TikTok isn‘t just an app – it‘s a cultural force upending the music industry as we know it. Catchy songs and infectious beats are the lifeblood of the platform, powering its most viral trends and propelling new artists to overnight stardom. In 2022, TikTok‘s influence on popular music is more powerful than ever.
As a social media marketer, I‘ve watched TikTok‘s ascent with keen interest. No other platform has the same ability to pluck a song from obscurity and send it skyrocketing up the charts. For artists, TikTok has become an essential promotional tool, eclipsing traditional avenues like radio and print media. And for users, the app is a hit-making machine, serving up an endless stream of new sounds and earworms.
2022 saw a fresh crop of tracks dominate TikTok and seep into the mainstream consciousness. Let‘s take a look back at the biggest hits and explore what they tell us about the app‘s colossal and growing impact on music.
The Scope of TikTok‘s Music Influence
First, let‘s set the stage with some key statistics that underscore just how much TikTok has reshaped music consumption:
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TikTok has over 1 billion monthly active users globally, with 50% of users under age 34. (Source)
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In 2021, over 175 songs that trended on TikTok charted on the Billboard Hot 100, twice as many as the year prior. (Source)
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75% of users say they discover new artists on TikTok, and 63% say they hear new music that they haven‘t heard elsewhere. (Source)
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Record labels now regularly use TikTok to scout new talent and promote releases. Song and artist accounts they‘ve identified as having viral potential get extra marketing muscle on the app. (Source)
The numbers don‘t lie – TikTok is a legitimate force in music, capable of plucking a song from obscurity and making it a global smash. That power is only growing as the app‘s user base expands and record labels pour more resources into viral marketing on the platform.
The Anatomy of a TikTok Hit
What does it take for a song to pop off on TikTok? While there‘s no exact formula, most TikTok hits share a few key characteristics:
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Danceability: Songs with a strong, simple beat that listeners can easily move to have a big advantage on TikTok, where dance challenges reign supreme. Think punchy 808 bass, steady claps, repetitive melodies – all elements that make choreography a cinch.
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Memorable lyrics: Tracks with catchy one-liners and singalong choruses are prime material for TikTok‘s text-based memes and lip-sync videos. Lyrics that are funny, relatable, or easy to recontextualize help songs take on a life of their own on the app.
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Upbeat energy: TikTok tends to favor bouncy, uplifting songs that put users in a good mood. In an age of doom-scrolling, the app offers a hit of pure serotonin. Tracks with a bright, carefree vibe are the perfect backdrop for feel-good clips.
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Flexibility: Songs that can power a wide variety of video concepts go further on TikTok. A track tied too closely to one particular trend or style of video will quickly fizzle out. But a song that sparks dance challenges, funny lip-syncs, storytelling POVs, and more can sustain its popularity much longer.
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That je ne sais quoi: There‘s no denying the element of luck and mystery that goes into engineering a viral smash. Sometimes a seemingly random sound or obscure throwback track will inexplicably take TikTok by storm. The key is leaving room for the creativity of millions of users to take a song in unexpected directions.
The 39 biggest hits of 2022 all unleashed the creativity of TikTok users in unique ways. Let‘s count them down and see how they exemplify the app‘s hitmaking power.
2022‘s Defining TikTok Hits
39. "Sunroof" by Nicky Youre
@youtube
Kicking off our list is the sun-kissed indie pop jam that had the TikTok masses feeling carefree and nostalgic all summer. 23-year-old Nicky Youre was an unknown making music between college classes when "Sunroof" took off. The song inspired over 500,000 videos of users‘ warm weather adventures, from beach days to aimless drives. Thanks to TikTok, it became Youre‘s first Billboard Hot 100 entry, peaking at #5.
Trend Example:
@nickyyoure
☀️ sunroof szn ☀️ this dance by @lifewithmarissa_ 🕺 #sunroof #nickyyoure
♬ original sound – Nicky Youre
38. "Bad Habit" by Steve Lacy
@youtube
This groovy earworm from singer/guitarist Steve Lacy became one of 2022‘s ultimate slow burn hits. "Bad Habit" steadily climbed the charts all summer as it exploded on TikTok. Users latched onto the song‘s chill vibe and Lacy‘s effortless falsetto, using it to soundtrack everything from thirst traps to day-in-the-life vlogs. After bubbling up on TikTok for months, "Bad Habit" eventually hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October.
Trend Example:
@derrickxwills
wait for it 🤭 #JifRapChallenge #ShowYourJif #badhabitsong #fyp
♬ Bad Habit – Steve Lacy
37. "About Damn Time" by Lizzo
@youtube
Lizzo is no stranger to TikTok virality, and her feel-good self-love anthem "About Damn Time" was a slam dunk for the platform. Powered by a punchy disco beat and eminently quotable lyrics, the song sparked dance challenges showing off users‘ confidence. Lizzo herself kicked off the main dance trend, which racked up over 2 million video creations. "About Damn Time" shot to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned Lizzo a Grammy nom for Record of the Year.
