WORLD NEWS
A 15-year-old song tops TikTok’s summer list — a comeback powered by 42 million videos
TikTok announced Katy Perry’s ‘The One That Got Away’, which came out as a single in 2011, as the No. 1 global summer song of 2026. According to the platform count, the number of videos using this song exceeded 42 million, and related video views exceeded 55 billion.
This does not mean that it is the most listened to song in the entire global music market. These are summer rankings compiled within TikTok, and video views do not equal the number of full plays or unique users of a song.
Why was a song from 15 years ago re-uploaded?
It spread to new generations as short video users repeatedly used this song in edits showing their lovers and memories. Past music has familiar refrains and rich original visuals, making it easy to add to short scenes. The platform’s recommendation structure allows older songs to be re-exposed on a large scale if they match a specific video format.
What do 42 million and 55 billion count?
42 million is the number of videos created using the corresponding sound source, and 55 billion is the cumulative number of views those videos received. One person can watch multiple videos or play the same video repeatedly. This number should not be paraphrased as the number of streams of the song, the number of music purchases, or the 55 billion listeners.
Did you move outside of the platform?
TikTok said the song re-entered several music charts around the world and stayed on the Billboard Global 200 for 21 weeks. Independent music industry media also confirmed the TikTok announcement and the reversing trend. However, since chart rankings use separate criteria such as streaming, sales, and broadcasting, they cannot be directly compared to TikTok video views.
What changes does this phenomenon show?
It shows that even after the promotional period for a new song is over, the music catalog can be rediscovered in short videos. Users see the current context of the video before the year of release. Labels and singers have more reasons to re-manage videos, licenses, and official materials for old songs.
Parts that are still difficult to confirm
TikTok did not disclose the overall weighting of rankings or how duplicate views are handled. It is also unknown to what extent the 55 billion views translated into music revenue or new fans. The following data to check are the weekly records of the official charts, changes in music streaming, and the platform’s transparent aggregate explanation.