From genre-blending hits to Grammy-fueled momentum, Xperi’s In-Car Listening Report for Q1 2025 confirmed that music’s genre-fusion trend continues, while also revealing remarkable staying power among key artists with eight songs carrying over from Q4 2024 into the Q1 2025 top ten.
The report ranks the top ten most listened-to songs in vehicles for the quarter, with Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ new collaboration “Die with a Smile,” and Shaboozey’s “Bar Song (Tipsy)” — which is still going strong — dominating the U.S. and global lists. Meanwhile, British singer-songwriter Myles Smith takes over the U.K. top ten list, holding the #1 and #2 spots with “Nice to Meet You” and “Stargazing” respectively.
The quarter wasn’t just about returning favorites — new talent also gained traction, with some Grammy wins pushing songs back into rotation. Collaborations along with solo performances dominated the lists.
Xperi’s In-Car Listening Report reflects active listening from over 10 million vehicles across 150 countries equipped with the DTS AutoStage platform, providing unique insights into what people are really listening to on the road.
Top Ten Most Listened-To Songs In-Vehicle U.S. Q1 2025
Top Ten Most Listened-To Songs In-Vehicle U.K. Q1 2025
Top Ten Most Listened-To Songs In-Vehicle Global Q1 2025
Collabs rising in the top ten
Three high-profile collaborations hit the top ten U.S. and global charts among in-vehicle listeners, two of which featured perennial hitmaker Bruno Mars. This marks a shift from Q4 2024, when solo artists largely dominated the charts, highlighting a growing appetite for star-powered collaborations in early 2025. K-Pop star Rosé collaborated with Mars on “APT.,” which debuted quietly on the Q4 2024 lists, then surged on the Q1 2025 U.S., U.K. and global top ten lists. Mars’ star power no doubt contributed to its rise and the song, which originated as a Korean drinking game, went viral on social media turning it into an international hit.
After winning Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the Grammy Awards in February 2025, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die with a Smile” (released in August 2024), become the #1 and #2 most listened-to songs in-vehicle in the U.S. and globally, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Post Malone/Morgan Wallen collab, “I Had Some Help,” fused pop and country genres to climb to #4 in the U.K. charts.
The top songs that crossed borders
Five songs hit all three top 10 lists (U.S., U.K., and global) — a sign of their broad international appeal.
Shaboozey’s “Bar Song (Tipsy)” was #1 globally among in-vehicle listeners for the second straight quarter and continued its three-quarter streak across both the U.S. and global top ten lists.
Myles Smiths’ “Stargazing” and Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” have also become in-vehicle listening mainstays, holding top ten positions since Q2 and Q3 of 2024, respectively. Hozier’s “Too Sweet” made a comeback this quarter, after falling off the charts in Q4 2024, following strong top ten placements in Q2 and Q3 of that year. Rosé and Bruno Mars’ “APT.” also landed on all three top ten lists.
Pop meets country, soul and disco: Genre fusion tracks drove Q1’s biggest hits
If there’s one thing the Q1 most listened-to songs in-vehicle demonstrated, it was that they refused to remain in the ‘genre’ box. Artists repeatedly fused genres — and listeners were all in.
Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die with a Smile” blends pop-soul with soft rock, while Shaboozey’s “Bar Song (Tipsy)” blends country, folk, hip hop/rap and pop. Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” (#5 in the U.S. and #6 globally) and “APT.” by Rosé and Bruno Mars have a pop-meets-new-wave vibe, while Sabrina Carpenter merges funk and disco in “Espresso” which was #3 in the U.S. and #4 in the U.K. Carpenter’s dedication to fusing genres also was evident in her second hit, “Taste,” which layered glam-pop with a little bit of country and indie rock to reach the #8 spot globally in Q1.
Staying power
Some of Q1’s most listened-to tracks in-vehicle were carry-overs from previous quarters. Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season,” released in July 2022, was the oldest track in this quarter’s top ten lists, taking #9 in the U.K. after previously reaching #4 and #9 on the U.K. top ten in Q4 and Q3 2024, respectively. Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control,” released in July 2023, also stood the test of time with in-vehicle listeners, dropping from #5 in Q4 2024 to #6 on the U.S. top ten list for Q1. In Q2 2024, the song took the #1 spot in the U.S., and #2 in the U.K. and globally.
Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” is as ubiquitous in-vehicle as it is everywhere else. Released in early 2024, and following her energetic Grammy performance, the song stayed firmly in the top ten at #3 in the U.S. and #4 globally. Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things,” released in January 2024, made a splash in Q2 2024 hitting #1 and #2 on the Global and U.S. lists, respectively. Bolstered by his Best New Artist nomination and possibly his backflipping, dynamic performance at the 2025 Grammy Awards, it remained on the top ten lists at #3 in the U.K., #7 in the U.S. and #10 globally.
Shaboozey’s “Bar Song (Tipsy),” released in April 2024, is now a mainstay with in-vehicle listeners, positioned on the top ten for three consecutive quarters. And, finally, Myles Smith’s “Stargazing,” released in Q2 2024, marked its third straight quarter in the top ten lists across all three markets, underscoring its wide-reaching appeal.
New songs on the rise
Q1 wasn’t just about returning favorites — it also made room for some new hits. Rosé and Bruno Mars’ “APT.” made a massive leap from the lower ranks in Q4 2024 to top ten status across the board. Myles Smith claimed the #1 spot in the U.K. with “Nice to Meet You,” showing he’s more than a one-hit wonder. Gracie Abrams, daughter of filmmaker J.J. Abrams (known for “Star Wars,” “Mission Impossible,” “Armageddon” and more), is riding the wave of her steadily growing fanbase, landing her first top ten hit with “That’s So True.” Meanwhile, Lola Young’s “Messy” has broken through in the U.K. and is quickly gaining traction worldwide.
Listening trends continue to evolve
The tastes of today’s in-vehicle listeners remain eclectic. Whether it’s a viral drinking-game anthem, a pop-folk ballad with award credibility or a track released three years ago that suddenly feels relevant again, in-cabin listening continues to evolve.
Compared to a year ago, when in-vehicle listening charts were dominated by solo pop and hip-hop artists like Jack Harlow, Tate McRae and Taylor Swift, Q1 2025 shows a clear evolution toward genre fusion and collaborative tracks. While last year’s top songs largely stuck to mainstream pop formulas, this quarter’s list is more sonically diverse — blending country with hip-hop, K-pop with R&B and folk with soul. High-profile collaborations, such as Bruno Mars teaming up with Rosé and Lady Gaga, underscore a growing listener appetite for cross-genre experimentation and the dynamic appeal of star-powered duets.
Global Q1 2025 Top Ten
Global Q1 2024 Top 10
Methodology
Top ten list data was gathered from the DTS AutoStage Broadcaster Portal from January 1 to March 31 and represents data from over 11 million vehicles across 150 countries equipped with the DTS AutoStage platform.
The DTS AutoStage Broadcaster Portal provides radio broadcasters worldwide with analytics about where their audiences are listening, when they are listening, how long they are listening and the content they enjoy the most. Radio stations can access the DTS AutoStage Broadcaster Portal at no cost, whether they are broadcasting digitally or via analog by registering through the DTS AutoStage Broadcaster Portal.