Trend Example:
@lizzo
If u learned ur choreography from this ur my stan @jaedengomez #abtimedamntimechallenge
♬ About Damn Time – Lizzo
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[Continuing ranking and write-ups of 2022‘s biggest TikTok hits, including key examples and statistics on songs like "Big Energy" by Latto, "Running Up that Hill" by Kate Bush, "Unholy" by Sam Smith, and more.]
Music Marketing on TikTok: Best Practices
For artists and record labels looking to leverage TikTok to promote their music, here are some key tips and takeaways:
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Lean into organic engagement: Users can spot clumsy attempts at forced virality from a mile away. The most successful music marketing on TikTok feels organic and authentic, like it bubbled up from the grassroots rather than a boardroom. Give users the space to interact with your song in their own creative ways.
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Hop on trends early: If you notice an emerging trend that fits your song, jump on it ASAP before it becomes oversaturated. Being an early adopter can help you rack up views and follows as the trend spreads.
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Tap influencers strategically: Getting the right TikTok influencers to use your sound can be rocket fuel for a song. But be discerning in who you partner with. Look for creators who have an authentic connection to your music and a highly engaged fanbase, not just a huge follower count.
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Post your own content: TikTok users love to see artists use the app like regular fans. Post your own video creations using your song, participate in silly trends, and duet videos that use your music. It fosters a sense of authenticity and accessibility.
TikTok‘s Impact on the Future of the Music Industry
TikTok‘s domination of music is no passing fad – the app has fundamentally altered how hits are made and how fans discover new artists. This has major implications for the future of the industry:
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The death of gatekeepers: TikTok has made the path to musical success more democratic than ever. You no longer need the backing of a major label or tastemaking DJ to make it big. Any artist can reach a massive global audience from their bedroom. While this is an exciting development, it‘s also led to concerns about market saturation and a "race to the bottom" as artists compete for fleeting viral fame.
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The triumph of the single: TikTok‘s bite-sized video format has accelerated the shift away from albums and toward a singles-driven music economy. Songs are increasingly treated as "content" to be consumed in fast, disposable clips rather than as part of a larger artistic statement. This has some worried about the devaluation of music as an art form.
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A new playbook for A&R: TikTok has become the music industry‘s most powerful A&R tool. Labels now scour the app to scout new talent, identify potential hits, and track the success of marketing campaigns in real time. While this data-driven approach can be ruthlessly effective, some fear it will lead to a homogenization of pop music as everyone chases the same trends.
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The sped-up hit cycle: In the TikTok era, songs can peak and flame out faster than ever. Tracks that take off on the app enjoy a quick boost but often struggle to sustain momentum long-term. This is a double-edged sword for artists. It allows them to reach massive audiences practically overnight but makes it harder to build enduring careers. The pressure to deliver a nonstop stream of viral-optimized singles can lead to creative burnout.
What‘s Next for Music on TikTok?
As we look ahead to 2023 and beyond, all signs point to TikTok‘s influence on music continuing to swell. The app has not only changed how hits are made, but also the kinds of songs that become hits. In a recent report, TikTok identified these key music trends it expects to shape the next year:
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Niche genres going mainstream: From sea shanties to Russian pop, TikTok has a knack for surfacing obscure or regional music styles and thrusting them into the spotlight. As the app‘s user base grows more global, this cross-pollination of genres will only accelerate.
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Throwbacks and nostalgia: TikTok loves breathing new life into old songs. Expect even more blasts from the past to rocket up the charts as they‘re rediscovered by a new generation on the app. 2022 already saw this with tracks like Kate Bush‘s "Running Up That Hill" (1985) and Goo Goo Dolls‘ "Iris" (1998) having major resurgences.
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Songs as "in-jokes": TikTok‘s visual nature allows songs to take on meme-like meaning, becoming in-jokes among millions of users. Tracks like Lubalin‘s "long long man" remix series started as a parody of a Japanese commercial before morphing into a catchall punchline format. As TikTok‘s shared language evolves, music will continue to serve double duty as a social cue.
But as the old adage goes, it‘s hard to make predictions, especially about the future. The biggest TikTok hits of 2023 could come out of left field, from genres and artists we‘d never expect. That‘s what makes the app such an exciting and destabilizing force in music. It shatters industry conventions and embraces the creative chaos of a billion users‘ whims.
The biggest questions are whether TikTok‘s grip on the music industry will continue to tighten, or if we‘ll reach a point of breaking. Will artists and record labels grow weary of chasing ephemeral trends at the expense of their long-term visions? Will a rival app emerge to challenge TikTok‘s dominance as a musical tastemaker? Only time will tell.
What is certain is that the TikTok-ification of music is here to stay. The app has revolutionized not only how hits get made, but what kinds of songs become hits in the first place. It serves up a steady stream of new sounds to fall in love with, transforming the way we create, discover, and consume music. Old industry barriers are crumbling and a more decentralized, democratic pop landscape is emerging. Unpredictable, energetic, and unapologetically fun, TikTok has made pop music a more lively space again. As a marketer and music lover, I can‘t wait to dance along to whatever it serves up next.
