The most and least streamed #1 hits in Hot 100 history

Which songs have endured? Which songs have been forgotten? Find out here!

“Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd is the most-streamed song on Spotify and the biggest #1 hit in Billboard Hot 100 history

Of all of the metrics by which to judge a popular song’s success, the one that most fascinates me is its placement on the Billboard Hot 100, particularly if it reached #1 on the chart. The Hot 100 was launched in August 1958 and has published a list of the 100 biggest singles in the United States every week since, and while reaching the top spot isn’t the be-all and end-all of music stardom — there are a number of incredibly popular and successful artists who have never topped the chart¹ — there’s still something very special about having a #1 hit. Those songs are immortalised in music history, by which I mean they appear in the various Wikipedia articles listing #1 hits that chart nerds like myself regularly use for reference, they’ll eventually get a Tom Breihan review, and terminally online stans will use the chart placement to argue that their favourite artist is better than yours.

As of right now, 1,176 songs have hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Some of them are among the most beloved and iconic songs of all time, but some of them have not stood the test of time and are largely forgotten today. But which ones? Obviously, if you go through the list of #1s yourself, you can probably pretty accurately guess which hits fall into which categories — songs by the likes of The Beatles and Michael Jackson are obviously better remembered than hits by random artists you’ve never heard of. But I was not content just to guess, so over the past few days, I looked up how many streams every #1 hit has on Spotify, put all of that information in a spreadsheet, and worked out which chart-toppers are objectively the most enduring and most forgotten. If you are also a spreadsheet enthusiast, you can download it here:

Billboard No 1 Hit Spotify Streams

175KB ∙ XLSX file

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If you don’t care enough to go through the data yourself, or you’re concerned that I’m trying to trick you into downloading malware,² you can still learn a lot from reading this post. For every year since 1958, I’ve listed the biggest hit at the time, most-streamed #1 hit now, and least-streamed #1 hit, as well as the top 10 most and least-streamed hits for every decade.³

Some explanations and disclaimers first, though:

• The “biggest hit then” is the highest-charting song on that year’s Year-End Hot 100 chart. The most and least streamed #1 hits now are kind of self-explanatory, but “now” specifically means “between 23 and 25 December 2024 when I collected this data”.

• I’ve included the number of Spotify streams in brackets for every song.

• For double A-side singles, I’ve been counting whichever side has the most streams as the canonical number of streams for the entire single. For example, The Beatles released “Come Together” and “Something” as a double A-side single, and “Come Together” has 797,322,370 streams on Spotify, while “Something” has 365,850,203 streams, so in the spreadsheet, the “Come Together”/ “Something” single is listed as having 797,322,370 streams.

• I can’t promise that all of the stream counts are 100% accurate because of how Spotify counts streams. They do a pretty good job of linking different instances of the same song… if it’s the exact same recording. This means that whether the version of a song you stream is from the album it originally appeared on, a greatest hits album, a “hottest hits of [insert decade here]” compilation, a movie soundtrack, or something else, all of those streams will count towards the same overall total. However, some songs have multiple versions. Many songs have radio edits, remixes, live performances, re-recorded versions, and those do not count towards the same stream total because they are not technically the same song from Spotify’s perspective. And occasionally, a song that seems like the exact same recording actually isn’t — maybe it’s a slightly different remaster or something — so in some cases a song that doesn’t even have a remix or obvious alternate recording will still have its streams spread out across multiple versions. I made the executive decision to not combine multiple of any songs, even though I am aware that it means some songs’ streams will be under-counted, because looking up the stream count once for 1,176 different songs was already a very time-consuming endeavour, and looking up every version that shows up in Spotify’s search results for that title and adding any differing numbers together for every single one of those songs would massively inflate the time that this would take. I like to think that most songs have fairly accurate stream counts regardless, but I am aware that some songs have multiple significant versions whose streams aren’t being factored into the total, and there are probably at least a few years where the most or least streamed song isn’t 100% accurate on account of that.

