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Top 100 All-Time Most Played Songs by Alt. Entertainments – 2026 Update

  • Writer: Ian Bennett
    Ian Bennett
  • 6 days ago
  • 6 min read

Every year, I take a deep dive into the most-played tracks logged by my DJ software, Rekordbox. This updated list for 2026 reflects my all-time most played songs, not just recent chart hits or tracks popular over the past year.


It’s important to note that this data spans many years of weddings, parties, and events, rather than a single season. Unfortunately, the exact start date of when this tracking began has been lost over time, so while the list isn’t perfectly precise, it remains a reliable snapshot of what consistently works on the dancefloor.


What it does show is which songs have truly stood the test of time — the crowd-pleasers, sing-alongs, and floor-fillers that continue to get people moving year after year. Whether you’re planning a wedding, party, or just feeling nostalgic, this list offers a fascinating insight into enduring musical favourites.


Key

pp = Previous Position

↓ = Moving Down Chart

↑ = Moving Up Chart

- = No change in position

NE = New Entry/No previous chart position

TP = Total Plays


100. Faithless - Insomnia (1995) (ppNE.-)

Cheeky / Arista


99. S Club 7 - Reach (2000) (94.↓) 36 TP

Polydor


98. The Beach Boys - Get Around (1964) (pp84.↓) 36 TP

Capitol


97. Dizzee Rascal - Bonkers (2009) (pp93.) 37 TP

Dirtee Stank


96. Paul Russell - Lil' Boo Thang (2023) (ppNE.-) 37 TP

Arista


95. Soulja Boy Tell Em - Crank That (Soulja Boy) (2007) (pp88.) 37 TP

Collipark / Interscope / HHH


94. Tones & I - Dance Monkey (2019) (pp.82↓) 37 TP

Bad Batch/Elektra


93. Bryan Adams - Summer of '69 (1985) (pp86.↓) 38 TP

A&M


92. Luther Van Dross - Never Too Much (1981) (pp85.↓) 38 TP

Epic


91. Rage Against The Machine - Killing in the Name (1992) (ppNE.-) 38 TP

Epic


90. Stevie Wonder - I Wish (1976) (ppNE.-) 38 TP

Tamla


89. The Courteeners - Not Nineteen Forever (2008) (pp83.↓) 38 TP

Polydor


88. Wiley - Wearing My Rolex (2008) (pp87.↓) 38 TP

Asylum / Warner


87. Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee - Despacito (Remix) (Feat. Justin Bieber) (2017) (pp76.↓) 39 TP

Universal Latin / Republic / RBMG / Def Jam / School Boy


86. Will Smith - Gettin' Jiggy With it (1997) (pp81.↓) 39 TP

Columbia


85. Oasis - Supersonic (1994) (pp75.↓) 40 TP

Creation / Epic / Helter Skelter


84. Spice Girls - Wannabe (1996) (pp77.↓) 40 TP

Virgin


83. The B-52's - Love Shack (1989) (pp74.↓) 40 TP

Reprise


82. Candi Staton - Young Hearts Run Free (1976) (90.↓) 41 TP

Warner Bros.


