Snow Patrol's Chasing Cars is most played of decade

Snow Patrol song Chasing Cars was the most widely played song of the decade, according to music licensing body PPL.

The 2006 track originally reached number six in the UK singles chart, but chalked up 94 weeks in the top 75 through download sales.

Take That's Shine was at two while Scissor Sisters track I Don't Feel Like Dancin' finished at three.

The figures were compiled from the number of plays on UK radio, TV, online and in public places such as shops.

Chasing Cars took on a life of its own in terms of airplay after its inclusions on TV shows including US drama Grey's Anatomy and Gavin & Stacey.

Timeless tracks

It was also named this week as the nation's favourite song of the decade for a Channel 4 programme.

Snow Patrol frontman and songwriter Gary Lightbody said of the track's enduring appeal: "I think that the song has worked because it has an emotion that people can relate to."

Take That were the only act to have two tracks in the top 10, with Rule The World at six.

While the majority of songs in the top 50 were released in the past decade, some tracks have proved to be timeless with 11 released from previous decades.

The highest entry was Thin Lizzy's 1976 track The Boys Are Back In Town, while the oldest was Aretha Franklin's I Say A Little Prayer from 1968 at 50.

The most recent year for chart entries is 2007, as the tracks need time to build up sufficient plays to figure in the list.