Anyway, with that out of the way, let’s begin.

1958

Biggest hit then: “Volare (Nel blu dipinto di blu)” by Domenico Modugno (68,136,029)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)” by The Chipmunks with David Seville (70,314,090)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “To Know Him is to Love Him” by The Teddy Bears (4,958,703)

1959

Biggest hit then: “The Battle of New Orleans” by Johnny Horton (47,270,971)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” by The Platters (118,246,631)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “The Happy Organ” by Dave “Baby” Cortez (2,010,212)

1958-59 in review

For later decades I’ll be doing top 10s, but for this much shorter period, I’m only doing top 5s.

Most streamed #1 hits:

1. “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” by The Platters (118,246,631)

2. “Sleep Walk” by Santo & Johnny (117,364,745)

3. “Mack the Knife” by Bobby Darin (91,873,457)

4. “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)” by The Chipmunks with David Seville (70,314,090)

5. “Volare (Nel blu dipinto di blu)” by Domenico Modugno (68,136,029)

Least streamed #1 hits:

1. “The Happy Organ” by Dave “Baby” Cortez (2,010,212)

2. “Why” by Frankie Avalon (4,776,709)

3. “To Know Him Is to Love Him” by The Teddy Bears (4,958,703)

4. “Little Star” by The Elegants (5,821,733)

5. “The Three Bells” by The Browns (6,427,904)

1960

Biggest hit then: “Theme from A Summer Place” by Percy Faith (50,064,519)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Georgia on My Mind” by Ray Charles (124,269,439)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Mr. Custer” by Larry Verne (534,194)

1961

Biggest hit then: “Tossin and Turnin’” by Bobby Lewis (7,263,861)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Hit the Road, Jack” by Ray Charles (461,306,347)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Wooden Heart (Muss I Denn)” by Joe Dowell (359,906)

1962

Biggest hit then: “Stranger on the Shore” by Acker Bilk (16,788,458)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Sherry” by The Four Seasons (118,763,284)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You” by Connie Francis (2,219,205)

1963

Biggest hit then: “Sugar Shack” by Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs (8,308,352)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “It’s My Party” by Lesley Gore (105,334,175)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “I’m Leaving It Up to You” by Dale & Grace (909,576)

1964

Biggest hit then: “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles (457,918,645)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “The House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals (1,056,620,229)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Ringo” by Lorne Greene “5,029,680”

1965

Biggest hit then: “Wooly Bully” by Sam the Sam and the Pharoahs (21,669,921)⁴

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “My Girl” by The Temptations (1,068,513,200)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Game of Love” by Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders (1,370,529)

1966

Biggest hit then: “The Ballad of the Green Berets” by Barry Sadler (8,121,265)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Paint It Black” by The Rolling Stones (1,361,085,147)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Winchester Cathedral” by The New Vaudeville Band (2,024,471)

1967

Biggest hit then: “To Sir With Love” by Lulu (35,351,346)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Respect” by Aretha Franklin (673,996,845)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Love is Here and Now You’re Gone” by The Supremes (5,400,396)

1968

Biggest hit then: “Hey Jude” by The Beatles (630,896,072)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding (894,450,043)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “People Got to Be Free” by The Rascals (5,887,689)

1969

Biggest hit then: “Sugar, Sugar” by The Archies (418,452,484)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Come Together” by The Beatles (797,322,370)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet” by Henry Mancini (5,199,540)

1960s in review

Most streamed #1 hits:

1. “Paint It Black” by The Rolling Stones (1,361,085,147)

2. “My Girl” by The Temptations (1,068,513,200)

3. “The House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals (1,056,620,229)

4. “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding (894,450,043)

5. “Come Together” by The Beatles (797,322,370)

6. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones (792,094,645)

7. “Yesterday” by The Beatles (721,813,326)

8. “Mrs Robinson” by Simon & Garfunkel (682,918,347)

