Something properly weird happened this year. An 87-year-old woman joined TikTok because kids were obsessing over a song she’d completely forgotten recording.
A Radiohead deep cut that never troubled the charts suddenly became the soundtrack to everyone’s existential crisis. And somewhere, Connie Francis asked her publicist: “What’s a viral?”
TikTok doesn’t give a toss about release dates. A forgotten B-side from 1962 can blow up just as easily as whatever’s topping the charts this week.
The algorithm’s got no nostalgia filter, no respect for decades, no interest in what was supposed to be a hit. If it connects, it connects.
2025 proved that point harder than ever. Here are 15 tracks that went from dusty vinyl to For You Page domination.
1. Connie Francis – “Pretty Little Baby” (1962)
Let’s start with the most bonkers story of the year. “Pretty Little Baby” spent 63 years as an album track nobody remembered. Francis herself had no idea she’d even recorded it. Then TikTok got hold of it and generated 17 million videos and 27 billion views.
Twenty-seven billion. That’s not a typo.
The song’s pure 1960s sweetness – all “you can ask the flowers, I sit for hours” and vintage charm. Users paired it with baby videos, retro fashion shoots, and makeup tutorials. Kim Kardashian lip-synced it. So did Kylie Jenner. ABBA’s Agnetha Fältskog jumped in. Broadway actress Gracie Lawrence performed it in full 1960s costume for the musical Just in Time.
Francis joined TikTok in June after her publicist explained what “going viral” meant. She posted a thank-you video that got 745,000 likes.
Universal Music rushed out versions in French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Swedish. German DJs remixed it. Spotify playlists added it.
The song hit number one on TikTok’s charts and number 67 on Spotify’s Global Top 100. For a track that was literally forgotten by the person who sang it, that’s remarkable. Also slightly mental. But TikTok doesn’t care about logic.
2. Radiohead – “Let Down” (1997)
Right, so a 28-year-old Radiohead album track that peaked at number 85 in the UK suddenly entered the US Hot 100 for the first time ever. Nobody saw it coming. Not even the band.
“Let Down” became TikTok’s official soundtrack for feeling absolutely rubbish about everything. Users created emotional montages about injured sports players, mental health struggles, grief, and general life disappointment.
A choral version amplified the haunting quality. One TikTok account challenged people to make “the saddest edit that ever exist” with it. Challenge bloody accepted.
The song generated 464,000 posts in a month, hit number 91 on the Billboard Hot 100, and sparked actual news coverage.
Thom Yorke told The Sunday Times he found it “especially bizarre.” When his kids asked what he expected, they said: “Teenagers are depressed. It’s depressing music!”
Fair point, really. The track’s all crushing melancholy and existential dread wrapped in gorgeous guitar work. Gen Z discovered it captures their exact mood without needing Stranger Things or a movie trailer to explain why it matters. Sometimes a song from 1997 just gets 2025 better than most things released this year.
3. Kate Bush – “Running Up That Hill” (1985)
This one refuses to die. Stranger Things Season 4 kicked it off in 2022. Season 5 dropped in November 2025 and boom – back to number 37 on the UK charts. Over 1.5 billion Spotify streams. Still trending on TikTok three years later.
Users kept creating. Dance interpretations, emotional montages, artistic videos, covers, remixes. The Fairlight synthesiser riff remains instantly recognisable. Bush’s voice still sounds like nothing else. And that narrative about making a deal with God to swap places? Still hits.
What’s wild is how it’s become permanent. Most viral songs spike then vanish. “Running Up That Hill” just embedded itself in TikTok culture and stayed there. New users discover it weekly. Old fans keep making content. The algorithm keeps recommending it.
Bush basically won TikTok without trying. Not bad for a track that came out before most of the app’s users were born.
4. Redbone – “Come and Get Your Love” (1974)
Fifty-one years old and still going. Guardians of the Galaxy gave it a second life in 2014. TikTok’s keeping it alive in 2025.
The difference now is people are digging into the story behind it. Redbone were Native American musicians making funk-rock when that wasn’t common. Users started creating content celebrating that heritage alongside the usual dance videos and movie clips.
Holiday commercials featuring the song went viral. Chris Pratt doing his Star-Lord dance keeps getting referenced. The track’s just ridiculously joyful – that guitar intro, the vocals, the groove. Impossible not to smile when it comes on.
Some songs become so linked to a specific movie moment that they can’t escape it. “Come and Get Your Love” managed to transcend that and become its own thing again on TikTok. The Native American angle gave it fresh relevance. The funk just never gets old.
5. Fleetwood Mac – “Dreams” (1977)
Five years after Nathan Apodaca’s cranberry juice skateboard video and we’re still here. “Dreams” won’t leave TikTok alone. Or TikTok won’t leave it alone. Hard to tell which.
Mick Fleetwood keeps posting about it. Users keep creating with it. Morning vibe videos, aesthetic montages, skateboard clips, emotional storytelling – the track fits everything.
Stevie Nicks’ vocals have this timeless ethereal quality that works whether you’re filming your coffee routine or having an existential moment.
