The 'wrong' song reached number 1

[Sardonicus]

Inspired by hearing Sister Sledge t'other day. They're the prime example of this sort of act - loads of classic hits that get close to the top but not quite, then they eventually get one as a sort of LONG SERVICE award, in this case, the weak 50s pastiche of Frankie.

Lost In Music or He's The Greatest Dancer should have been 6 week chart toppers instead

 

[Sardonicus]

Erasure also fit the bill perfectly. An incredible run of hits but only the EP of ABBA covers reaching the top, shortly before ABBA Gold brought about a full on revival. There's at least 5 other singles that deserved it more.

 

[Sardonicus]

Also Steps. Yes, Tragedy was a signature tune that hit the top, but a whole bunch of near misses after until the forgettable Stomp made it.

 

[Sardonicus]

Yes 911 were shit, but if they had to have a number 1 it should have been Bodyshakin', not this weak sauce cover.

 

[Ellie]

I do love it, but this being Prince’s only #1 is just wrong.

 

[Sardonicus]

I do love it, but this being Prince’s only #1 is just wrong.

A PRIME example of this phenomenon. It being released around Valentine's Day helped.

 

[Sardonicus]

I'm not much of an LL fan but he did better than the 5443338th version of Ain't Nobody.

 

[Sardonicus]

Another one very similar to Prince - it's his only solo UK number 1.

 

[BoysForSeles]

I can see why this did go to number one but they should have had others to go with it.

 

[Sardonicus]

Perfectly fine song that deserved to hit big, but wouldn't trouble my Eurythmics top 10.

 

[Agneeta]

 

[Madison]

This feels cruelly unrepresentative:

 

[Sardonicus]

Hugely well known & not 'wrong' as in poor quality, but pretty much an entirely different band to their later incarnation.

 

[Madison]

Two for one: Neneh Cherry and Eric Clapton’s only number one:

 

[disneyteletubby]

Of all the songs that sample Enya, this

 

[Sardonicus]

THIS making it in the middle of THAT singles run - charity tie-in notwithstanding.

 

[disneyteletubby]

Should've been Say It Right for Nelly Furtado (Loose era) not these

Also a surprise that I'm Like A Bird wasn't higher; also Turn Off The Light was one place higher. It's catchier, yet I've never heard it on the radio (nor that song).

 

[Madison]

Horrible people, but their other hit should have been their only number one:

 

[ZenGiraffe]

Horrible people, but their other hit should have been their only number one:

I resent this song as it was number 1 on the day I was born. I missed Shakespeare's Sister - Stay by I think TWO DAYS

 

[Debbie Jellinsky]

Before All I Want for Christmas reached no. 1 in Germany in 2019, this was the only other Mariah single to achieve this. Mind boggling.

 

[Debbie Jellinsky]

Should've been Say It Right for Nelly Furtado (Loose era) not these
View attachment 43156
View attachment 43157
Also a surprise that I'm Like A Bird wasn't higher; also Turn Off The Light was one place higher. It's catchier, yet I've never heard it on the radio (nor that song).

Can't argue with Maneater, still a banger. I'll never understand the appeal of Promiscuous though.

 

[Sardonicus]

Not surprising that it got to number 1 in the middle of their big year, maybe surprising it was the only one to make it - but it should have been When Will I Be Famous.

 

[disneyteletubby]

Okay a much older one, Distant Drums seems to be the only UK number 1 (also posthumous) that Jim Reeves had.
(My dad, who wasn't even born in Jim's lifetime, has long been a fan, and has several of his CDs, so my younger sisters and I kind of grew up listening to them too. )

Welcome To My World, also released in 1963, seems better though (was used in a kind of recent Wickes furniture ad I think, some female cover).

 

[Sardonicus]

Okay a much older one, Distant Drums seems to be the only UK number 1 (also posthumous) that Jim Reeves had.
(My dad, who wasn't even born in Jim's lifetime, has long been a fan, and has several of his CDs, so my younger sisters and I kind of grew up listening to them too. )

Welcome To My World, also released in 1963, seems better though (was used in a kind of recent Wickes furniture ad I think, some female cover).

Gentleman Jim was the original Eva Cassidy in that he made a whole career out of BEING DEAD

My cousin used to cry from start to end when his grandma played Jim's misery fest I Love You Because.

 

[disneyteletubby]

Aw Jim's songs are rather melancholic also I love hearing Eva Cassidy's version of Songbird. I somehow knew her version of Fields of Gold before the original by Sting.

 

[Sardonicus]

Mull Of Kintyre was under the Wings name, Ebony & Ivory a duet, so this, staggeringly, seems to be Macca's only UK chart topper under his own name.

 

[Penelope]

View attachment 43155
Of all the songs that sample Enya, this

Someone's forgotten Fugees - Ready Or Not!

 

[disneyteletubby]

Someone's forgotten Fugees - Ready Or Not!

Ah of course, thanks for pointing it out! I wasn't sure if it was #1 in the UK; that's the Official Charts' website's fault for not putting the Fugees' song under Enya's name.

 

[disneyteletubby]

All were/are based in the UK: M People, David Gray, Maggie Reilly, Dido, Natalie Imbruglia, and Amy Winehouse have never had a UK #1 single
Edit: not even KT Tunstall (I assumed Black Horse and the Cherry Tree and Suddenly I See were at least top 10, but no. )

 

[BoysForSeles]

All were/are based in the UK: M People, David Gray, Maggie Reilly, Dido, Natalie Imbruglia, and Amy Winehouse have never had a UK #1 single

They had some big albums though which make up for it.

I was more surprised Five Star, Tina Turner, Bananarama and Dannii Minogue couldn’t nab one despite being in the top 10 so often. Pop injustice.

 

[disneyteletubby]

True though with Maggie's it's shared with Mike Oldfield (Tubular Bells).


Also Laura Branigan didn't have a #1 here either (Self Control the album did well though), nor Sissel (her best in the UK charts was that Warren G one but not top 10). Vitamin C (I thought she'd at least have been top 40 with the Graduation song, but not even top 75).

 

[disneyteletubby]

Read All About It (Pt. III) being number 3 whilst the first version with Professor Green was #1

(makes sense numerically, and knowing his story behind the song, but I prefer Emeli Sandé only)

 

[VoR]

It made sense at the time, but history has proved that it’s very far from being the song she’ll be remembered for.

 

[hyperwoof]

Inspired by hearing Sister Sledge t'other day. They're the prime example of this sort of act - loads of classic hits that get close to the top but not quite, then they eventually get one as a sort of LONG SERVICE award, in this case, the weak 50s pastiche of Frankie.

Lost In Music or He's The Greatest Dancer should have been 6 week chart toppers instead

I fucking hated this song and I fucking hated the video. Probably still do but I refuse to experience it again in any form to be able to confirm it.

 

[Sardonicus]

No UK number 1 for Billy, but how many people would pick this as his only US chart topper?

 

[Music]

While I do really like What About Us, they have much more deserving number ones in their back catalogue.

 

[Santaliger007]

I wubs frankie add one laters but anything adel not clue


Ligers roxs

 

[VoR]

Bit of a niche one, but Johnny Logan's two Eurovision winners got to #1 and #2 respectively, and Hold Me Now (the #2) is far better and more well regarded these days than dreary old What's Another Year.

 

[Agneeta]

In For The Kill was a much bigger hit.

 

[Sardonicus]

In For The Kill was a much bigger hit.

I'm going in for the KILL
My mother was on THE BILL
I'm hoping you'll UNDERSTAND
She was SEARGENT JUNE ACKLAND