Several songs from films and television are experiencing renewed chart success in the UK thanks to syncs that are resonating with modern audiences. Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s 2001 hit “Murder on the Dancefloor” has vaulted back into the runner-up spot on the singles chart after appearing in the recent movie Saltburn. The thriller featured the catchy track to great effect, driving over 4.7 million streams in the past week – a personal best for the song.
Elsewhere, Natasha Bedingfield’s 2004 anthem “Unwritten” reentered the top 40 for the first time in nearly two decades thanks to its placement in the new rom-com Anyone But You. First breaking through almost 20 years ago, the inspirational tune is finding a whole new generation of fans via its appearance in the film. Mason and Princess Superstar’s mashup “Perfect (Exceeder)” also climbed the charts this week, up from 40 to 26, after soundtracking a scene in Saltburn over a decade after its initial release.
On the rock and indie front, Liam Gallagher secured his highest solo charting position yet with his collaboration “Just Another Rainbow,” new at #16. The track marks the first top 40 hit for legendary guitarist John Squire of The Stone Roses, who lends his talent to the track. Meanwhile, Bring Me the Horizon bagged their highest charting song since 2014 with new entry “Kool-Aid” at #21, showing their continued popularity.
In a bonus bit of chart history, Drake’s “Practice” from his seminal 2011 album Take Care returned to the top 40 some 13 years later thanks to a viral trend on the social media platform TikTok. The fresh exposure helped lift the Canadian rapper’s cumulative career top 40 tally to an impressive 91 entries.
At the summit for a second-week running is Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season,” the most streamed song in the UK last week with 7.5 million plays. As films, TV and social media continue to drive rediscovery, pop culture is proving a potent force in the chart battle.
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