If you're still dreaming of making your mark on TikTok, you need the right tunes to back your sweet dance moves. And TikTok is nothing if not a seemingly endless font of viral tracks. Some of the most popular songs of the past few years even got their starts on TikTok before racing to the top of the Billboard charts. Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road," for instance, popped off on TikTok in 2019 after gaining some traction on SoundCloud. From there, radio programmers were ripping the song from the internet to meet listener demand to play it on their stations.
TikTok virality doesn't just stay on the platform. Many artists with tracks that go viral on the platform will find that the song has also launched to the top of their top-played songs list on streaming services, too. Indeed, virality from platforms like TikTok has upended the music industry to an extent. As tracks blow up online, labels are put in the position of finding and signing those songs to their labels instead of the other way around, with the music industry pushing the music to listeners. As more and more artists release new songs and sounds on platforms like TikTok, we can expect this exciting trend to continue.
Top 50 TikTok Songs (That Will Be Stuck in Your Head Through 2023):
1. Laxed (Siren Beat) by Jawsh 685 and Jason Derulo
"Laxed (Siren Beat)," originally known as "Savage Love," was created by New Zealand teen and music producer Jawsh 685. Jawsh 685 created the track as a celebration of his Samoan and Cook Island heritage. Jason Derulo reached out to Jawsh 685 about collaborating on the song but ended up releasing the song under the name "Savage Love" without crediting Jawsh 685. Things seem to be worked out for now, and "Savage Love (Laxed—Siren Beat)" ended up at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 with BTS. The first TikToks using this song showcased cultural clothing and costume before the song became a backdrop to the "siren beat" dance.
2. Savage and Savage Remix by Megan Thee Stallion, featuring Beyoncé
Megan Thee Stallion's original "Savage" has been used in more than 30 million TikTok videos, accompanied by the dance challenge started by Keara Wilson. Wilson's choreography had such a huge impact on TikTok that Teen Vogue named the dancer in their "21 Under 21" feature. The song enjoyed renewed attention when Beyoncé joined Megan Thee Stallion for the remix. "Savage Remix" has since been used in hundreds of thousands of more TikTok videos.
3. OUT WEST by JACKBOYS and Travis Scott, featuring Young Thug
"OUT WEST" was released in December 2019 and gained popularity early in 2020, sparking its own dance challenge (created by Nicole Bloomgarden). It's been used in about 15 million TikTok videos.
4. WAP by Cardi B, featuring Megan Thee Stallion
"WAP" is a collaboration between Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion. It was released in early August and within hours young Guamanian choreographer Brian Esperson shared a routine to the song on Instagram. That video drew the attention of Cardi B herself who shared a clip of the video as well as clips of other dancers who gave the choreography a try. From there, the song and challenge turned viral on TikTok, racking up more than 6 million videos using the track. The TikTok hashtag "WAPChallenge" has more than 1.5 billion views.
5. Say So by Doja Cat
While "Say So" was already known, it went viral after TikTok influencer Haley Sharpe started a dance challenge based on the song. It's been used in about 18 million TikTok videos and Doja Cat even invited Sharpe to share the choreography in the music video for the song. The song also hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
6. Tap In by Saweetie
Just 11 days after "Tap In" was released, TikTok star Lesley Gonzalez started a dance challenge. Since then, Saweetie's first single from her first album, Pretty Bitch Music, has been used in more than 7 million videos on TikTok. While not all of the videos are dance challenges, the vast majority of them are.
7. The Box by Roddy Ricch
"The Box" has been used in more than 2 million TikTok videos and has received acclaim through a stint at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and three 2021 Grammy Awards nominations including best rap song, best melodic rap performance, and song of the year. While this hasn't been used for a dance challenge on TikTok, it was part of a viral TikTok meme in which TikTok creator Jay Will pokes fun at the "squeaky mirror" sound used in the song.
8. Rags2Riches by Rod Wave, featuring ATR Son Son
"Rags2Riches" was released in April 2020, and by July 2020 had been featured in more than 5 million TikTok videos as part of a dance challenge.
9. Supalonely by BENEE, featuring Gus Dapperton
"Supalonely," from New Zealand singer BENEE, had a couple of things going for it. For starters, it skyrocketed to popularity thanks to a viral dance challenge for the song created by Zoi Lerma. In addition, The Straits Times credits some of the song's success to the COVID-19 pandemic since people could easily make a connection with the song's theme. The song has been used in about 10 million TikTok videos.
10. What You Know Bout Love by Pop Smoke
"What You Know Bout Love" is from American rapper Pop Smoke's debut studio album Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon. It was released in October 2020 and has already been used in more than 12 million TikTok videos. The song followed the same path as another song by Pop Smoke, "Mood Swings," going viral on TikTok and then achieving success on the charts soon after.
