100 Most Streamed Songs of the Past Decade

The Biggest Tracks on the UK Music Charts Since Streaming Began: Featuring Lewis Capaldi, The Killers, Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, and More!

Celebrating a Decade of Streaming

It’s been ten years since streaming started counting in the UK music Singles Chart, and to mark this milestone, we’ve delved into the numbers to reveal the biggest hits of the past decade. This era has seen a fascinating mix of artists dominating the charts with their catchy tunes and powerful performances.

Ed Sheeran: The King of Streaming

Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” has been named the biggest song of the streaming decade (July 2014 – present), as Official Charts exclusively reveal. Ed’s unmatched success across all formats, especially streaming, has solidified his place as a chart-topping artist.

“Shape of You,” released in 2017, debuted at Number 1 on the UK Singles Chart and remained there for 14 weeks, one of the longest runs in UK chart history. Originally written with Rihanna in mind, and later offered to Little Mix, this trop-pop influenced hit has achieved 6.29 million UK chart units, including 864,000 digital downloads and over 627 million streams.

Sheeran breaks down how the song “Shape Of You” was written, and what caused it to become a massive success. “None of us thought that much into it,” Sheeran says. “I didn’t make the song to be mine to sing.”

Songwriter Johnny McDaid elaborated, “[Sheeran] had already said everything he wanted to say for that moment on his record. We went in there just to write a song.” The song ended up breaking the record for most weeks in the Billboard Hot 100’s top 10, becoming the most-streamed song on Spotify and earning top honors as the Hot 100’s year-end No. 1 song of of 2017. Producer Steve Mac says, “If we had went into the session writing a song for Ed Sheeran, I don’t think we’d ever had recorded ‘Shape Of You’”
The process began when Mac played the iconic opening notes on a keyboard: “Literally the first thing he did was [he] went over to the keyboard and played. I was like, ‘Well that’s a good start.’” From there, the track quickly came together when Sheeran began to add percussion.

“I honestly believe it’s because Ed is so impatient that he can’t wait for me to get a drum sound up,” Mac says. “So he goes out and he says, ‘I’ll just do it on the guitar.’ This is fifteen minutes into meeting him and we’re away. We’re off.”

The three songwriters then tried different sounds and lyrics to go along with the track. “I’m always a fan of keeping it more stripped.” Sheeran says. “I’m an acoustic artist, first and foremost.” But finishing a song wasn’t the easiest task for Sheeran. “His attention span can be really low,” McDaid says. “One of the things I did to try to keep him in the room while I would be working on a track — I would have a suitcase full of Legos, I’d pull into the hotel room, and say, ‘There you go, you build that.’”

There were also disagreements that arose during the songwriting process. In the original demo of the song, the phrase “I’m in love with the shape of you” wasn’t even in the chorus. Instead, it was an instrumental interlude. “[The phrase] ‘I’m in love with your body’ on its own felt objectifying to me,” McDaid admits. This led to the team reworking the lyrics to make them sound less objectifying.
Finally, they added more guitar, bass, and some claps to the song to give it more weight. “It kind of builds and builds and builds and then drops,”

Sheeran says. McDaid adds that the song builds tension and then releases it. “At the end, it has a moment which I quite like,” Sheeran adds. Ed’s net worth is an estimated $300 million.

After finishing the track, Sheeran intended for it to go to someone else. He envisioned it being a duet between Rihanna and Rudimental. He played it for his record label head who said, “Why are you wanting to give this away?” Suddenly, it became Ed’s track, and eventually, a massive pop success. “I don’t really know what it means to chose a hit,” Sheeran admits. “I just like writing songs.”

Other Top Contenders

Lewis Capaldi’s Emotional Ballad

Lewis Capaldi’s “Someone You Loved” comes in at Number 2. This heart-wrenching ballad holds the title of the most-streamed song of all time in UK chart history with 698 million streams. The song’s deep emotional resonance has made it a favorite among listeners.

The Killers’ Enduring Hit

“The Killers’ 2004 hit “Mr. Brightside” takes the Number 4 spot. Known as Britain’s go-to indie party anthem, it recently earned the title of the UK’s biggest song of all time to never reach Number 1 on the Official Singles Chart.

