Careless Whisper named the nation’s favourite song

  • Ten years since his death, George Michael voted most popular artist of all time – followed by Michael Jackson and Sir Elton John
  • Whitney Houston is the no.1 female artist
  • Queen voted most popular group for the first time, in joint first place with ABBA
  • Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush celebrates its highest ever position, at number 10, following final season of Stranger Things

Ten years since the death of music icon George Michael, Careless Whisper has been voted the nation’s favourite song, as revealed in Smooth Radio’s All Time Top 500 chart.

Written by George and his Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgeley, Careless Whisper is one of the biggest songs of all time, selling more than 11 million copies worldwide since its first release in 1984. Now with more than 1.5 billion views on YouTube, the enduring classic has been embraced by a wave of younger fans.

George Michael has also been voted the nation’s most popular artist, with 20 entries, including six songs with Wham!. George is ahead of Michael Jackson and Sir Elton John, in joint second place with 14 entries each. Michael’s highest entry is Man In The Mirror at number four, while Elton’s most popular song is Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me, his famous duet with George Michael, at number seven. Michael Jackson’s music has been propelled back into the spotlight recently with the release of the new biopic film, Michael. The movie scored the biggest ever opening box office weekend for a biopic film and has grossed more than $270 million globally since it opened last month.

Whitney Houston is the most popular female artist, with 12 songs in the countdown. Her iconic version of I Will Always Love You is her highest-placed entry, at number 19.

Queen has made music history this year after being voted the most popular group for the first time ever, with 11 entries in the chart, putting them in joint first place with ABBA. Queen’s highest songs include Bohemian Rhapsody at number three and These Are The Days Of Our Lives at 27. Last year, Queen was named the UK’s most played rock act of the 21st century in a new chart by PPL, the UK music licensing organisation.

Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush is celebrating its highest ever position, at number 10, up ten places since 2025. The song featured in the epic Stranger Things series – including the final season released in December – amassing more than 1.5 billion streams on Spotify and skyrocketing the track to the top of the charts in eight countries.

Almost 20,000 votes were cast by the public in Smooth’s annual countdown of the nation’s most popular songs. Across the May bank holiday weekend, the top 500 songs were played on air, with the number one announced just before 7pm today (Monday 4th May). The full countdown is available to listen to on catch up on Global Player – the official Smooth app.

“Presenting Smooth’s All Time Top 500 is one of my favourite events anyway and this year is even more special, as it’s my birthday today! Music has always meant so much to me whether celebrating or getting through the tougher times in life. And I love that this chart is always a powerful reminder of how much music means to all of us.

It’s fantastic that George Michael’s music and legacy shine as brightly as ever, with Careless Whisper voted the number one song and George Michael named the most popular artist. It’s a fitting tribute to one of the greatest artists of all time. And what makes these results even more exciting is seeing singers like Sir Elton John and Whitney Houston, and groups such as Queen and ABBA connecting with a whole new generation.

Through social media and platforms like YouTube, these timeless songs are finding new young fans every day, making sure this music remains a huge part of our world forever.”
Smooth presenter Kate Garraway

Smooth Radio is available across the UK on Global Player, DAB digital radio and TV, 97-108 FM and SmoothRadio.com.