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.).

 

Just goes to show what a good pop song can do :lol:

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.

 

Maybe in the past, but definitely not in the last five years at least.

 

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

 

That doesn't really explain why Price Tag went to #1 though? And anyway, most of that press was due to winning the BBC Sound Of 2011 and winning the Brit Awards' Critics Choice award.

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

 

In that sense, yes, but it was gigantic hit literally everywhere and people loved it. Globally it's also one of the biggest hits of the last decade. So probably not surprising #1 in the end at all.

On the theme of bands that were flops suddenly saved by a #1 single, I think Liberty X - Just a Little is up there for me. I'd not even seen the video for it at the time and didn't even really know they had another single out. I thought after 'Doin' It' they were a gonner but then when I did see the video a few days after it hit #1 at a friend's house (I was 13 at the time) it all made good sense.

 

 

I was surprised and mainly shocked that Chris Brown got a No.1 with "Turn up the music" in 2012. I thought that his career was justifiably ruined <_<

I was surprised and mainly shocked that Chris Brown got a No.1 with "Turn up the music" in 2012. I thought that his career was justifiably ruined <_<

 

I don't think that was a surprise at all. It was looking set to become a big hit anyway and he had previous hits after that incident as well...

Nevertheless it was a surprise to me.

Nevertheless it was a surprise to me.

 

Why was it a surprise to you though? Was there another song that you thought was going to beat Turn Up The Music to #1 that week?

I thought that he would never ever get another hit again, whether a No.1 or a top 10 hit because of his bad behaviour and the bad press. It surprised me that people bought his records so that he got his first UK No.1. I thought that his career was ruined forever.

OK, but he had other big hits after that incident before then. So why were you so surprised when he had Top 10 hits between the incident and the success of Turn Up The Music? Or are you trying to say that you thought that the negative press would stop him from having a #1?

 

I don't know why I am so interested in finding out these answers actually. :lol:

Edited March 3, 201312 yr by Good Grief

I don't know either! :lol: And I can't explain it in a better way.

"One Day At A Time" by Lena Martell

 

Seemed to come from nowhere at the time, no less surprising now 20+ years on

'The Lazy Song' by Bruno Mars.

 

Being a post-album single from an album that had hit #1 and sold a lot by the time of TLS's release, it was strange that - unlike many other popstar's post-album singles - it had the momentum to climb to #1. Also, as a song, it is not what you would expect a number one to sound like. Very mellow and mid-tempo.

I think The Lazy Song had the April 2011 heatwave helping it quite a bit...see also Inna's 'Sun Is Up' unexpected rise up the chart around the same time. Both songs sounded great in the spring heat.

 

Sak Noel's 'Loca People' later that year too, although it was looking to be a big hit anyway the fact that it hit #1 in a huge 30 degree late September/early October spell can surely be no coincidence! B-)

I think The Lazy Song had the April 2011 heatwave helping it quite a bit...see also Inna's 'Sun Is Up' unexpected rise up the chart around the same time. Both songs sounded great in the spring heat.

 

Sak Noel's 'Loca People' later that year too, although it was looking to be a big hit anyway the fact that it hit #1 in a huge 30 degree late September/early October spell can surely be no coincidence! B-)

 

I guess the weather can influence the charts.

 

'Umbrella' was #1 for ten rainy weeks but fell off the top as soon as it turned sunny. :lol:

I guess the weather can influence the charts.

 

I think you're right. Wiley's "Heatwave" going to #1 instead of a CALVIN HARRIS and EXAMPLE collab (this was when Example could still have a massive hit) is proof of that ;)

The weather also helped Sak Noel's Loca People go to #1 - it was released in the week of that bizarre autumn heatwave! :D

I wonder if Atomic Kitten did any signings that week. Or maybe it was the news that Kerry had left Atomic Kitten that somehow got them the media attention they needed.

 

I really think it was the quality of the song! I very rarely bought singles at that point but I bought it, infact if I remember correctly it was the first single (bar Kylie which I collect) I had bought in at least 6 months/a year, it was my 1st Atomic Kitten Single (well only actually) and I remember a few of my friends buying it. I remember being shocked when it hit number 1 but it just had a life of its own.

 

Much like Believe by Cher actually, who thought at that time that she'd ever have another number 1? I remember hearing it for the first time on the National Lottery and saying there and then that I was gonna buy it. I couldn't get it anywhere though as it was sold out EVERYWHERE, thats when I knew it was gonna be really big.

'Whole Again' was a really weak song though. It's just so basic and the group sound bored singing the track. I wouldn't even call it singing - more talking. Obviously it captured the public's imaginations but I'm still shocked that was the song that turned them from bargain bin flopstars to chart-topping popstars.

 

I always thought it was 'Eternal Flame' that properly started their career. Now that's one of their songs that is worth listening to. Also love 'Love Doesn't Have to Hurt', 'Be With You', 'Last Goodbye' and 'If U Come To Me'.

God not the Atomic Kitten cover of "Eternal Flame" please. A beautiful song covered with absolutely no emotion whatsoever.