Most Recognizable Song From Each Year of the past 100 years, 1925-2024

Watch on YouTube

Video for all of them, too, that’s impressive!

I recognize a couple of the early ones (1937 was the Jeeves & Wooster theme song, and 1939 was Somewhere Over The Rainbow), but it’s not until 1960 that a switch flips and I go “oh, okay, I’m familiar with all of these.” (Doesn’t falter until the ’00s, when I start not knowing some of the rap/hip-hop songs, and then in the past 10 years I guess I’m just not listening to new music enough.)

The Beatles have the most winners, they’re in here 4 times. Fred Astaire has 2, Judy Garland has 2, Elvis has 2, Queen has 3, Eminem has 2…probably a couple other repeats I missed, there doesn’t seem to be a text list. Genuinely surprised Taylor Swift never shows up — her output as a whole has to be a bigger deal than a lot of the winners from the past 2 decades, they just had at least one breakout hit each.

“Link the most-recognizable song from the year you were born” could be a fun meme…except that if I link mine, you’ll think I’m kidding.