The UK now has itself a new most-streamed song in Spotify history… except it’s not new at all, it came out all the way back in 2003.
Yes, it’s official – ‘Mr Brightside’ has now topped the music platform’s all-time streaming charts.
To some, this may be shocking – and borderline criminal – information, but to all those who find themselves eagerly-awaiting the point in the night when DJs at nightclubs, wedding receptions, or general family functions inevitably end up blasting out The Killers’ smash-hit single, then this probably isn’t news at all.
If anything, rather than being annoyed by the fact, you’re probably a happy contributor to the more than 1.8 billion Spotify streams the song now has globally.
Taken from the American indie rockers’ debut studio album, Hot Fuss – which was released in June 2004, and shot straight to the top of the UK album charts – ‘Mr Brightside’ is undeniably one of the band’s most well-known songs.
If we’re honest, it’s probably the most well-known, isn’t it?
The lyrics of the song are said to depict a true story of lead singer Brandon Flowers’ jealousy and paranoia when he walked into a bar in his Las Vegas hometown and found his girlfriend cheating on him.
“I was asleep and I knew something was wrong,” Flowers said in an interview with the BBC back in 2001, “I have these instincts. I went to the Crown and Anchor, a bar in Vegas, and my girlfriend was there with another guy.”
Mr Brightside by The Killers is now officially the UK’s most-streamed song of all time / Credit: YouTube
The song has already topped a couple of lists and claimed quite a few accolades in its time.
These include being named ‘song of the decade’ by UK radio stations Absolute Radio and XFM, as well as being chosen as Rolling Stone’s 48th best song of the 21st century, and ranking ninth in Total Guitar magazine’s ‘Greatest Guitar Riffs of the 21st Century’ round up.
But the title of the UK’s official most-streamed song of all time on Spotify is one we’re sure the band will be shouting about for a long time.
20 years of Mr. Brightside. Sounds as good as the first time we played it every time we play it. pic.twitter.com/gVXJqCl7Kx
Mr Brightside’s current most-streamed crown comes after the song also previously broke chart records back in 2021 by spending a whopping 260 non-consecutive weeks in the Top 100 of the UK’s singles chart.
The news that’s presumably made The Killers’ – and their bank balances’ – day comes as Spotify celebrates in 15th anniversary this month, and has revealed what are the biggest artists and songs during that period in the UK to mark the occasion, Music Week reports.
Elsewhere on Spotify’s roundup lists, Ed Sheeran took the crown as the most-streamed UK male artist on of the last 15 years on the platform, while Dua Lipa claimed the female-equivalent title.
Featured Image – YouTube
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Oasis merch prices as huge flagship stand opens in Manchester city centre
Daisy Jackson
An official Oasis merch stand has opened in the heart of Manchester, selling all the Gallagher-printed wares your heart could desire.
The Oasis Live ‘25 Touring Flagship Stand has sprung up on St Peter’s Square today, where it will remain for the duration of the Manchester reunion shows.
Stacked with everything from band tees to bucket hats, plus posters, tote bags, and that exclusive adidas x Oasis collection, the merch stand is already pulling in some serious queues.
And with a few days still to go until Oasis Live ‘25 hits Heaton Park (those dates, if they aren’t burned into your brain, are 11, 12, 16, 19 and 20 July) there’s still plenty more time to shop.
The merch stand has opened in addition to the official merch fan store across town in Spinningfields.
And it’s at the heart of the Music for the Senses art trail, which has seen painted guitar artworks installed all over the city centre.
Back to that Oasis merch stand in Manchester though – there are pieces from their adidas collection, including a sky blue (obviously) three-stripe long-sleeved jersey for £55, a tour jacquard football jersey for £85, and a classic Firebird track top for £90.
Event-specific merch like t-shirts in various colours emblazoned with the Oasis Live ‘25 artwork will set you back £40, and you can choose from photos of the brothers back together in 2025, or back in their pre-split heyday.
Oasis merch prices as huge flagship stand opens in Manchester city centre
There’s also a £70 black hoody with the tour dates on the sleeve, plus a What’s The Story blue-tone hoody for £70, and a blue tone sweatshirt for £50.
A range of posters starring Liam and Noel are priced at £40 apiece.
There’s an Oasis Live ‘25 tote bag for sale at the merch stand in town, which costs £20.
Then the most Manc item of all – a reversible bucket hat (black on one side with the Oasis logo in the centre, or a collage of Oasis logos on the other side) – is £35.
The stand is home to city-specific event items, exclusive adidas lines, and other exclusives.
The Oasis Live ’25 Touring Flagship Stand is open from 10am to 8pm Monday to Saturday, and 11am to 6pm on Sundays, then 10am to 7pm on Oasis show days.
Levi’s are the latest fashion brand to launch an Oasis collection
Danny Jones
In case you missed it amid the tidal wave of merch currently flooding our feeds and shops everywhere, global fashion brand Levi’s has become the latest label to launch an Oasis collection.
With the Live ’25 world tour now officially underway, it feels like not only are Oasis back on top, but that there’s a large-scale Britpop revival happening here in the UK and overseas.
In terms of fashion, the 1990s and early 2000s style has been steadily making its way into contemporary culture once again in recent years, but with seemingly every big name trying to hop on the marketing machine that is the Oasis reunion bandwagon, you can’t move for crossover.
Be they official collaborations like the one with Manchester City, adidas Originals; American fashion brand Abercrombie & Fitch bashing out merch, or a local t-shirt maker on Bury Market, that famous logo is absolutely everywhere – cue Levi’s latest launch:
Releasing just five or five main pieces (not including individual item variations), Levi’s Oasis gear has been kept pretty straightforward, simply relying on a less is more philosophy and the quality that the denim specialists are renowned for.
Nevertheless, there is an undeniably 90s feel to the approach.
As well as the standard Oasis band tee design, available in the brand’s main red, white and blue colour, as well as black, white and light blue – the Manchester City influences never stray too far, after all – there are a couple of other types of tee.
However, while we’re sure plenty of people might have a penchant for the parka, the undeniable star of the show for us is the Type II Trucker Jacket with the group’s name and ‘Live Forever’ stitched on the breast pocket.
Still, at £170, these sure-to-be collectors’ items don’t come cheap, and that’s not even the most expensive in the Levi’s x Oasis collection. Regardless, if you fancy treating yourself, you can find them here in Manchester and at the likes of The Trafford Centre.
Any of it pique your interest?
Don’t worry if not because, as mentioned, there is absolutely tonnes of Oasis clobber at various different price points all over the place at the minute.
Emily Sergeant -
12th October 2023 
