Milliways' All-Time Top 100 UK#1s *COMPLETE*

[Milliways]

40-36

40. DESMOND DEKKER & THE ACES - 'Israelites' (1969)
My top 40 #1s begins with an enduring classic, the first Jamaican reggae #1 and IMO the best such track of the era. I love the vocals and bass – though you may well need to resort to Google to fully decipher the much-misheard lyrics which were the subject of a famous TV ad for Maxell cassette tapes.

39. PET SHOP BOYS - 'Always On My Mind' (1987)
1987's synth-heavy Christmas #1 is an impactful reworking of a song that first came to public attention as an Elvis B-side back in '72 is highly-regarded for good reason. PSB's version somehow manages to sound both of-its-time and timeless, grabbing the listener by the lapels and refusing to let go.

38. BONNIE TYLER - 'Total Eclipse Of The Heart' (1983)
More event than song, for sheer vocal performance this has to be one of the two most *striking* number ones that have ever been (the other is still to come). One can barely help but stand back and take it all in, and merely for that I have to give it a high ranking.

37. SLADE - 'Merry Xmas Everybody' (1973)
I'm writing this in December, whereas Slade apparently recorded it during an August heatwave. Nevertheless, they managed to capture the British Christmas spirit so perfectly that I cannot foresee this gem being bettered in my lifetime. Simply, hands down the best Christmas song ever recorded - only its seasonality prevents it from being higher in this countdown.

36. DJ SAMMY and YANOU feat. DO - 'Heaven' (2002)
The first song in the Top 40 that was released and reached the top spot during my (young) adulthood, a summer soundtrack for my early 20s. That said, of all the Euro-dance cover versions released in the early 00s, none deserved the UK singles charts' highest honour more than this. Bryan Adams' lyrics could scarcely be better-suited to such a beachfront reinvention.

[o]

Nice to see the arctic monkeys in there, also a big fan of paint it black.

[Milliways]

35-31

35. MIKA - 'Grace Kelly' (2007)
This burst of colour made the charts briefly exciting again at the start of 2007, with a sense of unpretentious and quirky fun largely missing from today's hit parade. The album it comes from, 'Life In Cartoon Motion' hasn't aged quite so well, though the less successful, super-upbeat follow-up single 'Love Today' still raises a big smile, as does 2013 return-to-form 'Live Your Life'

34. NORMAN GREENBAUM - 'Spirit In The Sky' (1970)
Everyone recognises this song, but it must be one of the oddest pop standards that has endured to the present day, through two subsequent #1 cover versions in 1986 and 2003 and likely to be heard at many office parties this month. I somehow think it's great that one of our most popular dancefloor fillers is about questioning what happens to us after we die.

33. P!NK - 'So What' (2008)
In 2008 I went back to compiling personal charts based on the UK Top 40 after a few years off. For most of the year there wasn't much relation between what was riding high in my chart (I recall Urbnri and Oystar had two of the early #1s there) and what was doing well in the UK Top 40. I loved the spunky 'So What', with its stomping chorus, at first listen and was overjoyed it was set to be a UK#1. Indeed it stayed at the top for three weeks, and while it is admittedly more than a little cheesy it remains one of the few enthralling rock records to reach #1 in the past 10 years

32. WIZZARD - 'Angel Fingers (A Teen Ballad)' (1973)
It's hard to write about Wizzard at this time of year without thinking about 'I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday'. To a modern-day listener like me who wasn't around for the band's heyday, their other hits are overlaid with a festive tinge, since the 'throw it all in the mix' style of that ubiquitous Xmas hit is replicated in their #1's. Of the two, 'Angel Fingers' is by some distance my favourite. It takes such a simple concept and just keeps adding more and more ingredients until it becomes something quite unique. The brass, the backing vocals, the motorbike! What could have been a run-of-the-mill love song turns into a celebration that one just has to stand back and take it all in

31. RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE - 'Killing In The Name' (2009)
When a #25 hit from 1993 was revived in perhaps the greatest David vs Goliath battle in 21st century pop, it was that much less about the song than about what it stood for. The track selected by social media campaigners to go up against Syco, whose X-Factor winner had claimed the previous 4 consecutive Xmas #1s, was very well-chosen. 'Killing In The Name' is of course an anti-establishment anthem, and the name of the artist speaks for itself. As if this all weren't enough, the with one of the most hilarious radio moments of recent years - have a listen here. "We asked them not to do it and they did it anyway". All in all, a delightful end to the decade for anyone of an alternative inclination!

