By: Alexia Hilarczyk | Publish Date: May 5th, 2026
TikTok has quickly become one of the most powerful platforms influencing the music industry, changing how songs become popular, how artists gain recognition, and how certain songs meet their downfall. From reviving decades-old tracks to launching the careers of many unknown musicians, this app is redefining what it means for music to succeed in today’s digital age.
One of TikTok’s major impacts is the sudden resurrection of older songs. Tracks that were released years ago, maybe even decades ago, are finding new life as they become part of viral trends on the app. For example, “Let’s Groove” by Earth, Wind, & Fire (1981) went viral on TikTok in early spring of 2025 as a dance trend people shared with their friends, as did the song “Fire in My Heart” by Escape From New York (1983) in January of 2026, drawing attention from younger generations who had never heard them before.
Another extremely popular song, “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush (1985), resurfaced on social media due to the show Stranger Things and went viral on TikTok, including people posting covers, adding instruments not originally in the song, and making up dances. These trends introduce older music to the younger generations, often pushing the songs back onto the music charts and streaming platforms.
However, not everyone views TikTok as having a positive influence on the music industry. Many creators have used their platform to express how they feel music is losing its artistry, and their songs have been “tiktokified”. Some creators have used Sabrina Carpenter’s song “When Did You Get Hot?” as an example of a song just made so people can make TikTok transitions.
Songs are also being viewed as short-lived and one-hit wonders, or even overplayed. In this digital generation, people can be declared to have “TikTok music taste.” These people are known for listening only to extremely popular, trendy music on TikTok and not branching out to other music.
At the same time, TikTok has opened doors for new and independent artists. Musicians who are not signed to record labels have been given the chance to share their art and dedication with a global audience. Many unnoticed artists have posted videos like “If you like this artist, this artist, and this artist, then you’ll like my music.”
Rising artist SAILORR is one example, as her songs “Pookie’s Requiem” and “Coconuts” have gained traction on TikTok, helping her reach a wider audience, increase her number of listeners, and create collaboration songs with artists with a slightly larger audience. In 2023, SAILORR was still an emerging artist, releasing her first official single, “Weathered” in December. Exact Spotify monthly listener data from that year is not publicly available, but her current growth to over 2 million monthly listeners and more than 135 million total streams highlight how rapidly her audience expanded after gaining traction online. Viral sounds and trends built around these songs have allowed her music to spread quickly, showing how the platform can give upcoming artists a huge boost without requiring backing from the traditional industry.
As TikTok continues to grow and change by the day, its impact on music remains undeniable. While it offers new opportunities from older artists to emerging artists, it raises important questions about the future of creativity and originality in the music industry.
You must be logged in to post a comment.