Most viral Spotify hit in the US is from 2001

It wasn’t too long ago, that music fans relied upon the radio, MTV, and listening stations at record stores to discover their favorite music. Thanks to streaming and the digital age, artists and songs from the past have seen serious revivals on Spotify in recent years.

Whether you’re a fan of the Netflix show Stranger Things or not, it was nearly impossible to miss the re-emergence of the 1985 Kate Bush single, Running Up That Hill as its role in the show’s plot made it a global hit throughout 2022. The explosion of the 30+year-old hit is a prime example of how a new generation of fans looks to television shows to discover tracks. That trend is happening once again, as a scene from the recently released film Saltburn has now helped a 2001 single become the most streamed track on Spotify right now.

Much like the emergence of Running Up That Hill, it is now Sophie Ellis-Bextor who experiencing a whole new audience and moment of fame thanks to her inclusion in a new movie. With Saltburn recently appearing on Amazon Prime, it has become a global phenomenon and now Ellis-Bextor is back in the mainstream. Her 2001 single, Murder On The Dancefloor is being streamed at an incredible rate on Spotify. It is currently holding the top spot on the Viral 50-USA chart, truly revealing the power of syncing music to powerful video scenes in new shows and movies.

As the music industry continues to evolve to face the changing landscape of listeners and the discovery process, it is exciting for older artists to find new life for their older creations thanks to this process.