It’s called “Put Your Records On,” but people sure do love streaming it. A billion times now, Corrine Bailey Rae’s 2006 hit has been played on Spotify. It thus joins the Spotify Billions Club, becoming her first song to surpass the billion streams threshold.
Though debut single “Like a Star” charted higher in the United States, “Put Your Records On” quickly became the English singer’s signature hit, climbing all the way to No. 2 in the United Kingdom and earning nominations for Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the 2007 Grammys, when she was also up for Best New Artist. The song’s durability was proven when American indie rocker Ritt Momney’s cover went viral in 2020. But as the streaming stats show, the original “Put Your Records On” continues to pull in a remarkable number of listeners.
Bailey Rae wrote “Put Your Records On” with John Beck and producer Steve Chrisanthou for her 2006 self-titled debut album. Kicking off with a reference to Bob Marley’s worry-free “Three Little Birds,” the track wrings good vibes from a lighthearted, upbeat backing track and the easygoing grace Bailey Rae brings to her ever-so-slightly gritty vocals. “Girl, put your records on,” she sings on the chorus. “Tell me your favorite song/ You go ahead, let your hair down.”
The infectious qualities of “Put Your Records On” were evident from the start, though not necessarily to Bailey Rae herself. “It was a shock to me,” she later told Billboard of the song’s success. “I thought it was going to be much more of an underground record because it was underproduced. I wasn’t expecting that reaction at all.” More recently, Bailey Rae told M Magazine, “I’m really indebted to ‘Put Your Records On.’ It opened a million doors for me. It really helped my other songs get heard and allowed me to do what I wanted, which makes me feel very lucky.’”
