60 Years of the UK Charts, What is your Favourite No1?

Posted by: Paul@HiFi Lounge on 14 November 2012

Hi Guys,

 

Just heard on the radio that today marks the 60th anniversary of the first recording of single sales in the UK which got me thinking what my favourite UK number one in that period was and what others thought and what stories you have related to it.

 

Apparently there have been 1200 Number ones in the last 60 years so we have loads of choice, although I probably couldn't name anything in the last 20 years if I'm honest, I guess really I would love to say something like Bowies 'Space Oddity' or Queens 'Bohemian Rhapsody' but they were a little before my time. When I was 9 I remember the impact Elvis's death had on the world and 'Way Down' going to number one which sparked my love of music and my first vinyl purchase but if I'm totally honest being an teenager in the 80's was a great time, especially the first half of the decade so I have to admit, although I'm sure there will be far cooler songs mentioned the No1 that I will always remember and the excitement it caused is -

 

Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax (1984)

 

I'll never forget the day it was knocked of the No1 spot by Nena's '99 Red Balloons' what a travesty  But Relax really seemed to get people excited, it didn't hurt with Mike Reid banning it I guess which seems crazy today, and I became a big Frankie fan collecting all their vinyl from around the world, even today I can't resist yet another greatest hits release purchase.

 

I found this website that lists all the No1's if anyone would like a look, is anyone going to mention Benny Hills 'Ernie' 

 

http://www.onlineweb.com/theones/

Posted on: 14 November 2012 by BigH47

Apache  1960

Posted on: 14 November 2012 by Cbr600

Mud - tiger feet (only kidding)

Posted on: 14 November 2012 by Kevin-W
Originally Posted by Cbr600:

Mud - tiger feet (only kidding)

Well it's one of my favourites, and the second record I ever bought.

Posted on: 14 November 2012 by Quad 33

All the singles by the great artist that should have got to No1 but where prevented by the dross that did .

 

Regards Graham.

Posted on: 15 November 2012 by TWP

 My favourite would have to be God Save the Queen by the Sex Pistols, which it seems has been missed off the list. 

 

TWP

 

Posted on: 15 November 2012 by Derry

Freda Payne - Band of Gold.

Posted on: 15 November 2012 by Komet

 My favourite would have to be God Save the Queen by the Sex Pistols, which it seems has been missed off the list. 

 

Did it reach number 1? I thought it was stopped from attaining the top spot by political pressure put on to avoid it spoiling the Queen's jubilee?

 

Posted on: 15 November 2012 by tonym

A Whiter Shade of Pale - Procol Harum. No question.

Posted on: 15 November 2012 by TWP
Originally Posted by Komet:

 My favourite would have to be God Save the Queen by the Sex Pistols, which it seems has been missed off the list. 

 

Did it reach number 1? I thought it was stopped from attaining the top spot by political pressure put on to avoid it spoiling the Queen's jubilee?

 

Well thats the debate really,

It would have been number 1 but it was omitted from the chart rundown at the time due to all the attention it was getting and the BBC not wanting to upset the status quo. I have a vague recolection of Top of the pops showing the top 10 rundown with the number 1 spot empty  then playing rod stewart instead , though i may have dreamt that up.

 


 

Posted on: 15 November 2012 by BigH47

Probably something by the great artist stopped from getting there by the dross that Graham liked?

Posted on: 15 November 2012 by Sloop John B

I suppose there was an age in all  our lives when a no. 1 meant an awful lot to us.

 

 

for me it was The Boomtown Rats  - Rat Trap. Bob tearing up the photo of Olivia and John on TOTP. 

 

A geeat song set in my hometown.

 

SJB

 

 

Posted on: 15 November 2012 by Guido Fawkes

 Obviously the best number 1s are on the Beatles LP called "1"

 

Other than that "Something in the Air" by Thunderclap Newman or "Bad Moon Rising" by CCR or "Black Night" by Deep Purple. Was "Silver Machine" a #1?

 

 

Posted on: 15 November 2012 by ewemon
Originally Posted by Guido Fawkes:

       

 Obviously the best number 1s are on the Beatles LP called "1"

 

Other than that "Something in the Air" by Thunderclap Newman or "Bad Moon Rising" by CCR or "Black Night" by Deep Purple. Was "Silver Machine" a #1?

 

 


       


Nope Silver Machine only reached No 3.

The first song that came to mind for me was Scott Mackenzies- San Francisco but Procol Harum would would be there as well.
Posted on: 15 November 2012 by ewemon
Originally Posted by Komet:

       
My favourite would have to be God Save the Queen by the Sex Pistols, which it seems has been missed off the list.

Did it reach number 1? I thought it was stopped from attaining the top spot by political pressure put on to avoid it spoiling the Queen's jubilee?


       


Only made no 2. But there are and will always be rumours that it was "kept" off the no 1 spot because it might cause offence.

It certainly was the best selling single in the record shop where I worked at that time and that was without the usual chart hyping as we were a BMRB Chart Diary shop.

The BBC apparently put up on their website at one point that it had in fact made no 1 though no comment has ever been made whether this was true or not.
Posted on: 15 November 2012 by Bruce Woodhouse

Gutted to find 'Fairytale of New York' by Kirsty Maccoll and The Pogues only made no.2

 

 

Bruce

Posted on: 15 November 2012 by Kevin-W
Originally Posted by Bruce Woodhouse:

Gutted to find 'Fairytale of New York' by Kirsty Maccoll and The Pogues only made no.2

 

 

Bruce

What was the record that kept it off the top slot Bruce?

