Top 10 Most Overplayed Radio Songs You'll NEVER Escape

Welcome to MsMojo, and today were counting down our picks for those radio earworms that remain a constant presence on these terrestrial airwaves.

#10: Beautiful Things (2024)Benson Boone

The path to success has been a quick one for Benson Boone, with singles such as Ghost Town and In the Stars paving the way for Beautiful Things to hit in 2024. The American singer utilized the TikTok platform to his advantage, creating anticipation online prior to the final release of Beautiful Things. The end results sort of spoke for themselves, really, with nearly half a million views on YouTube accrued within an hour. Beautiful Things has lived on over the radio airwaves since then, as well, becoming the sort of omnipresent song that always seems to be playing SOMEWHERE.

#9: Hey There Delilah (2006)Plain White Ts

We hear music everywhere we go, from the grocery store to restaurants, bars and department stores. So its highly likely that youve heard a song such as Hey There Delilah, without even knowing the artist. The song belongs to Plain White Ts, of course, and is just one in a long line of tunes thats benefited from the inclusion of a real name within its title. Meanwhile, the song itself is a warmly-sung and comforting acoustic ballad with a strong lead vocal melody. The innocuousness of its arrangement doesnt come as a slight, but instead assists Hey There Delilah in becoming a song that can basically fit anytime, anywhere.

#8: Fallin (2001)Alicia Keys

Theres nobody out there thats going to deny the immense talent of singer/songwriter Alicia Keys. That said, even the best songs can become overplayed, including Fallin. Mileage may, of course, vary when it comes exactly when we, as music fans, become tired of a tune. Alicia Keys released Fallin back in 2001, so the piano ballad has existed within the public consciousness for almost twenty-five years. And it'll probably still be played twenty-five years from now. Keys album Songs in A Minor has plenty of other great songs to its credit, however, so maybe radio should unearth some deep cuts instead?

#7: Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) (2008)

Beyoncé

Its perhaps easy to blame the low hanging fruit of the Single Ladies hand dance for effectively ensuring that this Beyoncé song will remain with us forever. Theres actually a long history of pop tunes with a connected dance craze or fad remaining a part of the pop culture zeitgeist. Now, were not exactly saying that Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) was The Twist of its day, but the accompanying video certainly didnt hurt the songs cause. The song remains a terrestrial radio staple, and that probably isnt going away anytime soon.

#6: Lose Control (2023)

Teddy Swims

Its perhaps the melting pot of musical styles incorporated into his sound by Georgias Teddy Swims thats enabled songs like Lose Control to stick around with such persistence. This 2023 track was Swims second single, a difficult to categorize jam with influences from classic soul, pop, jazz, country and R&B. This effectively means that Teddy Swims can receive airplay anywhere, as multitudes of radio stations, all dedicated to different formats, play his song. This visibility has helped make Lose Control a song thats inescapable on the radio, online and in advertising.

#5: Dynamite (2010)Taio Cruz

Sometimes, all it takes is a shift in style to take an artist to the next creative level. British singer Taio Cruz started off his career with a retro-based R&B sound, before eventually incorporating influences from beat-driven electronic dance music into his style. This resulted in a hit for Cruz in 2010, the EDM-inspired Dynamite. Sales were swift for Cruz after this success, as Dynamite charted not only in the singers native country, but in Canada, Australia and The United States, as well. Dynamite became something of a dance floor staple as a result of this success, and youd be hard pressed to avoid hearing this tune, even today.

#4: Firework (2010)Katy Perry

Artists of the commercial caliber of Katy Perry are always releasing or working on new music, so why does Firework still hang around radio stations, over fifteen years after its initial release in 2010? Well, the positive lyrical sentiment of the song might have something to do with it. Granted, that infamous opening line about a plastic bag is still as awkward now as it was back then, but the overall sentiment of shining bright in the face of adversity is a good one. Firework is also relentlessly melodic, hammering home that chorus for all its worthwhether you want it to or not.

#3: Despacito (2017)

Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber

It doesnt really matter whether or not youre hearing the version of Despacito with or without Justin Bieber on the mic, the chances are probably pretty good that youve heard this Latin pop hit at least a couple dozen times. Despacito was one of 2017s biggest crossover chart hits, and was pretty much inescapable for all of that year. Fast forward to the modern day, and Despacito still has legs on radio airwaves, with continued playback pretty much being the norm. And why not? A lot of people love to dance, and Despacito certainly does the trick in that department.

#2: Happy (2013)Pharrell Williams

Hits from movie soundtrack albums are definitely not uncommon. Some movie hits are of their time, however, and dont always continue to be radio staples years after the movie has left theaters. This isnt the case with Happy by Pharrell Williams, which continues to make its detractorswell, UNhappy since its release back in 2013. The tune was originally released to coincide with the first Despicable Me sequel, but this is yet another case with the songs bright optimism has worked in its favor. Happy feels tailor made as a pick-me-up, and its often been used as such in the years since it first dropped.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Shape of You (2017), Ed Sheeran

Heavy Airplay Lining the Pockets of TLC

SexyBack (2006), Justin Timberlake feat. Timbaland

The Song That Filled Club Floors Back in the Mid-Noughties

Every Breath You Take (1983), The Police

STILL Not a Love Song, Guys

Blurred Lines (2013), Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell

Problematic Yet Ever Present

Rolling in the Deep (2010), Adele

This Song Resonated with Millions of People

#1: I Gotta Feeling (2009)The Black Eyed Peas

Theres been a lot written and discussed over the years about how artists such as Imagine Dragons and The Black Eyed Peas have existed at the nexus between creativity and commercialism. Do Imagine Dragons simply write songs to be used in commercials? Are The Black Eyed Peas relevant beyond Super Bowl HalfTime shows or movie soundtrack contributions? I Gotta Feeling either speaks to the fan in you or it makes you want to run in the opposite direction. Its yet another Black Eyed Peas tune thats achieved massive commercial success, but has also offered further evidence for the groups detractors on the other side of the fence. Either way, I Gotta Feeling isnt going anywhere.

Feel like defending any of these radio hits? Let us know in the comments!