9. “Respect” by Aretha Franklin (673,996,845)

10. “Oh, Pretty Woman” by Roy Orbison (652,454,903)

Least streamed #1 hits:

1. “Wooden Heart (Muss I Denn)” by Joe Dowell (359,906)

2. “Mr. Custer” by Larry Verne (534,194)

3. “I’m Leaving It Up to You” by Dale & Grace (909,576)

4. “Easier Said Than Done” by The Essex (1,106,688)

5. “My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own” by Connie Francis (1,106,984)

6. “Teen Angel” by Mark Dinning (1,259,547)

7. “Game of Love” by Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders (1,370,529)

8. “Calcutta” by Lawrence Welk (1,613,067)

9. “Over and Over” by The Dave Clark Five (1,685,040)

10. “Alley-Oop” by Hollywood Argyles (1,805,811)

1970

Biggest hit then: “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon & Garfunkel (294,533,458)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “I Want You Back” by The Jackson 5 (988,048,863)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Everything is Beautiful” by Ray Stevens (3,558,579)

1971

Biggest hit then: “Joy to the World” by Three Dog Night (161,389,089)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Maggie May” by Rod Stewart (357,635,128)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Want Ads” by The Honey Cone (873,160)

1972

Biggest hit then: “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” by Roberta Flack (98,893,131)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “American Pie” by Don McLean (793,002,958)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Black and White” by Three Dog Night (1,138,582)

1973

Biggest hit then: “Tie a Yellow Ribbon ’Round the Ole Oak Tree” by Tony Orlando and Dawn (55,520,204)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder (658,371,631)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” by Vicki Lawrence (4,217,374)

1974

Biggest hit then: “The Way We Were” by Barbra Streisand (77,977,337)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Hooked on a Feeling” by Blue Swede (737,323,626)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “The Streak” by Ray Stevens (1,287,204)

1975

Biggest hit then: “Love Will Keep Us Together” by Captain & Tennille (109,223,409)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “One of These Nights” by the Eagles (312,314,838)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You)” by Tony Orlando and Dawn (3,242,920)

1976

Biggest hit then: “Silly Love Songs” by Wings (91,899,272)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” by Elton John and Kiki Dee (875,663,928)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Disco Duck” by Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots (899,592)

1977

Biggest hit then: “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)” by Rod Stewart

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Undercover Angel” by Alan O’Day

1978

Biggest hit then: “Shadow Dancing” by Andy Gibb (24,353,471)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees (1,125,156,231)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Too Much, Too Little, Too Late” by Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams (8,614,827)

1979

Biggest hit then: “My Sharona” by The Knack (398,211,353)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” by Rupert Holmes (624,930,367)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Still” by the Commodores (15,131,539)

1970s in review

Most streamed #1 hits:

1. “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac (1,898,398,901)

2. “Hotel California” by the Eagles (1,760,129,521)

3. “Dancing Queen” by ABBA (1,513,177,109)

4. “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees (1,125,156,231)

5. “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” by Elton John and Kiki Dee (875,663,928)

6. “How Deep Is Your Love” by the Bee Gees (835,068,317)

7. “Rich Girl” by Hall & Oates (826,157,639)

8. “American Pie” by Don McLean (793,002,958)

9. “A Horse with No Name” by America (759,147,149)

10. “Hooked on a Feeling” by Blue Swede (737,323,626)

Least streamed #1 hits:

1. “Want Ads” by The Honey Cone (873,160)

2. “Disco Duck” by Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots (899,592)

3. “Black and White” by Three Dog Night (1,138,582)

4. “The Streak” by Ray Stevens (1,287,204)

5. “Theme From S.W.A.T.” by Rhythm Heritage (1,594,174)

6. “Undercover Angel” by Alan O’Day (2,278,411)

7. “Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band” by Meco (2,433,500)

8. “Go Away Little Girl” by Donny Osmond (3,214,119)

