What songs are currently trending online? Well, the path to virality, chart domination, and social media hits is no longer reserved for new, popular songs. The industry has seen an uptick in renewed interest around classic tracks that re-emerge in pop culture thanks to social media, soundtrack syncs, and commercial placements, and sometimes purely by chance. Look no further than the time a man went cruising on his longboard listening to Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.” This column will break down all of the older songs that are trending again (and explain why they became popular one more time).
A song full of mystery and intrigue, the classic murder ballad “The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia” was penned by Nashville singer-songwriter Bobby Russell in 1972, with Russell’s then-wife Vicki Lawrence taking her sublime version of the song to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 the following year. Country legend Reba McEntire later put her inimitable stamp on “The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia” when she covered it for her 1991 album For My Broken Heart and it’s Reba’s version that’s now enjoying fresh interest after Briley King’s new version of the song recently went viral on TikTok.
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Rising Toronto-based EDM star LOSTBOYJAY broke into the mainstream after his 2022 hit “COULD BE WRONG” went on to surpass over 100 million streams and later scored a nomination for a Juno in his native Canada. Now, “COULD BE WRONG” is spiking in popularity for a second time after social media creators used it in relation to a new phrase/meme “Sendy,” (deriving from an extreme sports phrase meaning “let’s go for it”) which is currently seriously hot on TikTok.
Sam Smith’s “Fire On Fire” was initially written and recorded for Netflix’s 2018 series Watership Down: a spectacular 3D adaptation of Richard Adams’ 1972 novel of the same name. Now, though, Smith’s soaring ballad is back in the spotlight due to its placement in another contemporary Netflix title. This time around, the song features significantly in the denouement to the second series of the U.S. coming-of-age drama series My Life With The Walter Boys and it’s spiked in popularity since fans of the show have used it on TikTok while sharing their thoughts on the series’ emotional finale.
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Mykko Montana’s career has so far included collaborations with numerous prominent hip-hop artists such as Young Thug and Gunna. As his recent single “Brain Pumper” reveals, he continues to make quality records, though his signature song arguably remains the confident, uptempo “Do It,” featuring K. Camp. A club-friendly hit on release in 2012, “Do It” is enjoying a resurgence on TikTok, where it’s currently soundtracking a trend involving cool choreographed dance moves.
Adapted from a folk song named “When I’m Gone,” originally recorded by The Carter Family during the 1930s, Anna Kendrick’s “Cups” first featured in the popular musical comedy Pitch Perfect in 2012. Republic Records then released a remixed version “Cups (Pitch Perfect’s “When I’m Gone)” which rewarded Kendrick with a Billboard Top 10 hit and a triple platinum certification. With its percussive backdrop based on the children’s clapping game ‘The Cup Game’ (recreated by Kendrick in the song’s video), “Cups” has a unique feel and it’s no surprise to discover it’s now trending on TikTok, with its catchy chorus line (“You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone”) providing the soundtrack for a photo swipe trend.
One of the key tracks from his eighth studio album Buddha & The Chocolate Box, the poignant “Oh Very Young” rewarded Yusuf / Cat Stevens with a U.S. Top 10 hit in 1974 and it remains a staple of his anthology collections to this day. Now, though, the song is finding a new audience due to its usage in the soundtrack to Thursday Murder Club: the Netflix film adaptation of Richard Osman’s best-selling book of the same name concerning four elderly people living in a British retirement complex who solve cold case murders for fun.
The title track from country superstar Jon Pardi’s fourth album from 2022, “Mr. Saturday Night” is likely to remain one of his key songs as it maintains a truly universal appeal. It’s a beautifully-drawn portrait of the sort of guy who is (at least superficially) the life and soul of the party. However, as its plaintive lyric implies (“Yeah, I turn it on/But all alone I’m going out of my mind/ They don’t know how much I missed her Saturday night”) the bravado masks Pardi’s narrator’s real feelings. A cult favorite from the get-go, “Mr. Saturday Night” is again spiking in popularity with Pardi fans on TikTok.
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The first of three hits from 1982’s Gap Band IV, “Early In The Morning” went on to become the long-running Tulsa funk and R&B specialists’ biggest U.S. success, peaking at No. 24 on the Hot 100 and also topping Billboard’s R&B Chart for 3 weeks. This sure-footed, funk-flavored pop song still sounds great today, so it’s no surprise that it’s currently undergoing a resurgence in a TikTok dance trend involving creators showing off their good taste in music.
