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Exclusive to Radio 2, this is the ultimate countdown of the 40 biggest songs that have soundtracked our British summers throughout the 21st century so far.

Mark Goodier guides you through this incredible chart that’s packed with feel-good hits, singalong anthems, and upbeat floor-fillers from some of the world’s greatest stars, plus a few surprises along the way.

Compiled by PPL (the organisation that monitors all recorded plays in the UK, not just on radio and TV, but in cinemas, clubs, gigs, pubs, restaurants, gyms, karaoke bars, and anywhere else that you hear music), these are the inescapable tunes that have worked their way into all our lives since the start of the millennium.

Some have remained favourites of ours since they were released in the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties, including classics from Bryan Adams, Madonna, Otis Redding, Elton John, and Wham!

But there’s plenty of room for dozens of icons of the Nineties, Noughties and 2010s that have already left their mark, like Rihanna, Ed Sheeran, and Beyonce.

With facts, stats, and trivia about each of the songs, it’s the perfect playlist to round off 2025’s scorching summer… but who will be our no.1?!