[Milliways]

In the interest of getting this done in time for @alexrange 's 15 Feb deadline, moving forward while dispensing with the commentaries at least for the time being:

30-26

30. MARIA McKEE - 'Show Me Heaven' (1990)

29. PITBULL FEAT. NE-YO, AFROJACK, NAYER - 'Give Me Everything' (2011)

28. MADONNA - 'Like A Prayer' (1989)

27. THE SPECIALS - 'Too Much Too Young' (1980)

26. ICONA POP FEAT. CHARLI XCX - 'I Love It' (2013)

[Milliways]

25-21

25. CHRIS FARLOWE - 'Out Of Time' (1966)

24. KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND - 'Give It Up' (1983)

23. 10CC - 'Rubber Bullets' (1973)

22. QUEEN - 'Bohemian Rhapsody' (1975 / 1991)

21. BLUR - 'Country House' (1995)

[Milliways]

20-16

20. THE SHAMEN - 'Ebeneezer Goode' (1992)

19. ABBA - 'Waterloo' (1974)

18. MADNESS - 'House Of Fun' (1982)

17. BLONDIE - 'Heart Of Glass' (1979)

16. WHITE TOWN - 'Your Woman' (1997)

[Milliways]

15-11

15. NENA - '99 Red Balloons' (1984)

14. THE HONEYCOMBS - 'Have I The Right' (1964)

13. KATE BUSH - 'Wuthering Heights' (1978)

12. MUD - 'Tiger Feet' (1974)

11. EDISON LIGHTHOUSE - 'Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)' (1970)

[rubcale]

Thunmbs up for Chris Farlowe's Out Of Time.

Waterloo is one of only a handful of Abba tracks I'm not keen on.

[Deleted]

I can't understand such huge love for "Wuthering Heights" on Haven.
It's the one from my least favourte UK # 1s.

[Milliways]

I had intended to provide commentaries for the top 10, but as the 15th is coming inexorably closer and I am failing miserably to make the time to come up with them as I prepare for a weekend away, I'm just going to post the countdown...

10. LONNIE DONEGAN - 'Cumberland Gap' (1957)

9. MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE - 'Welcome To The Black Parade' (2006)

8. DONNA SUMMER - 'I Feel Love' (1977)

7. TUBEWAY ARMY - 'Are Friends Electric?' (1979)

6. AVICII - 'Wake Me Up' (2013)

[Milliways]

My top 5 consists of:

One song from the 1970s
One song from the 1980s
Three songs from the 2000s

Predictions welcome...

[Milliways]

5. STEVE HARLEY & COCKNEY REBEL - 'Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)' (1975)

4. LADY GAGA - 'Bad Romance' (2009)

3. BELINDA CARLISLE - 'Heaven Is A Place On Earth' (1988)

[Milliways]

2. MANIC STREET PREACHERS - 'The Masses Against The Classes' (2000)

I reckon if anyone who knows me is following this, they'd likely have expected this to be right at the top. Certainly at the time, when I was 16 and an avid follower of the charts, this was the song I was happiest to see at #1. The first new #1 after the Millennium celebrations was at the time the supreme act of chart subversion, a limited edition release timed for a traditionally quiet period for new singles. And, it stands up today - even now it must be one of the loudest and most visceral tracks ever to top the charts.

[Milliways]

#1 will be revealed tomorrow - I reckon it's going to be a controversial choice!

[Milliways]

1. THE BLACK EYED PEAS - 'I Gotta Feeling' (2009)

As I was starting out with compiling this countdown, I really had no idea what was going to finish up at the top. 'Heaven Is A Place On Earth', 'Make Me Smile' and of course 'The Masses Against The Classes' were obviously going to be in the running. This, not so much. But, as the selection narrowed and I continued to play through the remaining tracks, its strength was increasingly apparent. 'I Gotta Feeling' has to be among the greatest feelgood songs ever recorded. It's pure pop at its simplest and best, seeking nothing more than to make tonight a good night, however that might be achieved. For me, in the near-decade since it was released it has soundtracked so many good times across the world and at home.

[o]

Wow, it's a great pop song, and Fergie looks fab in the video, best number one of alltime, well yeah, for you

[Roo.]

Your #2, #3 and #4 all make my top 100, but not your #1 in the end.

I actually prefer Meet Me Halfway where their #1's are concerned, but I wouldn't say your choice is undeserving - I think it just got overplayed and I got fed up of it, otherwise it might have done better with me when I was working my list out.

[Deleted]

In the ancient 2006 year "Cumberland Gap" didn't get any points from Haveners, thankfully this good old single will avoid this tragic fate in our new voting.

[SheriffFatman]

Great thread, I always enjoy reading about other people’s Musial preferences. Couldn’t disagree more about the number one though! At one point Will-I-Am actually starts singing the days of the week. Whenev r I hear it I think I can’t believe he’s getting royalties for this.