81. Justin Timberlake - Can't Stop The Feeling (2016) (pp71.↓) 41 TP

RCA


80. Sam & Dave - Hold On I'm Coming (1966) (pp69.↓) 41 TP

Stax / Atlantic


79. Silentó - Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae) (2015) (pp68.) 41 TP

Capitol


78. Busted - Year 3000 (2003) (pp80.↑) 42 TP

Universal / Polygram


77. Limp Bizkit - Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle) (2000) (pp70.) 42 TP

Flip / Interscope


76. Status Quo - Down Down (1974) (pp67.) 42 TP

Vertigo


75. Rolling Stones - Start Me Up (1981) (pp73.) 42 TP

Rolling Stones


74. Ike & Tina Turner - Proud Mary (1971) (89.) 43 TP

Liberty Records


73. Mark Ronson - Uptown Funk (Feat. Bruno Mars)(2014) (pp60.) 43 TP

Columbia / Sony / RCA


72. Queens of The Stone Age - No One Knows (2002) (pp78.) 43 TP

Interscope


71. Arctic Monkeys - I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor (2005) (pp63.↓) 44 TP

Domino


70. DJ Fresh - Gold Dust (Feat. Cecile) (Shy Fx Re-Edit) (2012) (pp79.) 44 TP

Breakbeat Kaos / Data


69. Wild Cherry - Play That Funky Music (1976) (pp62.↓) 44 TP

Epic


68. Aretha Franklin - Respect (1967) (pp58.) 45 TP

Atlantic


67. Dexy's Midnight Runners - Geno (1980) (pp61.) 45 TP

Late Night Feelings / EMI


66. Ed Sheeran & Rudimental - Bloodstream (2015) (pp54.↓) 45 TP

Asylum / Atlantic


65. Gala - Freed From Desire (1996) (pp96.) 45 TP

Do It Yourself S.R.L.


