Armin Van Buuren is set to score his 2nd UK Top 40 hit this week, 13 years after he scored his first hit, "Communication" which went to #18 in 2000. Are there any other examples of an artist waiting for many years before scoring another hit?

Tony Bennett went 46 years between The Very Thought of You in 1965 and Body and Soul in 2011.

I guess people like Andy Williams (1975-1999) and Tony Christie (1976-2005) don't technically count, as they both returned through re-issues of older hits.

 

Soft Cell just squeezed into #39 in 2003 with a new track, their first since 'Down In The Subway' in 1984 - unless you count two 1991 re-issues of Tainted Love and Say Hello Wave Goodbye, although that's still twelve years later.

 

Culture Club had a #4 comeback hit in 1998, again twelve years later.

 

Dusty Springfield had two top 20 hits in 1989, her first solo-credited tracks since 1970 - she'd featured on a Pet Shop Boys track in 1987.

 

Bob Dylan has a gap from 1978 to 1995, 17 years. And do The Beatles count? In terms of brand new tracks, 1970 (Let It Be) to 1995 (Free as a Bird) although the 70s and 80s were filled with singles of songs they'd previously released on albums. And actually Free as a Bird was a previously unreleased John Lennon solo track that the other three provided new bits for, so not completely 'new'...

Edited May 5, 201312 yr by BillyH

I guess people like Andy Williams (1975-1999) and Tony Christie (1976-2005) don't technically count, as they both returned through re-issues of older hits.

 

Tony Christie also had a top 10 hit in 1998, Walk Like a Panther (officially credited to All Seeing I ft. Tony Christie).

 

Tony Christie also had a top 10 hit in 1998, Walk Like a Panther (officially credited to All Seeing I ft. Tony Christie).

And when Tony Christie was unable to appear on TOTP they got another bloke from Sheffield to take his place. The result was one of the programme's finest ever performances :wub:

 

Scooch had seven years between top 40 hits with For Sure (#15, 2000) and Flying The Flag (For You) (#5, 2007), an impressive gap for a bubblegum pop act! Similarly Boyzone had 9 years in between Every Day I Love You (#3, 1999) and Love You Anyway (#5, 2008). Take That had 10 years between How Deep Is Your Love (#1, 1996) and Patience (#1, 2006)

John Otway made the Top 40 with 'Really Free' in December 1977, then again in October 2002 with 'Bunsen Burner'. Just short of 25 years between hits.

I always thought katrina and the waves' 11 years (between sun street in 1986 and love shine a light in 1997) was quite impressive!

I guess people like Andy Williams (1975-1999) and Tony Christie (1976-2005) don't technically count, as they both returned through re-issues of older hits.

 

But Andy Williams has a gap of "new" top 40 hits from 1975 "You Lay So Easy On My Mind" to 2002 with Denise van Outen in a duet of "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" (and solo to 2007 when "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year", never a hit previously hit number 21)

 

I would count 'Free As A Bird' as a new hit, although I'd also count 'Baby It's You' earlier that year. So I'd call that 12 years after 'Beatles Movie Medley', in 1982 or if you prefer, 11 years after the re-release of 'From Me To You' peaked at 40. If you ignore re-entries of previous hits, it's now 17 years since their last one, so they could beat that total.

 

Lou Reed had almost 14 years between 'Walk On The Wild Side' in 1973 and 'Soul Man' with Sam Moore in 1987. Then it's 17 years until his only other credited hit with 'Satellite Of Love' in 2004, though he did appear on hits by Simple Minds and Various Artists in between.

And another one I spotted when I was checking the dates for Lou Reed: 'The Skye Boat Song' by Roger Whittaker and Des O'Connor was the first hit since 1975 for the former and 1970 for the latter.

Holler - October 2000

Headlines - November 2007

He's not credited (and in fact the released version doesn't even have his vocals so it doesn't really count at all, but still worth noting) but Marvin Gaye's vocals are sampled on 'So Good To Me' which I think will be the first time they've appeared on a top 40 hit since 'Music' by Erick Sermon feat. Marvin Gaye (#36 in 2001).

Shirley bassey? 1973 till either 1997 (with Propellerheads) or 2007 (solo), so 24 or 34 years take your pick...