9. “He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You)” by Tony Orlando and Dawn (3,242,920)

10. “One Bad Apple” by The Osmonds (3,286,060)

1980

Biggest hit then: “Call Me” by Blondie (568,682,338)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen (2,050,074,930)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Coming Up” by Paul McCartney (17,355,614)

1981

Biggest hit then: “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes (546,328,091)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton (706,198,337)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Stars on 45” by Stars on 45 (32,675,314)

1982

Biggest hit then: “Physical” by Olivia Newton-John (98,951,835)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor (1,436,537,377)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Mickey” by Toni Basil (54,371,716)

1983

Biggest hit then: “Every Breath You Take” by The Police (2,356,113,465)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: also “Every Breath You Take”

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Tell Her About It” by Billy Joel (54,839,055)

1984

Biggest hit then: “When Doves Cry” by Prince (269,589,138)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” by Wham! (1,060,285,910)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “The Reflex” by Duran Duran (72,002,997)

1985

Biggest hit then: “Careless Whisper” by George Michael (1,176,709,848)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Take On Me” by a-ha (2,168,271,008)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Miami Vice Theme” by Jan Hammer (12,529,040)

1986

Biggest hit then: “That’s What Friends Are For” by Dionne Warwick (178,026,562)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “You Give Love a Bad Name” by Bon Jovi (1,247,536,706)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “There’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)” by Billy Ocean (18,810,073)

1987

Biggest hit then: “Walk Like an Egyptian” by The Bangles (273,903,321)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Livin on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi (1,789,321,980)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Jacob’s Ladder” by Huey Lewis & the News (8,342,274)

1988

Biggest hit then: “Faith” by George Michael (617,080,666)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses (2,087,910,231)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Seasons Change” by Exposé (2,992,944)

1989

Biggest hit then: “Look Away” by Chicago (29,551,006)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel (548,657,965)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Rock On” by Michael Damian (1,389,413)

1980s in review

Most streamed #1 hits:

1. “Every Breath You Take” by The Police (2,356,113,465)

2. “Take On Me” by a-ha (2,168,271,008)

3. “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses (2,087,910,231)

4. “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen (2,050,074,930)

5. “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson (1,989,582,872)

6. “Africa” by Toto (1,982,481,273)

7. “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears (1,895,364,951)

8. “Livin’ on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi (1,789,321,980)

9. “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by Eurythmics (1,562,521,411)

10. “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor (1,436,537,377)

Least streamed #1 hits:

1. “Rock On” by Michael Damian (1,389,413)

2. “Seasons Change” by Exposé (2,992,944)

3. “Satisfied” by Richard Marx (6,324,979)

4. “At This Moment” by Billy Vera and the Beaters (7,597,552)

5. “Forever Your Girl” by Paula Abdul (7,637,860)

6. “Jacob's Ladder” by Huey Lewis and the News (8,342,274)

7. “Lean on Me” by Club Nouveau (9,560,065)

8. “Batdance” by Prince (10,443,371)

9. “Monkey” by George Michael (10,795,679)

10. “Lost in Emotion” by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam (11,227,644)

1990

Biggest hit then: “Hold On” by Wilson Phillips (199,840,286)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “It Must Have Been Love” by Roxette (705,099,350)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “If Wishes Came True” by Sweet Sensation (1,779,020)

1991

Biggest hit then: “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” by Bryan Adams (657,932,539)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “More Than Words” by Extreme (719,800,241)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Romantic” by Karyn White (2,605,903)

1992

Biggest hit then: “End of the Road” by Boyz II Men (343,830,044)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston (763,292,645)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “This Used to Be My Playground” by Madonna (14,679,201)

1993

Biggest hit then: “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston (763,292,645)⁵

Most-streamed #1 hit now: also “I Will Always Love You”

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Again” by Janet Jackson (51,076,205)

1994

Biggest hit then: “The Sign” by Ace of Base (333,110,083)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: also “The Sign”

