LONDON — Most people have a favorite song — but what about a favorite cleaning song? A new poll has crowned “I Want To Break Free” by Queen as the top tune people love while cleaning their house.
The pop track from 1984 edged out “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor, “Take on Me” by a-ha, and “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper, according to a survey of 2,000 adults in the United Kingdom. “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” by Bonnie Tyler, also swept its way into the top 10.
The research was commissioned by Samsung to mark the launch of its Clean Qweens team, which will see housekeepers decked out in uniform inspired by the greatest power ballad to clean to. To kickstart their vacuuming voyage, the Clean Qweens paid a visit to one of the nation’s favorite, self-confessed cleaning fanatics, Rylan Clark – who welcomed the team into his house, equipped with their vacuums.
“I love a clean and tidy house, so having the Clean Qweens around, and having a laugh while they kept the place looking pristine, was lots of fun,” Rylan says in a statement. “I’m not sure whether it was the vacuum, the music, or both, but they definitely put their backs into it, and the place was spotless.”
“The right tune and tech can be the perfect companions to get you into the cleaning mood, infusing that extra boost of energy and motivation needed to tackle the task with gusto,” adds Dan Barfield, head of domestic appliances UK and Ireland, for Samsung Electronics.
“With its infectious rhythm, uplifting tempo, and empowering lyrics, we can see why Queen’s ‘I Want to Break Free’ hit the top spot on the list.”
Other tracks respondents love to groove to when breaking out the vacuum include “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire, and “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon.
Meanwhile, 17 percent love nothing more than to crank up Taylor Swift’s 2014 hit, “Shake it Off,” according to the OnePoll figures. Almost a third (31%) have ended up doing more cleaning than they’d planned because they were vibing to the music so hard.
To say Queen has had a lasting impact on music fans would be an understatement. The band’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” was also recently voted as the top song to drive to by a poll of 2,000 people.
Top 20 Best Songs To Clean To:
- “I Want to Break Free” – Queen
- “Don’t Stop Believin'” – Journey
- “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” – Whitney Houston
- “Happy” – Pharrell Williams
- “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” – Cyndi Lauper
- “I Will Survive” – Gloria Gaynor
- Uptown Funk” – Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
- “I Want to Know What Love Is” – Foreigner
- “Total Eclipse of the Heart” – Bonnie Tyler
- “Shake It Off” – Taylor Swift
- “Take On Me” – a-ha
- “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” – Aerosmith
- “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” – Justin Timberlake
- “September” – Earth, Wind & Fire
- “November Rain” – Guns N’ Roses
- “Is This Love” – Whitesnake
- “I’ll Be There for You” – Bon Jovi
- “Shut Up and Dance” – Walk The Moon
- “Alone” – Heart
- “Heaven” – Bryan Adams
72Point writer Charlie Bayliss contributed to this report.
