Top 25 Movie Songs Most Frequently Identified by Shazam

The renewed popularity of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill following its inclusion in Stranger Things season 4 highlights how films and TV series can significantly boost a song's appeal. While older audiences might have instantly recognized the track, younger listeners likely turned to Shazam—the app designed to identify songs from short audio clips.

Using data from Shazam, electronics company Roberts created a ranking of the most frequently identified movie songs. Topping the list, with over 18.5 million searches, is Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s “See You Again,” featured in the seventh Fast & Furious movie.

It’s hard to say how many of those searches happened while viewers were watching Furious 7 (2015). Given the song's widespread presence in recent years, it’s equally plausible that many users turned to Shazam when they heard it in places like supermarkets or other public settings.

Several songs on the list were crafted exclusively for films—such as Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga’s “Shallow” from the 2018 movie A Star Is Born, Adele’s “Skyfall” for the 2012 James Bond film sharing the same title, and the Bee Gees’ iconic “Stayin’ Alive” for 1977’s Saturday Night Fever.

Some tracks were pre-existing but were adopted by filmmakers for key scenes or soundtracks. Notable examples include Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” immortalized by Wayne’s World, and Seal’s “Kiss From a Rose,” which debuted on his second album a year before it became part of 1995’s Batman Forever soundtrack. (It also appeared on the soundtrack for 1994’s The NeverEnding Story III.)

Find out if your favorite movie song ranks in the top 25 below, and explore the Shazam search statistics here.

1. "See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth // Furious 7 (2015)
2. "Happy" by Pharrell Williams // Despicable Me 2 (2013)
3. "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio ft. LV // Dangerous Minds (1995)
4. "Shallow" by Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga // A Star Is Born (2018)
5. "Earned It" by The Weeknd // Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)
6. "Iris" by Goo Goo Dolls // City of Angels (1998)
7. "Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve // Cruel Intentions (1999)
8. "Stayin' Alive" by Bee Gees // Saturday Night Fever (1977)
9. "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith // Armageddon (1998)
10. "Lose Yourself" by Eminem // 8 Mile (2002)
11. "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen // Wayne's World (1992)
12. "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak // Wild at Heart (1990)
13. "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" by Bryan Adams // Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
14. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears // Tesla (2020)
15. "Flashdance... What a Feeling" by Irene Cara // Flashdance (1983)
16. "I've Had the Time of My Life" by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes // Dirty Dancing (1987)
17. "Skyfall" by Adele // Skyfall (2012)
18. "Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers // Ghost (1990)
19. "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston // The Bodyguard (1992)
20. "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by The Proclaimers // Benny & Joon (1993)
21. "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None the Richer // She's All That (1999)
22. "Where Is My Mind?" by Pixies // Fight Club (1999)
23. "Regulate" by Warren G ft. Nate Dogg // Above the Rim (1994)
24. "It Will Rain" by Bruno Mars // The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)
25. "Kiss From a Rose" by Seal // Batman Forever (1995)