The Weeknd’s Modern Classic

“Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd, the most recently released track in the Top 10, ranks at Number 6. This song’s catchy beat and retro vibe have captivated audiences worldwide.

George Ezra’s Summer Anthem

George Ezra’s “Shotgun” lands at Number 7. Its upbeat, summery feel has made it a staple on playlists everywhere.

Drake’s Dance Hit

Drake’s “One Dance,” featuring Wizkid and Kyla, ranks at Number 8. Its infectious rhythm and smooth vocals have made it a massive hit.

Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson’s Funky Jam

“Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars is at Number 9. Officially the best-selling song of the past decade, it has sold 1.7 million units, with 99% of those being digital downloads.

The Latin Sensation

“Despacito (Remix)” by Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, and Justin Bieber rounds out the Top 10. This track played a significant role in bringing Latin music into the mainstream Western market.

Near Misses and Notable Entries

Hozier’s Powerful Debut

Hozier’s debut single “Take Me to Church” just missed the Top 10, coming in at Number 11. This song’s raw emotion and powerful message have resonated deeply with listeners.

Tones & I’s Viral Hit

Australian artist Tones & I secures the biggest song for a female artist with “Dance Monkey” at Number 12. This former 11-week Number 1 hit became a global phenomenon.

Mariah Carey’s Christmas Classic

Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” ranks at Number 13. This festive favorite continues to charm audiences year after year.

The Complete Top 20

James Arthur – “Say You Won’t Let Go” (15)
WHAM! – “Last Christmas” (16)
Vance Joy – “Riptide” (18)
George Ezra – “Budapest” (19)
Walk The Moon – “Shut Up & Dance” (20)

More Hits from Dua Lipa, Adele, and Taylor Swift

Dua Lipa scores two entries in the Top 40 with “One Kiss” featuring Calvin Harris (21) and the viral sensation “New Rules” (31). Adele’s “Hello” (36) and Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” (37) also make the list, showcasing the continued popularity of these powerhouse artists.

The Official Top 100 Biggest Songs of the Streaming Era

Top 10

Shape of You – Ed Sheeran
Someone You Loved – Lewis Capaldi
Perfect – Ed Sheeran
Mr. Brightside – The Killers
Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran
Blinding Lights – The Weeknd
Shotgun – George Ezra
One Dance – Drake ft. Wizkid & Kyla
Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
Despacito (Remix) – Luis Fonsi/Daddy Yankee/Bieber