Originally the second single from the Canadian rapper and producer’s debut commercial mixtape NAV from 2017, “Myself” was never a major chart hit, yet it’s gone platinum three times over in the U.S. and it remains one of Nav’s signature tracks. Though deceptively dreamy in mood, “Myself” features a hard-hitting lyric (“I’ve got a lot of enemies who used to be my friends”) and its evergreen appeal continues to attract dedicated listeners, with NAV fans currently showing their general appreciation of the song on TikTok.
Now set to return in a deluxe edition to celebrate its tenth anniversary, Halsey’s 2015 debut Badlands rapidly became one of that year’s landmark releases, debuting at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and receiving reams of critical acclaim into the bargain. The album’s success was supported by several successful singles, including “Colors,” an electro-pop classic that was by turns melancholic and euphoric. The song has remained in the public conscience ever since. It’s been certified platinum three times over in the U.S. and is now undergoing a resurgence on TikTok where it’s being used in a wide-ranging trend involving all manner of superhero edits.
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Originally a key figure in the U.K.’s Asian Underground scene during the early 2000s, R&B singer-songwriter Jay Sean first rose to prominence with Rishi Rich Project, whose “Dance With You” made the British Top 20 in 2003. Five years of solo success while signed to Virgin Records then led to a deal with the Cash Money imprint in the U.S. and the 2009 smash hit “Down” (featuring Lil Wayne) topping the Billboard Hot 100. Jay Sean became the first U.K. urban act to achieve this milestone with the song, but now “Down” is again undergoing a resurgence thanks to a viral dance trend which creators including Jay Sean’s own daughter are proudly demonstrating on TikTok.
Initially the lead single from Rehab’s second album, 2000’s Southern Discomfort, “Sittin’ At A Bar” wasn’t a hit the first time around. However, this rueful, roots-flavored song later found a huge audience via jukeboxes and internet radio and it became the Georgia-based act’s first Billboard Hot 100 hit after its 2008 remix (renamed “Bartender Song (Sittin’ At A Bar)”) launched the 2008 reissue of 2005’s Graffiti The World. It’s currently going viral all over again thanks to a photo slide trend on TikTok based around the song’s “guess it was meant to be” hook line.
Royel Otis scored a Billboard Hot 100 breakthrough with its Sirius XM radio session version of “Linger” during the summer of 2024. Twelve months later, the Australian duo’s recording of The Cranberries’ classic is again going viral after its placement in Amazon Prime’s The Summer I Turned Pretty: the same coming-of-age drama that also recently included another Cranberries classic (“Dreams”) in the soundtrack to its third series.
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“Tell Me” initially featured on Mississippi-born, Atlanta-based R&B star Bobby Valentino’s self-titled debut album in 2005. Also spawning a U.K. Top 5 hit in the shape of “Slow Down,” the album peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and it was followed by a remix of “Tell Me” (featuring Lil Wayne) which also performed strongly in the U.S. Still regarded as one of Valentino’s signature songs, “Tell Me” is now back in the spotlight thanks to a fun TikTok trend in which creators perform the song with help from assorted kitchen utensils.
Also famously recorded by The Flying Burrito Brothers, the yearning, country-flavored “Wild Horses” went on to become a U.S. Top 30 hit as well as one of the most essential tracks from the Rolling Stones’ widely-acclaimed Sticky Fingers in 1971. Long since accepted as one of the band’s greatest ballads, the song has now returned to the spotlight after it sound-tracked a memorably racy scene in a recent episode of the final series of Amazon Prime’s highly popular coming-of-age romantic drama The Summer I Turned Pretty. In the scene, one of the main characters, Belly (played by Lola Tung) bites into a peach, with this action sparking off a TikTok trend involving creators recreating the scene and/or posting footage of beautiful wild horses.
Buy The Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses” on vinyl now.
It was first recorded by Bakersfield, CA-based rockers Ronnie Cook & The Gaylads in 1962, but low-riding garage-rock classic “Goo Goo Muck” really came into its own when The Cramps recorded the song’s definitive, souped-up take for 1981’s much-lauded Psychedelic Jungle. It’s already enjoyed a resurgence via social media following its placement in Netflix’s supernatural mystery comedy series Wednesday in 2022, but “Goo Goo Muck” is now spiking in popularity again as part of a TikTok trend involving some ostentatious – and often brilliantly inventive – makeup routines.
