Music and TikTok go hand in hand much like bread and butter. Take one away and the whole thing’s pointless. Actually, butter can be used for other things. And music is pretty successful in its own right. Alright, the simile might need work but you know what I mean.
Over the years, thousands of songs have gone viral thanks to exposure on TikTok. As of July 2022, some of the most popular include Harry Styles’ Music For a Sushi Restaurant, Bad Bunny’s Efecto and Nick Youre’s Sunroof.
But there’s a few more trending right now. Search any of these following ten on the app and you’ll see the results for yourself. What makes them so popular is up for debate. For whatever reason, the denizens of TikTok have taken to them like ducks to water and re-lined the pockets of many an artist.
Here are, at the time of writing (these things fall in and out fashion rapidly), the top twenty trending songs on TikTok.
20. Hi I’m Dory
Hi I’m Dory is a TikTok sound based on Baby Dory from Finding Dory. Started on Roblox in 2021 within Brookhaven, players approached others in the game to say, “Hi, I’m Dory. Let’s Go!” inspiring a song made out of the practice. In 2022, users began featuring the song in their videos, lip dubbing the lyrics. It has been used on 157 popular videos.
The original beginnings date back to October 2020, when TikToker stellaurius posted a now-deleted video that created the “Hi, I’m Dory!” sound. Stellaurius is credited in the description of the earliest known reposting of the sound on October 8th, 2020, being a one-hour loop posted by the YouTube channel ceo of noodles.
19. Running Up That Hill – Kate Bush
A 1985 Kate Bush song might seem a strange choice to be doing the rounds on TikTok – which usually celebrates modern music - but thanks to its use on Stranger Things, Running Up That Hill has defied all the odds.
Bush has now broken three world records, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. One for longest time for a track to reach number 1 on the UK’s official singles chart, another for oldest female artist to reach the top of the UK’s official singles chart, and a third for the longest gap between spots on the UK’s official singles chart. “It features the song, ‘Running Up That Hill’ which is being given a whole new lease of life by the young fans who love the show - I love it too!” Bush wrote on her website in response to the resurgence of her song. “It’s all really exciting!”
18. Dame Tu Cosita – El Chombo
The Dame Tu Cosita Challenge was an online social game in which users on the lip-syncing app Musical.ly attempted to reenact the dance from a web video of a green alien dancing to the song “Dame Tu Cosita” by El Chombo.
This video of the green alien named Popoy was posted onto Daily Motion on October 16th, 2017, by user @ArtNoux, shown dancing to a remix of reggaeton song “Dame Tu Cosita” by El Chombo called “La Cripta Remixes Cutty Ranks Y El Chombo” by Don Chezina. For whatever reason, this song has now spawned a second life on TikTok with 124 popular videos to its name.
17. Funny Song – Cavendish Music
Cavendish Music is a name you might not know, but whose music you’ve definitely heard. They’re the people behind the music on films such as Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, Tolkien and I, Tonya. TV shows such as The Crown, Planet Earth and Doctor Who, as well as “adverts for everything from fast cars to fizzy drinks.”
Naturally, they are also all over TikTok. Their track, “Funny Song” is perfect background music for a cute animal video or life hack. 114 popular videos!
16. Bandido – Ze Felipe & MC Mari
If anything, this song by Ze Felipe and MC Mari is something to teach yourself Portuguese. The dancing is a nice physical bonus. Mainly, this is about the joy of rolling your R’s like there’s no tomorrow.
“Bandido” has bagged itself an appearance on 105 popular videos.
15. Feel No Ways – Drake
In “Feel No Ways,” Drake talks about a girl who no longer vibes with his career-driven, ‘grindset’ mentality. She’s tarnishing Drake’s name even though their relationship was doomed to fail. Together they were lazy and feckless, staying in and smoking weed all the time. As he tries to move on and focus on himself, she continues to try and manipulate him when he returns to Toronto. This makes poor Drake feel all guilty and sad.
All the trappings, then, of a TikTok dance hit! This song, released in 2016, has for one reason or another done quite well for itself on the app here in 2022.
14. Efecto – Bad Bunny
“I never made a song thinking, ‘Man, this is for the world. This is to capture the gringo audience.’ Never,” Bad Bunny said this year. “On the contrary, I make songs as if only Puerto Ricans were going to listen to them. I still think I’m there making music, and it’s for Puerto Ricans. I forget the entire world listens to me.”
