Popular songs – though controversial, childish – come and go, but the true test of a song is how many years later people are still listening to it.
In a new data study, Polygraph’s Matt Daniels took a closer look at these patterns. Once all the patterns were found, he complied the Billboard Top 100 song lists from the 1950s to the present day and crossed referenced each song with its play count on Spotify to gauge present popularity.
And the results are pretty surprising. For example, Linkin Park’s popularity is enduring more than many of us might have expected (though I expected that).
It’s worth noting that several top artists, including The Beatles and Taylor Swift, are not available on Spotify, so they aren’t factored into the data.
- “In Da Club” by 50 Cent, 2003
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Spotify playcount: 29,193,048
- “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses, 1988
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pcs_KodWoVY
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Spotify playcount: 29,245,122
- “With Or Without You” by U2, 1987
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmSdTa9kaiQ
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Spotify playcount: 29,652,694
- “Livin’ On A Prayer” by Bon Jovi, 1986
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Spotify playcount: 29,693,538
- “Still D.R.E.” by Dr. Dre, 1999
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Spotify playcount: 30,309,920
- “Come As You Are” by Nirvana, 1992
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Spotify playcount: 30,368,401
- “No Diggity” by Blackstreet, 1996
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Spotify playcount: 30,911,317
- “The Next Episode” by Dr. Dre, 2000
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Spotify playcount: 31,793,183
- “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman, 1988
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Spotify playcount: 32,092,736
- “Gold Digger” by Kanye West, 2005
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Spotify playcount: 32,113,198
- “Crazy In Love” by Beyonce, 2003
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Spotify playcount: 32,150,597
- “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen, 1975
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP02cB94g8Y
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Spotify playcount: 32,298,690
- “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams” by Green Day, 2004
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Spotify playcount: 32,343,283
- “Under The Bridge” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, 1992
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Spotify playcount: 33,625,240
- “Eye Of The Tiger” by Survivor, 1982
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Spotify playcount: 34,225,439
- “Wonderwall” by Oasis, 1996
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDxDMqTZAU4
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Spotify playcount: 34,352,877
- “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls, 1998
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Spotify playcount:35,669,952
- “Mockingbird” by Eminem, 2005
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Spotify playcount: 36,065,242
- “All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey, 2000
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Spotify playcount: 36,253,472
- “Californication” by Red Hot Chili Peppers, 2000
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuBaw7MoAec
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Spotify playcount: 38,190,230
- “Fix You” by Coldplay, 2005
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI-o25K6B-E
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Spotify playcount: 38,912,539
- “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes, 2003
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Spotify playcount: 39,559,321
- “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson, 1983
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Spotify playcount: 40,732,708
- “Hey Ya!” by OutKast, 2003
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Spotify playcount: 41,296,582
- “In The End” by Linkin Park, 2001
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Spotify playcount: 43,025,894
- “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana, 1991
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Spotify playcount: 50,657,282
- “Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey, 1981
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Spotify playcount: 50,855,135
- “Numb” by Linkin Park, 2003
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Spotify playcount: 52,969,898
- “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers, 2005
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Spotify playcount: 54,367,533
- “Lose Yourself” by Eminem, 2002
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmXumtgwtak
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Spotify playcount: 59,039,765