When Heartbreak Went Viral
The 2010s didn’t just change how we listened to music—they changed why we listened. Spotify became the world’s therapist, gym coach, breakup sponsor, and party planner all in one. Every stream told a story, and judging by the numbers, most of us were either crying, healing, or dancing through an identity crisis.
From moody anthems to global earworms, these are the top 21 most-streamed songs of the decade—and proof that none of us had it together, but at least we had good taste.
Blinding Lights–The Weeknd
The Weeknd didn’t just drop a song; he dropped an entire aesthetic. Blinding Lights blasted neon nostalgia into the 2020s, sounding like the soundtrack to a late-night car chase through heartbreak and self-destruction. It’s the rare track that made everyone—from TikTok teens to synthwave dads—feel alive in the same three minutes.
Shape of You–Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You was so omnipresent it basically became background radiation. Whether you were in a grocery store, a dentist’s office, or a wedding, this song was there—cheerfully reminding you that love can, in fact, sound like a marimba loop. It’s catchy, inescapable, and somehow still impossible to skip.
Eva Rinaldi from Sydney, Australia, Wikimedia Commons
Starboy–The Weeknd and Daft Punk
Starboy was The Weeknd’s reinvention anthem—a sleek, robotic goodbye to his tortured underground persona. With Daft Punk’s shimmering production, it sounded like the future we thought 2016 would bring. Spoiler: we got less cyber-utopia and more existential dread, but at least we could dance to it.
Kayla Johnson from Seattle, United States, Wikimedia Commons
Sweater Weather–The Neighbourhood
Ten years later and this gloomy indie bop still runs Tumblr’s emotional economy. Sweater Weather is the unofficial soundtrack of dark lipstick, flannel, and thinking about your crush in study hall. It’s cozy, dramatic, and just self-aware enough to make seasonal depression feel poetic.
Stefan Brending (2eight), Wikimedia Commons
Someone You Loved–Lewis Capaldi
Lewis Capaldi turned a devastating breakup into the world’s group cry. Someone You Loved is one of those songs that feels like you’ve been through the heartbreak even if you’re currently in a healthy relationship. It’s the modern equivalent of screaming along to Adele in your car—except now you’re doing it through AirPods.
Harald Krichel, Wikimedia Commons
As It Was–Harry Styles
Harry Styles went full melancholy pop prince on As It Was. The upbeat synths disguise a loneliness so sharp it practically hums through the chorus. Somehow, it’s both nostalgic and futuristic—like missing someone who’s still sitting right next to you.
Eva Rinaldi, Wikimedia Commons
Sunflower–Post Malone and Swae Lee
Leave it to Post Malone to make the world’s chillest superhero anthem. Sunflower, from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, feels like warm sunlight and unresolved feelings bottled into a hook. It’s simple, smooth, and sneakily emotional—basically the musical version of rewatching a movie you “just had on in the background” for the fifteenth time.
The Come Up Show from Canada, Wikimedia Commons
One Dance Drake with Wizkid and Kyla
One Dance might be the reason every summer since 2016 has felt the same. Drake’s tropical-tinged hit took over dance floors, car speakers, and beach playlists everywhere. It’s impossible to hear it without involuntarily swaying a little—and for a moment, everything feels just a bit better.
The Come Up Show, Wikimedia Commons
Stay–The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber
A two-minute burst of pure pop anxiety, Stay sounds like it was designed in a lab to make your heart race. Between the frantic beat and Laroi’s youthful desperation, it’s like watching someone text their ex in real time—addicting, a little tragic, and too catchy to judge.
Joe Bielawa, Wikimedia Commons
Perfect–Ed Sheeran
If Shape of You was for dancing, Perfect was for slow dancing. It’s a wedding song that somehow dodges irony and lands in pure sincerity. Every line feels engineered to make someone’s mom tear up—and by the looks of its stream count, there’s been a lot of crying.
