TOP SPOTIFY TRACKS OF 80s:

As of 2/1/2025 (rank 1/1/23)

1 (3) AHA – Take On Me – 2411.4M

2 (5) THE POLICE – Every Breath You Take – 2391.5M

3 (1) JOURNEY – Don’t Stop Believin’ – 2257.3M

4 (4) GUNS N ROSES – Sweet Child O Mine – 2113.9M

5 (2) QUEEN – Another One Bites the Dust – 2091.5M

6 (7) MICHAEL JACKSON – Billie Jean – 2017.9M

7 (6) TOTO – Africa – 2004.7M

8 (13) TEARS FOR FEARS – Everybody Wants to Rule the World – 1948.5M

9 (10) WHAM – Last Christmas – 1875.8M

10 (11) BON JOVI – Livin’ On A Prayer – 1812.5M

11 (8) QUEEN/BOWIE – Under Pressure – 1809.1M

12 (9) AC/DC – Back In Black – 1776.3M

13 (12) EURYTHMICS – Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) – 1646.5M

14 (14) SURVIVOR – Eye of the Tiger – 1469.5M

15 (15) BRYAN ADAMS – Summer of ’69 – 1400.5M

16 (–) AC/DC – You Shook Me All Night Long – 1385.5M

17 (16) WHITNEY HOUSTON – I Wanna Dance With Somebody – 1376.1M

18 (–) CYNDI LAUPER – Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – 1336.1M

19 (18) GUNS N ROSES – Welcome To the Jungle – 1330.5M

20 (19) KATE BUSH – Running Up That Hill – 1328.6M 

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– (–) MICHAEL JACKSON – Beat It – 1300.3M

– (17) QUEEN – I Want to Break Free – 1287.4M

– (–) ELTON JOHN – I'm Still Standing – 1269.1M

– (20) GUNS N ROSES – Paradise City – 1181.2M

The top 5 is upside down! Journey has been 80s #1 for ages, but A-Ha and the Police have sky-rocketed these past two years. 

Tears for Fears shoots up #13-8! All three Queen songs drop. Break Free is out. 

So does AC/DC's BIB (#9-12), but YSMANL from the same album enters at #16 (#22-16).

Another new entry comes from Cyndi Lauper with "Girls" at #18. And watch out for Elton! "I'm Still Standing" has done very well lately.

Top 10 in 2023+2024:

1 Police – Breath – 1006.7M

2 A-ha – Take – 966.3M

3 Tears for Fears – 965.5M

4 Journey – Believin’ – 795.8M

5 Wham – Xmas – 733.9M

6 GnR – Child – 728.8M

7 Michael – Billie Jean – 727.7M

8 Bon Jovi – Prayer – 688.7M

9 Toto – Africa – 661.3M

10 Queen – Dust – 643.4M

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11 Elton – Still Standing – 638.5M

TOP SPOTIFY TRACKS OF 90s:

As of 2/1/2025 (1/1/2023)

1 (2) MARIAH CAREY – All I Want for Christmas – 2324.6M

2 (3) NIRVANA – Smells Like Teen Spirit – 2277.7M

3 (1) OASIS – Wonderwall – 2221.3M

4 (5) GOO GOO DOLLS – Iris – 2117.1M

5 (8) RADIOHEAD – Creep – 2033.6M

6 (4) COOLIO – Gangsta’s Paradise – 1993.1M

7 (6) AC/DC – Thunderstruck – 1744.5M

8 (9) BACKSTREET BOYS – I Want It That Way – 1648.4M

9 (12) METALLICA – Enter Sandman – 1615.2M

10 (13) NIRVANA – Come As You Are – 1612.2M

11 (7) DR. DRE – Still DRE – 1595.3M

12 (16) FOO FIGHTERS – Everlong – 1590.7M

13 (11) RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS – Californication – 1571.9M

14 (14) R.E.M. – Losing My Religion – 1554.4M

15 (10) RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS – Under the Bridge – 1545.5M

16 (17)THE CRANBERRIES – Zombie – 1475.4M

17 (15) METALLICA – Nothing Else Matters – 1356.9M

18 (20) NOTORIOUS B.I.G. – Hypnotize – 1274.2M

19 (–) ICE CUBE – It Was a Good Day – 1265.5M

20 (–) BLINK-182 – All the Small Things – 1263.1M

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– (–) TLC – No Scrubs – 1250.9M

– (–) GREEN DAY – Basket Case – 1237.3M

– (19) SPICE GIRLS – Wannabe – 1214.5M

– (18) SMASH MOUTH – All Star – 1212.5M

Oasis have long been king of the 90s, but now Xmas Queen Mariah reign supreme. Nirvana also tops Oasis and the Goo Goo Dolls is pushing hard from behind.