The Official UK Music Top 100 Biggest Songs of the Streaming Era

SHAPE OF YOU – ED SHEERAN
SOMEONE YOU LOVED – LEWIS CAPALDI
PERFECT – ED SHEERAN
MR BRIGHTSIDE – KILLERS
THINKING OUT LOUD – ED SHEERAN
BLINDING LIGHTS – WEEKND
SHOTGUN – GEORGE EZRA
ONE DANCE – DRAKE FT WIZKID & KYLA
UPTOWN FUNK – MARK RONSON FT BRUNO MARS
DESPACITO (REMIX) – LUIS FONSI/DADDY YANKEE/BIEBER
TAKE ME TO CHURCH – HOZIER
DANCE MONKEY – TONES & I
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU – MARIAH CAREY
CASTLE ON THE HILL – ED SHEERAN
SAY YOU WON’T LET GO – JAMES ARTHUR
LAST CHRISTMAS – WHAM
BAD HABITS – ED SHEERAN
RIPTIDE – VANCE JOY
BUDAPEST – GEORGE EZRA
SHUT UP & DANCE – WALK THE MOON
ONE KISS – CALVIN HARRIS & DUA LIPA
UNFORGETTABLE – FRENCH MONTANA FT SWAE LEE
SHALLOW – LADY GAGA & BRADLEY COOPER
SORRY – JUSTIN BIEBER
LOVE YOURSELF – JUSTIN BIEBER
WONDERWALL – OASIS
CHEAP THRILLS – SIA
7 YEARS – LUKAS GRAHAM
ALL OF ME – JOHN LEGEND
CAN’T STOP THE FEELING – JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE
NEW RULES – DUA LIPA
DANCING ON MY OWN – CALUM SCOTT
CHEERLEADER (FELIX JAEHN REMIX) – OMI
THIS IS ME – SETTLE/GREATEST SHOWMAN ENS
HELLO – ADELE
PHOTOGRAPH – ED SHEERAN
SHAKE IT OFF – TAYLOR SWIFT
SUNFLOWER – POST MALONE FT SWAE LEE
GALWAY GIRL – ED SHEERAN
HEAT WAVES – GLASS ANIMALS
CLOSER – CHAINSMOKERS FT HALSEY
EVERYWHERE – FLEETWOOD MAC
STARBOY – WEEKND FT DAFT PUNK
CHANDELIER – SIA
SOMETHING JUST LIKE THIS – CHAINSMOKERS & COLDPLAY
HUMAN – RAG’N’BONE MAN
BAD GUY – BILLIE EILISH
DO I WANNA KNOW – ARCTIC MONKEYS
FAIRYTALE OF NEW YORK – POGUES FT KIRSTY MACCOLL
THESE DAYS – RUDIMENTAL/GLYNNE/MACKLEMORE
POMPEII – BASTILLE
OLD TOWN ROAD – LIL NAS X
AS IT WAS – HARRY STYLES
HAVANA – CAMILA CABELLO FT YOUNG THUG
BRUISES – LEWIS CAPALDI
ROCKSTAR – POST MALONE FT 21 SAVAGE
HEAD & HEART – JOEL CORRY FT MNEK
ANOTHER LOVE – TOM ODELL
DREAMS – FLEETWOOD MAC
GOD’S PLAN – DRAKE
I DON’T CARE – ED SHEERAN & JUSTIN BIEBER
LOCATION – DAVE FT BURNA BOY
STAY WITH ME – SAM SMITH
BEFORE YOU GO – LEWIS CAPALDI
STITCHES – SHAWN MENDES
BABY SHARK – PINKFONG
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY – QUEEN
LET IT GO – JAMES BAY
SYMPHONY – CLEAN BANDIT FT ZARA LARSSON
LEAN ON – MAJOR LAZER FT MO & DJ SNAKE
SHIVERS – ED SHEERAN
WHAT DO YOU MEAN – JUSTIN BIEBER
I TOOK A PILL IN IBIZA – MIKE POSNER
BELIEVER – IMAGINE DRAGONS
SWEET BUT PSYCHO – AVA MAX
DON’T STOP ME NOW – QUEEN
SOMEONE LIKE YOU – ADELE
THIS IS WHAT YOU CAME FOR – CALVIN HARRIS FT RIHANNA
LUSH LIFE – ZARA LARSSON
HOLD BACK THE RIVER – JAMES BAY
DON’T START NOW – DUA LIPA
LOVE ME LIKE YOU DO – ELLIE GOULDING
WATERMELON SUGAR – HARRY STYLES
THE HILLS – WEEKND
IRIS – GOO GOO DOLLS
DON’T LOOK BACK IN ANGER – OASIS
NAIVE – KOOKS
AFRICA – TOTO
SAVE YOUR TEARS – WEEKND
ROCKABYE – CLEAN BANDIT
VIVA LA VIDA – COLDPLAY
THE CHAIN – FLEETWOOD MAC
SEE YOU AGAIN – WIZ KHALIFA FT CHARLIE PUTH
DON’T STOP BELIEVIN’ – JOURNEY
LET HER GO – PASSENGER
EASTSIDE – BENNY BLANCO/HALSEY/KHALID
HOLD ME WHILE YOU WAIT – LEWIS CAPALDI
SUMMER OF ’69 – BRYAN ADAMS
GOOD 4 U – OLIVIA RODRIGO
CHASING CARS – SNOW PATROL

Conclusion

The past decade of music has been defined by the rise of streaming, which has reshaped the charts and brought new dynamics to the music industry. From Ed Sheeran’s record-breaking hits to the enduring appeal of classics like “Mr. Brightside,” these songs have become anthems of our times. As we look back at these incredible tracks, it’s clear that streaming has not only changed how we listen to music but also which songs capture our hearts and dominate the charts.