11. Bagaikan Langit (Cover) by Karin
You might not know what it's called, but this Bagaikan Langit cover by Karin is so nice to listen to and has been used in almost 35 million TikTok videos.
12. Relationship by Young Thug, featuring Future
"Relationship" by Young Thug was included in about 33 million TikTok videos.
13. Lottery (Renegade) by K Camp
If you opened TikTok even once, you absolutely saw a video featuring "Lottery (Renegade)" on your For You page. More than 30 million TikTok creators participated in the "Renegade" dance challenge based on choreography by Jalaiah Harmon. K Camp eventually credited Harmon for creating the choreography after some controversy around Harmon not getting credit for the dance initially. The song became the first sound on the platform to be used in 20 million videos.
"Banana" is based on the Harry Belafonte hit, "Banana Boat (Day-O)," from 1956. It's been used in more than 30 million TikTok videos thanks, in part, to the (you guessed it) viral dance that accompanied the track on the platform.
15. Baila by Tampa Curhat Beat and Karl Wine
"Baila" is another dance song with a catchy beat that went viral on TikTok. It's been used in around 24 million videos this year.
"Coño" was featured in more than 22 million TikTok videos.
17. Sunday Best by Surfaces
"Sunday Best" is from the American electro-pop band Surfaces and was originally released at the beginning of 2019. The music video was released in July 2019, but the song really started gaining traction and popularity in February 2020 when it started showing up on TikTok. It was the song that launched a thousand dance routines and has been used in more than 20 million TikTok videos in 2020.
18. Death Bed (Coffee for Your Head) by Powfu
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"Death Bed (Coffee for Your Head)" is a sweet-sounding song by Powfu that samples "Coffee" by Filipino-British artist Beabadoobee. It was uploaded to SoundCloud and YouTube in 2019 and, after Powfu signed to Columbia Records and Robots + Humans, the song was released on streaming services. The song went viral on TikTok shortly after its release to streaming platforms, earning more than 4.1 billion plays in March 2020 alone.
19. Stunnin' by Curtis Waters, featuring Harm Franklin
If you're looking for a song that fits your TikTok video about how good you look and feel, "Stunnin'" is it.
20. Dreams by Fleetwood Mac
Imagine Fleetwood Mac's surprise when they ended up on the Billboard charts yet again thanks to skateboarder Nathan Apodaca using "Dreams" as the backdrop to his now-iconic TikTok video of him skateboarding and drinking Ocean Spray cranberry juice. The video's popularity landed Apodaca an Ocean Spray collaboration and has had Stevie Nicks herself on the platform using the sound. It's also been a source of humor for many a Fleetwood Mac fan whose children are just now discovering the band... and telling their parents about it.
21. Boss Bitch by Doja Cat
"Boss Bitch," by American singer and rapper Doja Cat, has been used by many TikTok creators to highlight their own badassery. Of course, since the internet was created for cats, you can also find the song used in videos featuring pets, too.
22. Potential Breakup Song by Aly & AJ
"Potential Breakup Song" is by American duo Aly & AJ and is the pair's most successful single yet. The song peaked at number 17 on Billboard's Hot 100 and thanks to TikTok, the song quickly blew past Aly & AJ's second most played track on Spotify. The song was originally released in 2007 but gained renewed popularity after getting more than 26 million viewers during November 2020.
23. Whole Lotta Choppas by Sada Baby
"Whole Lotta Choppas" is from American rapper Sada Baby and was released in August 2020 as the first single from the artist's debut album. The song and its accompanying choreography went viral on TikTok. After a remix of the song featuring Nicki Minaj, released in October 2020, the song hit a peak on Billboard Hot 100 at number 35.
24. Love Story by Taylor Swift
Not that Taylor Swift isn't already well-known enough, she enjoyed a resurgence of support for her early-2000s hit "Love Story." The song was used in thousands of TikToks with choreography and skits set atop the background of Swift's cutesy love song.
25. Peaches by Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar and Giveon
“Peaches” was released in 2021 and debuted in first position on the Billboard Hot 100, Bieber’s seventh number-one song on this chart. It also got attention at the Annual Grammy Awards where it was nominated for four awards, including Song of the Year and Best Music Video. On TikTok, it’s been used in more than one million videos.
26. Dior by Pop Smoke
“Dior” by the late Pop Smoke has been described as a New York anthem and it also became an important anthem against police brutality. It’s been trending on TikTok since early 2020 and has been used in nearly 200,000 videos. Since it was first released, it has also been remixed by a number of international artists.