Ice Cube & Blink-182 pushes the Spice Girls and Smash Mouth out of the top 20.

Top ten 90s tracks in 2023+2024

1 Goo Goo Dolls – Iris – 999.0M

2 Radiohead – Creep – 952.4M

3 Coolio – Gangsta – 820.9M

4 Mariah – Xmas – 784.8M

5 Nirvana – Spirit – 760.8M

6 Foo Fighters – Everlong – 670.7M

7 Oasis – Wonder – 668.5M

8 AC/DC – Thunder – 642.4M

9 Nirvana – Come – 606.6M

10 R.E.M. – Religion – 586.6M

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Metallica – Sandman – 583.3M

So 12 tracks from the 90s topped 200M in 2022, compared to 14 from the 80s, 9 from the 70s, none from the 60s and one from the 50s (Brenda Lee).

TOP SPOTIFY TRACKS OF 00s:
As of 5/1/2025 (rank 2/1/23)

1 (4) COLDPLAY – Yellow – 2852.8M
2 (8) COLDPLAY – Viva La Vida – 2703.2M

3 (1) THE KILLERS – Mr. Brightside – 2480.1M

4 (9) EMINEM – Without Me – 2458.6M

5 (2) EMINEM – Lose Yourself – 2430.6M
6 (7) LINKIN PARK – In the End – 2427.2M

7 (6) COLDPLAY – The Scientist – 2173.1M
8 (5) EMINEM – Till I Collapse – 2129.6M

9 (3) JASON MRAZ – I’m Yours – 2120.3M
10 (14) LINKIN PARK – Numb – 2076.6M
11 (13) EMINEM – The Real Slim Shady – 2035.7M

12 (-) ARCTIC MONKEYS - 505 - 1999.0M

13 (-) EMINEM – Mockingbird – 1959.6M

14 (16) SHAKIRA – Hips Don’t Lie – 1924.6M
15 (12) THE WHITE STRIPES – Seven Nation Army – 1904.8M

16 (-) KEANE – Somewhere Only We Know – 1855.5M

17 (10) MAROON 5 – She Will Be Loved – 1844.5M
18 (-) RIHANNA – Umbrella – 1801.5M
19 (20) MILEY CYRUS – Party in the USA – 1772.8M
20 (15) COLDPLAY – Fix You – 1756.8M
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- (19) BEYONCÉ – Crazy in Love – 1751.2M
- (17) TRAIN – Hey, Soul Sister – 1733.5M

– (-) 50 CENT – In Da Club – 1710.5M

- (11) BEYONCÉ – Halo – 1702.7M

- (18) KANYE WEST – Stronger – 1516.1M

Welcome to the 00s. Welcome to the Coldplay & Eminem Show, with Linkin Park as special guests! The Killers reign of the 00s was shortlived as Coldplay soars to #1 and #2 with "Yellow" and "La Vida"!! Coldplay have a total of 4 songs in the top 20 (although the other two both drop)
Eminem has FIVE! songs in the top 13, and soon all five is above the 2B mark. Incredible! Both Linkin Park songs climb and are now in the top 10. And that's without the "Numb/Encore" mash-up.

Strong new entries by Arctic Monkeys and Keane. Rihanna's "Umbrella" at #18 was bubling under the last time. Train, Kanye and BOTH Beyonce songs are out of the top 20. Former #1 "I'm Yours" continue to drop (#3-9).

The top 10 of 2023+2024:

1 Coldplay – Yellow – 1316.2M
2 Coldplay – Vida – 1275.6M

3 Eminem - Mockingbird - 1109.6M

4 Eminem – Without – 1038.9M
5 Linkin – End – 976.3M

6 Linkin – Numb – 880.9M

7 Eminem – Slim Shady – 836.5M
8 Killers – Mr. B – 833.9M
9 Eminem – Lose – 810.1M

10 Shakira – Hips – 765.8M

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Rihanna – Umbrella – 729.6M
Coldplay - The Scientist - 708.7M

Welcome to the 00s. Welcome to the Coldplay & Eminem Show, with Linkin Park as special guests! They occupy the top 6, and only Killers and Shakira sneak into the top 10 of the past 24 months. I don't have the figures from Arctic Monkeys and Keane, but could they be in or close to the top 10.

And "Yellow" now tops "Bohemian Rhapsody". Released in June 2000 you could fairly say it's the biggest legacy song in Spotify history...