It’s become comfort food. Background music for life. The song that’s always there when you need it. Very few viral moments sustain like this. Most flame out. “Dreams” just settled in permanently.
Maybe it’s because the song itself is about cycles and repetition. Thunder only happens when it’s raining. Players only love you when they’re playing. Round and round and round. Feels appropriate for an app built on infinite scroll.
6. Leo Sayer – “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” (1976)
This one’s pure 1970s disco joy. Leo Sayer’s falsetto, that infectious hook, the production that screams Studio 54. TikTok users rediscovered it and couldn’t stop moving.
Dance challenges popped up. Retro aesthetic content exploded. Sayer’s own TikTok account started sharing behind-the-scenes content about how the song was made, which just fuelled more interest. Users loved learning that this massive hit had drama behind it (Ray Parker Jr. claims he wrote it and got no credit).
The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977. Nearly 50 years later, it’s making people dance again on an app that didn’t exist when Sayer recorded it. The production still sounds fresh. The energy’s undeniable. And that falsetto? Still works.
Disco never really dies, does it? It just waits for the next generation to find it.
7. Sade – “Kiss of Life” (1993)
Smooth, sultry, sophisticated. Everything TikTok normally isn’t. Yet here we are.
“Kiss of Life” became the go-to track for aesthetic videos, relationship content, and moody montages. Sade’s voice has this quality that makes everything feel more elegant.
Users discovered the song through various means – algorithm recommendations, 1990s compilations, random discoveries.
A sped-up version also went viral because TikTok can’t help itself. Take a perfect R&B ballad, speed it up, and suddenly it’s a different vibe entirely. Both versions found audiences.
What’s interesting is how TikTok users embraced something this mature and understated. No massive hooks, no drama, just beautiful production and Sade’s vocals doing what they do. Sometimes quality just speaks for itself.
8. Tears for Fears – “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” (1985)
Nearly 40 years after release and this song’s still everywhere. Over 757,000 TikTok videos used it this year. The band posted about it, genuinely surprised that something they recorded when everyone’s parents were young keeps charting.
Part of it was Despicable Me 4. That prison talent show scene with the song went viral and spawned countless recreations. But mostly it’s just a bloody good song. The themes about power and control feel relevant to every generation. The production’s immaculate. That guitar hook’s unforgettable.
Users created nostalgic content, 1980s aesthetic videos, comedy sketches, emotional montages. The song bends to whatever you need it to be. That’s rare. Most tracks have one specific use. This one’s versatile enough to fit anywhere.
Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal wrote something genuinely timeless back in 1985. TikTok’s just proving it again.
9. George Michael – “Father Figure” (1988)
Sultry doesn’t quite cover it. This song’s pure sensuality wrapped in George Michael’s vocals and production that still sounds expensive.
TikTok users went wild for it. Fashion montages, relationship content, identity exploration, aesthetic videos. The song’s ambiguous enough to mean different things to different people. And Michael’s delivery is so confident, so assured, that it draws you in immediately.
Comments flooded in about how the track “never gets old” and keeps “birthing new generations.” The production holds up perfectly against modern standards. The vocals are masterclass. The whole thing feels like Michael understood exactly what he was doing.
He did, obviously. But TikTok’s giving a new generation the chance to discover why George Michael was special. Not just “Last Christmas” and “Faith” – the whole catalogue. “Father Figure” opened doors.
10. New Order – “Blue Monday” (1983)
The most successful 12-inch single ever just casually went viral on TikTok 42 years later. Because why not.
That synthesiser sound, the driving beat, the post-punk electronic fusion – it sounds futuristic even now. Users created dance videos, retro content, nostalgic clips. The extended instrumental sections gave them space to build visual stories.
Gen Z discovering New Order is fascinating to watch. They’re finding out about Joy Division, Factory Records, the whole Manchester scene. One song becomes a gateway to an entire musical movement.
The production still influences modern electronic music. You can hear echoes of “Blue Monday” everywhere if you listen. TikTok just made a whole new audience aware of where those sounds came from.
11. Earth, Wind & Fire – “Let’s Groove” (1981)
Funk will never die. Won’t happen. Can’t happen. This song proves it.
“Let’s Groove” stayed viral throughout 2025. Dance videos, workout content, party clips, feel-good montages. The song’s pure positive energy. That brass section, the rhythm guitar, Maurice White’s vocals – everything about it makes you want to move.
TikTok users didn’t need convincing. They heard it, they danced. Simple as that. Some tracks require context or explanation. This one just requires working legs.
The tight instrumentation, the production quality, the sheer joy radiating from every note. Earth, Wind & Fire made music designed to bring people together. TikTok’s proving that still works 44 years later.
12. Boney M. – “Rasputin” (1978)
A Eurodisco song about a Russian mystic became a massive TikTok trend. Course it did.
“Ra-Ra-Rasputin, lover of the Russian queen” – once you hear it, you’re not forgetting it. The theatrical nature, the bouncing rhythm, the bizarre subject matter. TikTok users created dance challenges, comedy sketches, historical content.
