Cee-Lo Green's 'Forget You' - not because of the song itself, which was obviously massive and destined to be a huge hit, but Robbie Williams & Gary Barlow's 'Shame' had been hyped so much over the last few weeks it seemed an absolute foregone conclusion it was going to get #1. Anything beating it to the summit was bound to be a shock.

 

To this day 'Shame' seems like the huge #1 and 'Forget You' the underrated #2 they never were!

I'd say that January was always fun for surprise No 1 hits historically, "Never Ever", "You Make Me Wanna" and "A Little Bit More" were all surprising entries in the No 1 list, as were "Your Woman" and "Ain't Nobody" in early 97.

Evanescence - Bring Me To Life

 

How on Earth did this get four weeks?!

I think in recent times 'Spectrum' is definitely the most surprising. Also perhaps 'Gettin' Over You', both of these I expected to land top 40 positions at best.

The Eva Cassidy / Katie Melua version of What A Wonderful World wins it for me for the simple reason, as others have said, that most of us didn't even realise it existed.

I was a bit baffled to realise Enigma's "Sadeness Pt 1" got to #1 :o It was probably massive at the time, but it'd be hard to imagine a song like that getting anywhere near the chart nowadays (which is a shame, cause it's brilliant)

 

Similarly Enya - Orinoco Flow in 1988. I imagine this was during a period when singles were sold in the same establishment as funny cigarettes.

Black Legend - You See The Trouble With Me

 

Looking back it does make sense, because it was everywhere in the clubs and it had Radio 1 to back it up, but I was expecting Darude's "Sandstorm" to beat it. I think Sandstorm deserved it more since it stuck around for a lot longer.

 

 

I was incredibly surprised that Pixie Lott - Mama Do managed to go to number one!

Since I been following the charts I can't really think of anything really. Even the "surprising" #1s like Promises and Feel the Love got predicted to be there by Bre. :lol: I guess Spectrum is the most surprising I can think of. I remember telling people on here that the Calvin Harris remix would probably boost the song into the top 40 and others were saying it probably wouldn't make much difference lol. I guess Pass Out was surprising as well, I hadn't really heard much about it before it debuted at #1. I found Don't Go by Wretch 32 surprising as well. I thought it would be Heaven that got #1, and Don't Go would land somewhere int he #6-#15 region. It was so un-mainstream at the time, but that's what made it one of the best #1s ever.

Edited March 1, 201312 yr by Eric_Blob

Geri Halliwell - Bag It Up

I had a wish about slow song as fourth single ("Goodnight Kiss" or "Walkaway") and was sure, that "Bag It Up" is very bad choice.

 

Sugababes - Freak Like Me / Round Round / Hole In The Head

I'm Sugababes fan, but nothing from these 3 singles didn't deserve even top 5.

 

Steps - Stomp

Worst Steps single.

 

Rage Against The Machine - Killing In The Name

[FAKE # 1 AND THE WORST SONG, WHICH I HEARD IN MY LIFE]

 

 

 

Do you understand the difference between reality and your opinion? :huh:

After the success of Do It Like A Dude and the exposure of Price Tag, it was pretty foreseeable imo.

 

The only exposure I remember was everyone going on about it on this website and being played twice on the radio before it got released. Apart from that, I don't remember a presence of massive public exposure around the song before it was released.

Speaking of Iron Maiden, I was flabbergasted that it went to number one at the time but, yes, January is a very interesting time for sales.

I agree about Robyn & Kleerup. But for me, the biggest shock Number 1 was 'Just Like A Pill' by Pink. I absolutely loved the song at the time and I remember listening to the charts that week thinking I really hope this goes Top 10 (I don't think I followed the midweeks back then) - and then when they announced it as the Number 1 I was literally gobsmacked. (And ecstatic!)

 

Other than that, I think Breathe by Blu Cantrell going to Number 1 was a bit of a shock.

The only exposure I remember was everyone going on about it on this website and being played twice on the radio before it got released. Apart from that, I don't remember a presence of massive public exposure around the song before it was released.

 

 

And the fact that she was in the tabloids virtually every day?

Laughable that "Killing In The Name" was a 'surprise', it was going to be comfortably #2 even if something like 5-10% of the people on the Facebook page ended up buying it.

 

"Welcome to the Black Parade" was a shock, I didn't bat an eyelid when it débuted about #29 (not realising it was download only that week) but was fairly shocked when it jumped all the way up.

I saw this coming a mile off back in 2000 - it was everywhere and imo had one week wonder written all over it (especially after the huge success of When You're Gone). Forgotten number 1 mind :(

 

 

Not by me. I still love this.

Black Eyed Peas - Meet Me Halfway (I don't think anyone predicted that it would find the momentum to climb up to #1 at the expense of Leona's 'Happy').

 

Shakira - Hips Don't Lie (IIRC, it didn't actually get much radio support originally - didn't the exposure come AFTER it reached #1?)

 

Florence + The Machine - Spectrum (has to be one of the most shocking #1s of recent times).

 

Alexandra Burke - Start Without You (after being snubbed by radio 1, I did not expect it to even trouble the top 3).

 

Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow (not exactly the most conventional song to get to #1 - it could've easily flopped).

 

Jay Z/Kanye/Rihanna - Run This Town (I definitely thought Sugababes had the #1 in the bag that week - luckily they didn't).

 

Diana Vickers - Once (expected this to go to #6 at best).

 

Jennifer Lopez - On the Floor (did not expect this flopstar to make such a successful comeback).

 

Labrinth/Emeli Sande - Beneath Your Beautiful (definitely didn't anticipate this even going top 40 before XF).

Black Eyed Peas - Meet Me Halfway (I don't think anyone predicted that it would find the momentum to climb up to #1 at the expense of Leona's 'Happy').

 

Shakira - Hips Don't Lie (IIRC, it didn't actually get much radio support originally - didn't the exposure come AFTER it reached #1?)

 

Florence + The Machine - Spectrum (has to be one of the most shocking #1s of recent times).

 

Alexandra Burke - Start Without You (after being snubbed by radio 1, I did not expect it to even trouble the top 3).

 

Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow (not exactly the most conventional song to get to #1 - it could've easily flopped).

 

Jay Z/Kanye/Rihanna - Run This Town (I definitely thought Sugababes had the #1 in the bag that week - luckily they didn't).

 

Diana Vickers - Once (expected this to go to #6 at best).

 

Jennifer Lopez - On the Floor (did not expect this flopstar to make such a successful comeback).

 

Labrinth/Emeli Sande - Beneath Your Beautiful (definitely didn't anticipate this even going top 40 before XF).

 

Labrinth, BEP's & J Lo I didn't think would go to no.1 but I'm not personally shocked by the fact they did either but each to their own.

Edited March 1, 201312 yr by Rob Summers

Carly Rae Jepsen is the most "recent" surprising number 1 for me. It had the hype, Radio 1 AND Capital playlisting, was an internet phenomenon, but for that type of pop I was expecting top 10 at best with a swift descent out the charts. It wasn't until it's first weeks sales were announced it hit me just how HUGE this song was. At best I was expecting a 'Twilight' sort of chart run (after seeing it was number 1 in the mids etc.).