Thirty-five years after Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989, a cover of the song from Deadpool & Wolverine rules the TikTok Billboard Top 50 dated Dec. 21.
The TikTok Billboard Top 50 is a weekly ranking of the most popular songs on TikTok in the United States based on creations, video views and user engagement. The latest chart reflects activity from Dec. 9 to 15. Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard charts except for the TikTok Billboard Top 50.
The I’ll Take You There Choir version of “Like a Prayer,” heard in the 2024 Marvel/Disney superhero film originally released in July, lifts 2-1 to rule the chart in its second week.
The choir-led rendition of the song has earned TikTok prominence thanks most recently to a trend in which creators tell a long text-based story (often one that’s embarrassing for the user), accompanied by a photo of Pepe from The Muppets.
This version of “Like a Prayer” earned 1.5 million official U.S. streams in the week ending Dec. 12, a gain of 37%, according to Luminate. Madonna’s original, meanwhile, has received auxiliary attention of its own: 1.6 million streams, up 12%.
“Like a Prayer” leads a change at the top of the TikTok Billboard Top 50, as M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” and Malcolm Todd’s “Chest Pain (I Love)” follow at Nos. 2 and 3, respectively, both songs’ first time in the top five.
“Paper Planes,” a No. 4 hit on the Hot 100 for M.I.A. in 2008, vaults 21-2 in its second week on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 thanks to a dance trend. Its corresponding streaming gains are enough to push the song onto the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart at No. 16 via 3.7 million streams, a gain of 29%.
“Chest Pain (I Love),” meanwhile, continues to rise after the song was released on streaming services on Dec. 4, following weeks of it being teased on TikTok. Todd’s repeated “I love” refrain is highlighted in most of the clips, which often center around creators and the people or things they love. The tune earned 3.1 million streams in its first full week of release and bowed at No. 20 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs.
Two other songs pop into the TikTok Billboard Top 50’s top 10 for the first time, led by Frank Ocean’s “White Ferrari,” which leaps 13-6. “White Ferrari” reaches the top 10 in its ninth week on the tally and marks Ocean’s first song in the region since the ranking began in September 2023. The song rises from the “lamp looks weird” trend, where users question if a moment they think they’re experiencing or want to experience is actually happening or if it’s some sort of simulation or dream.
The other, Jeddy Knox’s “Wander On,” jumps 14-10 in its second week. Released Nov. 21, the country song has been used in a variety of sports-related videos as well as other general viral content.
See the full TikTok Billboard Top 50 here. You can also tune in each Friday to SiriusXM’s TikTok Radio (channel 4) to hear the premiere of the chart’s top 10 countdown at 3 p.m. ET, with reruns heard throughout the week.