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Bump N’ Grind” by R. Kelly (135,229,260)

1995

Biggest hit then: “Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio ft. L.V. (1,927,251,554)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: also “Gangsta’s Paradise”

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)” by Whitney Houston (37,455,199)

1996

Biggest hit then: “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)” by Los Del Rio (133,449,317)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “No Diggity” by Blackstreet ft. Dr Dre (863,991,882)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “You’re Makin’ Me High” by Toni Braxton (83,920,089)

1997

Biggest hit then: “Candle in the Wind 1997/Something About the Way You Look Tonight” by Elton John (49,921,326)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Hypnotize” by The Notorious B.I.G. (1,265,914,710)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “4 Seasons of Loneliness” by Boyz II Men (33,816,110)

1998

Biggest hit then: “Too Close” by Next (218,607,397)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith (1,098,738,983)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Lately” by Divine (1,018,870)

1999

Biggest hit then: “Believe” by Cher (702,595,961)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “No Scrubs” by TLC (1,235,614,772)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Wild Wild West” by Will Smith ft. Dru Hill and Kool Moe Dee (42,214,432)

1990s in review

Most streamed #1 hits:

1. “Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio ft. L.V. (1,927,251,554)

2. “Hypnotize” by The Notorious B.I.G. (1,265,914,710)

3. “No Scrubs” by TLC (1,235,614,772)

4. “Wannabe” by Spice Girls (1,205,366,295)

5. “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith (1,098,738,983)

6. “…Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears (988,395,939)

7. “No Diggity” by Blackstreet ft. Dr. Dre (863,991,882)

8. “California Love” by 2Pac ft. Dr. Dre (851,905,853)

9. “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston (763,292,645)

10. “More Than Words” by Extreme (719,800,241)

Least streamed #1 hits:

1. “Lately” by Divine (1,018,870)

2. “She Ain’t Worth It” by Glenn Medeiros ft. Bobby Brown (1,381,062)

3. “If Wishes Came True” by Sweet Sensation (1,779,020)

4. “Romantic” by Karyn White (2,605,903)

5. “I’ll Be Your Everything” by Tommy Page (3,293,661)

6. “The Promise of a New Day” by Paula Abdul (3,651,571)

7. “Coming Out of the Dark” by Gloria Estefan (4,020,832)

8. “The First Time” by Surface (4,580,894)

9. “I Adore Mi Amor” by Color Me Badd (7,338,862)

10. “Black Cat” by Janet Jackson (11,991,373)

2000

Biggest hit then: “Breathe” by Faith Hill (148,903,369)⁶

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Maria Maria” by Santana ft. The Product G&B (470,190,074)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Doesn’t Really Matter” by Janet Jackson (13,950,117)

2001

Biggest hit then: “Hanging by a Moment” by Lifehouse (262,828,711)⁷

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “How You Remind Me” by Nickelback (1,248,537,929)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Stutter” by Joe ft. Mystikal (46,034,608)

2002

Biggest hit then: ““How You Remind Me” by Nickelback (1,248,537,929)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Lose Yourself” by Eminem (2,408,644,068)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Ain’t It Funny” by Jennifer Lopez (49,011,854)

2003

Biggest hit then: “In Da Club” by 50 Cent (1,687,504,630)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: still “In Da Club”

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “This is the Night” by Clay Aiken (522,992)

2004

Biggest hit then: “Yeah!” by Usher ft. Lil Jon and Ludacris (1,518,212,977)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: still (Yeah!)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “I Believe” by Fantasia (8,172,935)

2005

Biggest hit then: “We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey (695,874,938)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Gold Digger” by Kanye West ft. Jamie Foxx (1,263,611,774)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Inside Your Heaven” by Carrie Underwood (6,699,736)

2006

Biggest hit then: “Bad Day” by Daniel Powter (626,436,795)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Hips Don’t Lie” by Shakira ft. Wyclef Jean (1,886,531,146)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Do I Make You Proud” by Taylor Hicks (3,515,156)