64. Portugal The Man - Feel It Still (2017) (pp53.↓) 45 TP

Atlantic


63. Sia - Cheap Thrills (Feat. Sean Paul) (2016) (pp52.↓) 45 TP

Inertia / Monkey Puzzle / RCA


62. The Police - Roxanne (1978) (pp56.↓) 45 TP

A&M


61. Snap - Rhythm is A Dancer (Extended Mix) (1992) (pp49.↓) 46 TP

Anzilotti & Münzing / Arista


60. Wham - Club Tropicana (1983) (pp55.↓) 46 TP

CBS


59. B*Witched - C'est La Vie (1998) (98.↓) 47 TP

Epic/Glowworm


58. Rednex - Cotton Eye Joe (1994) (92.↓) 47 TP

Internal Affairs


57. The Clash - London Calling (1979) (pp51.↓) 47 TP

CBS


56. Billy Ocean - Red Light Spells Danger (1977) (65.) 48 TP

Epic


55. Flo Rida - Low (2007) (72.↑) 48 TP

Atlantic / Poe Boy


54. Pharrell Williams - Happy (2013) (pp47.) 48 TP

Black Lot Music / I Am Other / Columbia


53. The Artful Dodger - Re-Rewind (The Crowd Say Bo Selecta) (Feat. Craig David) (1999) (pp57.↑) 48 TP

Public Demand / Relentless


52. Bruno Mars - 24K Magic (2016) (pp43.↓) 49 TP

Atlantic


51. George Ezra - Shotgun (2018) (41.↓) 50 TP

Columbia / Sony


50. Kings of Leon - Sex on Fire (2008) (pp45.↓) 50 TP

RCA / Sony


49. Major Lazer - Lean On (Feat. MØ & DJ Snake) (2015) (pp40.↓) 50 TP

Mad Decent


48. New Order - Blue Monday (1983) (pp48.-) 50 TP

Factory


47. DNCE - Cake By The Ocean (2015) (pp38.↓) 51 TP

Republic


46. Reef - Place Your Hands (1996) (pp46.-) 51 TP

Sony Soho Square


45. Shakira - Hips Don't Lie (Feat. Wyclef Jean) (2006) (pp42.↓) 51 TP

Epic / Sony


44. The Weeknd - Blinding Lights (2019) (59.↑) 52 TP

XO / Republic


43. Neil Diamond - Sweet Caroline (1969) (pp.64↑) 53 TP

Uni/MCA


42. Redbone - Come and Get Your Love (1974) (pp32.↓) 53 TP

Epic


41. Rihanna - Pon De Replay (2005) 50.↑) 53 TP

Def Jam / SRP


40. Supermen Lovers - Starlight (2001) (66.↑) 53 TP

Vogue / BMG France / Lafessé


39. Black Box - Ride On Time (1989) (pp35.↓) 55 TP

Deconstruction


38. Bon Jovi - Livin' On A Prayer (1986) (pp39.↑) 55 TP

Mercury


37. Damian "Junior Gong" Marley - Welcome To Jamrock (2005) (pp34.↓) 56 TP

Universal / Tuff Gong


36. Michael Jackson - The Way You Make Me Feel (1987) (pp44.↑) 56 TP

Epic/CBS


35. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (1991) (37.↑) 56 TP

DGC


34. Blackstreet - No Diggity (1996) (pp30.↓) 57 TP

Interscope


33. Sean Paul - Get Busy (2003) (pp33.-) 57 TP

VP, Atlantic


32. The Contours - Do you Love Me (1962) (pp31.↓) 57 TP

Gordy


31. Whigfield - Saturday Night (1994) (pp36.↑) 59 TP

Labelle


30. Walk The Moon - Shut Up and Dance (2014) (pp25.↓) 60 TP

RCA


29. Bloc Party - Banquet (2004) (pp26.↓) 61 TP

Witchita


28. Oasis - Don't Look Back in Anger (1995) (pp27.↓) 61 TP

Creation / Epic / Helter Skelter


27. Paul Simon - You Can Call Me Al (1986) (pp28.↑) 61 TP

Warner Bros.

26. Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come on Eileen (1982) (pp29.↑) 62 TP

Mercury


25. Arctic Monkeys - Mardy Bum (2005) (24.↑) 63 TP

Domino


24. Gloria Jones - Tainted Love (1965) (pp23.↓) 63 TP

Champion


23. The Smiths - This Charming Man (1984) (pp22.↓) 66 TP

Rough Trade


22. Jackson 5 - I Want You Back (1969) (pp20.↓) 68 TP

Motown


21. DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Boom! Shake The Room (1993) (pp21.-) 68 TP

Jive


20. Justin Bieber - Sorry (2015) (pp17.↓) 77 TP

Def Jam


19. The Four Tops - I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) (1965) (pp18.↓) 79 TP

Motown


18. The Jam - Town Called Malice (1982) (pp16.↓) 81 TP

Polydor


17. DJ Casper - Cha Cha Slide (2000) (pp?) 83 TP

Universal


16. Ed Sheeran - Shape of You (2017) (pp11.↓) 85 TP

Asylum / Atlantic


15. Fleetwood Mac - Everywhere (1988) (pp10.↓) 86 TP

Warner Bros.


14. Robin S - Show Me Love (Stonebridge Remix) (1992) (pp19.↑) 86 TP

Champion / Big Beat / XYZ


13. Madness - One Step Beyond (1979) (pp13.-) 87 TP

Stiff


12. Los Del Rio - Macarena (Bayside Boys Remix) (1995) (pp14.↑) 91 TP

RCA Records


11. Diana Ross & The Supremes - You Can't Hurry Love (1966) (pp9.) 92 TP

Motown


10. Fleetwood Mac - The Chain (1977) (pp15.↑) 92 TP

Warner Bros.


9. Rufus & Chaka Khan - Ain't Nobody (1983) (12.↑) 97 TP

Warner Bros.


8. House of Pain - Jump Around (1992) (pp8.-) 98 TP

Tommy Boy


7. Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance With Somebody (1987) (pp7.-) 103 TP

Arista


6. Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - (Love is Like a) Heatwave (1963) (pp6.-) 106 TP

Gordy


5. Earth, Wind & Fire - September (1978) (pp5.-) 120 TP

ARC / Columbia


4. The Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger (2006) (pp4.-) 122 TP

Fallout


3. ABBA - Dancing Queen (1976) (pp3.-) 128 TP

Polar / Epic / Atlantic


2. Mark Ronson - Valerie (Feat. Amy Winehouse) (2007) (pp2.-) 128 TP

Columbia / Island


1. The Killers - Mr Brightside (2003) (pp1.-) 203 TP

Island / Lizard King


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