At the 2021 BMI London Awards, a number of classic hits were honored with a slew of Million-Air Awards, a title that recognizes songwriters of iconic songs that have been broadcasted more than a million times on TV and radio.
Sting’s writing for The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” sat at the top of the list, with 16-million plays. Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” and “We Will Rock You,” the Rolling Stones’ “Honky Tonk Woman,” and Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love” were all honorees in the 8-million-plays category.
For 7-million-plays, BMI honored Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets” and “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” Gerry Rafferty’s “Baker Street,” Sting’s “Don’t Stand So Close to Me,” Paul McCartney’s “Live and Let Die,” Bernie Marsden for “Here I Go Again.”
For 6-million-plays, the honorees included Elton John’s “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues,” Trevor Rabin and Jon Anderson’s “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” Nick van Eede’s “(I Just) Died In Your Arms,” and Per Gessle’s “It Must Have Been Love.”
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