TikTok released its 2025 music rankings this week, revealing the most popular songs and artists on the platform — and the year’s No. 1 track wasn’t a new hit, but a sleeper from 1962.
Connie Francis’ “Pretty Little Baby” became an unlikely juggernaut, appearing in more than 28 million videos and amassing over 68 billion views as the soundtrack to wholesome posts with pets and family moments. The list underscores TikTok’s unique power to resurrect old hits and mint new stars; Fleetwood Mac and other legacy acts have seen similar boosts from trends, while today’s artists from Travis Scott to Taylor Swift treat the app as integral to music discovery.
But the rankings arrive under unusual circumstances. TikTok remains technically banned in the U.S., operating only because the White House has repeatedly delayed enforcement while working on a sell-off deal. The current extension expires December 16, and despite assurances in September that a sale was nearly finalized, progress has stalled.
Whether or not TikTok’s grip on music tightens next year depends on what happens next in Washington. A shutdown remains unlikely, but if the app does get forced offline in the U.S., its power to launch hits could evaporate.