27. Best Friend by Saweetie ft. Doja Cat
Saweetie’s hit song, “Best Friend” might have been released prematurely on streaming platforms by her record label, Warner Records, but it didn’t slow down its success at all. Described as a fun and upbeat track, it has been used in more than one million videos. As the title suggests, it’s a popular soundtrack for posts celebrating friendship.
28. As It Was by Harry Styles
While “As It Was” was released only in April 2022, it has already been featured in nearly 2 million TikTok videos including the likes of Kylie Jenner. The reflective lyrics that explore themes like loneliness and melancholy might be a bit of a downer, but the tune is upbeat and will be stuck in your head. To use the words of Rolling Stones, it’s “an irresistible dance-floor challenge”.
29. Montero (Call Me By Your Name) by Lil Nas X
Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” follows in the success of his first number-one hit, “Old Town Road” and was nominated for three awards at the 2022 Grammy Awards. Though, its road to popularity wasn’t without some backlash. The title of the song is a combination of his first name and a LGBT film and novel. Not only is it one of the most popular songs on TikTok (it’s been used in over 2 million videos), but a visual from its music video was also turned into a meme on TikTok.
30. Love You So by The King Khan & BBQ Show
Unlike many of the other songs on our list “Love You So” hasn’t been released recently. It was originally released in 2005. Fast-forward 16 years and it started trending as a TikTok song. As a matter of fact, it was used so much on TikTok that memes were created about its excessive use. Plus, according to Know Your Meme, many creators started to believe that TikTok’s algorithm actually gave preference to videos that used the song. So much so that creators started to add it to their video only to make the song barely audible.
31. Monkeys Spinning Monkeys by Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
While not a lot is known about “Monkeys Spinning Monkeys”, it sure has been used a lot in TikTok videos. Released in 2014, this two-minute instrumental piece makes the perfect soundtrack. It might not inspire you to create a dance challenge, but for various types of TikTok videos like cute animal videos, videos of your daily life, or cooking clips, be sure to give it a spin.
32. Rompe by Daddy Yankee
Daddy Yankee is a Puerto Rican songwriter, singer, and rapper. He’s one of the best-selling Latin singers and even created a term “reggaeton” to describe a new genre. While he might have announced in March 2022 his plans to retire from music, his song “Rompe” is still trending on TikTok. Tokboard listed it as one of the five top TikTok songs of the week in April.
33. Leave the Door Open by Silk Sonic
If the voice behind “Leave the Door Open” sounds familiar that’s because it is (and no, it’s not because you heard it several times on TikTok). Silk Sonic is a new project of Bruno Mars. In 2017, he formed an American R&B duo with Anderson .Paak as a joke. Fast-forward five years and they walked away with four Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year and Best R&B Song. From dance to dog videos, it’s been used in nearly two million TikTok videos.
34. Gimme More by Britney Spears
“Gimme More” by Britney Spears is another of those golden hits that are trending on TikTok 15+ years later. Even if you’re not a Britney fan, the tune is catchy and you’ll find yourself singing along to it more than you want to admit. While her infamous live performance of the song at the 2007 MTV VMAs might have been criticized heavily and described as being the worst performance in the history books of the MTV awards by BBC’s David Willis, it has now been used as the anthem for many of popular dance videos on TikTok.
35. First Class by Jack Harlow
Before its official full release in April 2022, “First Class” by American rapper Jack Harlow already went viral on TikTok. Ahead of its release, parts of it were shared on the platform and in a short span it’s already been used in over 600,000 videos. In fact, in less than a week, more than 50,000 videos were created that used the 13-second clip of the song.
36. All Too Well by Taylor Swift
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Ironically, Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well” was the reason for a viral TikTok video about when things aren’t going all that well. Shane Barton posted a video at the end of 2021 in which he records a fight between his roommate, a Swiftie (aka a Taylor Swift fan), and her boyfriend about the song. The video went on to receive over 6,000 comments, 23,000 shares, and 680,000 likes.
Also, unlike TikTok videos that are usually less than a minute, you’ll need 10 minutes to get to know the original version of “All Too Well”. Not only did it help TikTokkers to get many likes, but it’s also been labeled as her best work.
37. My Name Is by D Billions
“My Name Is” by D Billions has been described as the next “Baby Shark”. The uptempo, children’s song has been used in a silly dance craze that sees four people dancing the signature moves of the YouTube’s video four characters – Chicky, Cha-Cha, Lya-Lya, and Boom-Boom. On YouTube, the video has received nearly 1 billion views.
38. We Don’t Talk About Bruno by the Encanto Cast
While talking about children’s songs that have found their way on to TikTok, we need to talk about Encanto’s hit “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”. The blend of Latin music styles creates a catchy tune, while the lyrics are fun. It’s an earworm that young and old can enjoy together. Many of the TikTok videos that feature the song are of users recreating scenes from the movie, but it also led to its own trend of two takes.
