Eyal Golan Tops Radio Airplay Charts; Gender Gap Persists

Eyal Golan's song "Science Fiction" was the most played song on Israeli radio in the past Hebrew year, according to data released by ACUM, the Israeli performing rights society. This marks a significant achievement for Golan, whose popularity on the radio remains strong despite past controversies. The song was written by Avi Ohayon, who also co-composed it with Idan Shenar and Matan Dror.

Coming in second place was "Strange Bird" by Faris Tasi, followed by Noam Ben Tzur's "MICHELLE" in third. Tasi proved to be a dominant force, with three songs in the top ten, including last year's hit "What Will Be Tomorrow" at number four and "She Doesn't Know Why" at number nine. Osher Cohen's "Everyone is a Thief" rounded out the top five.

Behind the scenes, Avi Ohayon continued his reign as the most played creator for the eighth consecutive year, leading both songwriting and composing charts. Tzlil Kalfi was recognized as the most played female creator, co-writing "MICHELLE."

Despite the successes, the ACUM data highlighted a persistent gender disparity in Israeli radio. Only four women made it into the top 20 most played artists, and just two of the top 20 songs were performed solely by female artists. This gap was also evident among creators, with only two women in the overall creator rankings and none in the top 20 arrangers. While Sarit Hadad led the female singers' chart, she ranked sixth overall.

The rankings are based on data from ACUM's AcumOnAir system, which monitors broadcasts across 34 national and regional radio stations in Israel.