Why is Ella's "Ghost" taking so long to go up?! :)

 

Nearly all songs take ages to go up in this chart! :lol:

 

I'm sure it'll end up a big hit eventually (i.e. top 20), given its chart success in the UK last year.

So I took all the transatlantic #1s from the past five years and the number of UK-first hits and vice-versa is actually essentially even. 14 UK-first, 13 US-first, and three are "tied" (going by announcement dates rather than chart dates).

 

"Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars UK: 20/12/14, US: 17/01/15

"All About That Bass" by Meghan Trainor US: 20/09/14, UK: 11/10/14

"Rude" by MAGIC! US: 26/07/14, UK: 03/08/14

"Happy" by Pharrell Williams UK: 04/01/14, US: 08/03/14

"Timber" by Pitbull featuring Ke$ha UK: 11/01/14 (announced 05/01/14), US: 18/01/14 (announced 08/01/14)

"The Monster" by Eminem featuring Rihanna UK: 09/11/13, US: 21/12/13

"Royals" by Lorde US: 12/10/13, UK: 09/11/13

"Wrecking Ball" by Miley Cyrus US: 28/09/13, UK: 19/10/13

"Roar" by Katy Perry US: 14/09/13 (announced 04/09/13), UK: 14/09/13 (announced 08/09/13)

"Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell UK: 08/06/13, US: 22/06/13

"Thrift Shop" by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz US: 02/02/13, UK: 16/02/13

"Diamonds" by Rihanna UK: 13/10/12, US: 01/12/12

"Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen UK: 14/04/12, US: 23/06/12

"We Are Young" by fun. featuring Janelle Monáe US: 17/03/12, UK: 02/06/12

"Somebody That I Used to Know" by Gotye featuring Kimbra UK: 18/02/12, US: 28/04/12

"Part of Me" by Katy Perry US: 03/03/12, UK: 31/03/12

"We Found Love" by Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris UK: 15/10/11, US: 12/11/11

"Someone Like You" by Adele UK: 26/02/11, US: 17/09/11

"Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock UK: 23/04/11, US: 16/07/11

"Give Me Everything" by Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack and Nayer UK: 28/05/11, US: 09/07/11

"We R Who We R" by Ke$ha US: 13/11/10, UK: 05/02/11

"Grenade" by Bruno Mars US: 08/01/11, UK: 22/01/11

"What's My Name?" by Rihanna featuring Drake US: 20/11/10, UK: 15/01/11

"Only Girl (In the World)" by Rihanna UK: 13/11/10, US: 04/12/10

"Just the Way You Are" by Bruno Mars US: 02/10/10 (announced 22/09/10), UK: 02/10/10 (announced 26/09/10)

"California Gurls" by Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg US: 19/06/10, UK: 03/07/10

"Nothin' on You" by B.o.B featuring Bruno Mars US: 01/05/10, UK: 29/05/10

"OMG" by Usher featuring will.i.am UK: 24/04/10, US: 15/05/10

"Break Your Heart" by Taio Cruz (featuring Ludacris) UK: 26/09/09, US: 20/03/10

"Fireflies" by Owl City US: 07/11/09, UK: 30/01/10

 

I can only identify vague trends. I guess sudden international breakout hits (Carly, Gotye) tend to get to #1 quicker in the UK. Breakout hits from both countries usually get to #1 first in their home countries, with a few exceptions (and with a longer gap for UK acts). Big pop singles seem to be instant #1s in the UK, while they need a couple weeks for airplay to kick in in the US – unless you have release delays in the UK, or you're Katy Perry and you're releasing a lead single from a new album or a rerelease.

This isnt really a fair list though as almost every song which hit number1 in the US first was not even released in the UK until after its US no. 1 status so it would never have been possible to hit number 1 in the UK first. If theyd all been released on the same day in both countries almost all of them would've been no. 1 in the UK first. Although I thinkna few of them such as Royals and Rude were big hits in the UK due to their US success.

Most of the songs that hit #1 in the US before the UK on that list would never have been #1 in the UK had the US not paid attention.