Harald Krichel, Wikimedia Commons
Believer–Imagine Dragons
Imagine Dragons made motivational rock for people who wanted their workouts to feel epic. Believer is less a song and more a battle cry—complete with booming percussion and a chorus that could launch a thousand self-improvement montages. Whether you love or loathe it, it’s unforgettable.
Drew de F Fawkes, Wikimedia Commons
Heat Waves–Glass Animals
No song better captured quarantine longing than Heat Waves. Its hazy production and bittersweet nostalgia feel tailor-made for staring out a window at 3 a.m. The fact that it blew up years after release says it all—sometimes it takes the world ending for a song to hit right.
Sam Prickett, Wikimedia Commons
Lovely–Billie Eilish and Khalid
Two of pop’s most ethereal voices joined forces to soundtrack every sad playlist ever made. Lovely is haunting, gentle, and quietly devastating. It’s the kind of song that feels like it’s hugging you while simultaneously reminding you of everything you’ve ever lost.
crommelincklars, Wikimedia Commons
Closer–The Chainsmokers and Halsey
“Hey, I was doing just fine before I met you”—lies. Closer was the millennial mating call, blasting from every house party between 2016 and 2018. It’s brash, flirty, and self-aware enough to know it’s the musical equivalent of texting your ex “u up?” at 2 am.
The Come Up Show, Wikimedia Commons
Say You Won’t Let Go–James Arthur
A wedding staple for the Spotify era, Say You Won’t Let Go sounds like a love letter written after binge-watching too many rom-coms. It’s sincere, simple, and endlessly replayable—the kind of track that makes even cynics believe in grand gestures again.
Harald Krichel, Wikimedia Commons
I Wanna Be Yours – Arctic Monkeys
Leave it to Arctic Monkeys to make a 40-year-old poem go viral. I Wanna Be Yours turned a 2013 deep cut into TikTok’s favorite yearning anthem. It’s moody, hypnotic, and proof that no one does romantic obsession quite like the internet’s favorite sad boys.
Something Just Like This–The Chainsmokers and Coldplay
Two of the most unlikely collaborators made a surprisingly tender anthem about feeling ordinary. Something Just Like This is full of that sweet spot Coldplay melancholy, wrapped in electronic shimmer. It’s what happens when arena rock and EDM have an existential crisis together.
The Night We Met – Lord Huron
The Night We Met didn’t just appear in 13 Reasons Why—it emotionally destroyed everyone who watched it. The song feels like a memory fading as you listen, a ghost of love that refuses to leave. It’s slow, haunting, and completely devastating in the best way.
strangebiology, Wikimedia Commons
Yellow–Coldplay
Coldplay’s Yellow is one of those rare songs that somehow grows more sentimental with age. What began as a simple love song has become a universal emotional reset button. Play it during a road trip, a breakup, or a quiet night alone—it always lands.
Riptide–Vance Joy
With its ukulele strumming and cryptic lyrics, Riptide feels like indie’s version of sunshine therapy. It’s a little awkward, a little heartfelt, and totally unforgettable—the kind of song that instantly transports you back to your college dorm or your first music festival.
Bruce from Sydney, Australia, Wikimedia Commons
Dance Monkey–Tones and I
Tones and I broke out with one of the strangest viral hits ever. Dance Monkey is quirky, high-pitched, and oddly hypnotic—a mix of playground chant and pop genius. It shouldn’t have worked, but somehow it did, proving chaos really is the sound of the decade.
Streamed, Screamed, and Streamed Again
If these tracks tell us anything, it’s that the 2010s were one long emotional roller coaster. From Blinding Lights to Dance Monkey, we laughed, cried, healed, and hit replay—again and again. Maybe that’s the real power of streaming: it lets us relive every heartbreak, high, and hangover, one play at a time.
You May Also Like:
1994 Music Hits Fans Have Somehow Forgotten About
Artists Who Penned Incredible Tributes To Their Parents
Every New Dad Needs To Listen To These Essential Songs About Fatherhood
Source: 1
