Which Song Really Defined The 2010s? The Most-Streamed Spotify Song From Each Year, Ranked
The 2010s marked a seismic shift in how music was consumed, revolutionizing the music industry and pushing streaming services to the forefront. With platforms like Spotify helping lead the charge, artists were able to maximize an unprecedented reach, while music lovers were given an endless catalog of music at their fingertips.
Some songs did more than merely dominate algorithm-driven playlists; certain tracks broke through the noise, with artists like Taylor Swift earning billions of streams, and became part of the soundtrack for a decade. Shaping trends, influencing culture, and leaving a lasting legacy, the most-streamed songs of the 2010s (kworb.net) have often blasted through our speakers or accompanied our daily commutes, which we now rank while dissecting their meteoric rise and cultural impact.
10
Macklemore – “Can’t Hold Us” (2011)
2.81 Billion Streams
Written and performed by hip-hop partners Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, featuring singer Ray Dalton, “Can’t Hold Us” was originally released in 2011 as the second single from the duo’s debut studio album, The Heist (2012), before gaining worldwide attention in 2013, reaching No. 1 status on the Billboard Hot 100. Spotify’s most streamed song from 2011 also won two MTV Video Music Awards for Best Cinematography in a Video and Best Hip-Hop Video, in addition to the 2013 Teen Choice Award for Choice R&B/Hip-Hop Song.
9
Vance Joy – “Riptide” (2013)
3.03 Billion Streams
Vance Joy released “Riptide” as an offering on his EP God Loves You When You’re Dancing (2013), then also featured the track on his debut album Dream Your Life Away (2014). This indie-pop/folk hit remains the singer-songwriter’s most iconic track, layered with unusual lyrical imagery while telling a story both romantic and melancholic. Simplistic and original, “Riptide” ultimately became a staple for indie playlists, movie soundtracks, and covers by other artists. It even landed Joy an opening spot on Taylor Swift’s 1989 World Tour in 2014.
8
Ed Sheeran – “Photograph” (2014)
2.87 Billion Streams
Ed Sheeran featured this emotional ballad on his second studio album x (Multiply), which was released in 2014 – although the track was later released as a single in May 2015 and has since become one of Sheeran’s most beloved songs. Its heartfelt delivery and comforting acoustic approach allow listeners to safely explore love, distance, and memory as Sheeran embraces moments frozen in time. “Photograph” is gentle and intimate in a manner that lets raw feelings shine through, becoming a go-to song for the sentimental and reflective.
7
The Weeknd – “Starboy” (2016)
3.82 Billion Streams
“Starboy”, featuring electronic duo Daft Punk, was released as the lead single and title track from The Weeknd’s third studio album. It celebrates and critiques fame, also acknowledging a transition from underground hype to global phenomenon. This offering comes with a theme of emptiness and pressure just as much as it reflects on a lavish lifestyle — mixing pride and frustration while consumed by celebrity status and public perception.
It celebrates and critiques fame, also acknowledging a transition from underground hype to global phenomenon.
Simultaneously haunting and infectious, “Starboy” became The Weeknd’s third No. 1 single in the United States. This collaboration blends Daft Punk’s iconic, signature synth work with a refined aesthetic from The Weeknd that made the song a standout anthem from the 2010s.
6
Lewis Capaldi – “Someone You Loved” (2018)
3.85 Billion Streams
Singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi uses his piano to strike a chord globally with vulnerability and heartbreak through “Someone You Loved,” which became his first No. 1 track in the United States. The raspy intensity paired with a deeply rooted heartache and loneliness highlights a feeling of desperation, portraying someone who’s trying to move on but also struggling with someone’s absence.
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Coping with a painful void is something we can all understand, and Capaldi does so with an honest and unpolished approach that gives this track an authenticity that will resonate with listeners timelessly. The pop ballad catapulted Capaldi into international stardom and a Grammy-winning career after remaining on the Billboard Hot 100 for over 70 weeks.
