Thank goodness for Google! Easily the most used search engine in the U.S. and always at our fingertips, we’re never far from finding immediate answers to our most burning questions.
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From investigating controversy to digging deep on viral hits and scoping out tour stops, Google’s got every music fan’s back and we’re diving deep into what exactly they were interested in exploring in 2023.
From the top trending musicians and songs, to the tunes people hummed into their phones, we’re looking at it all with an inside look into Google’s data reflecting the top trending searches in the U.S. Each of the following lists represent searches that had a high spike in traffic over a sustained period in 2023 as compared to 2022.
Top Trending Musicians 2023
Country had a big year as three strictly Country musicians made the top 10 — two of them being in the top 3. Jason Aldean sits atop the list after a big year with the release of his Highway Desperado album and accompanying tour. His music was also the center of a lot of buzz as there was ongoing conversation surrounding the release of his “Try That In A Small Town” lyrics and accompanying video. Oliver Anthony also sits towards the top as he skyrocketed to fame after connecting with hard-working Americans through his song, “Rich Men North of Richmond." Also in the top three is rapper, Ice Spice, who had a break-out year with new music and involvement in the Barbie movie soundtrack.
Top 10 Trending Musicians 2023
Jason Aldean
Ice Spice
Oliver Anthony
Peso Pluma
Joe Jonas
Sam Smith
Matt Healy
Kellie Pickler
Kim Petras
Sexyy Red
Top Trending Songs 2023
Synonymous with the top spots above, it’s no surprise that Jason Aldean and Oliver Anthony top this list as well while they had two of the most controversial songs of the year — Aldean with “Try That in A Small Town,” and Anthony with "Rich Men North of Richmond." A spike in searches shows that fans were invested in the conversations happening — further proof that music matters. “Unholy” by Sam Smith and Kim Petras also appropriately nears the top as the song earned Petras a GRAMMY for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance making her the first transgender woman to take home an award in that category.
Top 10 Trending Songs of 2023
"Try That In A Small Town - Jason Aldean
"Rich Men North of Richmond" - Oliver Anthony
"Unholy" - Sam Smith and Kim Petras
"Ella Baila Sola" - Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma
"Boy's a liar Pt. 2" - Ice Spice and PinkPantheress
"Kill Bill" - SZA
"Cruel Summer" - Taylor Swift
"Margaritaville" - Jimmy Buffett
"Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53" - Shakira
"vampire" - Olivia Rodrigo
Top Trending ‘Hum to Search’ Songs 2023
In a world full of new music and always-emerging new artists, it can be hard to keep up. This is where Google saves the day with their 'Hum to Search’ feature. Giving fans the opportunity to literally “hum, sing, or whistle” the song they want info on into their phones, computers or tablets, it’s an easy way to find answers to your burning music questions. No surprise here that the top trending songs have a highly recognizable sound which clearly captured the ears of listeners.
Top 10 Trending ‘Hum to Search’ Songs 2023
"Seven Nation Army" - The White Stripes
"Kill Bill" - SZA
"Ballin'" - Mustard
"Tom's Diner" - AnnenMayKantereit
"Until I Found You" - Stephen Sanchez
"Flowers" - Miley Cyrus
"Barbie Girl" - Aqua
"Shinunoga E-Wa" - Fujii Kaze
"Believer" - Imagine Dragons
"Wellerman" - Nathan Evans
You can find more from Google's Year In Search here.