two members of indie rockers The Fray
15:06 due to its similarities to that group's hit "Over My Head" by Cable Car.
15:10 This controversy seemed to matter little to pop fans at the end of the day, however,
15:13 and Closer continues to rack up Spotify streams on a daily basis.
15:16 *Music*
15:22 Number 13, Perfect, Ed Sheeran.
15:25 *Music*
15:31 There's something about some love songs that makes them perfect fodder for seemingly endless
15:35 streams, and Perfect by Ed Sheeran is a great one. The song's subject matter and execution reminds
15:40 one of Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight" with its first-person celebration of a significant other.
15:45 *Music*
15:52 Sheeran's vocals are intimate and honest on the track, while the melodic songwriting of Perfect
15:56 seems indebted to the doo-wop teen ballads of the 1950s, updated for the modern day. The song
16:02 feels like the best sort of anachronism, grabbing onto the heartstrings of over 2.8 billion Spotify listeners.
16:08 *Music*
16:14 Number 12, Heat Waves, Glass Animals.
16:17 *Music*
16:23 The indie rock genre often sees its fair share of crossover success,
16:27 but Glass Animals took it to another level back in 2020 with their hit single,
16:31 "Heat Waves". Maybe it's the minimalist electronic bap beat that allows the post-Coldplay pop of
16:35 Glass Animals to thrive amid the modern Spotify landscape.
16:39 *Music*
16:45 Maybe it's the catchy melody over the chorus that connects Heat Waves to the group's indie roots.
16:49 We're not sure, but the song possesses a dreamy beauty that's difficult to resist,
16:53 and an anthemic vibe that we imagine goes over wonderfully in a live context.
16:57 In the meantime, Heat Waves has been big on Spotify for years now,
17:01 racking up an impressive 2.8 billion streams.
17:04 *Music*
17:10 Number 11, Believer, Imagine Dragons.
17:13 *Music*
17:17 It's a sentiment that's been echoed in blogs, YouTube videos,
17:20 and on think pieces throughout the internet. This idea that Imagine Dragons basically just
17:24 creates music to be used in commercials. This may be true, but the proof is also
17:28 in the proverbial pudding, since there are a lot of people that seem to be listening.
17:32 *Music*
17:38 This is regardless of how many times a song like Believer gets licensed out to God knows where,
17:43 but you know what? We totally get it. The song is economically composed in a way that feels
17:48 predictable yet comforting. The audience knows exactly where this main melody is heading,
17:53 and they like it, singing along to that infectious chorus all the way to 2.9 billion Spotify streams.
17:59 *Music*
18:05 Number 10, Rockstar, Post Malone featuring 21 Savage.
18:09 *Music*
18:16 There's a devastatingly hypnotic vibe to this 2017 single from Post Malone titled Rockstar.
18:22 The song, which also features British rapper 21 Savage as a guest, really only hangs its
18:27 hat upon one convincing melody and milks that catchiness for all it's worth.
18:31 *Music*
18:38 The end result works best with headphones, as Rockstar regales listeners with all of the
18:42 stereotypical habits that go down when musicians become successful. Meanwhile, the minimalist
18:47 beats tie into the song's almost psychedelic feel, making it easy to see why Rockstar has
18:52 been streamed 2.9 billion times on Spotify.
18:54 *Music*
18:59 Number 9, Stay, The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber.
19:02 *Music*
19:09 It's difficult to pin down a proper genre when it comes to Stay from The Kid LAROI and
19:12 Justin Bieber. Emo rap? Retro synth pop? Salty bubblegum? The song feels like all of these
19:18 and more, hanging from a nostalgic sounding synth melody, upbeat pop-punk drums, and a
19:23 hooky chorus straight out of the bubblegum playbook, albeit with some cursing thrown
19:27 into the mix.
19:27 *Music*
19:35 The collaborative feeling on this 2021 single never feels too one-sided, and its relative
19:39 brevity practically begs for repeated spins. Audiences responded in droves too, spinning
19:44 Stay at a rate that's fast approaching the 3 billion mark.
19:47 *Music*
19:53 Number 8, Dance Monkey, Tones and I.
19:55 *Music*
20:00 The success of Dance Monkey from Tones and I was a breath of fresh air, particularly
20:04 in a world where so many pop hits contain an arsenal of producers and songwriters. Instead,
20:09 this was just Tones and I, aka Tony Watson, who was responsible for writing this earworm
20:14 of a track from 2019.
20:15 *Music*
20:20 Dance Monkey possesses an irresistible vocal hook from Tones and I, a chorus that's
20:24 impossible to forget but super fun to sing along with over and over again. Dance Monkey
20:29 seemed to really resonate with pop fans too, since the track has amassed over 3 billion
20:33 streams on Spotify at the time of this writing.
20:35 *Music*
20:43 Number 7, One Dance, Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla.
20:47 *Music*
20:52 Drake's One Dance single from 2016 was a huge success, at least partly due to the guest
20:56 musicians he has on the track. The afrobeat influence from Nigeria's Wizkid fuels the
21:01 group, while guest singer Kyla adds a fragile yet quite pretty melody over the chorus. Drake,
21:06 in the meantime, in his usual charismatic self.