5
The Weeknd – “Blinding Lights” (2019)
4.77 Billion Streams
The Weeknd dropped this hit record, detailing emotional desperation and longing for a partner at night in a city of lights, as the second single off his fourth studio album After Hours (2020). Obsession and isolation surface as The Weeknd shows it’s not just about love; it’s also the fame and acclaim that leaves a late-night void and fear of being alone.
This track brings back a retro 1980s synth sound (with Max Martin, Oscar Holter, Belly, and DaHeala adding a modern edge) that went No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Blinding Lights” inspired a wave of 1980s-inspired pop on the mainstream airwaves and became the first song to eclipse four billion streams on Spotify.
4
Lord Huron – “The Night We Met” (2015)
2.89 Billion Streams
“The Night We Met” by Lord Huron is an emotional indie folk song that drew its inspiration from young romance and 1950s pop tracks, covering nostalgia, regret, and longing with a haunting presence that both contrasts and connects with the feeling of loss inevitably tied to love. It was originally released in 2015 as a part of the band’s second studio album, Strange Trails (2015), before gaining massive popularity with its inclusion in the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why (2017). While it’s lyrically minimal, every moment of this song cuts deep.
While it’s lyrically minimal, every moment of this song cuts deep.
“I had all and then most of you / Some and now none of you” details the reality of heartbreak in its truest form, without the need for over-explanation. Even the song itself feels like a memory escaping into the distance. Emotional honesty and raw vocal delivery through the chaos of love and a painful desire to undo it all is something so rare and powerful in music that fits an emotion nearly everyone can relate to.
3
Bruno Mars – “Just the Way You Are” (2010)
2.67 Billion Streams
Bruno Mars released this romantic pop classic as his debut solo single and the lead single from his debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010), launching his career into superstardom. “Just the Way You Are” is heartfelt, simple, and direct with its acceptance and appreciation for beauty, tapping into the natural human desire to be loved for who you are. The song also helped Mars win Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 2011 Grammys, reaching No. 1 status on the Billboard Hot 100, top 10 in over 20 countries, and 13x Platinum in the United States.
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Exploring a romance where you don’t want someone to change anything about themselves, this track is as pure and reassuring as a modern love song can get. It should come as no shock to find out that the hit was inspired by Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” (1990) and Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight” (1977).
2
The Neighbourhood – “Sweater Weather” (2012)
3.68 Billion Streams
“Sweater Weather” isn’t just one of the best songs of the 2010s based on its popularity, but because it captured a cultural aesthetic while blending genres into an unmatched replay value that gave alternative pop the mainstream spotlight. It served as the lead single from their debut studio album, I Love You (2013), and peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Neighbourhood combined indie rock, hip-hop, R&B, and pop into a mysterious and fresh form that was ahead of its time and laid the groundwork for a mix of styles that would become a standard for alt music.
Love song, sensual poem, and an emotionally loaded listening experience wrapped into one, this track proved that alt-pop could make vulnerability and style both relevant and radio-friendly. Jesse Rutherford’s smooth delivery and effortlessly cool melodies generated one of the most impactful songs of the decade, which continues to resonate and have seasonal resurgences over 12 years later.
1
Ed Sheeran – “Shape of You” (2017)
4.29 Billion Streams
Ed Sheeran put together an undeniable, worldwide sensation with “Shape of You” – a song that transcends language and genre boundaries with rhythmic, catchy, and sharp songwriting that’s recognizable all across the globe. This track was equally radio-ready and innovative, something more uncommon than one might think, while displaying Sheeran’s mastery of structure and phrasing.
This track was equally radio-ready and innovative.
“Shape of You” took the No. 1 spot in 34 countries, including on the Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart, and won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance (2018). It also won the iHeartRadio Music Award for Song of the Year (2018). Oddly enough, Sheeran has publicly admitted he originally intended to pitch “Shape of You” to Rihanna, but was later convinced to keep the song for himself – thus divine intervention to some extent granted him one of the most successful songs of all time.