Buy The Cramps’ “Goo Goo Muck” on vinyl now.
Issued at the lead single from Georgia-based rapper Lloyd’s fourth album King Of Hearts (2011), the smooth “Lay It Down” featured a neat sample from Patti LaBelle’s 1983 hit “Love, Need And Want You.” Like its parent album (which peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard 200), “Lay It Down” did brisk business, rising to the Top 10 of Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and eventually earning a platinum certification in the U.S. It’s now finding a new audience all over again thanks to a TikTok dance trend featuring Heeseung from South Korean boy band ENHYPEN who posted a video of himself dancing to the song that’s attracted widespread attention.
A rueful song about discovering your lover cheating on you, Toby Keith’s “Wish I Didn’t Know Now” was the fourth and final single from the Oklahoman country music star’s self-titled debut album from 1994. A No. 2 hit on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart on release, it was recently covered by Ella Langley as part of the digital-only release Apple Music Nashville Sessions: Toby Keith Covered. Interestingly, both recordings are currently in demand on TikTok. Keith’s “Wish I Didn’t Know Now” is inspiring creators posting videos showing off their different trucks, while a new trend has emerged with creators enthusiastically lip-syncing to Langley’s version of the song.
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Featuring a seductive vocal from singer and rapper Luciana, Richard Vission and Static Revenger’s 2009 collaboration “I Like That” was (and still is) an insistent electro-pop banger. Very popular on dancefloors, it was also a commercial success, going double platinum in Australia and topping the U.S. Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. Irrepressible then and now, “I Like That” is again rising on TikTok thanks to a fun dance trend based on one of the song’s best lines “My body rocks a rhythm.”
The dramatic, Mediterranean-tinged “Portuguese Love” first appeared on Teena Marie’s fourth studio album, 1981’s It Must Be Magic. The pioneering soul/R&B star’s last full-length title for Motown, the album was a U.S. Top 30 success and received a Grammy nomination in 1982. Chosen as its third and last single, “Portuguese Love” wasn’t a mainstream hit, but it’s now widely-regarded as a 70s soul classic and it’s currently part of a TikTok trend where creators post videos inspired by the song’s lyrics.
“Beverly Hills” is technically Weezer’s biggest U.S. hit, yet the ultra-catchy “Buddy Holly” is still arguably the song most fans associate with Rivers Cuomo’s enduring alt-rockers. One of the key tracks from the band’s self-titled multi-platinum debut album (usually known as The Blue Album), “Buddy Holly”s longevity has surely been secured with help from director Spike Jonze’s brilliant promo film featuring footage from classic sitcom Happy Days. However, its popularity is again spiking due to Olivia Rodrigo performing with Weezer at last weekend’s Lollapalooza and delighted fans reacting to this collaboration.
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Robyn’s evergreen signature song “Dancing On My Own” went on to become her first No. 1 hit in her native Sweden in 2010 and also earned a Grammy nomination. A beautifully crafted synth-pop song in its initial guise, “Dancing On My Own” has since proved its versatility by lending itself to covers by artists as diverse as Calum Scott, Kings Of Leon and Gracie Abrams. In fact, it’s it’s recently gone viral on TikTok after Robyn joined Abrams for a high-profile performance of the song at this year’s Lollapalooza Festival.
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Featuring a guest slot from Lil Wayne, “You” was the first single taken from Georgia-based rapper Lloyd’s sophomore album, the platinum-selling Street Love from 2007. This popular, radio-friendly R&B tune – which neatly interpolates Spandau Ballet’s 80s megahit “True” into its chorus – rewarded Lloyd with his first U.S Top 10 single and it also topped Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart. Still one of the artist’s key songs, “You” is currently trending on TikTok due to creators posting a wide variety of lip-syncing videos referencing its lyric.
Jodeci’s debut album Forever My Lady (1991) is widely cited as a ground-breaking release that helped bring more of a hip-hop feel into the R&B genre. Its critical notices were matched by its commercial success as it eventually went triple platinum in North America, where “Come & Talk To Me” was one of three Billboard R&B No. 1 hits it sired. Also a U.S. Top 20 smash during 1992, “Come & Talk To Me” has spawned a series of remixes and it’s again surging in popularity due to a TikTok trend where creators highlight the special individual qualities they’re looking for in people they’re attracted to.