They really do, especially if you classify the entire world as TikTok. Bad Bunny’s music just has a pizazz to it that whips users into a frenzy. The most recent of which is the song ‘Efecto’ which has been included on 90 popular videos.
13. Music For a Sushi Restaurant – Harry Styles
So, the story goes: Harry Styles was sitting in a sushi restaurant with his producer when one of his songs came on the speakers. Finding it “really strange” for a sushi restaurant to be playing that type of music, Styles set out to make a song that would definitely fit the vibe of a sushi restaurant. As luck would have it, the song’s inoffensive, Uptown Funk-esque, catnip-for-advertising beat became more appropriate for the advertising for Style’s second solo effort Harry’s House, than the targeted sushi restaurant.
But who’s complaining? The people of TikTok certainly aren’t. This has 71 popular videos on the app.
12. POP! – Nayeon
66 popular videos have can thank POP! to their success. POP! is the solo effort of K-pop band TWICE’s Nayeon, from her EP I’m Nayeon.
“I couldn’t believe I was the first to go. I had a little pressure but a lot of worry,” she told Teen Vogue about going solo. “I’ve experienced a lot and I feel more comfortable with the flexibility in my style of work. So, that makes me enthusiastic and wanting to try more different things.” Well, she’s off to a good start!
11. Jiggle Jiggle – Duke & Jones
Back in 2000, Louis Theroux wrote a rap for an episode of his Weird Weekends series to compete in a radio battle. “My money don’t jiggle jiggle, it folds,” Theroux rapped. “I’d like to see you wiggle wiggle, for sure. It makes me wanna dribble dribble, you know. Riding in my Fiat, you really have to see it.”
The rap was performed again by Theroux on a recent episode of Amelia Dimoldenberg’s YouTube show, Chicken Shop Date. The audio was edited by British duo Duke and Jones who then posted their remix to TikTok to huge success. “Jiggle Jiggle” became a certified viral slapper with 61 popular videos. Shakira even danced to the song on The Tonight Show.
10. Daddy Yankee – Bombon
Daddy Yankee, El Alfa and Lil Jon have truly ‘done bits’ with their “Bombon” song from Yankee’s seventh and final album Legendaddy. Tokboard has the song down as being a part of 89 popular videos and an accumulated view count of 63.5 million. Quite the swan song from the Reggaeton pioneer.
So what are they doing with it on TikTok? Dancing. The dembow song has a perfect rhythm for TikTok virality. Across these videos, you’ll mostly see people dancing to the “Son un bombón, son un bombón, son un bombón-bon-bon,” bit. In writing that makes no sense, but if you check out some of the videos you’ll see what we mean. Those last three “bons” go hard.
9. AWP & TakaRajaY – Suaramu Syairku Jungle Dutch 2022
Let’s get one thing out of the way. Suramu Syairku Jungle Dutch 2022 is a bad, bad piece of music. Unlistenable. But that doesn’t really matter. What matters is that it has what it takes to go viral, which it does. AWP & TakaRajaY, whoever they are, have played an absolute blinder here. So hats off to them!
With 105 popular videos and 75.5 million views, Suramu Syairku Jungle Dutch 2022 currently stands at number 9 on TikTok’s trending songs. The reason why is anyone’s guess. This track isn’t part of a trend or dance. A glance at the results will show you mostly fan videos of South Korean singer, Jungkook. Occasionally you’ll get a clip of Neymar running rings around a defender. The rest are so random we’re not sure how to explain them. Go look for yourself and see what you think!
8. Nicky Youre & Dazy – Sunroof
23 year old Nicky Youre is an indie pop singer from Southern California and by all accounts a TikTok sensation. Bursting onto the scene in 2020 with his debut single Sex and Lemonade, it is his single Sunroof with Dazy that propelled him to viral fame more than other. Like others on this list, Sunroof isn’t limited to a particular trend or dance. It’s a feel good hit that is highly applicable to many videos.
At 72.5 million views and 121 popular videos, the song accompanies clips of people attempting to lift huge completed puzzles in the air, to dogs running around doing dog things and people baking sweet treats.
7. Duke & Jones – What’s your favourite curse word
On August 14, 2020, Miranda Cosgrove went accidentally viral. Promoting the reboot of iCarly on Whitney Cummings’ podcast Good For You, Cosgrove said “I actually do cuss a little.” When Cummings asked, “What’s your favourite curse word?” Cosgrove replied, “Probably fuck.” The episode gained over 936,000 views on YouTube in two years. It was only in March 2022, when the clip resurfaced and went viral on TikTok thanks to its lip dubs potential, spawning thousands of remakes.
