Three Little Birds is Most Requested Song for 2022

“Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley and the Wailers was confirmed as the most requested song of 2022 by patients and staff of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital. It tops our chart for a second time – the first being in 2019 – and it’s rapidly becoming a firm request chart favourite having never appeared before 2014. The song was was first released back in 1980 and only reached No.17 in the charts.

The runner-up was also a request chart favourite, as “Dancing Queen” by Abba has now been in our chart for 19 of the last 21 years! It topped our annual countdown in 2018.

In third place was a new entry for a track which was first released way back in 1985 – the year the request chart started. “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush missed out on the request chart back then (although only a Top 10 was compiled that year), but thanks to “Stranger Things” on the TV, the track made number one in the UK last year, breaking the record for the slowest song ever to reach the top (37 years!). She also became the artist with the longest gap between number one hits (44 years), and the oldest woman to reach the top spot.

Finishing fourth was “Hotel California” by the Eagles – it’s highest ever placing on our chart

Dolly Parton has two songs inside the year’s Top 10, including a former number one “Islands In The Stream” with Kenny Rogers.

Alan Joyce introduced the countdown on Radio Brockley for the 31st year in a row, with live tweets being sent out by Macie Lewis.

MOST REQUESTED SONGS OF 2022
1    (4)    THREE LITTLE BIRD Bob Marley and the Wailers
2   (10)   DANCING QUEEN Abba
3    (-)    RUNNING UP THAT HILL (A DEAL WITH GOD) Kate Bush
4    (re)   HOTEL CALIFORNIA Eagles
5    (9)    BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY Queen
6    (22)  DOCK OF THE BAY Otis Redding
7    (35)  AFRICA Remmy Williams
8    (36)  ISLANDS IN THE STREAM Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton
9    (re)   JOLENE Dolly Parton
10  (re)   SHAPE OF YOU Ed Sheeran
11   (1)   MR BLUE SKY Electric Light Orchestra
12   (3)   SWEET CAROLINE Neil Diamond
13   (8)   MR BRIGHTSIDE The Killers
14  (20)  I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY (WHO LOVES ME) Whitney Houston
15  (30)  I’M STILL STANDING Elton John
16  (37)  FLYING WITHOUT WINGS Westlife
17  (re)   I WILL SURVIVE Gloria Gaynor
18   (-)   HERE COMES THE SUN The Beatles
19   (2)   MY WAY Frank Sinatra
20  (18)  THE BEST Tina Turner