2007

Biggest hit then: “Irreplaceable” by Beyoncé (652,126,139)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Umbrella” by Rihanna ft. Jay-Z (1,721,447,198)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “This is Why I’m Hot (63,697,028)

2008

Biggest hit then: “Low” by Flo Rida ft. T-Pain (1,186,471,988)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay (2,479,285,349)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Touch My Body” by Mariah Carey (263,512,205)

2009

Biggest hit then: “Boom Boom Pow” by The Black Eyed Peas (428,510,790)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “I Gotta Feeling” by The Black Eyed Peas (1,597,772,608)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “3” by Britney Spears (117,610,909)

2000s in review

1. “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay (2,479,285,349)

2. “Lose Yourself” by Eminem (2,408,644,068)

3. “Hips Don’t Lie” by Shakira ft. Wyclef Jean (1,886,531,146)

4. “Umbrella” by Rihanna ft. Jay-Z (1,721,447,198)

5. “In Da Club” by 50 Cent (1,687,504,630)

6. “I Gotta Feeling” by The Black Eyed Peas (1,597,772,608)

7. “Yeah!” by Usher ft. Lil Jon and Ludacris (1,518,212,977)

8. “Stronger” by Kanye West (1,507,842,730)

9. “Hey Ya!” by Outkast (1,505,133,150)

10. “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga (1,493,249,994)

Least streamed #1 hits:

1. “This is the Night” by Clay Aiken (522,992)

2. “Do I Make You Proud” by Taylor Hicks (3,515,156)

3. “Inside Your Heaven” by Carrie Underwood (6,699,736)

4. “I Believe” by Fantasia (8,172,935)

5. “Doesn’t Really Matter” by Janet Jackson (13,950,117)

6. “Bent” by Matchbox Twenty (43,178,704)

7. “Stutter” by Joe ft. Mystikal (46,034,608)

8. “Ain’t It Funny” by Jennifer Lopez ft. Ja Rule (49,011,854)

9. “Don’t Forget About Us” by Mariah Carey (54,854,396)

10. “Thank God I Found You” by Mariah Carey ft. Joe and 98° (61,472,142)

2010

Biggest hit then: “Tik Tok” by Ke$ha (1,389,988,520)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars (2,450,577,915)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Imma Be” by The Black Eyed Peas (242,788,491)

2011

Biggest hit then: “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele (1,999,901,019)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Someone Like You” by Adele (2,150,034,232)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Hold It Against Me” by Britney Spears (78,848,493)

2012

Biggest hit then: “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye ft. Kimbra (1,937,766,638)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Locked Out of Heaven” by Bruno Mars (2,379,152,762)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Sexy and I Know It” by LMFAO (471,701,418)

2013

Biggest hit then: “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Wanz (1,343,522,208)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Ray Dalton (2,666,450,791)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Harlem Shake” by Baauer (92,142,563)

2014

Biggest hit then: “Happy” by Pharrell Williams (1,485,724,167)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “All of Me” by John Legend (2,568,476,286)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Fancy” by Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX (764,046,602)

2015

Biggest hit then: “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars (2,157,518,431)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “The Hills” by The Weeknd (2,509,428,555)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Bad Blood” by Taylor Swift (642,455,972)

2016

Biggest hit then: “Love Yourself” by Justin Bieber (2,621,794,134)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “One Dance” by Drake ft. WizKid and Kyla (3,466,586,194)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Black Beatles” by Rae Sremmurd ft. Gucci Mane (1,018,438,299)

2017

Biggest hit then: “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran (4,154,989,537)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: still “Shape of You”

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Bodak Yellow” by Cardi B (925,290,949)

2018

Biggest hit then: “God’s Plan” by Drake (2,667,650,438)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: still “God’s Plan”

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “This is America” by Childish Gambino (610,581,543)

