If you've ever thought that Snow Patrol's song 'Chasing Cars' is on the radio more than usual, always seems to be on in shops and is generally a song that you simply cannot seem to get away from - well, you haven't been imagining it.

The Northern Irish band's 2006 single, taken from their album 'Eyes Open', has been named the Most Played Song of the 21st Century. Yes, really.

Gary Lightbody and co.'s track beat Black Eyed Peas' 'I Gotta Feeling' and Pharrell's 'Happy' to the punch, according to music licencing company PPL. They arrived at the song after taking into account plays on TV and radio, as well as in public places like shops and businesses across the UK.

Lightbody told the Telegraph that he wasn't quite sure why the song had taken off in such a way.

'I’ve never been able to figure out entirely why it’s been such a success,” he said. "It is one of the most played songs around the world don't quite know why. It’s simple, it’s heartfelt, it’s honest - these are all things appealing to people and I don't know why.”

He also said that the song's use on an episode of 'Grey's Anatomy' had given it a huge boost in the US.

"They asked us whether they could use the track six weeks before it was on in America, so we had forgotten," he said. "It would have been during the UK bedtime so we went to bed one night and woke up the next morning and Chasing Cars was number one on US iTunes overnight."

If you need your memory jogged, hear the track below. All together now: "If I lie heeeeere...."