What are the most streamed songs in the UK of the past 70 years according to Official Charts?

BBC Radio 1 and 2 have teamed up with Official Charts to reveal the UK’s official most streamed songs over the past 70 years. The occasion celebrates the UK’s Official Singles Chart, with BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds to reveal the most-streamed songs from 1952-2022.

The list, which is organised by each decade, features superstars such as Elvis, the Beatles, Adele, and Arctic Monkeys - alongside several songs that were overlooked on release, but were reclaimed as classics over time. Meaning, some of the biggest songs of their era are entirely absent from the Official Charts’ list.

The celebrations will kick off with BBC 2 who will broadcast each of the most streamed songs from 1960-1999 during their Sounds of the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s show on Saturday 12 November and Sunday 13 November. BBC Sounds will do a one-off programme, called Most Streamed Songs of the 50s, to mark the years 1952-1959, which will be presented by Ricky Wilson.

BBC Radio 1 will broadcast the most-streamed songs from 2000-2022, with the noughties decade being presented by Vick Hope and Katie Thistleton, and 2011-2022 is presented by Jack Saunders.

What are the official UK’s most streamed songs of the last 70 years?

Official Most Streamed Songs: 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

Official Most Streamed Songs: 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 Ronettes
• 1964 My Girl by Temptations
• 1965 I Can’t Help Myself by Four Tops
• 1966 Paint It Black by 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 Beatles

Official Most Streamed Songs: 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

Official Most Streamed Songs: 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

Official Most Streamed Songs: 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 Verve
• 1998 Iris by Goo Goo Dolls
• 1999 No Scrubs by TLC

Official Most Streamed Songs: 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

Official Most Streamed Songs: 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

Christmas singles from each decade have been excluded and will feature in a show to be broadcast on Radio 2 over the festive season.