hit single
Radio rotation staple
A hit single is a song released individually that achieves commercial success, typically through high sales or streaming numbers and radio airplay.
The term comes from the era when songs were sold on single records rather than albums.
A hit single often drives an album's popularity: The album spawned three hit singles.
In casual use, any widely popular song may be called a hit single regardless of how it was released.
- chart-toppingRanking first in sales
- record-breakingExceeding prior bests
- earwormInescapable catchy melody
- radio airplayMusic transmitted via stations
- music industryCommerce around songs
stuck in your head · hook · music video · dance floor · banger · summer anthem · number one · pop charts · bops · melody · gold record · Billboard · A-Sides · trendsetting · chorus · song · streaming platforms · lyrics
- music industryalbum, albums, record label, record labels, labels
- hit singlesnumber one
- showbizHollywood, Bollywood, Tinseltown, backstage, behind the scenes
- music businessrecord label, record deal, royalty, album, recording artist
- pop songschorus, refrain, verse, lyrics, melody
- Hitssmash, megahit, chart-topper, number-one
hit singleflop
Complete commercial failure
bomb · dud · miss · underperformer · stiff
hit singledeep cut
Obscure album track
album track · hidden gem · obscurity · fan favorite · cult classic
hit, single, hitting, hits, singles, hitter, singled, singling, hitters