2019

Biggest hit then: “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus (1,567,264,545)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi (3,731,176,912)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Truth Hurts” by Lizzo (1,018,302,533)

2010s in review

Most streamed #1 hits:

1. “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran (4,154,989,537)

2. “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi (3,731,176,912)

3. “Starboy” by The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk (3,649,432,513)

4. “Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee (3,647,253,267)

5. “One Dance” by Drake ft. WizKid and Kyla (3,466,586,194)

6. “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran (3,226,262,332)

7. “Rockstar” by Post Malone ft. 21 Savage (3,087,444,253)

8. “Closer” by The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey (3,081,347,916)

9. “Señorita” by Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello (2,894,268,118)

10. “Circles” by Post Malone (2,682,593,975)

Least streamed #1 hits:

1. “Hold It Against Me” by Britney Spears (78,848,493)

2. “Harlem Shake” by Baauer (92,142,563)

3. “Imma Be” by The Black Eyed Peas (242,788,491)

4. “We R Who We R” by Ke$ha (337,933,875)

5. “OMG” by Usher ft. will.i.am (372,135,544)

6. “E.T.” by Katy Perry ft. Kanye West (406,705,329)

7. “Sexy and I Know It” by LMFAO (471,701,418)

8. “What’s My Name?” by Rihanna ft. Drake (587,327,192)

9. “Part of Me” by Katy Perry (607,773,283)

10. “This is America” by Childish Gambino (610,581,543)

2020

Biggest hit then: “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd (4,623,810,587)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: still “Blinding Lights”

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Trollz” by 6ix9ine ft. Nicki Minaj (175,902,077)

2021

Biggest hit then: “Levitating” by Dua Lipa (2,217,629,135)⁸

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Stay” by The Kid Laroi ft. Justin Bieber (3,399,630,707)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “What’s Next” by Drake (397,967,819)

2022

Biggest hit then: “Heat Waves” by Glass Animals (3,236,389,592)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “As It Was” by Harry Styles (3,689,723,819)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Break My Soul” by Beyoncé (469,189,362)

2023

Biggest hit then: “Last Night” by Morgan Wallen (1,138,030,379)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift (2,674,063,425)

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Try That in a Small Town” by Jason Aldean (81,992,763)

2024

Biggest hit then: “Lose Control” by Teddy Swims (1,393,780,421)

Most-streamed #1 hit now: “All I Want For Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey (2,097,936,798), unless you don’t think a Christmas song that charts every year should count, in which case it’s also “Lose Control”

Least-streamed #1 hit now: “Love Somebody” by Morgan Wallen (99,344,971), however since it only came out two months ago and is already 90% of the way to the stream count that “Hiss” by Megan Thee Stallion (109,370,062) has after eleven months, it’s probably not a totally fair comparison. Take this entire year’s statistics with a grain of salt, really.

2020-2024 in review

Most streamed #1 hits:

1. “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd (4,623,810,587)

2. “As It Was” by Harry Styles (3,689,723,819)

3. “Stay” by The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber (3,399,630,707)

4. “Heat Waves” by Glass Animals (3,236,389,592)

5. “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles (2,902,971,115)

6. “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift (2,674,063,425)

7. “Die for You” by The Weeknd and Ariana Grande (2,573,635,166)

8. “Drivers License” by Olivia Rodrigo (2,358,388,621)

9. “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus (2,351,923,213)

10. “Good 4 U” by Olivia Rodrigo (2,325,641,224)

Least streamed #1 hits:

1. “Try That in a Small Town” by Jason Aldean (81,992,763)

2. “Love Somebody” by Morgan Wallen (99,344,971)

3. “Hiss” by Megan Thee Stallion (109,370,062)

4. “Squabble Up” by Kendrick Lamar (123,842,941)

5. “Trollz” by 6ix9ine and Nicki Minaj (175,902,077)

6. “Slime You Out” by Drake featuring SZA (241,077,791)

