The most played song of the 21st century has been revealed and it is one of our own – the beautifully catchy Chasing Cars by Co Down band Snow Patrol.
The 2006 hit never actually reached number one in the charts when it was first released, but it has remained a favourite amongst the public.
It has also been played countless times by radio stations and used in numerous television shows and films, most notably in Grey’s Anatomy.
Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody was awarded a special gong for the achievement by music company PPL.
He spoke BBC Breakfast about the prestigious prize. He said: “I was in the studio with our producer and I wrote 10 songs in a night, in a few hours, and five of those songs ended up on Eyes Open, the album Chasing Cars is on.
“And by the way, that’s the first and only time that’s happened. Normally I’d write 10 songs and none of them I’d ever show or play to anybody. That was a particularly good night.
“It’s amazing but, when I wrote it in 2006… I mean there’s no possible way of knowing it would even endure this long, never mind be the most played song on the radio. It’s extraordinary.”
The second most played song of this century was I Gotta Feeling by the Black Eyed Peas, and Happy by Pharrell Williams was third.
Lightbody, 43, has previously described Chasing Cars as the “purest love song” and said he is still friends with the person he wrote it about.
He added: “We’re very lucky to have a lot of songs people sing along to, but that is a particularly loud sing-along. It changes every night with the audience that you play it to, but it’ll always get a reaction, that’s for sure.”
The Bangor singer also tweeted his followers to thank them for their support over the years, in helping Snow Patrol achieve the feat.
He posted: “Blown away by the love that’s out there still for the song. Thanks to all the radio stations for playing it & all the listeners who requested it over the years. x”
Chasing Cars also has another proud claim, as the last song ever played on Top of the Pops.
Written by Andrew Moore