JJ’s Streams Of Statistics, Volume 4: The Billions Club

My latest look at Spotify streaming statistics takes us to the Billions Club:

An ever expanding playlist maintained by Spotify containing every song with a billion streams. 

Having taken just under five years to reach 150, things have accelerated since. In October 2023 it hit 500 tracks and has now moved on to 873 songs… no wait 880….hang on a moment… Ok, let’s draw a line under it; otherwise I’ll never be done.

The position at the end of February when I collated the stats was 882:

Those 882 breakdown as follows:

When we look at it by decade, the trend is for a decade in decade rise through to the 2010s apart from a slight hiccup with the 90s being outdone by the 80s. 

Let’s go through the list decade by decade, with some diversions along the way. In this first, part I’ll cover off the 20th century:

• 1) Brenda Lee – “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” = 1,288,361,801
• 2) Bobby Helms – “Jingle Bell Rock” = 1,215,438,216

Our earliest offerings belong to the evergreen subset of Christmas songs. Bobby and Brenda have really benefitted from coming back into fashion in the last decade. 

While we’re on the subject of Christmas songs, there aren’t a huge number of them. The guaranteed play for December is largely outweighed by eleven fallow months.

Some people really do wish it could be Christmas every day: Six of these are longtime festive favourites but Ariana and Sia are a big surprise. 

• 1) Mariah Carey – “All I Want For Christmas Is You” = 2,167,334,445
• 2) Wham! – “Last Christmas” = 1,864,690,232
• 3) Brenda Lee – “Rocking Around The Christmas Tree” = 1,288,361,801
• 4) Ariana Grande – “Santa Tell Me” = 1,279,261,361
• 5) Bobby Helms – “Jingle Bell Rock = 1,215,438,216
• 6) Andy Williams – “The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” = 1,203,149,622
• 7) Sia – “Snowman” = 1,191,023,259
• 8) Michael Buble – “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas” = 1,172,947,754

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• 1) Creedence Clearwater Revival – “Fortunate Son” = 1,608,543,738
• 2) Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell – “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” = 1,564,359,618
• 3) The Beatles – “Here Comes The Sun” = 1,525,336,081
• 4) Rolling Stones – “Paint It Black” = 1,395,198,127
• 5) Ben E King – “Stand By Me” = 1,265,728,085
• 6) Van Morrison – “Brown Eyed Girl”= 1,264,061,513
• 7) Andy Williams – “It’s the Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” = 1,203,149,622
• 8) Temptations – “My Girl”= 1,095,018,4449
• 9) The Animals – “House Of The Rising Sun” = 1,078,805,495
• 10) Elvis Presley – “I Can’t Help Falling In Love” = 1,043,582,455
• 11) The Mamas And The Papas – “California Dreamin'” = 1,035,722,866
• 12) Creedence Clearwater Revival – “Bad Moon Rising” = 1,023,581,285
• 13) Jackson 5 – “I Want You Back” = 1,004,983,875

Everyone of these is instantly recognisable, and its a pretty good representation across the 60s. Which is the same until we get into the streaming age of the 2000s. Up to that point, the songs are all pretty familiar even if they weren’t hits. In the next part we’ll see that although big hits continue to do well; familiarity isn’t a bar to the big time.

I’ve previously covered “Here Comes The Sun” and it’s unlikely rise from album track to Beatles numero uno before. One position behind it, “Paint It Black” doesn’t seem the most likely Rolling Stones track to be here, though reading through some Reddit discussions it does get a lot of love. It’s 600k in front of anything else they recorded.

Only two of these didn’t make the Hot 100 top 10:“ Here Comes The Sun” as an album track, and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” reaching #19. It’s continued success comes at the expense of the #1 Diana Ross version, which has only 79m plays. 