7. “Rich Men North of Richmond” by Oliver Anthony Music (269,624,606)

8. “Franchise” by Travis Scott ft. Young Thug and M.I.A. (303,062,748)

9. “First Person Shooter” by Drake ft. J. Cole (392,959,813)

10. “What’s Next” by Drake (397,967,819)

All-time review

Finally, I’m going to share the 50 most and least streamed #1 hits in Billboard Hot 100 history, but in a slightly different format. I’ve colour-coded the songs by decade (combining the ’50s and ’60s since the former covers a much shorter time period) so it’s more visually apparent which decades dominate the most popular and most forgotten categories. If you want to see all 1,176 songs colour-coded by decade, download the spreadsheet! They’re all there!

Anyway, here are the top 50 most streamed #1 hits:

These are mostly hits from the 2010s and 2020s, with the 2016-2022 period particularly well-represented at the top of the list. Given that streaming really took off in the late 2010s, this is exactly what I expected. Two songs from the 2000s and three songs from the 1980s also appear in the top 50. “All I Want For Christmas is You” was released in 1994 and should logically be classed as a ’90s song, but since it first hit #1 in 2019 it’s technically a 2010s song for the purpose of this chart.⁹

Meanwhile, the 50 least streamed #1 hits:

This one is more varied in terms of decades represented. There are 26 songs from the ’60s (or 27 in total from the combined ’50s/’60s category), so just over half, but also 12 from the ’70s, 2 from the ’80s, 7 from the ’90s, and 2 from the 2000s.

I plan on writing another piece with some deeper analysis and thoughts on these stats, but I’d like to spend more time thinking about these numbers before I do that, and besides, this post is long enough as it is, so I’m going to end it here. Stay tuned for part two sometime soon.

1. Mega-successful artists such as Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, The Backstreet Boys and One Direction had their biggest hits peak at #2. Creedence Clearwater Revival peaked at #2 five times without ever reaching #1. Imagine Dragons, who are the 18th-most-streamed artist on Spotify and the most-streamed act never to have a #1, had their biggest hit peak at #3. “Sweather Weather” by The Neighbourhood, which is currently the 8th-most-streamed song on Spotify and the most-streamed song not to hit #1, peaked at #14. Garth Brooks, who has sold more albums in the United States than anyone but The Beatles, had his biggest hit peak at #5. AC/DC, whose album Back in Black is the second best-selling album of all time worldwide, had their biggest hit peak at #23. I could go on, but I think you get the picture.

2. I don’t know if you can hide malware in an Excel spreadsheet, but even if that is possible, I promise I haven’t done it.

3. With the exception of the ’50s, which only gets top fives because only the last two years are covered by the Hot 100.

4. This song peaked at #2 on the weekly charts, but was the biggest overall hit of the year.

5. This song hit #1 in November 1992 and stayed at #1 until February 1993, which is why it counts for both years. If you don’t think one song should be in the running for biggest song of the year twice over, the next-most-streamed #1 hit of 1992 is “To Be With You” by Mr Big (390,175,857) and the next-most-streamed #1 hit of 1993 is “Hero” by Mariah Carey (294,518,797), so one of those would take “I Will Always Love You”’s place if you disqualified it for one of the two years.

6. This song peaked at #2 on the weekly charts, but was the biggest overall hit of the year.

7. This song peaked at #2 on the weekly charts, but was the biggest overall hit of the year.

8. This song peaked at #2 on the weekly charts, but was the biggest overall hit of the year.

9. While it’s rare for a song to hit #1 decades after they first came out (only “All I Want For Christmas is You” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” have ever done that) lot of songs hit #1 the year after they were first released, and sometimes a few years, so if I changed “All I Want For Christmas is You”’s date to its release year, I’d have to change a bunch of other songs too and it would be a huge pain in the ass. I mean, I wouldn’t have to, but it would really annoy me if that column was inconsistent.