We Looked at the Top Streaming Songs From Classic Artists, and We're Confused

Music streaming has made a lot of things easier, particularly when looking for obscure music picks. Do you have a favorite song from a beloved artist that doesn’t get enough credit? Instead of digging for hours through internet archives, a streamlined library presents a lot of advantages.

At the same time, some of the leading tracks aren’t that surprising at all. “Here Comes The Sun” is still The Beatles’ top played song (even if we wouldn't include it in our personal top 10). Although recent documentaries spotlighted her deeper cuts, “Toxic” is the top song from Britney.

We looked at some other artists’ top tracks, and found a few surprising results — and picked out a few with which we take issue.

“Paint it Black,” the Rolling Stones
Seriously, how does “Gimme Shelter” not come in first, considering it’s in virtually every Martin Scorsese movie? We like “Paint it Black,” but we expected “Satisfaction” to come in first.

“Another One Bites The Dust,” Queen
Look, “Another One Bites The Dust” has one of the greatest music videos of all times, but it's no “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Call us when there’s a movie called Another One Bites The Dust that grosses $1 billion and wins four Oscars.

“Jurassic Park Theme,” John Williams
What’s surprising isn’t that Jurassic Park is the #1 song from our favorite film composer, but Jaws, Star Wars and Indiana Jones don’t even crack the top five. Are people really banging their heads to the Schindler’s List theme?

“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” Marvin Gaye
What’s Going On was recently ranked by Rolling Stone magazine as the no.1 greatest album of all time, but Marvin Gaye’s most-streamed song is actually this 1966 favorite from the album United. We guess that being on the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack (among many others) may have helped this one grab the ears of some younger listeners.

“Hung Up,” Madonna
Are conservative listeners still raising alarms over “Like A Virgin” almost four decades later? Maybe they’re to blame, but we can’t imagine they’re jamming out to “Hung Up” either.

“Wish You Were Here,” Pink Floyd
Maybe Pink Floyd fans like to listen to Dark Side of the Moon all at once, because it's actually “Wish You Were Here” that comes in first. We’d argue that the 13-minute “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” is the stronger song from the iconic 1975 album.

“Cold Heart,” Elton John
It's borderline shameful that considering Elton John’s library of beloved classics, this PNAU remix is his biggest streaming hit. It’s a fun late period hit, but among Elton John’s recent work, we actually prefer “I’m Gonna Love Me Again.”

“I Was Made For Lovin’ You,” Kiss
Kiss has a lot of definitive party anthems, but surprisingly “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” is their most streamed track. We’re guessing this is about as sincere as Gene Simmons ever got.