Connie Francis confessed that she barely remembered recording “Pretty Little Baby” in 1962. But even though the song never cracked Billboard’s Hot 100, it has gained new life on TikTok -- which named the singer’s sticky-sweet ballad the app’s Top Global Song of 2025.
According to a year-end report, TikTok said that “Pretty Little Baby” was used more than 28.4 million times across its user base in 2025. That put it ahead of Jess Glynne’s “Hold My Hand” and the Black Eyed Peas’ “Rock That Body.”
In a news release, TikTok said that the song “was the perfect soundtrack for wholesome videos featuring family members, pets, relationships and flowers.“
The song was part of videos or memes that were viewed more than 68.6 billion times; Kylie Jenner’s video with her daughter Stormi accounted for more than 132 million views.
TikTok has named Connie Francis‘ saccharine 1962 hit “Pretty Little Baby” the Top Global Song of 2025.https://t.co/PzBhQ5611K
— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) December 9, 2025
“Pretty Little Baby” had its first notable surge in May, when it topped the TikTok Music Charts with more than 1.3 million posts.
“I am thrilled and overwhelmed at the success of ‘Pretty Little Baby,’” Francis said in a news release at the time. “I recorded that song 63 years ago and to know that an entire new generation now knows who I am, and my music is thrilling to me.
“Thank you so much everybody, thank you TikTok.”
Francis died on July 16, 2025. She was 87.
Two official audios on the app have 2.4 million and 1.3 million videos featuring “Pretty Little Baby,” while many other minute-long clips of the song have piled up anywhere from 14,000 to 1 million videos.
“Pretty Little Baby” was one of 40 songs Francis recorded during several recording sessions over four days in August 1961, according to her 2017 autobiography -- "Among My Souvenirs: The Real Story Vol. 1."
The track was part of her album, “Connie Francis Sings Second Hand Love & Other Hits.”
Jumping ahead six decades, Taylor Swift, Sombr, and Tate McRae also had big years on TikTok.
Swift was the Global Most-Saved Artist in 2025, while Sombr’s “Back to Friends” was the Global Most-Saved Track. McRae’s "So Close to What" was the Global Most-Saved Album.
Doechii inspired the Music Trend of the Year with “Anxiety,” which includes a sample of “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye.
The songwriter of the year was EJAE, who co-wrote the single “Golden,” which has garnered 9.8 million creations and 23.6 billion views on TikTok.
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