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• 1) Queen – “Bohemian Rhapsody” = 2,702,397,004
• 2) Queen – “Don’t Stop Me Now” = 2,231,639,815
• 3) Fleetwood Mac – “Dreams” = 1,961,211,184
• 4) Creedence Clearwater Revival – “Have You Ever Seen The Rain?” = 1,901,980,735
• 5) Earth Wind & Fire – “September” = 1,889,970,990
• 6) AC/DC – “Highway To Hell” = 1,865,251,814
• 7) Eagles – “Hotel California” = 1,799,192,650
• 8) ABBA – “Dancing Queen” = 1,562,693,874
• 9) Queen – “We Will Rock You” = 1,458,541,650
• 10) Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Sweet Home Alabama” = 1,428,029,741
• 11) Dire Straits – “Sultans Of Swing” = 1,371,958,771
• 12) Aerosmith – “Dream On” = 1,294,669,521
• 13) Fleetwood Mac – “The Chain” = 1,26,015,069
• 14) Black Sabbath – “Paranoid” = 1,260,866,154
• 15) Elton John – “Rocket Man” = 1,243,624,421
• 16) Bee Gees – “Stayin’ Alive” = 1,153,034,058
• 17) Kiss – “I Was Made For Loving You” = 1,167,632,993
• 18) Bill Withers – “Ain’t No Sunshine” = 1,114,779,665
• 19) Fleetwood Mac – “Go Your Own Way” = 1,109,959,193
• 20) Led Zeppelin – “Stairway To Heaven”= 1,077,193,333

It’s all about Queen: Earliest members of the 2bn club, and doing it twice for good measure. As well as the three entries in the top 10 they have “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and they’ll come back for the 80s with “Under Pressure” and “Another One Bites The Dust.” 

Fleetwood Mac put in a good showing thanks to the evergreen Rumours.

AC/DC kick off a presence crossing three decades. “Back In Black” just misses out on the 80s top ten and is joined by “You Shook Me All Night Long.” Thanks to “Thunderstruck” they trip over into the 90s too. 

AC/DC are atypical for the acts from this time featuring in the Billions Club. “Stairway To Heaven” and “The Chain” are album tracks that became bigger than many singles but for the most part the songs in the club from the 60s through to 90s were big hits on the Hot 100.

Rock in varying strengths from Fleetwood Mac through to Black Sabbath’s Paranoid dominates.

Disco has a foothold with Bee Gees; “Stayin’ Alive,” ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” and the Kiss crossover “I Was Made For Loving You.”

Black artists take a backseat though after contributing four out of 13 entries in the 60s. Down to two from 23 in the 70s: Earth, Wind & Fire being joined by Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine.”

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• 1) The Police – “Every Breath You Take” = 2,457,907,536
• 2) Journey – “Don’t Stop Believing”” = 2,287,923,988
• 3) a-ha – “Take On Me” = 2,215,696,614
• 4) Guns N’ Roses – “Sweet Child O’ Mine” = 2,141,910,746
• 5) Queen – “Another One Bites The Dust” = 2,088,920,718
• 6) Michael Jackson – “Billie Jean” = 2,046,874,298
• 7) Toto – “Africa” = 2,042,020,796
• 8) Tears For Fears – “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” = 1,957,658,257
• 9) Wham! – “Last Christmas” = 1,864,690,232
• 10) Bon Jovi – “Living On A Prayer” = 1,838,087,255
• 11) Queen and David Bowie – “Under Pressure” = 1,804,381,395
• 12) AC/DC – “Back In Black” = 1,777,637,074
• 13) Eurythmics – “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)” = 1604,669,828
• 14) Survivor – “Eye Of The Tiger” = 1,473,754,109
• 15) AC/DC – “You Shook Me All Night Long” = 1,386,764,131
• 16) Whitney Houston – “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” = 1,376,296,442
• 17) Bryan Adams – “Summer Of ’69” = 1,370,179,315
• 18) Cyndi Lauper – “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” = 1,356,815,331
• 19) Kate Bush – “Running Up That Hill” = 1,340,606,056
• 20) Guns N’ Roses – “Welcome To The Jungle” = 1,336,596,940

Guns N’ Roses are the most prolific billionaires of the decade. “Paradise City” joining “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “Welcome To The Jungle” – and they have a further entry from the 90s in “November Rain.” 