The song’s oddness is its strength. It stands out. Your For You Page fills with typical stuff, then suddenly there’s a disco track about Rasputin and you’re transfixed. That’s how virality works on TikTok. Be different enough to stop the scroll.
Boney M. were masters of quirky Eurodisco. “Rasputin” showcases everything they did well: catchy melodies, distinctive vocals, subjects nobody else would touch. Gen Z appreciates weird. This song delivers.
13. Nena – “99 Luftballons” (1983)
The German anti-war protest song found global audiences again. Both German and English versions went viral, though the original German track hit harder.
Users created content about 1980s culture, German language learning, political commentary. The song’s message about Cold War paranoia and miscommunication resonating in 2025 feels depressingly relevant. Different context, same human stupidity.
That driving beat, the memorable melody, Nena’s vocals switching between vulnerability and urgency. It works in any language.
The English version (“99 Red Balloons”) is fine, but the German original has something the translation can’t quite capture.
TikTok breaking language barriers again. Good song is good song, regardless of whether you understand every word.
14. Modern Talking – Various Tracks (1980s)
German Eurodisco duo Modern Talking became unexpected TikTok stars. Multiple catalogue tracks went viral – “Brother Louie,” “Cheri Cheri Lady,” “You’re My Heart, You’re My Soul.”
The heavily synthesised sound, catchy melodies, and theatrical production found young audiences. Users created dramatic emotional videos, aesthetic content, nostalgic posts. Modern Talking were massive in Europe but less known in the US. TikTok fixed that gap.
The revival shows TikTok’s genuine global reach. Music that dominated certain regions decades ago finding international audiences now. The algorithm doesn’t care about geography or marketing territories. It just shows people what they might like.
Modern Talking’s entire vibe is unapologetically dramatic and earnest. That sincerity connects. No irony, no winking at the camera. Just pure 1980s Eurodisco commitment.
15. Alphaville – “Forever Young” (1984)
This synth-pop anthem continued its resurgence from 2024. The song featured in countless TikTok videos about memory, nostalgia, and growing up. It even charted on the Billboard Global 200 again.
Users paired it with summer memory compilations, graduation videos, coming-of-age content. The wistful lyrics about youth and time hit perfectly for TikTok’s demographic going through major life transitions. Everyone wants to be forever young. The song captures that impossible desire beautifully.
Alphaville’s synthesiser work remains distinctive. The production’s aged remarkably well. And that chorus – “Forever young, I want to be forever young” – has this simple honesty that transcends decades.
Some songs become generational anthems multiple times. “Forever Young” did it in the 1980s. It’s doing it again now.
🔍 NeonSignal: Algorithmic Rediscovery Cycle
Signal: TikTok Resurrected Heritage Tracks
Status: Rising
Timeframe: Next 3–5 months
Why this matters:
Classic tracks from as far back as the 1960s found new cultural life on TikTok in 2025, proving that release date no longer limits impact. When users connect emotionally with a song – whether for dance, storytelling, or aesthetic use – it can break out regardless of its age.
What happens next:
We’re likely to see more legacy music thrive alongside contemporary releases, as algorithmic discovery merges with cultural nostalgia and emotional resonance.
What This Actually Means
TikTok’s algorithm treats music democratically. A song from 1962 gets the same shot as something released yesterday. Release date means nothing. Marketing budget means nothing. Radio play means nothing. What matters is whether users actually connect with it.
That’s genuinely revolutionary. The traditional music industry operates on gatekeepers. Radio programmers decide airplay. Playlist editors choose what gets featured. Labels control promotion. TikTok bypasses all of it.
Connie Francis had no marketing campaign. Radiohead weren’t pushing “Let Down” as a single. These songs succeeded purely because users discovered them and kept sharing. Organic, grassroots virality that nobody can manufacture or predict.
The cross-generational aspect matters too. Older users share tracks from their youth. Younger users discover them fresh. Both groups engage. Both create content. The algorithm sees engagement and pushes the song to more people. The cycle continues.
Quality endures. These aren’t novelty tracks or memes. They’re genuinely good songs that became classics for reasons. Strong melodies, memorable hooks, solid production. Modern listeners recognise artistry when they hear it, regardless of recording era.
Emotional resonance drives everything. TikTok users gravitate towards songs that help them express feelings. Many classic tracks offer emotional depth and complexity. Not everything needs to be immediately catchy. Sometimes the slow burn works better.
The visual element can’t be ignored either. These songs often have distinctive sounds or memorable sections that work brilliantly in short-form video. “Let Down” has that haunting quality. “Dreams” has the ethereal groove. “Come and Get Your Love” has pure joy. They’re sonically compatible with visual storytelling.
Record labels noticed. They’re monitoring TikTok trends closely now. Catalogue divisions get more resources. Artists who retired decades ago suddenly see renewed interest. The music industry’s adapting to this new reality where anything can suddenly matter again.
2025 proved that great music doesn’t expire. These 15 tracks show how TikTok continues reshaping music history. Introducing classics to new generations whilst reminding older listeners why these songs worked in the first place.
Make something genuinely good and it might resurface 40, 50, 60 years later on an app nobody predicted. That’s simultaneously weird and wonderful. Mostly wonderful.
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