【Western Archives】

Google's annual Year in Search is Western Archivesalways a fascinating look at what we’re exploring online, but one of the more overlooked trends is what we’re humming to find on the internet.

Hum to Search, a lesser-known but delightful feature of Google’s search engine, is both entertaining and incredibly useful. So much so that Google has compiled a list of the 10 most hummed songs in the US and worldwide, a perfect nod to all of us who can’t shake that earworm and need a little help identifying it.

Here's the top 3:

1. "Beautiful Things" by Benson Boone

It’s no surprise that Benson Boone’s pop ballad clinched the number one spot on both the US and global top 10 Hum to Search lists. The Washington-raised singer-songwriter went viral on TikTok this year during the rollout and release of “Beautiful Things,”amassing over 4.1 million videos created with the track.

With more than 1.6 billion streams on Spotify, “Beautiful Things”has become one of the year’s most-played songs, even earning Boone a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. It’s easy to see why this track has been stuck in so many heads.

2. "Axel F" by Crazy Frog

The Crazy Frog remix of “Axel F” had its moment back in the quirky days of 2005 (not to make you feel old, but I was seven then). However, thanks to a wave of nostalgia sparked by Netflix for the release of Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, the viral hit has made a surprising comeback.

To be fair, it was the best-selling ringtone of its time and has somehow maintained its odd cultural grip on Americans, at least. Strangely enough, “Axel F” didn’t manage to secure a spot in the global top 10.

3. "Wellerman" by Santiano

TikTok has been obsessed with “Wellerman” and other sea shanties for a couple of years, but it’s surprising to see Santiano’s version of “Wellerman” break into the top three. The popular New Zealand folk song first went viral in 2021 after Scottish singer Nathan Evans’s cover, sparking hundreds of subsequent renditions.

It seems that, much like how Pandora operates, Google’s Hum to Search feature relies on its database for matches. As a result, the German band Santiano gets the recognition for a viral trend that might otherwise have pointed to someone else.

Rounding out the rest of the list we have:

4. Past Lives - sapientdream & Slushii

5. Too Sweet - Hozier

6. Die With A Smile - Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars

7. Lovely - Billie Eilish

8. Thick Of It - KSI

9. Not Like Us - Kendrick Lamar

10. Dubidubidu - Christell

Global top 10

Globally, here's what everyone around the world was humming:

1. Beautiful Things - Benson Boone

2. Bling-Bang-Bang-Born - Creepy Nuts

3. Die With A Smile - Lady Gaga

4. Past Lives - Slushii

5. Wellerman - Santiano

6. Lovely - Billie Eilish

7. Dubidubidu - Christell

8. Until I Found You - Stephen Sanchez

9. nadaaniyan - Akshath

10. MASHA ULTRAFUNK - HISTED

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