This Duke & Jones remix of the audio is perfect if you’re planning to join the fun, even if you’re two months late. This one comes in at 97.2 million views and 123 popular videos.
6. Jack Harlow – First Class
First Class is a song by American rapper Jack Harlow and the second single from his second album Come Home the Kids Miss You which was released in April. The song, which samples Fergie’s Glamorous, went viral on TikTok prior to its release. It doesn’t get much better than that, does it? It does. First Class debuted at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Over on TikTok, the song has 129.9 million accumulative views and falls under 193 popular videos. The majority seem to be about the effect First Class is going to have when it drops, played in clubs etc. Really positive feedback!
5. Duckhead DJ Kasur – Wait a Minute Duckhead Edit
Willow Smith’s Wait a Minute! saw little success when it was released back in 2015. It was only in 2019 when the song inspired the #HereRightNow dance challenge on TikTok. Then just this spring, the song has witnessed a third wind thanks to a sped-up remix by Duckhead DJ Kasur which actually reached the Top 40 in countries like Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands.
180.5 million views and 193 popular videos later and these song has made TikTok history. She’s come a long from whipping her hair back and forth. Emotional stuff.
4. Daddy Yankee – Rompe
Daddy Yankee back at it again. Two songs in one list. Just like when Francis Ford Coppola was nominated for Best Director for The Godfather II and The Conversation in the same year. Two ballers, one vision: entertain the world. And entertain they have. Especially Daddy Yankee, with a throwback 2005 hit called Rompe.
The song has made an unexpected return on TikTok, no doubt thanks to its groove, which is taking the app by storm with 177.7 million views and 220 popular videos. A few belly pops before a twerk finale and you’re golden when it comes to this dance.
3. Harry Styles / As It Was
Harry Styles, the Justin Timberlake of One Direction - minus the good music - is doing bits out there on his own. His new single, As It Was, has 99 million views on YouTube and has swept TikTok thanks to its fast-paced, upbeat energy, a departure from the slower stuff’s he’s become famous for. As It Was has 289 million views on TikTok and is included in 422 popular videos. This make perfect sense given the nature of the song and that it’s by Harry Styles, a man lots of people want to have father their children. Slap this in the background of your latest video and the likes and views will come storming in.
The song’s success coincided with the news that Harry Styles may be a secret TikTok user thanks to some deep diving by his fans. The speculation began after Styles was papped holding an unlocked phone. The account he is rumoured to be behind is @suemonella, thanks to the number of videos (at the time) and colours of them matching those on Styles’ screen If that was convincing enough, fans then noticed a new video uploaded about the band Wolf Alice who is supporting the Watermelon Sugar singer on his upcoming European tour. Who knows, maybe he’ll do the big reveal on the @suemonella account and do his own dance to As It Was
2. Kevin MacLeod & Kevin and the Monkey – Monkeys Spinning Monkeys
This isn’t a song in the traditional sense where there’s a verse and a chorus and it makes people get up and dance. Monkey Spinning Monkeys is a wind instrument bit of muzak. Elevator ambience. Perhaps something you’d hear in the back of a children’s game. Ideal for any video of a whimsical nature. Lucky, then, that TikTok has plenty of that!
Understandably, this joyful piece of music has 310.3 million views and 481 popular videos to its name. In twenty years’ time, this song will create the same chills in kids today that the original PlayStation startup music does to millennials. They’ll be doing the dishes at home, middle-aged, staring out the window. Meanwhile, their child is playing around with some VR headset type thing. He’s like, “TikTok Compilation? What’s that?” He plays it, the Monkeys Spinning Monkeys song comes on. And again. And again. It never ends. A plate smashes on the floor into hundred pieces.
1. The King Khan & BBQ Show – Love You So
Love You So by The King Khan & BBQ Show is a song that was first released in 2005 by a Canadian rock duo. It was only in late 2021 and early 2022 that the song became famous on TikTok. The song is now so popular on the app that it has resulted in memes and videos about its overuse. 440.1 million views and 596 popular videos this one comes in at.
By March 2022, so many creators had used the song that many believed the algorithm was favouring videos that featured it. This led to thousands of people adding it to their content but muting it, solely to gain traction from said algorithm. That’s when you know your song is the real deal – when its popularity becomes a conspiracy theory.