ALEX WARREN HIT SONG “ORDINARY” MOST LISTENED TO ON EUROPEAN RADIO IN 2025

The results are published as part of Radioplayer’s annual overview of actual radio listening. Unlike traditional radio charts, which measure what is broadcast, RADIO PLAYED 2025 reveals what listeners actually chose to listen to across platforms, countries and moments, and is based on aggregated listening data from the Radioplayer platform, representing millions of listeners across Europe, and powered by metadata supplied by radio broadcasters in 27 countries.

The data shows that while new hits dominate the very top of the rankings, radio listening across Europe is strongly shaped by timeless catalogue artists. Alongside Ed Sheeran, artists such as Queen, Madonna and Michael Jackson rank among the most listened-to artists of the year, underlining radio’s unique role in sustaining long-term cultural relevance, not just short-term trends. 

Seasonal listening also plays a clear role. Towards the end of the year, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” once again emerged as one of the most listened-to songs on European radio, highlighting radio’s continued importance for shared, live moments.

Beyond music, RADIO PLAYED 2025 also reflects how radio is used across Europe. Paris recorded the longest average listening sessions of any city, while 27 November became the single biggest radio day of the year, driven by an intense international news cycle that brought audiences back to live radio at scale. 

RADIO PLAYED 2025 – Key Results

MOST LISTENED TO SONGS IN EUROPE 2025

1. Ordinary – Alex Warren
2. Messy – Lola Young
3. Nice To Meet You – Myles Smith
4. Azizam – Ed Sheeran
5. Abracadabra – Lady Gaga
6. Bad Dreams – Teddy Swims
7. End of the World – Miley Cyrus
8. A Bar Song (Tipsy) – Shaboozey
9. That’s So True – Gracie Abrams
10. Sapphire – Ed Sheeran
11. Sorry I’m Here For Someone Else – Benson Boone
12. Austin – Dasha
13. Birds of a Feather – Billie Eilish
14. Belong Together – Mark Ambor
15. Anxiety – Doechii

MOST LISTENED TO ARTIST IN EUROPE 2025

1. Ed Sheeran
2. Queen
3. Lady Gaga
4. Michael Jackson
5. Coldplay
6. Madonna
7. Myles Smith
8. Benson Boone
9. Sabrina Carpenter
10. Teddy Swims
11. Alex Warren
12. Taylor Swift
13. Lola Young
14. Miley Cyrus

15. Elton John

     

CITIES WITH LONGEST AVERAGE LISTENING SESSIONS EUROPE 2025

1. Paris
2. London
3. Helsinki
4. Dublin
5. Milan
6. Lyon
7. Antwerp
8. Berlin
9. Tampere
10. Birmingham

Context & platform

Radioplayer distributes radio across connected cars, smartphones, apps, voice assistants and smart speakers, offering a unique pan-European view of how radio is actually used today. 

RADIO PLAYED 2025 is based on anonymised and aggregated listening data from the Radioplayer platform. Results are powered by broadcaster-supplied metadata from 27 European countries and cover listening in connected cars, on smartphones, apps, voice assistants and smart speakers.

Unlike personalised or predictive rankings, Radioplayer captures collective listening behaviour at scale, the artists, songs, cities and moments that brought audiences together across borders.

Broadcasters have access to their own stations data through Radioplayer Insight Dashboard