The second Most Played song was ‘I Gotta Feeling’ by Black Eyed Peas, and ‘Happy’ by Pharrell came in third. Gary Lightbody, lead singer of Snow Patrol, was presented with a special award at PPL’s 85 th celebrations at the OXO Tower in London on Tuesday 16 July. In that time, it has collected over £3.2 billion with £2.6 billion of that collected this century. Formed in 1934, as the first such organisation in the world, PPL pays out to musicians and labels when their recordings are broadcast on TV and radio or used in public.

The announcement comes as part of PPL’s 85 th anniversary celebrations, highlighting its work as the UK music industry’s licensing company for performers and recording rightsholders. PPL’s data, which tracks all recordings played by radio and television broadcasters, and in public by businesses and organisations across the UK, revealed ten years ago in 2009 that it was the Most Played song of the Noughties. It was that year’s 14th best-selling single in the UK and has the distinction of being the last song performed live on the BBC’s Top of the Pops. Released in June 2006, it reached number six in the UK Official Singles Chart, staying in the top 75 for 94 weeks, a run that hinted at the song’s impending, enduring appeal.