The Official Charts Company has released a list of the UK’s biggest streaming hits in 2018 which shows that not only new songs but also old favourites are popular plays. Streaming continues to grow in popularity with subscriptions to streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and Deezer rising by well over a third (+34.9%) in 2018 and by a dramatic 220% in the past three years.
Streaming accounts for nearly two thirds of UK music consumption with 91 Bn audio streams served, including 2 Bn streams in a single week for the first time.
The biggest streaming hits in 2018 were Bohemian Rhapsody, The Kooks and Mariah Carey. 2018 releases make up just under a quarter of the total, while 2017 tracks like This Is Me from the Greatest Showman and Perfect by Ed Sheeran accounted for 20% of the total streams last year.
Christmas songs continue to have enduring appeal with half of the most played songs this decade from between 1940 to the present being festive songs including Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You, released in 1994 and streamed 39 million times last year.
Movie soundtracks are the fastest growing area with Queen having nine of their songs reaching the Top 1000 on the back of the success of the biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. Mamma Mia and A Star is Born soundtrack songs also did well.
Most streamed songs of 2018 by year of release
(compiled by the BPI using Official Charts Company data)
| YEAR | TITLE | ARTIST |
| 2018 | GOD’S PLAN | DRAKE |
| 2017 | THIS IS ME | KEALA SETTLE/GREATEST SHOWMAN CAST |
| 2016 | FINESSE | BRUNO MARS |
| 2015 | CHEAP THRILLS | SIA |
| 2014 | THINKING OUT LOUD | ED SHEERAN |
| 2013 | BUDAPEST | GEORGE EZRA |
| 2012 | LET HER GO | PASSENGER |
| 2011 | CAN’T HOLD US | MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS |
| 2010 | PUMPED UP KICKS | FOSTER THE PEOPLE |
| 2009 | PARTY IN THE USA | MILEY CYRUS |
| 2008 | I’M YOURS | JASON MRAZ |
| 2007 | FLUORESCENT ADOLESCENT | ARCTIC MONKEYS |
| 2006 | NAIVE | THE KOOKS |
| 2005 | GOLD DIGGER | KANYE WEST FT JAMIE FOXX |
| 2004 | LET ME LOVE YOU | MARIO |
| 2003 | MR BRIGHTSIDE | THE KILLERS |
| 2002 | LOSE YOURSELF | EMINEM |
| 2001 | HOW YOU REMIND ME | NICKELBACK |
| 2000 | IN THE END | LINKIN PARK |
| 1999 | NO SCRUBS | TLC |
| 1998 | IRIS | GOO GOO DOLLS |
| 1997 | BITTERSWEET SYMPHONY | THE VERVE |
| 1996 | NO DIGGITY | BLACKSTREET FT DR DRE |
| 1995 | WONDERWALL | OASIS |
| 1994 | ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU | MARIAH CAREY |
| 1993 | LINGER | THE CRANBERRIES |
| 1992 | CREEP | RADIOHEAD |
| 1991 | SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT | NIRVANA |
| 1990 | THUNDERSTRUCK | AC/DC |
| 1989 | WATERFALL | THE STONE ROSES |
| 1988 | FAST CAR | TRACY CHAPMAN |
| 1987 | FAIRYTALE OF NEW YORK | THE POGUES FT KIRSTY MACCOLL |
| 1986 | DRIVING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS | CHRIS REA |
| 1985 | MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE | SHAKIN’ STEVENS |
| 1984 | LAST CHRISTMAS | WHAM! |
| 1983 | SWEET DREAMS (ARE MADE OF THIS) | EURYTHMICS |
| 1982 | AFRICA | TOTO |
| 1981 | DON’T STOP BELIEVIN’ | JOURNEY |
| 1980 | YOU MAKE MY DREAMS | DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES |
| 1979 | WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS TIME | PAUL MCCARTNEY |
| 1978 | DON’T STOP ME NOW | QUEEN |
| 1977 | MR BLUE SKY | ELO |
| 1976 | GO YOUR OWN WAY | FLEETWOOD MAC |
| 1975 | BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY | QUEEN |
| 1974 | SWEET HOME ALABAMA | LYNYRD SKYNYRD |
| 1973 | STEP INTO CHRISTMAS | ELTON JOHN |
| 1972 | SUPERSTITION | STEVIE WONDER |
| 1971 | TAKE ME HOME COUNTRY ROADS | JOHN DENVER |
| 1970 | YOUR SONG | ELTON JOHN |
| 1969 | I WANT YOU BACK | THE JACKSON 5 |
| 1968 | (SITTIN’ ON) THE DOCK OF THE BAY | OTIS REDDING |
| 1967 | AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH | MARVIN GAYE & TAMMI TERRELL |
| 1966 | PAINT IT BLACK | THE ROLLING STONES |
| 1965 | I CAN’T HELP MYSELF | THE FOUR TOPS |
| 1964 | MY GIRL | THE TEMPTATIONS |
| 1963 | IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME | ANDY WILLIAMS |
| 1962 | BRING IT ON HOME TO ME | SAM COOKE |
| 1961 | STAND BY ME | BEN E KING |
| 1960 | AT LAST | ETTA JAMES |
©2019 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.
