Back to school: The Top 20 most-streamed school songs

With school very much back for Autumn, we count down the UK's most popular School songs.

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September has arrived and schools are back in session - a relief for some, a crushing disappointment for others.

The subject of school has long been an inspiration for songs - 16 tracks themed around it, albeit loosely at times, have reached the UK's Official Singles Chart Top 40. 

As students across the country prepare their shiny new rucksacks, lay out their fresh uniforms and prepare their new stationery for a new school year, we reveal the UK's Top 20 most streamed 'School' songs. First, some highlights...

Busted – What I Go To School For

With 18.2 million streams, Busted tops out the list with their debut single, which peaked at Number 3. Proving its lasting popularity, the track has had 3.4 million plays this year alone, despite being released in 2002 - 12 years before streaming came into effect!

Alice Cooper – School’s Out

The catchy, iconic hook of Alice’s breakout single is burned into generations of school memories. Spending three weeks at Number 1 in August 1972, School’s Out is still very much loved, clocking up 6.4 million streams since records began in 2014. Unsurprisingly around the last week of July each year - the last week of the primary and secondary school year for most - it sees a solid uptick in streams - this year it saw an 85% increase between 18 and 25 July.

Beyonce – Schoolin’ Life

Despite not actually charting, Schoolin’ Life is close behind School’s Out at 6.1 million streams. Every day is a school day, right? Originally featuring on the extended edition of Bey’s fourth album, its electric drum beats and retro feel has seen this track compared to some of Prince’s best work.

Cast of High School Musical 3 - High School Musical

Who says we have to let it go? Nobody - and we haven’t. Because despite being released over ten years ago, the title track from the third High School Musical fillm has been streamed in the UK more than 500,000 times this year alone, and in total racking up 3.2 million audio and video streams.

The Official Top 20 most-streamed School songs:

POS TITLE ARTIST YEAR PEAK
1 WHAT I GO TO SCHOOL FOR BUSTED 2002 3
2 HIGH SCHOOL NICKI MINAJ & LIL WAYNE 2012 31
3 ME AND JULIO DOWN BY THE SCHOOL YARD PAUL SIMON 1972 15
4 HIGH SCHOOL NEVER ENDS BOWLING FOR SOUP 2007 40
5 CONCRETE SCHOOLYARD JURASSIC 5 1998 35
6 SCHOOL'S OUT ALICE COOPER 1972 1
7 SCHOOLIN LIFE BEYONCE 2001  
8 SCHOOL SPIRIT KANYE WEST 2004  
9 BACK TO SCHOOL (MINI MAGGIT) DEFTONES 2000  
10 SCHOOL NIRVANA 1989  
11 BOY FROM SCHOOL HOT CHIP 2006 40
12 OLD SCHOOL LOVE LUPE FIASCO FT ED SHEERAN 2013  
13 HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL CAST OF HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3 2008  
14 SCHOOL OF GRIME CHIP/D DOUBLE E/JAMMER 2015  
15 BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT FRANKIE AVALON 1978  
16 SCHOOL SONG ORIGINAL CAST RECORDING 2011  
17 OLD SCHOOL URBAN CONE 2017  
18 SCHOOL SUPERTRAMP 1974  
19 OLD SCHOOL 2PAC 1995  
20 OLD SCHOOL HOLLYWOOD SYSTEM OF A DOWN 2005  

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Scomarty

0

You forgot "Girl's School" by Wings - Double A side to "Mull of Kintyre" a No.1 in 1977.