There are songs that seem buried in the mists of time and that almost no one listens to anymore. But the truth is that many of these themes are gaining new life thanks to TikTok. Does anyone still remember Alphaville? They are on the rise again.
The old is in fashion... on TikTok
TikTok has proven to be much more than a space for viral dances and short-lived challenges. In recent years, the platform has stood out for boosting old, often forgotten music back into the charts and playlists of new generations. This phenomenon has transformed the platform into a musical time machine, where classics from past decades find a renewed audience.
Lately, bands like Bronsky Beat, Alphaville or the singer Sade found a new audience for songs that were already a few decades old. In the case of Bronsky Beat, it was the song Smalltown Boy becoming popular in a challenge in which young people challenged their parents to dance like they did in the 1980s.
The Forever Young theme, by Alphaville, was widely used in another challenge, this one for different uses of water bottles.
The TikTok algorithm is one of the main responsible for this phenomenon, by presenting content based on users' interests, and the songs, often associated with trends, memes or creative challenges, end up reaching millions of people in just a few days.
For example, a song that appears as the soundtrack to a funny video or a popular challenge can quickly go viral, gaining millions of views. This is where many users discover songs by artists or bands they've never heard before, leading to an unexpected revival of songs that, in some cases, are decades old.
Other successful examples
One of the best-known cases is the song "Dreams" by the band Fleetwood Mac, released in 1977. In 2020, the song gained prominence again thanks to a viral video on TikTok that showed a user riding a skateboard while drinking cranberry juice, while sound of this theme. The success was so great that the song re-entered the music charts and generated millions of streams on platforms like Spotify.
Another example is the song "Running Up That Hill" by Kate Bush, released in 1985. In 2022, the song went viral on TikTok after appearing in the series Stranger Things. While the series was the initial catalyst, TikTok amplified the impact, introducing the song to an even wider audience.
The impact of this phenomenon is not limited to the platform. Old songs viral on TikTok often see their streams on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music soar. This benefits not only the original artists, but also the publishers and songwriters.
Furthermore, some of these songs are even reintroduced into advertising campaigns, films and television shows, further expanding their reach.
There are several reasons for this revival of old music, such as nostalgia, ease of sharing or the culture of rediscovery that is making its way among new generations.
This phenomenon shows how technology can transform music consumption, revitalizing artists and songs from the past for a completely new audience.
Here's this year's top ten of the most popular old songs on TikTok and how many posts they appeared in.
It should be noted that to be part of this count, a song must be more than five years old.
- Blood Orange – Champagne Coast (2011): 1.1 m posts.
- Alphaville – Forever Young (1984): 458.000 posts.
- Redbone – Come and Get Your Love (1974): 386.000 posts.
- Tom Odell – Another Love (2012): 238.000 posts.
- Pavement – Harness Your Hopes (1999): 219.000 posts.
- Natasha Bedingfield – Unwritten (2004): 207.000 posts.
- Christina Aguilera – Genie in a Bottle (1999): 207.000 posts.
- Sade – Kiss of Life (1993): 194.000 posts.
- Sophie Ellis Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor (2001): 191.000 posts.
- The Fray – Look After You (2005): 188.000 posts.
Source: pplware.sapo.pt
