Posted May 3, 201015 yr This expands on something in my chart commentary this week. Some great artists have written a whole load of great songs only to make it to number one for the first and only time with some awful rubbish. The obvious example is Stevie Wonder who has turned out songs like My Cherie Amour and Superstition but whose only solo UK number one was the utter cack which is I Just Called To Say I Love You. Billy Joel wrote songs such as My Life, Piano Man and The Entertainer and then got to number one with the awful Uptown Girl. What other artists have had a string of great songs but had their only number one with something truly dreadful?
May 3, 201015 yr Tori Amos - Professional Widow - it wasn't hideous but compared to the majority of her work it was awful. (England)New Order - World in Motion - not their best song Edited May 3, 201015 yr by tonyttt31
May 3, 201015 yr The obvious one is Soft Cell - Tainted Love - a band whose other releases were head and shoulders better than their only number one.
May 3, 201015 yr The Corrs - Breathless Certainly not awful, but hardly a career high musically and Runaway should have been their #1. Jamiroquai - Deeper Underground Nowhere near their best song. Virtual Insanity/Canned Heat/anything really would have been better. Ace Of Base - All That She Wants Great but The Sign was a lot better and more deserving of #1 in my opinion. 911 - A Little Bit More I'm not exactly a huge fan but they had far better songs than this cover.
May 3, 201015 yr Erasure - Abba-Esque Not awful as such, but when they had so many perfectly decent tracks of their own, it's a shame it was the cover EP that finally got them the #1.
May 3, 201015 yr I was thinking of ABBA-esque myself but I do love their version of Voulez Vous much better than the original.
May 3, 201015 yr Lionel Richie - Hello Whilst it is considered his signature tune, I much prefer the uptempo tracks like 'All Night Long' (kept off no. 1 by 'Uptown Girl' :drama: ) and 'My Destiny'. In fact, a bit like Stevie Wonder I have Lionel's 1992 greatest hits album 'Back To Front' on caseette. Most of the tracks I liked but don't regard 'Hello' as anything special. :unsure: Right Said Fred - Deeply Dippy Showing just how low sales must've been in early 1992, I don't even think this was no. 1 on The ITV Chart Show at the time ('On A Ragga Tip' was their no. 1 although it was the better track imo). Besides, they'll always be remembered for 'I'm Too Sexy' which, whether you liked it or hated it, you can't deny its popularity at the time. Surprised it managed six weeks at no. 2 without ever outselling Bryan Adams. LL Cool J - Ain't Nobody Defining the term "non no. 1" how this got to no. 1 for its sole week in 1997 I'll never know. Especially when the anthemic 'Mama Said' peaked at an incredible...erm, no. 41 a few years earlier. A bit like Ja Rule's non-event 'Wonderful' hitting no. 1 in 2004.
May 3, 201015 yr I agree with all of these (or what I've heard).. Maybe not Hello though. I like that one East 17 - Stay Another Day Ballad for Christmas = no. 1 material. But House of Love, Gold and Deep are so much better Gorillaz - DARE Of their three biggest hits, this is the least known. All of them are good. Kanye West - Stronger Interesting that this went to no. 1 when better songs like Gold Digger, Love Lockdown and Heartless didn't. All no. 1's by Five were wrong..Keep on Movin', We Will Rock You, Let's Dance? Why not When the Lights Go Out, Everybody Get Up, If Ya Gettin' Down? (I almost liked them :lol: )
May 3, 201015 yr Prince Simple Minds Pink Floyd Manics KLF (3am is great but not their best) Duran Duran Roxy Music Stevie Wonder Fletwood Mac Bangles The Shamen Edited May 3, 201015 yr by Severin
May 3, 201015 yr Right Said Fred - Deeply Dippy Showing just how low sales must've been in early 1992, I don't even think this was no. 1 on The ITV Chart Show at the time ('On A Ragga Tip' was their no. 1 although it was the better track imo). Besides, they'll always be remembered for 'I'm Too Sexy' which, whether you liked it or hated it, you can't deny its popularity at the time. Surprised it managed six weeks at no. 2 without ever outselling Bryan Adams. Sales were low in 1992, even though ITS only made no.2 it outsold DD by a considerable amount. Even more surprising for ITS imo is that it even made no.1 in the US!
May 3, 201015 yr The thread title states awful song that made it to number 1. This is just going to turn into a list of comparatively weak songs that got to number 1. Should't we stick to awful ones....
May 3, 201015 yr The thread title states awful song that made it to number 1. This is just going to turn into a list of comparatively weak songs that got to number 1. Should't we stick to awful ones.... If I take the #1s that weren't awful i'd still list these Prince Simple Minds Roxy Music Stevie Wonder Bangles The Shamen
May 3, 201015 yr Author The thread title states awful song that made it to number 1. This is just going to turn into a list of comparatively weak songs that got to number 1. Should't we stick to awful ones.... That's why I tried to put the emphasis on "awful" rather than just inferior. So thanks for trying to keep it on topic :)
May 3, 201015 yr Awful #1s (as opposed to mediocre) :thinking: apart from the obvious Stevie Wonder and Billy Joel entries already mentioned ...... Paul McCartney post Beatles: Wings' Mull of Kintyre compared to the likes of Band On The Run; Live & Let Die; My Love; Listen To What The Man Said; Jet; and the far superior B-side of MOK (Girls School) ... Paul's first solo #1 (with Stevie Wonder) Ebony & Ivory is an utter embarrassment (I will however defend Pipes Of Peace to high heaven as it was the right song, with the right sentiment at the right time) compared to No More Lonely Nights; Coming Up; Another Day; Take It Away & Waterfalls. Or should I mention that the seminal children's song We All Stand Together is Paul's 2nd best selling post Beatles single behind MOK, as it sold over 750K, but was stuck behind Band Aid & Wham!'s epic 1984 Xmas singles.
May 3, 201015 yr Ebony & Ivory :puke2: Post-Beatles Macca is the biggest reason to hate the Beatles. Edited May 3, 201015 yr by SKOB
May 3, 201015 yr ... Just remembers the ultimate example of this scenario: Chuck Berry - My Ding A Ling. To think he wrote: Johnny B. Goode; Roll Over Beethoven; Rock and Roll Music; Sweet Little Sixteen; Memphis, Tennessee; No Particular Place To Go; Carol; Promised Land & You Never Can Tell.
May 3, 201015 yr spandau ballet .... i really liked their earlier material like 'to cut a long story short' , 'musclebound' , 'chant #1'. bucks fizz did many better tracks then 'making you mind up', but was that awful? not in my book, it was the perfect eurovision song.
May 3, 201015 yr Author bucks fizz did many better tracks then 'making you mind up', but was that awful? not in my book, it was the perfect eurovision song. It also wasn't their only number one.
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