Biggest artists to not have a UK #1 single

BuzzJack - Entertainment Discussion _ Music Charts _ UK Charts

Latest Site News

Hozier climbs to number one

A chart double for Beyonce

Benson Boone remains at number one

6 Pages

« < 4 5 6

Biggest artists to not have a UK #1 single

Display modes

Track this thread - Email this thread - Print this thread - Download this thread - Subscribe to this forum

awardinary View member profile	Feb 23 2020, 12:24 AM Post #101
Here to play, here to stay Pronouns: he/him Joined: 8 February 2015 Posts: 20,159 User: 21,587	QUOTE(Bjork @ Feb 22 2020, 12:50 PM) but in the case of New Order, World in Motion counts, doesn't matter if it's under a slightly modified name (England New Order) lots of artists record under different names (P Diddy, Puff Daffy) but all their hits count together I nearly got caught out when I searched “Missy Elliott” in Polyhex and saw she had over 10 Top 20 singles without a #1 but when I checked the dates I was sure she had been releasing music for longer, and then I recalled she went by the alias “Missy 'Misdemeanor' Elliott” earlier in her career and did indeed have a #1 single with Melanie B in 1998!


Bjork View member profile	Feb 23 2020, 07:05 AM Post #102
BuzzJack Legend Joined: 13 November 2015 Posts: 33,144 User: 22,665	Style Council had 12 top 20 hits in the early 80s, also 11 top 20 hits for Tears for Fears


spiceboy View member profile	Feb 23 2020, 09:38 AM Post #103
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 6 September 2017 Posts: 11,793 User: 39,568	Red hot chilli peppers, Bon Jovi and Tina Turner are the three that spring to mind. Also poor Victoria Beckham the only solo Spice not to have one, but then she only released 4 singles


jimwatts View member profile	Feb 23 2020, 10:52 AM Post #104
Discoverer of Artemas Joined: 28 August 2017 Posts: 10,633 User: 38,591	Basement Jaxx had 10 Top 20 hits if you count the reissue of Good Luck (for BBC Euro 2004 coverage) - they had 5 others peaking between #21 and #23 too. Their first hit Fly Life (#19) was all over R1 at the time, but many seemed to have forgotten about it 2 years later and mistook Red Alert to be their debut.


DanChartFan View member profile	Feb 23 2020, 09:10 PM Post #105
BuzzJack Enthusiast Joined: 8 July 2007 Posts: 1,088 User: 3,866	QUOTE(Bjork @ Feb 22 2020, 12:52 PM) agree that it makes sense she wasn't credited cos it was a sample but the bizarre thing is that she did appear on the video cannot think of any other case when an artist was sampled but then appeared on the video Leo Sayer appears in the official video for Meck's Thunder In My Heart Again, but that may be a case of sampling video of him as well as sampling his vocals from 1977.


DanChartFan View member profile	Feb 23 2020, 09:37 PM Post #106
BuzzJack Enthusiast Joined: 8 July 2007 Posts: 1,088 User: 3,866	QUOTE(Bré @ Feb 17 2020, 08:17 PM) She was not credited by the OCC. She is credited in the actual real world which I think is more important... It ran a lot deeper than whether or the OCC credited her on the chart or not. If an artist wasn't on the front of the CD/Tape/Vinyl then DJ's and television presenters usually didn't mention them (at least not beyond the odd 'fun fact' in passing), neither did the charts (whether the Official OCC, the Pepsi network chart, or others like local radio station charts etc), so the chart books did not explicitly credit her either. The shelf edge labels in HMV/Virgin also wouldn't have credited her, and after the single dropped down and was moved to the A-Z section for older singles it would have surplus copies all filled under Eminem, none under Dido. Magazines like Top Of The Pops and Smash Hits would also have referred to it as a purely Eminem single. Bottom line is that the record label chose to credit the single only to Eminem (which made sense as Dido's part was purely sampled) and that is how it was perceived at the time by the majority of people. I understand that Dido's name was in the small print inside the CD sleeve, but that's not what people at the time would have considered to be what it meant to be a 'credited artist' for a single. I bet there must be a lot of other singles that have other artists tucked away in the small print that were never considered to be 'credited artists' at the time. I think what has happened is the rise of iTunes, then Spotify, and to an extent the rise in the internet in general, has understandably conflated the 'credited artists' on the front and those only mentioned in the small print, into one 'artists' line, so there is no concept of a difference in the two for those people young enough to not remember the pre iTunes days. But it did used to be a significant difference. As a by-the-by I also find it very irrating when download and streaming sites put the 'featured artists' bit at the end of both the artist line AND the title line when there is no good reason to do so. I don't need telling twice about the featured artist, especially when the main artist is only being mention once, and the featured artist is definitely not an actual part of the song's actual title. I can just about accept that occasionally there will be a well know song (say by Ed Sheeran) then a further version is put out that also has a featured artist added, and that in those circumstances it could be important to the record label to ensure fans can differentiate between the well known Ed-only version, and the new variant with the featured artist, so they can made be aware that a new version exists, and that using the title line for that could be seen to make sense. But I don't believe it is necessary to do it for every single featured artist on every single track that has ever existed. The OCC's chart pages even do this for singles in the 1970s and further back, when there is truly no reason to do so as there was almost certainly only that one version of such a single back then anyway (well perhaps a 7" mix and 12 mix etc). Anyway rant over lol...


