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.
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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.
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“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.
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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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Boyzone to reunite for exclusive New Year’s Eve special on the BBC
Danny Jones
2025 has very much been the year of the comeback – be it Oasis, Britpop fashion in general, or short bobs and pixie cuts – so it’s only fitting that we round off the calendar with one last reunion, as throwback boyband Boyzone are set to feature on a TV special on the BBC this New Year’s Eve.
Turns out ‘All That I Need’ to make a year memorable is a load of 1990s nostalgia.
Now, obviously, despite plenty of other music names enjoying a second renaissance over the past 12 months or so, nothing is ever going to be quite as big as the Oasis Live ’25 reunion tour.
However, if you asked us to guess which group from the era were also going to reunite this year back in January, there’s not a chance we would’ve said Boyzone.
Boyzone are telling us about coming back together for one final run in their most unforgettable concerts yet 🎤
After news first began circulating earlier this week, it has now been confirmed that musician turned presenter Ronan Keating will be getting back together with two of his former bandmates.
Joining the 48-year-old for ‘Ronan & Friends: A New Year’s Eve Party’, ex-Boyzone members Keith Duffy and Shane Lynch are part of an exciting live music lineup.
Other names include actor and singer, Shona McGarty, who recently starred on season 25 of I’m A Celeb, as well as fellow 90s pop artist Louise Redknapp and singer-songwriter Calum Scott.
The exclusive reunion comes after the success of the recently aired Boyzone: No Matter What documentary show.
Spread across three parts on Sky, the docuseries (named after their hit song from 1998) looks back on the career and journey up the charts back in their heyday, all the way up to the present. After seemingly striking a chord with fans and the lads themselves, it looks like they’re not done after all…
Yes, not only is the festive TV special going to see three of the original members performing alongside each other again, but
Here’s hoping that turns into a springboard for something even bigger, and we get a Manchester arena show sometime soon.
As for the programme itself, ‘Ronan & Friends: A New Year’s Eve Party’ will be broadcast on BBC One and made available on BBC iPlayer from Wednesday, 31 December 2025.
A candlelit Queen tribute concert is returning to Manchester
Danny Jones
Yes, you read that right: a candlelit concert dedicated to the one and only Queen, with a spectacular West End Cast and a talented live rock band, is coming to Manchester city centre in January.
In fact, it’s coming home, as this wonderful event started right here in 0161 back in 2021.
Concerts by Candlelight themselves host concerts up and down the country at various points throughout the year, but their much-loved ‘Queen by Candlelight‘ special knows all about lighting up Manc venues.
Having since gone on to become an internationally acclaimed live concert experience, we’re glad we still get to see the ‘Princes of the Universe’ on our doorstep.
Credit: Concerts by Candlelight (supplied)
With the likes of Bridgewater Hall and the magical Manchester Monastery all having played host to the promotion on many ocassions, this time Queen by Candlelight is coming to the legendary Manchester Opera House in the new year.
One of our most historic and legendary theatres, it’s only fitting, really, that they be chosen to welcome a night of equally iconic tunes.
But it’s worth reminding more casual fans that these aren’t just British rock and pop anthems; Queen‘s discography is one that still has global recognition to this day.
That’s why this specific show has been taken to virtually every corner of the world, with the incredibly talented cast of singers and musicians delighting audiences in Dubai, Australia, New Zealand and New York, to domestic crowds here in town and down in London’s West End.
‘Queenies’ or ‘Darlings’, as Freddie Mercury used to call them, can expect all the big hits, from ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and ‘We Are The Champions’, to ‘It’s a Kind of Magic’ and ‘Who Wants to Live Forever’ and plenty more from the back catalogue.
Here’s a glimpse of what’s in store this coming January:
With tickets already flying out fast, we really would recommend securing your seats early before they inevitably sell out.
To quote the promoters themselves, “this spectacular celebration of Queen’s biggest hits is guaranteed to rock you.”
Coming to the Manchester Opera House on Tuesday, 6 January, you can book your tickets for Queen by Candlelight right HERE.
And if you’ve never been to one of their candlelit events before, you only need to see how much of a ball we had at their country event earlier this year to find out how much fun they are…
Emily Sergeant -
12th October 2023 
