Music is a unique art form that can delight, create a mood and bring about change. Recently, the National Broadcasting Service’s website, RÚV, published a list of the most played songs in Iceland over the past year, and it was pretty interesting. Seeing how Icelandic music held its own against the most popular international music was heartening. Almost half of the 30 most-played songs on Icelandic radio were by Icelandic performers. The same was true for the biggest streaming service, Spotify, with 16 of the 30 most played songs being Icelandic.
These are the most played songs on Icelandic radio in 2023, meaning all the country’s main radio stations.
| 1 | Ed Sheeran | Eyes Closed | Atlantic |
| 2 | Dua Lipa | Dance The Night | Warner Records |
| 3 | Diljá | Power (Diljá) | Ríkisútvarpið |
| 4 | Emmsjé Gauti | Þúsund hjörtu | Emmsje ehf |
| 5 | GDRN | Parísarhjól | GDRN ehf. |
| 6 | Loreen | Tattoo | Universal Music AB |
| 7 | Júlí Heiðar, Kristmundur Axel | Ég er | Júlí Heiðar |
| 8 | David Guetta feat. Anne-Marie & Coi Leray | Baby Don’t Hurt Me | Warner Music |
| 9 | Klara Elias | Nýjan stað | Klara Elias |
| 10 | Páll Óskar & Doctor Victor | Galið gott | Alda Music |
These are the ten most streamed songs on Spotify in Iceland in 2023
| 1 | Miley Cyrus | Flowers | Columbia |
| 2 | PATR!K, Luigi | Skína | PATR!K |
| 3 | Käärijä | Cha Cha Cha | WM Finland |
| 4 | Loreen | Tattoo | Universal Music AB |
| 5 | SZA | Kill Bill | Top Dawg Entertainment |
| 6 | Aron Can, Birnir | Bakka ekki út | Trúpí |
| 7 | Daniil, Friðrik Dór | ALEINN | Alda Music |
| 8 | Metro Boomin, The Weeknd, 21 Savage | Creepin’ | Republic Records |
| 9 | Herra Hnetusmjör, Friðrik Dór, Þormóður | Vinn við það | Kóbois ehf |
| 10 | BRÍET | Dýrð í dauðaþögn (BRÍET) | One Little Independent Records |
Then, primarily for fun, here are my most played songs last year: Flowers with Miley Cyrus, then Tusen bitar with Björn Afzelius, Stockholmsvy with Hannes, Sólblóm with Briet, vinir with Elína Hall, Frosið sólarlag with Auður og gususar, Song of Nature with Bon Iver, Ophelia with The Band, The River with Bruce and in tenth place Ekkert þras with Lay Low, Moses Hightower, Egill Ólafsson and Högni.