Brer View member profile	Feb 23 2020, 09:47 PM Post #107
I'll just stick around and do some more damage Joined: 14 February 2009 Posts: 115,023 User: 8,300	I do understand that, but my point is that regardless of whether it was promoted that way or acknowledged by the OCC, it's just factually incorrect to say she wasn't credited on it. What would be the point of them putting 'featuring Dido' on the CD at all (even if hidden in the small print) if it wasn't in some way meant to be credited to 'Eminem featuring Dido'? There are plenty of examples where uncredited guest vocals are listed in the small print as just 'vocals by [x]' but in this case it explicitly says 'featuring' and that's reflected now on every platform. And again on the parent album her featured credit is very clearly listed and not hidden at all.


p a v View member profile	Feb 23 2020, 10:15 PM Post #108
thanks for being a sarcy lil bitch Joined: 25 September 2007 Posts: 79,267 User: 4,397	QUOTE(DanChartFan @ Feb 24 2020, 12:37 AM) It ran a lot deeper than whether or the OCC credited her on the chart or not. If an artist wasn't on the front of the CD/Tape/Vinyl then DJ's and television presenters usually didn't mention them (at least not beyond the odd 'fun fact' in passing), neither did the charts (whether the Official OCC, the Pepsi network chart, or others like local radio station charts etc), so the chart books did not explicitly credit her either. The shelf edge labels in HMV/Virgin also wouldn't have credited her, and after the single dropped down and was moved to the A-Z section for older singles it would have surplus copies all filled under Eminem, none under Dido. Magazines like Top Of The Pops and Smash Hits would also have referred to it as a purely Eminem single. Bottom line is that the record label chose to credit the single only to Eminem (which made sense as Dido's part was purely sampled) and that is how it was perceived at the time by the majority of people. I understand that Dido's name was in the small print inside the CD sleeve, but that's not what people at the time would have considered to be what it meant to be a 'credited artist' for a single. I bet there must be a lot of other singles that have other artists tucked away in the small print that were never considered to be 'credited artists' at the time. I think what has happened is the rise of iTunes, then Spotify, and to an extent the rise in the internet in general, has understandably conflated the 'credited artists' on the front and those only mentioned in the small print, into one 'artists' line, so there is no concept of a difference in the two for those people young enough to not remember the pre iTunes days. But it did used to be a significant difference. As a by-the-by I also find it very irrating when download and streaming sites put the 'featured artists' bit at the end of both the artist line AND the title line when there is no good reason to do so. I don't need telling twice about the featured artist, especially when the main artist is only being mention once, and the featured artist is definitely not an actual part of the song's actual title. I can just about accept that occasionally there will be a well know song (say by Ed Sheeran) then a further version is put out that also has a featured artist added, and that in those circumstances it could be important to the record label to ensure fans can differentiate between the well known Ed-only version, and the new variant with the featured artist, so they can made be aware that a new version exists, and that using the title line for that could be seen to make sense. But I don't believe it is necessary to do it for every single featured artist on every single track that has ever existed. The OCC's chart pages even do this for singles in the 1970s and further back, when there is truly no reason to do so as there was almost certainly only that one version of such a single back then anyway (well perhaps a 7" mix and 12 mix etc). Anyway rant over lol... tl;dr but that level of dedication to the charts .


Bjork View member profile	Feb 24 2020, 07:14 AM Post #109
BuzzJack Legend Joined: 13 November 2015 Posts: 33,144 User: 22,665	just for the heck of it I went and check my Stan CD single from back in the day that I bought in the UK and it does not mention Dido anywhere in the cover, even on small print, just says Eminem - Stan, on the front, on the side, back, everywhere anyway, even if uncredited, the important thing is that Eminem put her name out there and she went to have 2 mega-seller albums This post has been edited by Bjork: Feb 24 2020, 03:39 PM


awardinary View member profile	Feb 24 2020, 09:05 PM Post #110
Here to play, here to stay Pronouns: he/him Joined: 8 February 2015 Posts: 20,159 User: 21,587	Couldn’t recall seeing this one challenged, but Sting had 13 solo Top 20 singles without a #1. Of course he did many times with The Police so perhaps that’s why it isn’t on the list. But again, if that is the ruling, then Paul Weller needs to be removed in favour of his #1’s with The Jam.


