Popular songs come and go — but the true test of a song is how many years later people are still listening to it.
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In a new data study, Polygraph's Matt Daniels takes a closer look at these patterns. He compiled all the Billboard Top 100 song lists from the 1950s to today and cross-referenced each song with its play count on Spotify to gauge present popularity.
And the results are pretty surprising. For example, Linkin Park's popularity is enduring more than many of us might have expected.
Still, the list shows what could be considered classics among Spotify's 75 million users.
While jams like Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" make the cut, some of the other tracks are surprising. Though it's only really relevant one month of the year, Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You" has a spot on the list.
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It's worth noting that several top artists, including The Beatles and Taylor Swift, are not available on Spotify, so they aren't factored into the data.
Keep reading to find out the 30 most timeless songs on Spotify.
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30. "In Da Club" by 50 Cent, 2003
Spotify playcount: 29,193,048
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29. "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns N' Roses, 1988
Spotify playcount: 29,245,122
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28. "With Or Without You" by U2, 1987
Spotify playcount: 29,652,694
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27. "Livin' On A Prayer" by Bon Jovi, 1986
Spotify playcount: 29,693,538
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26. "Still D.R.E." by Dr. Dre, 1999
Spotify playcount: 30,309,920
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25. "Come As You Are" by Nirvana, 1992
Spotify playcount: 30,368,401
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24. "No Diggity" by Blackstreet, 1996
Spotify playcount: 30,911,317
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23. "The Next Episode" by Dr. Dre, 2000
Spotify playcount: 31,793,183
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22. "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman, 1988
Spotify playcount: 32,092,736
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21. "Gold Digger" by Kanye West, 2005
Spotify playcount: 32,113,198
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20. "Crazy In Love" by Beyonce, 2003
Spotify playcount: 32,150,597
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19. "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen, 1975
Spotify playcount: 32,298,690
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18. "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" by Green Day, 2004
Spotify playcount: 32,343,283
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17. "Under The Bridge" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, 1992
Spotify playcount: 33,625,240
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16. "Eye Of The Tiger" by Survivor, 1982
Spotify playcount: 34,225,439
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15. "Wonderwall" by Oasis, 1996
Spotify playcount: 34,352,877
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14. "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls, 1998
Spotify playcount:35,669,952
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13. "Mockingbird" by Eminem, 2005
Spotify playcount: 36,065,242
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12. "All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey, 2000
Spotify playcount: 36,253,472
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11. "Californication" by Red Hot Chili Peppers, 2000
Spotify playcount: 38,190,230
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10. "Fix You" by Coldplay, 2005
Spotify playcount: 38,912,539
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9. "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes, 2003
Spotify playcount: 39,559,321
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8. "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson, 1983
Spotify playcount: 40,732,708
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7. "Hey Ya!" by OutKast, 2003
Spotify playcount: 41,296,582
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6. "In The End" by Linkin Park, 2001
Spotify playcount: 43,025,894
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5. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana, 1991
Spotify playcount: 50,657,282
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4. "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey, 1981
Spotify playcount: 50,855,135
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3. "Numb" by Linkin Park, 2003
Spotify playcount: 52,969,898
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2. "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers, 2005
Spotify playcount: 54,367,533
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1. "Lose Yourself" by Eminem, 2002
Spotify playcount: 59,039,765
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