In 2026, a trend has been rising; the comeback of old songs and bands. The Rolling Stone reported that “Mr. Brightside” has been “charting in the U.K. for over 400 weeks.” On Oct. 13, 2025, the song had a total of 2.8 billion streams. By March 16, 2026, it reached 3 billion streams, hitting an all-time peak. The song’s popularity shows that even decade old tracks can capture a new generation of listeners.
Artists such as The Smiths, Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, Panchiko, and Kate Bush have been exploding in popularity on social media and streaming platforms.
Panchiko, in particular, has been an old band that has recently gained many new followers and streams following the reissue of their original demo album “D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L.” This late ‘90s to early 2000s band gained traction in 2025 and 2026 with younger generations because of their unique and soothing music.
Jeff Buckley has also gained traction amongst teens and young adults, even decades after his passing. His song “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over” continues to grow in popularity. His music has found new audiences, especially among listeners interested in alternative culture.
Kate Bush’s music and career has also returned to the spotlight due to a plethora of contributing factors. The TV show “Stranger Things” helped reintroduce her work, especially “Running Up That Hill.” Forbes reported that “Wuthering Heights jumps more than 30 pegs, improving from No. 58 to No. 27. Previously, the song surged to No. 26 in the summer of 2022, and in the coming periods, it’s possible that Bush’s nearly half-century-old single could push higher than ever before.”
According to The Guardian, older songs such as “Champagne Coast” by Blood Orange, “Forever Young” by Alphaville, and “Another Love” by Tom Odell have been very popular on social media and on streaming platforms despite all coming out over a decade ago.
Faculty members have noticed the trend as well. Upper School Science Teacher Dr. Winterer said, “I’ve particularly noticed the recent popularity in the band Journey, which is a band I particularly despise. I think that the songs that one loves the best are the ones that have residence to your experiences and older songs, resonate with childhood and youth.”
LCDS sophomore Sam R. has also noticed the trend. “I’ve seen a little bit of Metallica, Old 97’s, and Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit [on social media]” he said. When asked about the rise of older songs on social media, he added, “I’d say we need to bring back this kind of music. New music doesn’t have that soulful feel.”