 

That'd be my favourite number one

Posted on: 16 November 2012 by Adam Meredith
Originally Posted by Guido Fawkes:
Other than that "Something in the Air" by Thunderclap Newman  ....

Almost as ghastly as 'Lilly the Pink'.

Posted on: 16 November 2012 by Bruce Woodhouse
Originally Posted by Kevin-W:
Originally Posted by Bruce Woodhouse:

Gutted to find 'Fairytale of New York' by Kirsty Maccoll and The Pogues only made no.2

 

 

Bruce

What was the record that kept it off the top slot Bruce?

 

That'd be my favourite number one


I don't want to look and shatter my faith in humanity (further).

 

Bruce

Posted on: 16 November 2012 by ewemon
Originally Posted by Bruce Woodhouse:

       
Originally Posted by Kevin-W:
Originally Posted by Bruce Woodhouse:
Gutted to find 'Fairytale of New York' by Kirsty Maccoll and The Pogues only made no.2


Bruce
What was the record that kept it off the top slot Bruce?

That'd be my favourite number one

I don't want to look and shatter my faith in humanity (further).

Bruce

       


Pet Shop Boys- You Were Always on my Mind.

This was a list of Kirsty McColls fav album in 94.

1. THE BEACH BOYS ... Pet Sounds
2. IGGY POP ...Lust For Life
3. THE SMITHS ... Strangeways, Here We Come
4. XTC ... Black Sea
5. STEELY DAN ... Pretzel Logic
6. THE COCTEAU TWINS ... Heaven Or Las Vegas
7. KID CREOLE & THE COCONUTS ... Tropical Gangsters
8. BOB MARLEY ... Live
9. DAVID BOWIE ... Station To Station
10.FRANK BLACK ... Teenager Of The Year. Source - GB
Posted on: 16 November 2012 by Steve J

For me it has to be the 1st single I ever bought for 3/6; The Animals 'House of the Rising Sun'.

 

Steve

Posted on: 16 November 2012 by Cbr600

My choice would be focus --- hocus pocus

Posted on: 16 November 2012 by Guido Fawkes
Originally Posted by Adam Meredith:
Originally Posted by Guido Fawkes:
Other than that "Something in the Air" by Thunderclap Newman  ....

Almost as ghastly as 'Lilly the Pink'.

 

Greetings Adam 

 

Are you saying you preferred 2 Day's Monday, Thank U Very Much, Do You Remember, Liverpool Lou, Liver Birds and In My Liverpool Home some of the many gems in the Scaffold's amazing catalogue to their number 1 smash hit with a bullet? I'd also recommend the excellent pre-Scaffold album by McGough and McGear. However, I disagree with your description of L the P as I would summise do Mr. Frears, Brother Tony, Old Ebeneezer, Johnny Hammer, Auntie Millie and Jennifer Eccles who found it most efficacious in every case.

 

Something in the Air was written by John Speedy Keen (I think his real middle name was Percy, but he preferred Speedy for reasons neither I nor Ray Davies can fathom) who started as a Pete Townshend's chauffeur. He also wrote Armenia City in the Sky which is on The Who Sell Out. I would urge you to give Thunderclap Newman's one and only album a listen: it is called Hollywood Dream and features the superb track below called Accidents. 


 

Life's just a game, you fly a paper plane, there is no aim

 

All the best, Guy 

Posted on: 16 November 2012 by Guido Fawkes
Originally Posted by Cbr600:

My choice would be focus --- hocus pocus

Was that #1? I remember Sylvia in the hit parade 

 

There is, of course, a fine tribute band called I Don't Believe It's Not Focus ... who play 20 minutes guitar solos between organic yodels in every song, when one audience member went up to the exhausted looking guitarist, after a particularly hectic extended solo and said "I bet you're knackered. man?", he received the retort "No Jan Akkerman".  

 

Moving Waves is an excellent record - in my humble opinion. 

Posted on: 16 November 2012 by Cbr600
Originally Posted by Guido Fawkes:
Originally Posted by Cbr600:

My choice would be focus --- hocus pocus

Was that #1? I remember Sylvia in the hit parade 

 

There is, of course, a fine tribute band called I Don't Believe It's Not Focus ... who play 20 minutes guitar solos between organic yodels in every song, when one audience member went up to the exhausted looking guitarist, after a particularly hectic extended solo and said "I bet you're knackered. man?", he received the retort "No Jan Akkerman".  

 

Moving Waves is an excellent record - in my humble opinion. 

LOL

Maybe it wasn't no 1, I just assumed it was, and such an iconic song at the time,

Will check out moving waves.

Have focus at the bbc, but not that impressed !

Posted on: 16 November 2012 by fatcat
Originally Posted by Cbr600:
Originally Posted by Guido Fawkes:
Originally Posted by Cbr600:

My choice would be focus --- hocus pocus

Was that #1? I remember Sylvia in the hit parade 

 

There is, of course, a fine tribute band called I Don't Believe It's Not Focus ... who play 20 minutes guitar solos between organic yodels in every song, when one audience member went up to the exhausted looking guitarist, after a particularly hectic extended solo and said "I bet you're knackered. man?", he received the retort "No Jan Akkerman".  

 

Moving Waves is an excellent record - in my humble opinion. 

LOL

Maybe it wasn't no 1, I just assumed it was, and such an iconic song at the time,

Will check out moving waves.

Have focus at the bbc, but not that impressed !

Focus live at the Rainbow is a disappointment, but Moving Waves is a classic album IMO. Van Leer and Akkerman get the plaudits, but the other members are top notch, Pierre Van Der Linden is one of my favorite drummers and Cyril Havermans is no slouch.

 

From something beautiful and simple.

 

 

To classic prog.