The 20th, 120th, 220th and so on UK #1 singles - your favourite
That_Wonderful_Onion
Posts: 7,796 Forum Member
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This is the latest in a series of similar (or they could even be described as related) polls.
The poll commences with the twentieth ever UK chart topper and then has nine incremental steps of 100 so that the ten entries are as follows:-
The 20th, 120th, 220th, 320th, 420th, 520th, 620th, 720th, 820th and 920th UK #1 singles.
Please vote for your favourite.
You may award half a vote to your second favourite.
You may also award half a vote to your third favourite.
Please feel free to comment on one or more of the poll entries.
The poll commences with the twentieth ever UK chart topper and then has nine incremental steps of 100 so that the ten entries are as follows:-
The 20th, 120th, 220th, 320th, 420th, 520th, 620th, 720th, 820th and 920th UK #1 singles.
Please vote for your favourite.
You may award half a vote to your second favourite.
You may also award half a vote to your third favourite.
Please feel free to comment on one or more of the poll entries.
The 20th, 120th, 220th and so on UK #1 singles - your favourite 35 votes
Cara Mia - David Whitfield with the Mantovani Orchestra and Chorus (1954) (20th ever UK #1)
0%
Runaway - Del Shannon (1961) (120th UK #1)
20%
7 votes
Out Of Time - Chris Farlowe (1966) (220th UK #1)
5%
2 votes
How Can I Be Sure - David Cassidy (1972) (320th UK #1)
5%
2 votes
Wuthering Heights - Kate Bush (1978) (420th UK #1)
37%
13 votes
True - Spandau Ballet (1983) (520th UK #1)
14%
5 votes
Mistletoe And Wine - Cliff Richard (1988) (620th UK #1)
2%
1 vote
Some Might Say - Oasis (1995) (720th UK #1)
11%
4 votes
Flat Beat - Mr. Oizo (1999) (820th UK #1)
0%
World Of Our Own - Westlife (2002) (920th UK #1)
2%
1 vote
3
Comments
Runaway: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0S13mP_pfEc
Out Of Time: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nWBSmfZTi4s
How Can I Be Sure: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p1rpKz_52GE
Wuthering Heights: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-1pMMIe4hb4
True: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AR8D2yqgQ1U
Mistletoe And Wine: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rZCEBibnRM8&pp=0gcJCR4Bo7VqN5tD
Some Might Say: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oxOjIj18I9E
Flat Beat: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qmsbP13xu6k
World Of Our Own: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Jal-vzO8bVE
Half to Kate Bush.
Half to Oasis.
From favourite to least favourite:-
1) Out Of Time
What a fabulous track this is by Chris Farlowe! As far as I know “Out Of Time” is the only song composed by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards to be a UK #1 for a musical act other than the Rolling Stones.
2) Wuthering Heights
I may prefer other singles by Kate Bush (most notably “Army Dreamers”, “Babooshka” and the utterly exquisite “The Man With The Child In His Eyes”), but this is a rather splendid track nonetheless.
3) Some Might Say
And Some Might Say that Oasis were the best British band of their era. Would I say that too? Yes, I would.
4) Runaway
This song was co-written by Del Shannon and a musician named Max Crook. The latter invented an electronic keyboard instrument that he called a Musitron, and he plays it to great effect on this excellent track.
5) Cara Mia
An operatic style pop song beautifully sung by David Whitfield, who had a fine tenor voice. As both Whitfield and Mantovani were hugely popular in the UK seventy-plus years ago this single spent ten consecutive weeks at #1. It also made the top ten in the USA, being one of only a handful of British singles to do so during the fifties.
6) True
To cut a long story short the only Spandau Ballet song that I rate highly is “To Cut A Long Story Short”. I would call the band’s two biggest hits, “True” and “Gold”, decent but unexceptional.
7) How Can I Be Sure
I absolutely love the little known 1967 original by the Young Rascals and I really like the just as little known 1970 cover by Dusty Springfield. For me this 1972 UK chart topping cover by David Cassidy really does pale by comparison to the aforementioned two versions.
8) Mistletoe And Wine
This is neither one of my favourite Cliff Richard songs nor one of my favourite Christmas songs. In fact, the only good thing I can say about it is that I dislike “Millennium Prayer” even more.
9) World Of Our Own
Boybands, don’t you just hate them? Well, you may not, but I do!
10) Flat Beat
So this piece of drivel actually got to #1 in the UK? Go figure!
The vote is easy- Wuthering Heights. The song that launched the career of one of my absolute favourite artists of all time. Looking back, it might not be the best thing Kate ever did, but I do love it. It's easy to claim I've been a lifelong Kate Bush fan, but it's not true - when Wuthering Heights came out I was 11, and really didn't get it - although I was aware of most of her single releases at least over the next few years, it wasn't until the Hounds of Love album came out and I was a bit more grown-up and realised that she's a total genius.
The halves are more difficult and took a bit of thought....
First up - True. I'd probably agree with the OP that one of Spandau Ballet's biggest hits might not have been their finest hour, but I was 16 in 1983- this song was a big part of my teens. Spandau always seemed to be musically a cut above a lot of the teen girl-fodder that was in the charts - I even remember one of my mates whose musical tastes didn't usually run much further than heavy rock buying a copy of the album. I hadn't realised that Gary Kemp wrote True partly about his feelings towards Clare Grogan though- Yeah, you and me both, Gary!
Second- Out of Time. I almost ignored this one, even though I've developed a serious love of 60's music over the years, I'd forgotten just what an absolutely cracking track this is, I'd not listened to it in ages until this morning.
Surprisingly conspicuous by their absence in my votes- Oasis. Yes, I recognize their importance as one of the biggest bands of the last 30-odd years, and they recorded some great songs, but somehow I've just never been a fan, and, here's the thing - I don't really know why . I've heard all their hits over the years, I've stayed in the holiday cottage at Cromford Station that's in the sleeve art for 'Some Might Say', but I've never owned an Oasis album, and I've never regretted not seeing them play live. Maybe I need to take some time to work through their back catalogue and see if I can figure out what I've been missing.
Half to Oasis and Chris Farlowe please.
Del Shannon is the best of the bad bunch .
Half mark to Chris Farlowe .
Bought The Kick Inside the day of release. They’re both epically fantastic.
Halves go to Chris Farlowe & David Whitfield
Next up (rather good department)
Del Shannon
Spandau Ballet
Oasis
Then In the meh department
David Cassidy
Westlife
In the, Why, Just Why department
Mr. Oizo
In the place in hell that 99% of modern Christmas songs belong department
Cliff
Half to Some Might Say - Oasis
This has been a tough one. Deciding between two songs which I really like and play regularly. Very easy half to Del Shannon.
I used to like Oasis but not as keen now. I do like this early edition of theirs.
I had to listen to a few of them, not awful songs. Well apart from the last two on the list!
A very popular Spandau Ballet song but I prefer others by them.
Bit of as guilty pleasure here. I actually don't mind this particular 'Cliff' Christmas classic.
Half for Kate Bush
Spandau just win out.
Half mark for Kate Bush. The literal video of this song is hilarious but you will never hear the original in the same way again. Link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guGUhr_XQJQ
The other half goes to Cliff.
An honourable mention to Del Shannon.