At what age do we lose touch with pop culture?

That question hit me the first time my oldest, Teen Screens, “politely” asked if we could change the music to something she liked.

She had just turned 11.

For a while, our car rides ran on Spotify Kids.
Kidz Bop. Safe songs. Easy wins.

Then, almost overnight, the playlist changed.

Benson Boone.
Taylor Swift.

Not “kids” music anymore.
Real music. Her music.

The moment felt familiar.

When I was her age, my parents didn’t get my music either.
For me, it was grunge.

Pearl Jam lived in my CD player. Ten was always in the jewel case, never the Case Logic, because it was playing nonstop. Loud volume. Lyrics that mattered. Music that felt like it belonged to me, not them.

That’s when it clicked.

This isn’t just about taste.
It’s about independence. Identity. And the moment when pop culture stops being something you share and starts being something you pass down.

So I decided to test myself.

For the past three years, as I’ve tracked the top songs on each platform, I’ve also been tracking me.

How connected am I to today’s music, really?

Let’s break it down into 4 big questions:
1) What were the most popular songs?
2) Have I lost touch with popular music?
3) Are the same songs popular everywhere?
4) Are we listening to more new music or old?

Previous EOY music: 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021

What were the most popular songs?

2025 top songs (Billboard):
1) “Golden” by HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna & REI AMI
2) “Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga
3) “Nuevayol” by Bad Bunny
4) “Manchild” by Sabrina Carpenter
5) “Luther” by Kendrick Lamar & SZA

My familiarity: 20%

2025 top songs (Spotify):
1) “Luther” by Kendrick Lamar & SZA
2) “Die With A Smile” by Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars
3) “Ordinary” by Alex Warren
4) “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish
5) “tv off ” by Kendrick Lamar & Lefty Gunplay (feat. lefty gunplay)

My familiarity:40%

2025 top songs (TikTok):
1) “Pretty Little Baby” by Connie Francis
2) “Hold My Hand” by Jess Glynne
3) “Whim Whamiee” by PLUTO and YKNIECE
4) “Rock That Body” by Black Eyed Peas
5) “Doot Doot (6 7)” by Skrilla

My familiarity: 60%

2025 top songs (YouTube):
1) “Die With A Smile” by Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga
2) “APT.” by Rosé, Bruno Mars
3) “Golden” by HUNTR/X (KPop Demon Hunters Cast)
4) “Soda Pop” by Saja Boys (KPop Demon Hunters Cast)
5) “Your Idol” by Saja Boys (KPop Demon Hunters Cast)

My familiarity:40%

2025 top songs (YouTube Shorts):
1) “YOUR WAY’S BETTER” by Forrest Frank
2) “Passo Bem Solto (Slowed)” by ATLXS
3) “Rock That Body” by Black Eyed Peas
4) “Pretty Little Baby” by Connie Francis
5) “Chess” by Joyful

My familiarity: 60%

Have I lost touch with popular music?

My familiarity over time:
1) 2023 - 35%
2) 2024 - 32%
3) 2024 - 32%

Bottom line: I got two years older. But I didn’t fall further behind.

Are the same songs popular everywhere?

Quick math on the top 5 songs in 2025:
1) 20 different songs made the lists
2) No song appeared in all 5
3) The average song showed up on just 1.25 lists (25%)

Wow: 75% of songs show up on only one list.

No surprise: YouTube Shorts and TikTok look the most alike. They share 40% of their top songs.

Flip it: Even the most similar platforms are different 60% of the time.

Why this matters: There is no single “hit list” anymore. Each app creates its own stars. The algorithm you live in determines the music you are exposed to and what becomes a “hit”.

Are we listening to more new music or old?

We listen to more old music than new.

Big picture: New music may be more fragmented than ever. But people spend less time with it. Songs that are 18+ months old now make up 76% of all music listening.

Back catalog share of music time (Activate):
1) 2020 - 65%
2) 2025 - 76%

Genres with the most new-music listening:
1) Christian/Gospel - 33%
2) Country - 31%
3) World - 30%
4) Latin - 29%
5) Dance/Electronic - 27%
6) Pop - 24%
7) R&B/Hip-Hop - 22%
8) Rock - 12%

Bottom line: New music still breaks through. But most listening time goes to songs we already know.

The back catalog is winning because it’s risk-free. Old music requires no learning curve and fits every algorithm.

In a world of infinite choice, familiarity becomes a feature.