Reputedly inspired by a quote attributed to Janis Joplin (“I love being onstage and everything else is just waiting,”) the soaring, anthemic “The Waiting” was chosen as the lead single from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ fourth album Hard Promises, released in May 1981. A U.S. Top 20 hit on release and a popular radio song, the track has since been covered by artists including Linda Ronstadt and Jon Pardi and it’s currently undergoing a resurgence thanks to its placement in Netflix’s new sports comedy film Happy Gilmore 2 featuring Adam Sandler.
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Written by guitarist Allen Collins and vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, the sorrowful, soul-infused “Tuesday’s Gone” remains one of the many era-defining songs gracing Lynyrd Skynyrd’s widely-acclaimed 1973 debut (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd). Produced by Al Kooper (who also performed the song’s orchestral string sound on a Mellotron), “Tuesday’s Gone” has long since been accepted as a Southern rock classic and it can also thank a sync in Happy Gilmore 2 for its current resurgence in popularity.
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The title song from Damian Marley’s third album, 2005’s double Grammy-winning Welcome to Jamrock found the reggae superstar lamenting Jamaica’s darker social issues such as crime, poverty and political corruption over a rhythm and hook sampled from reggae singer Ini Kamoze’s 1984 hit “World-A-Reggae.” Provocative, but also irresistibly catchy, “Welcome To Jamrock” won a Grammy in its own right in 2006 and it’s currently trending on TikTok due to a variety of basketball edits.
A tender love song written from the perspective of a first-time mom addressing her newly-born baby, “You’re Gonna Be (Always Loved By Me)” was one of two new tracks written specifically for inclusion on Reba McEntire’s double-disc 2005 compilation Reba’s #1’s. A country-flavored song with a truly universal appeal “You’re Gonna Be (Always Loved By Me)” is now fittingly enjoying a resurgence due to a TikTok trend involving proud parents showing off pictures of their children as new born babies, but also in later life.
Buy Reba McEntire’s “You’re Gonna Be (Always Loved By Me)” on CD now.
“No Love” was originally a deep cut from Louisiana R&B singer-songwriter August Alsina’s 2014 debut studio album Testimony. However, the song took on a life of its own after its remix, featuring Nicki Minaj, was released as a single and became Testimony’s biggest track, later earning a double platinum cert in the U.S. Alsina has said he wanted to remix “No Love” as he wanted a “female’s perspective” and Minaj has returned the compliment on X (Twitter) saying it’s one of the favorite songs she’s made. The song is now back in the limelight on TikTok where creators are finding different ways of inserting Minaj’s “August, you know” lyric into their content.
Florida rapper Ace Hood enjoyed his first – and to date only – Billboard 200 Top 5 hit with his fourth album Trials & Tribulations, released via Cash Money/Republic in 2013. The record also included his biggest U.S. Hot 100 hit courtesy of “Bugatti” featuring Future and Rick Ross. The song celebrates the acquisition of a million dollar car, so it’s fitting that “Bugatti” is again surging in popularity due to a TikTok trend in which creators sit in imaginary cars and pull one another along while lip-syncing the song replicating a zooming car. In most cases, the weaker of the two also has trouble pulling their partner.
Noah & The Whale’s debut single “5 Years Time” became the British indie-folk outfit’s first U.K. Top 10 hit in 2008. A fan favorite ever since, the song is again picking up traction due to its placement in the new Superman reboot. In the new movie (directed by James Gunn and starring David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman) “5 Years Time” plays during a key fight scene featuring another of the film’s key characters, Mr. Terrific, played by Edi Gathegi.
“Just To Keep You Satisfied” originally made for an emotional denouement for soul giant Marvin Gaye’s twelfth studio album, the widely-acclaimed, funk-flavored Let’s Get It On from 1973. Long since accepted as a soul classic, the song is currently undergoing a resurgence due to two separate TikTok trends: one involving a text message slider compilation with your ex and another involving creative copy videos about love.
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Californian rapper Tyga initially shot to fame with his second album Careless World: Rise Of The Last King: a U.S. Top 5 success featuring four spin-off hits including the quintuple platinum Billboard Top 10 smash “Rack City.” Released in the wake of the enduring rapper’s fourth album The Gold Album: 18th Dynasty, 2015’s Young Thug collab “Hookah” was a sleeper hit that became a fan favorite that’s again enjoying a resurgence thanks to a dance trend on TikTok.