Mangø View member profile	Feb 25 2020, 12:31 AM Post #111
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 10 March 2006 Posts: 19,120 User: 151	QUOTE(awardinary @ Feb 24 2020, 09:05 PM) Couldn’t recall seeing this one challenged, but Sting had 13 solo Top 20 singles without a #1. Of course he did many times with The Police so perhaps that’s why it isn’t on the list. But again, if that is the ruling, then Paul Weller needs to be removed in favour of his #1’s with The Jam. Sting is already included in my list on the previous page, though I make it 12 Top 20 hits (not 13).


awardinary View member profile	Feb 25 2020, 01:51 AM Post #112
Here to play, here to stay Pronouns: he/him Joined: 8 February 2015 Posts: 20,159 User: 21,587	QUOTE(M4NGO @ Feb 25 2020, 12:31 AM) Sting is already included in my list on the previous page, though I make it 12 Top 20 hits (not 13). I don’t get any pleasure out of correcting you (honest ), but here are the 13 I counted on Polyhex; 14/08/1982 Sting – Spread A Little Happiness 16 07/12/1985 Sting – Russians 12 11/08/1990 Sting – Englishman In New York {1990} 15 13/02/1993 Sting – If I Ever Lose My Faith In You 14 19/06/1993 Sting – Fields Of Gold 16 15/01/1994 Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart And Sting – All For Love 2 29/10/1994 Sting – When We Dance 9 11/02/1995 Sting Featuring Pato Banton – This Cowboy Song 15 02/03/1996 Sting – Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot 15 20/12/1997 Sting And The Police – Roxanne '97 17 25/09/1999 Sting – Brand New Day 13 29/01/2000 Sting Featuring Cheb Mami – Desert Rose 15 10/05/2003 Craig David Featuring Sting – Rise And Fall 2


Mangø View member profile	Feb 25 2020, 11:07 AM Post #113
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 10 March 2006 Posts: 19,120 User: 151	QUOTE(awardinary @ Feb 25 2020, 01:51 AM) I don’t get any pleasure out of correcting you (honest ), but here are the 13 I counted on Polyhex; 14/08/1982 Sting – Spread A Little Happiness 16 07/12/1985 Sting – Russians 12 11/08/1990 Sting – Englishman In New York {1990} 15 13/02/1993 Sting – If I Ever Lose My Faith In You 14 19/06/1993 Sting – Fields Of Gold 16 15/01/1994 Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart And Sting – All For Love 2 29/10/1994 Sting – When We Dance 9 11/02/1995 Sting Featuring Pato Banton – This Cowboy Song 15 02/03/1996 Sting – Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot 15 20/12/1997 Sting And The Police – Roxanne '97 17 25/09/1999 Sting – Brand New Day 13 29/01/2000 Sting Featuring Cheb Mami – Desert Rose 15 10/05/2003 Craig David Featuring Sting – Rise And Fall 2 I didn't count Roxanne '97 because that's Sting and The Police so I was counting it as a Police song but yeah maybe it should be counted idk


davidas View member profile	Feb 25 2020, 04:38 PM Post #114
BuzzJack Enthusiast Joined: 4 April 2018 Posts: 779 User: 70,067	QUOTE(Jordan Lee @ Feb 17 2020, 06:10 PM) Janet Jackson come to my head first. Avril Lavigne too and Lana. Bruce Springsteen and Sting as well. OMG shocked Avril's never had a number 1 here!


jimwatts View member profile	Jun 9 2020, 09:30 PM Post #115
Discoverer of Artemas Joined: 28 August 2017 Posts: 10,633 User: 38,591	A few more to add to the long list on page 5 - these were from an old list (Guinness hit singles 1994 edition) of acts who had spent over 150 weeks in the Top 75 without reaching #1, I've then looked them up on the OCC site: Duane Eddy - 17 Top 20 (1958 - 1988) Kool & The Gang - 13 Top 20 (1979 - 1985) Brenda Lee - 12 Top 20 (1960 - 1964, although of course one of those has been in the Top 20 again in the last few years) Neil Sedaka - 10 Top 20 (1959 - 1974) Gloria Estefan - up to 16 Top 20 (1984 - 2005), depending how you count the ones with Miami Sound Machine. The OCC credits 9 to Gloria solo and 4 to both together, with the other 3 just to MSM, so that's at least 13 where Gloria is credited (1988 - 1998), but most editions of Guinness hit singles and similar list them all under Gloria Estefan. And as Bjork mentioned, Style Council - 12 Top 20 (1983 - 1987)


Scene View member profile	Jun 9 2020, 10:16 PM Post #116
This is where you end and I begin Joined: 9 March 2008 Posts: 13,177 User: 5,567	Gloria Estefan has had 16 UK top 20 singles without a #1. EDIT: Okay just seen post above lol! The Carpenters?