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[Music] Greatest UK no1 Single



Stato

Well-known member
Dec 21, 2011
7,365
Re-reading your post I now see that, think I was too focused on defending middle-aged people’s right to make lists!

:thumbsup:

I've got a copy of a book compiled by Tony Jasper called 'The Top Twenty' that, unlike the Guinness Ones, lists singles in chart week order. A sad game that we have played off and on for years in my family is to pick a year from the book, choose 64 songs from that year's Top 20s , write them on scraps of paper and draw them in an FA Cup competition. You then pour drinks and play the matches, by arguing out and eventually voting for which song should go through to the next round, playing the singles if the choice is close and tossing a coin if the vote is tied. You then draw the next round until you get to the final.

Drinks are obviously essential, but it can pass a fun night, shouting at each other over whether Toni Basil's 'Mickey' beats Rainbow's 'I Surrender'. If you ever play, you might notice that The Police haven't aged well: you thought you liked them, but all their singles seem to go out in the third round proper, whatever they are up against. When picking a year, avoid 1983. Unless you live with some very strange people, nothing's going to beat 'Blue Monday'.
 




maltaseagull

Well-known member
Feb 25, 2009
13,357
Zabbar- Malta
I like that a lot.

Did I miss Hot Cocolate, Chicory Tip, Credence Clearwater Revival, Marmalade, The Sweet, The Supremes, The Hollies, Ennio Morricone, Family, The Sex Pistols.....?

Most of the voters weren't born when these were around.

Having said that, I would have got rid of Hot Cocolate, Chicory Tip, Marmalade & The Sex Pistols..
 


southdownswolf

Active member
Aug 4, 2003
168
eastbourne
I've got a copy of a book compiled by Tony Jasper called 'The Top Twenty' that, unlike the Guinness Ones, lists singles in chart week order. A sad game that we have played off and on for years in my family is to pick a year from the book, choose 64 songs from that year's Top 20s , write them on scraps of paper and draw them in an FA Cup competition. You then pour drinks and play the matches, by arguing out and eventually voting for which song should go through to the next round, playing the singles if the choice is close and tossing a coin if the vote is tied. You then draw the next round until you get to the final.

Drinks are obviously essential, but it can pass a fun night, shouting at each other over whether Toni Basil's 'Mickey' beats Rainbow's 'I Surrender'. If you ever play, you might notice that The Police haven't aged well: you thought you liked them, but all their singles seem to go out in the third round proper, whatever they are up against. When picking a year, avoid 1983. Unless you live with some very strange people, nothing's going to beat 'Blue Monday'.

Having looked at the top 64 for 1983 I was determined not to concur. But I have to....
 


jakarta

Well-known member
May 25, 2007
15,738
Sullington
Can I just say that the Best Song You Have Heard Today thread on little old NSC wipes the floor with that list and will continue to so do.
 


GREASED WEASEL

New member
Dec 10, 2017
2,893
It only reached number 4, so:

Band of Gold by Freda Payne,
You Can Get It If You Really Want It by Desmond Dekker &
Black Night by Deep Purple

Competition was pretty strong back then.

More of a travesty was that the greatest single ever made only reached number 2. Waterloo Sunset was held off the top by The Tremeloes 'Silence is Golden'. Also 'God Only Knows' was kept at number 2 by 'Yellow Submarine'. If you let the people choose they choose Barabbas (or awful novelty songs by massively overrated scousers).

Elvis kept alot off the number 1 spot around that time
 






Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Patron
Oct 8, 2003
56,058
Faversham
Most of the voters weren't born when these were around.

Having said that, I would have got rid of Hot Cocolate, Chicory Tip, Marmalade & The Sex Pistols..

Six out of ten....I'll Take That :thumbsup:
 


Jul 20, 2003
20,666
I've listened to ALL of them over the last week (I say ALL ... I didn't bother with the last 20 years) .......... and it's 'Ashes To Ashes'
 




Questions

Habitual User
Oct 18, 2006
25,495
Worthing
It only reached number 4, so:

Band of Gold by Freda Payne,
You Can Get It If You Really Want It by Desmond Dekker &
Black Night by Deep Purple

Competition was pretty strong back then.

More of a travesty was that the greatest single ever made only reached number 2. Waterloo Sunset was held off the top by The Tremeloes 'Silence is Golden'. Also 'God Only Knows' was kept at number 2 by 'Yellow Submarine'. If you let the people choose they choose Barabbas (or awful novelty songs by massively overrated scousers).

Noooooooo it’s the Jimmy Cliff version we want Stato.
 


Questions

Habitual User
Oct 18, 2006
25,495
Worthing
Chicory Tips ‘Sun of my Father’ kept. American Pie from number one so it’s that one,

Or maybe Joe Dolce keeping Vienna off the top nicks it.
 
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Eeyore

Colonel Hee-Haw of Queen's Park
NSC Patron
Apr 5, 2014
25,886
No, he was also kept at number 2, first by The Bee Gees 'Tragedy', then by Gloria Gaynor's 'I Will Survive'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrjHz5hrupA

You have to agree with the Gibb brothers' assessment of that fact.

Capture.JPG
 




DumLum

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2009
3,772
West, West, West Sussex.
The Guardian has been spending the past six weeks counting down the greatest uk no1 single of all time. I find such rundowns are often affected by recent news (especially when voted for by the public) - bohemian rhapsody being decried the best ever shortly after Freddie's death, Wonderwall when Oasis split. This one hasn't to, my knowledge, been so affected, except perhaps by who misses out, (for example no R.Kelly for Gotham City, or y'know, 'I Believe I can Fly' or other massive hits of his)

It was quite surprising to me that their number one is 'West End Girls' by Pet Shop Boys. I mean, I like the song, but greatest ever?

Numbers 100-21 were covered in groups of ten, then the top 20 got entire articles to themselves, this is the number one article:
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2...st-uk-no-1s-no-1-pet-shop-boys-west-end-girls

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

I didn't think Wonderwall ever made it to number 1 although it was their biggest selling single.

Just had a glance at wikipedia and it suggests Robson & Jerome stopped it.
Apparently 3rd biggest selling single in the uk not to get to number 1.
 








Acker79

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Nov 15, 2008
31,921
Brighton
I didn't think Wonderwall ever made it to number 1 although it was their biggest selling single.

Just had a glance at wikipedia and it suggests Robson & Jerome stopped it.
Apparently 3rd biggest selling single in the uk not to get to number 1.

That may be true, but I definitely remember it topping a 'greatest songs' list of some variety shortly after Oasis broke up.
 


Stato

Well-known member
Dec 21, 2011
7,365
Noooooooo it’s the Jimmy Cliff version we want Stato.

Yes, I only have the Jimmy Cliff version. Just had a listen on Youtube and Desmond's version was a by numbers copy. However he is a quality singer and it wasn't at all bad. In fact, you've made me realise that there is a Desmond Dekker shaped hole in my record collection, that I must do something about.
 








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