What makes a viral hit? The singers behind the catchy songs

The singer's song from 1962 recently went viral on TikTok

Many people are paying tribute to American singer Connie Francis, who is the voice behind the viral hit Pretty Little Baby.

The singer has passed away at the age of 87.

Her song, released in 1962, recently went viral on social media with people on platforms like TikTok and Instagram using the catchy tune in videos and lip-syncing to the song.

Some creators have come up with renditions of their own and the singer even lip-synced to the track herself in a video released last month.

Lots of songs have had a big moment on social media in recent years, but have you ever wondered who some of the people are behind the hits?

Read on to find out more.

Anxiety, Doechii

Doechii is a Grammy Award winner

Doechii is an American rapper and singer who has won a Grammy, and she was also a headliner at Glastonbury 2025.

Her song, Anxiety, which was released in 2024 has proven popular all across social media this year.

But did you know it samples another tune?

It's a song called Somebody That I Used to Know, which was released by singer Gotye in 2011.

Beautiful Things, Benson Boone

Benson Boone performed his hit song at the Grammys

Benson Boone is an American singer-songwriter.

He released his song, Beautiful Things, early in 2024 and the song became a TikTok sensation.

It also reached number two on the Billboard 100 and number one on the Billboard Global 200 chart.

He performed his hit at the Grammys earlier this year.

Million Dollar Baby, Tommy Richman

Tommy Richman's hit song went viral before it was complete

Tommy Richman is another American rapper who has had lots of musical success - thanks to the power of social media.

His tune Million Dollar Baby was released in 2024, but the song started going viral on social media before it was even finished!

The artist released snippets before its official debut, which got millions of views online.

Ordinary, Alex Warren

Alex Warren is also a YouTuber and influencer

Alex Warren is an American singer-songwriter and the voice behind the hit song Ordinary, which was released earlier this year.

The song has remained at the top of the Billboard 100 for the last six weeks and has been on the US chart for an impressive 22.

Did you know Alex Warren is also a YouTuber?

He's known for making prank videos, often featuring other influencers.

What's the recipe for a viral song?

So what actually makes a song more likely to go viral? Newsround spoke to the BBC's music reporter Mark Savage who shared what he thinks are the perfect ingredients for a song to take off online. Here's what he told us:

Natasha Bedingfield's song Unwritten has lyrics people enjoy acting out

Memorable lyrics. It helps if a song has a story people can act out. It doesn't have to be complicated, just memorable. A recent example is Natasha Bedingfield's Unwritten, which had a lot of people running around in thunderstorms, as she sang "feel the rain on your skin".

Singer Doja Cat's song Say So was hugely popular on social media

A dance trend. K-pop bands like Blackpink, Le Sserafim and Stray Kids have really complicated dance moves that people try to copy in their TikTok videos, but sometimes simple choreography is better. Doja Cat's Say So and Chappell Roan's Hot To Go were so easy that even parents could do them.

Lots of people on social media enjoy songs with big moments like Dua Lipa's Training Season

A "drop". TikTokkers love a transition… so a song where the music suddenly changes is perfect for revealing a make-up transformation or a pet dog doing something unexpected. A classic example is The Shangri-Las song Remember (Walking In The Sand) – which millions of people used for the moment where the song stopped and went "oh no no no". It's been overused now, Mark says, but other examples include Olivia Rodrigo's Vampire and Dua Lipa's Training Season.

What viral hit are you enjoying at the moment? Why not let us know in the comments below.