My iPhone's top 20: End of 2025 edition

It's hard to believe that it's been 20 years since I received an iPod Shuffle for Christmas. Over those two decades, as my music library has grown and has migrated from iPod to iPhone, I've periodically taken stock of the twenty most listened-to songs in my collection (see here for the 2010, 2015 and 2020 lists). In continuing my tradition, here are the twenty most listened-to songs on my iPhone, as of December 31, 2025 (2020 ranking in parentheses):

If this list looks very similar to the 2020 list, that's because it is: my top four most-listened songs are the same (#5 and #6 swapped places) and there are only three songs on this list that weren't on the 2020 list. The lack of change is at least partly due to the fact that I don't listen to music on my phone as much as I used to; for one thing, I don't need to use music to block out office noise because I spend so much time working from home now. Additionally, I lost some of my play history when I upgraded phones a couple of years ago.

1. Ride a White Horse - Goldfrapp (Supernature, 2006, Mute/Universal Music) (#1)
2. That Smiling Face - Camouflage (Voice and Images, 1988, Atlantic) (#2)
3. Home - Erasure (Chorus, 1991, Sire) (#3)
4. Burst Generator - The Chemical Brothers (We Are The Night, 2007, Australwerks/EMI) (#4)
5. Hysteria - Def Leppard (Hysteria, 1987, Mercury) (#6)

6. Sometimes [Erasure/Flood Two Ring Circus Remix] - Erasure (The Two Ring Circus, 1987, Sire) (#5)

7. Dissolve - The Chemical Brothers (Further, 2010, Australwerks) (#10)

8. Thank U - Alanis Morissette (Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, 1998, Maverick/Reprise) (#11)

9. Life Is Sweet - The Chemical Brothers (Exit Planet Dust, 1995, Australwerks) (#8)

10. Dance Hall Days - Wang Chung (Points on the Curve, 1982, Geffen) 

11. Looking at You - Sunscreem (Looking at You: Club Anthems, 1998, Centaur Entertainment) (#7)

12. Let Forever Be - The Chemical Brothers (Surrender, 1999, Australwerks) (#9)

13. A Moment's Shifting - Anything Box (Hope, 1993, Orangewerks) (#13)

14. Lightning Blue Eyes - Secret Machines (Ten Silver Drops, 2006, Reprise) (#14)

15. Dancing On My Own - Robyn (Body Talk, Pt. 1, 2010, Konichiwa) (#20)

16. Destroy Everything You Touch - Ladytron (Witching Hour, 2005, So Sweet) (#12)

17. Primary - The Cure (Faith, 1981, Elektra) (#17)

18. Save It For Later - The English Beat (Special Beat Service, 1982, Go-Feet)

19. A Modern Midnight Conversation - The Chemical Brothers (We Are The Night, 2007, Australwerks) (#15)

20. So Far Away - Dire Straits (Brothers In Arms, 1985, Vertigo)

Happy New Year!