The 100 greatest UK No 1s

[kernelbogey]

The Guardian [non-classical] music staff have compiled, and now published, a list of their very personal selection of the greatest records to have reached No 1 in the charts. Only one entry to any individual artist or band. Other rules observed by the compilers, together with the full list of 100, with brief narrative and links to YouTubes here:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/apr/27/the-100-greatest-uk-no-1s

A tip: before you get too heated about but they have left out..... I recomend checking that it made it to No 1!

Members of a certain age may be pleased to note that No 100 is Rock around the clock - Bill Haley and the Comets.

[johncorrigan]

Nothing like a list, kb. Thanks. Glad to see 'Telstar' in there, and didn't know that 'These Boots were made for Walking' was intended to be sung by a man (well, I suppose it was written by Lee Hazlewood) - definitely would have a different feel - Nancy turned 80 this week, I noticed. Plenty songs I've never heard of and a few appalling choices among the ones I have...but I suppose that's a list for you!

[Dave2002]

To my surprise I actually know about 14 of those on the list, and probably a few not on the list. That would probably take my awareness of the UK - even world - pop scene to about 30 over 50 years - which is less than one a year. I really don't like much pop/non-classical music, though I exempt a lot of jazz and some folk music and some "world" music. If other people do, that doesn't bother me too much, as long as others don't worry about my penchant for different types of music.

Is anyone going to dare to put up their own list?

[antongould]

46 Queen Bohemian Rhapsody
45 Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water
44 Rick Astley Never Going to Give You Up .....

Probably only me .......

[Dave2002]

Looks like 15-ish I know a bit about or am aware of.

3 9 11 15 26 28 37 45 46 61 62 75 86 92 100

I like some of those, but not all.

[johncorrigan]

One thing I do take issue with - Present...'Mouldy Old Dough' by Lieutenant Pigeon; Absent...'Apache' by the Shadows. (or did I miss something?)

[cloughie]

One thing I do take issue with - Present...'Mouldy Old Dough' by Lieutenant Pigeon; Absent...'Apache' by the Shadows. (or did I miss something?)

jc, I absolutely agree with you about the Shadows but not about Mouldy Old Dough - for no real reason I’ve always liked it - great tune and one which features on one of my car compilation CDs.

[teamsaint]

A list of songs that should have been No1, in a better world, would be a better exercise, IMO.

I'll kick try to subvert KB's thread by offering one off the top of my head:

Substitute. The Who.

Incidentally, the Guardian list is really dreadful. Almost impossible, but honest, only " She Loves You " by the Beatles ?

The T Rex selection is just plain wrong. Brass in pocket ? Really ? It's not even the Pretenders best song.

And, the clincher...this is missing !! Unforgiveable.

[gurnemanz]

Anything after about 1969 is liable to be unfamiliar to me. However, we did have offspring playing music in the house which might have reached my ears. I've put the list on Spotify and when I listen (might involve some fast forwarding) I will probably recognise more than I was aware of actually knowing.

[kernelbogey]

Incidentally, the Guardian list is really dreadful.

Well what do you expect of a pinko - amost red - paper?

Almost impossible, but honest, only " She Loves You " by the Beatles ?

Hearing it in (IIRC) the summer of 1963 it was revolutionary, revelatory - and we loved it: it wasn't just teenage girls who went bananas over it! So that's why I support it.

The Guardian staff go out of their way to point up the subjective nature of the list.

What would your Beatles choice* have been, TS?

* [NB, only one record per artist/band, in their self-imosd rules]

[teamsaint]

Really surprised that Message in a Bottle didn't make it. But the the Police just aren't cool, are they ? And no Every Breath you Take ? should be an absolute certainty .On the other side, Ghost Town, great record, great band, deserves to be in the top 100, but the second best of all time ? Not really. And as for the Pet Shop Boys sitting on top of the list........

List of no 1s here.

https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/all-the-number-1-singles__7931/

I had no idea that Voodoo Chile was a no 1.

Small Faces " All or Nothing" is a significant omission

[teamsaint]

Well what do you expect of a pinko - amost red - paper?



Hearing it in (IIRC) the summer of 1963 it was revolutionary, revelatory - and we loved it: it wasn't just teenage girls who went bananas over it! So that's why I support it.

The Guardian staff go out of their way to point up the subjective nature of the list.

What would your Beatles choice* have been, TS?

* [NB, only one record per artist/band, in their self-imosd rules]

Sorry, KB, I thought there must have been a 1 per band limit, I just missed it on the inevitable skim read. In which case She Loves You is a fair call. Wouldn't be my top choice, but it would be most peoples, and it is wonderful.

[johncorrigan]

Really surprised that Message in a Bottle didn't make it. But the the Police just aren't cool, are they ? And no Every Breath you Take ? should be an absolute certainty .On the other side, Ghost Town, great record, great band, deserves to be in the top 100, but the second best of all time ? Not really. And as for the Pet Shop Boys sitting on top of the list........

List of no 1s here.

https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/all-the-number-1-singles__7931/

I had no idea that Voodoo Chile was a no 1.

Small Faces " All or Nothing" is a significant omission

'House of the Rising Sun' is an omission, for me - I would have had Thunderclap Newman in my top ten rather than down in the 70s...still sounds great when it comes on the radio.

[gurnemanz]

'House of the Rising Sun' is an omission, for me - I would have had Thunderclap Newman in my top ten rather than down in the 70s...still sounds great when it comes on the radio.

Agree. I bought and still have House of the Rising Sun. One of the longest 7" singles at the time - 4.30 mins. I remember my sister bought Thunderclap Newman, so I didn't need to.

[teamsaint]

'House of the Rising Sun' is an omission, for me - I would have had Thunderclap Newman in my top ten rather than down in the 70s...still sounds great when it comes on the radio.

When I looked through the full list of no 1s , HOTRS did look an obvious omission, though it isn't a favourite of mine. It is, among other things though , a really distintive single.