20 songs that were inescapable and then seemingly disappeared

There was a time when you couldn't enter a public space without hearing those opening synths and the iconic "I don't care!" scream. It was the ultimate carefree summer anthem that dominated every commercial and movie trailer before quietly retreating into our 2013 nostalgia playlists.

This track was inescapable, turning every dive bar and house party into a dramatic, slow-motion sing-along. We were all convinced this was the start of a legendary rock era, but now it mostly serves as a time capsule for that specific, theatrical indie-pop moment.

The world was literally doing the horse dance for a solid year, and we all knew every beat of the music video by heart. It was the first truly viral global takeover of the streaming era, yet once the craze passed, it felt like the entire internet collectively decided to move on at the same time.

Before the TikTok challenges revived it for a brief second, this song was the peak of indie-pop cool. We had it on repeat during the era of skinny jeans and neon colors, but it eventually slipped away as music continued to evolve. 

You couldn't turn on a TV or radio in 1999 without being swept up in the Latin explosion led by this track. 

This was the song that launched a thousand lip-sync videos and made everyone obsessed with a catchy chorus again. It was pure, unadulterated pop perfection that was everywhere for months, only to become one of those hits we remember fondly but rarely hear in the wild anymore.

Even though we don't hear this one as often these days, Bruno Mars tracks will always be instant mood boosters. 

The xylophone intro and the arthouse music video made this the most unique No. 1 hit in years. We were obsessed with the breakup drama and the harmonies, but Gotye’s quick exit from the mainstream spotlight turned the song title into a literal description of his career.

Before she was the queen of heartbreak ballads, this was the soulful stomp that introduced her to the entire world. It played on a loop for what felt like two years straight, and while we still respect the vocals, it’s no longer the constant background noise of our lives.

The "Clueless" aesthetic and the infectious beat made this the undisputed song of the summer in 2014. We rapped along in the car, but after its massive peak, the song fell off. 

This was the ultimate club starter, making us all feel like we needed to party. It was the peak of the EDM-influenced pop era, and while it had been a staple for DJs for years, it eventually fizzled out as the sound of clubs changed.

We spent an entire year trying to master the "superman" dance and uploading low-quality versions to YouTube. It was a cultural reset for the digital age, but once the dance craze ended, we rarely hear this track anymore.

Whether it was the original or the Justin Bieber remix, this song was everywhere for an entire summer. It broke every streaming record in existence, but the sheer over-saturation eventually led to a collective burnout that we still haven't quite recovered from.

The whipped-cream cannons and the candy-coated pop sound defined the summer of 2010. It was the peak of Katy Perry’s chart dominance, but as her sound matured and the "Teenage Dream" era ended, this sugar-rush of a track slowly faded out of the rotation.

Leona Lewis made us all feel something with this song, and even though we don't listen to it regularly these days, it'll always be a hit in our eyes. 

Imagine Dragons had a grip on the radio that felt unbreakable for a few years, and this track was the peak of that stomping, anthemic sound. It was the background music for every sports montage and commercial until the world finally reached a breaking point.

This song spent a record-breaking amount of time on the charts, fueled by its heavy bass and apocalyptic vibes. It felt like it was playing in every store we walked into for three years straight, which explains why we rejoiced when we finally got the break we needed from it. 

The retro-pop sound and the body-positive message made this an instant viral hit that stayed at #1 for weeks. 

This was the third part of the Imagine Dragons radio takeover, delivering yet another massive anthem that was impossible to avoid. It followed the same successful formula as their other hits, but the sheer volume of their songs on the airwaves eventually led to them disappearing from the zeitgeist just as quickly.

The "texting via Excel" moment in the music video is legendary, and the song itself was the R&B blueprint for the early 2000s. We all knew every word to the Kelly Rowland hook, but it’s one of those tracks that now only resurfaces during "throwback" nights or very specific nostalgia binges.