39. Major Bag Alert by DJ Khaled and Migos
In 2022, the song that was released a few years ago already has been turned into a viral hashtag. In the videos, TikTok creators use a clip of the song to share things that end up costing/making a lot of money.
40. Sneaky Snitch by Kevin MacLeod
“Sneaky Snitch” is another instrumental created by Kevin MacLeod (the creator of “Monkeys Spinning Monkeys”). Described as music specifically for content creators, this audio clip is great for videos in which you want to create suspense. Combine it with hashtags like #comedy, #funny, or #prank, and you’re bound to create a viral TikTok video that will rake in the views, likes, and shares.
41. Dance Monkey by Tones and I
From cooking videos to cute babies, “Dance Monkey” by Tones and I has been used in various types of TikTok videos. It has even been used by Will Smith in one of his TikTok videos.
It’s a feel-good song that will turn basically anyone into a dance monkey. In an interview with an Australian radio station, the artist explained that she wrote the lyrics to the song about the pressure she experienced when she was performing on the streets. Looking at the 5+ millions of TikTok videos in which it has been used, it’s clear that her own experience has made it a lot easier for other creators on TikTok to loosen up, albeit in front of a virtual audience.
42. Vibe (If I Back It Up) by Cookie Kawaii
Rolling Stone has described “Vibe” by Cookie Kawaii as a song you need to know and a “sharp earworm full of playful sounds”. It’s short and sweet just like the most successful videos on TikTok. It’s the perfect song for twerking videos (in fact, that’s what the song’s lyrics are all about).
43. Just a Cloud Away by Pharrell Williams
“Just a Cloud Away” by the legendary Pharrell Williams was first made famous when it was used in Despicable Me 2, but, just like with many of the other songs on our list, TikTok made it famous again. It’s often used for parodies of happy reveals. In these types of videos, TikTokkers will share something that they worried about only to reveal that it has actually happened.
44. In My Mind by Never Dull ft Crystal Waters
If you like playing around with filters, be sure to check out TikTok videos that use “In My Mind” by Never Dull. Just like the filters used for this TikTok trend, the song is fun. Just make sure that you know how to use the filter correctly…
45. Zou Bisou Bisou by Gillian Hills
“Zou Bisou Bisou” is another song that you can check out if you like playing around with filters. It’s often used with the meme maker filter on TikTok. It’s been used in nearly 1 million videos and offers a chilled soundtrack to disclose those moments that you’re feeling less than chilled.
46. Crazy by Patsy Cline
If you like how Fleetwood Mac’s classic “Dreams” has been discovered by younger audiences thanks to TikTok, be sure to give “Crazy” by Patsy Cline a listen. Cline’s song dates all the way back to the 1960s, but lately it’s been used by TikTok influencers, creators, and celebrities to share some of their crazy stories on the platform. From wedding stories to relationship woes, it’s been used in hundreds of thousands of different videos.
47. Oh No by Kreepa
If you want to use something other than one of Kevin MacLeod’s instrumentals for your pranks, you can try “Oh No” by Kreepa. It’s one of the most well-known TikTok sounds, but it actually has an interesting history. The clip comes from an old classic, “Remember (Walking in the Sand)” by a girl group from the 1960s, The Shangri-Las. Just another example that we’ve always been surrounded by powerful and influential females.
48. Miami, My Army by Keith Whitley
Nearly 40 years after the song was first released, it’s trending on TikTok. Now, it’s often used by younger audiences to share their nostalgic moments.
49. Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah) by CKay ft Joeboy and Kuami Eugene
“Love Nwantiti” by Nigerian singer CKay has been listed by Cosmopolitan as one of the best TikTok songs of all time. It first started gaining attention on TikTok in 2021 thanks to a dance challenge, two years after it was released. It might translate to “small love” in Igbo, but it’s received a whole lot of love on TikTok and has been shared in millions of videos.
50. Money by Lisa
“Money” by Lisa (a member of BLACKPINK, a South Korean girl group) has been used a lot in TikTok videos that feature content about Squid Game. The chorus is catchy and the beat fast, no wonder that it’s trending on TikTok and Instagram Reels. Whether you prefer a dance video over a transformation edit, this song can be the soundtrack to both.
Go Viral on TikTok With Songs and Sounds
One of the best ways to get more TikTok followers and really make a name for yourself on the platform is to actively participate. While you'll want to be sure to create content that resonates with your target audience, there's also a lot to be said for joining in on trending TikTok challenges to get more exposure for your content. To get started on your path to TikTok fame, check out our tips to create TikTok videos that go viral.
Piano Guidance
Photo: Michael Burrows
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