21:08 *Music*
21:13 His vocals are produced well, his flow feels strong, and his verses fuel the hooks of One
21:18 Dance in a way that melds nicely with the instrumentation. There's a physicality to
21:22 the end product of One Dance, and Drake's fans seem to agree with this short but sweet
21:26 jam, streaming it over 3 billion times on Spotify.
21:29 *Music*
21:34 Number 6, As It Was, Harry Styles.
21:37 *Music*
21:43 It seems reasonable to claim that the third solo album from former One Direction member
21:47 Harry Styles needed to capitalize upon the success of his 2019 album, Fine Line. Thankfully,
21:53 the lead single, As It Was, effectively silenced any criticism of Styles' success being something
21:58 of a fluke.
21:58 *Music*
22:05 The song has been streamed nearly 3.1 billion times on Spotify at the time of this writing,
22:10 which isn't too shabby for a song that doesn't even crack the 3 minute mark. Then again,
22:14 whoever said that songs needed to be long to be good? As It Was cracks the pop formula
22:18 code, and is all the better for it.
22:20 *Music*
22:27 Number 5, Starboy, The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk.
22:31 *Music*
22:37 The electronic pedigree of living legends Daft Punk looms large over this 2016 hit from
22:42 The Weeknd. Starboy glistens like a shiny new synthesizer, fresh out of a 1980s Radio
22:47 Shack, yet it's the vocals of The Weeknd that ground the song within the here and now.
22:51 *Music*
22:56 Over 3.1 billion Spotify streams don't lie, Starboy was a big deal, and it continues to
23:02 be a big deal years after its initial release. The song just seemed to grab more and more
23:06 listeners with passing week, jumping Billboard chart spots and leaping straight into the
23:10 hearts of The Weeknd's fanbase.
23:11 *Music*
23:17 Number 4, Sunflower, Post Malone and Sway Lee.
23:21 *Music*
23:27 Soundtrack songs can often be big business, with comic book movies being doubly so, most
23:32 of the time. 2018's Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse benefited from featuring Post
23:36 Malone and Sway Lee on its soundtrack, just as Post Malone enjoyed additional exposure
23:40 from being highlighted on the album.
23:41 *Music*
23:49 The tune has been streamed over 3.2 billion times on Spotify, and offers a warm and melodic
23:54 sound, which grooves along with grace and a mildly funky energy. It's not too far removed
23:59 from Post Malone's established sound, yet also stands apart from the man's discography
24:03 in a way that feels refreshing.
24:04 *Music*
24:12 Number 3, Someone You Loved, Lewis Capaldi.
24:15 *Music*
24:22 Someone You Loved by Lewis Capaldi didn't need any nepotism from the singer's cousin
24:26 Peter Capaldi to find chart success. It didn't hurt that the Doctor Who star was featured
24:30 in the original video, of course, but the song still works just fine on its own.
24:34 *Music*
24:42 Someone You Loved has been streamed over 3.3 billion times on Spotify, connecting with
24:46 a very receptive audience. Capaldi hasn't been able, as of yet, to capitalize upon the
24:51 success of Someone You Loved with another single that captures the same sort of melancholic
24:55 energy. That said, there's far worse tunes to be known for than this one.
24:59 *Music*
25:05 Number 2, Shape of You, Ed Sheeran.
25:08 *Music*
25:15 The name Ed Sheeran is one that seems to be synonymous with Spotify's success. We've
25:19 seen his brand of earnest singer-songwriter pop come up again and again when it comes
25:23 to lists like these, and why not?
25:25 *Music*
25:32 Sheeran frankly just knows how to connect with his target audience. It doesn't really
25:35 matter that Shape of You somewhat infamously interpolated the vocal melody of TLC's
25:39 No Scrubs, because the success of this song speaks for itself. How successful, you may
25:44 ask? Well, how about 3.8 billion streams on Spotify? How does that grab you?
25:49 *Music*
25:54 Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified
25:59 about our latest videos. You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all
26:04 of them. If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
26:08 Number 1, Blinding Lights, The Weeknd.
26:13 *Music*
26:19 Some musical artists just feel destined to dominate Spotify. The Weeknd certainly belongs
26:24 in this conversation anyway, as evidenced by the insane chart success of his 2019 single,
26:29 Blinding Lights.
26:30 *Music*
26:37 The song feels both retro-inspired and timeless, thanks largely to its crisp,
26:41 shiny production and the synth-pop backbone of its execution. Both fans and critics alike
26:46 seem to flock to Blinding Lights, and the song held to a top 10 spot on the Billboard
26:50 single charts for a full year. Meanwhile, the song has amassed over 4.1 billion streams on Spotify,
26:56 with no sign of stopping anytime soon.
26:58 *Music*
27:06 What's your go-to jam on Spotify? Let us know in the comments.
27:09 *Music*
27:15 Did you enjoy this video? Check out these other clips from WatchMojo,
27:19 and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
27:23 *Music*