The most obvious detail from the 80s is that early to mid 80s dominates. ’86 to ’89 provides only 11 of the 38 tracks.  

“Running Up That Hill” and “Should I Stay Or Should I Go” speak to the power of other mediums pushing up plays. Both featured prominently in Stranger Things. 

Kate Bush got the bigger boost, rocketing her back to the top end of the charts but both have benefitted longer term in being brought to a new audience.

Several iconic acts of the decade are conspicuous by their absence. 

Prince and Madonna don’t come close. And Bruce Springsteen is also missing, though “Dancing In The Dark” is only 47m away, so should see him joining up by the end of the year. 

She may have torn past Cyndi Lauper as a global icon but it’s Cyndi’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” that is the go to girl anthem. Plus, as I write this its just been announced that “Time After Time” has become the latest addition to the club. 

Presaging the 90s, alternative makes a brief appearance at the other end of the decade with The Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind.” Their influence on the band topping the 90s listings possibly being reciprocated. 

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• 1) Nirvana – “Smells Like Teen Spirit” = 2,286,275,993
• 2) Oasis – “Wonderwall” = 2,247,154,059
• 3) Mariah Carey – “All I Want For Christmas Is You” = 2,167,334,445
• 4) Goo Goo Dolls –“Iris” = 2,154,293,392
• 5) Radiohead – “Creep” = 2,000,554,296
• 6) Coolio – “Gangster’s Paradise” = 1,982,187,797
• 7) AC/DC – “Thunderstruck” = 1,740,774,105
• 8) Backstreet Boys – “I Want It That Way” = 1,678,226,126
• 9) Metallica – “Enter Sandman” = 1,605,362,007
• 10) Dr Dre – “Still Dre” = 1,592,448,386
• 11) Red Hot Chilli Peppers – “Under The Bridge” = 1,568,952,794
• 12) REM – “Losing My Religion” = 1,566,524,008
• 13) Nirvana – “Come As You Are” = 1,506,128,206
• 14) Cranberries – “Zombie” = 1,395,684,772
• 15) Metallica – “Nothing Else Matters” = 1,313,193,322
• 16) Notorious BIG – “Hypnotize” = 1,299,024,984
• “17) Ice Cube – “It Was A Good Day” = 1,286,201,465
• 18) Blink 182 – “All The Small Things” = 1,284,097,713
• “19) TLC – “No Scrubs” = 1,268,904,981
• 20) Green Day – “Basket Case” = 1,244,292,757

The decade of the guitar with rock and alternative dominating. 

Grunge tops the list thanks to Nirvana. At the heavier end of loud, there’s a double dose of Metallica. Keeping the volume up but skewing to a younger brattier sound are Green Day with “Basket Case.” They also reappear in the 00s with “American Idiot”.

Rage Against The Machine bring the anger and prove that singing along to; “F*ck you I won’t do what you tell me” continues to appeal to successive generations.

Britpop shows up with Oasis also present with “Don’t Look Back In Anger.” Arch rivals Blur provide “Song 2,” Radiohead prove the popularity of self loathing and The Verve have “Bittersweet Symphony.”   

Red Hot Chili Peppers pull off a feat that only Queen can match from the 20th Century cohort of having 5+ entries:

This is also the decade rap and modern R&B starts to breakthrough thanks to Coolio, Dr Dre, Ice Cube, Notorious BIG (who also has Big Poppa) and TLC.

Pop largely goes by the wayside. But there is a small cohort of Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears (“Baby One More Time” – reappearing in the 00s with “Toxic”) and Spice Girls (“Wannabe”).

That’s the 20th Century taken care off.

Next time we move up to date: and find the most prolific artists and biggest songs. 

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