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It's a common known fact that most songs which are used as official charity singles are covers of previous chart hits, often performed by the most mainstream artists at the time of release. Such charities as BBC's Children In Need, Comic Relief and Sport Relief have always had a supporting single to help push donations forward, and here is a concise list of those singles, along with any others I could recall from over the years.

 

BBC Children In Need

 

Clannad – Almost Seems (Too Late To Turn) {#80 in 1985}

The County Line – Heroes {Did Not Chart in 1986}

Spirit Of Play with Paul McCartney – Children In Need {Did Not Chart in 1988}

BBC Children In Need Choir – If You Want To Help {#78 in 1989}

Patsy Palmer & Sid Owen – You Better Believe It (Children In Need) {#60 in 1995}

Lou Reed and Various Artists – Perfect Day {#1 in 1997}

Denise & Johnny – Especially For You {#3 in 1998}

Martine McCutcheon – Love Me {#6 in 1999}

S Club 7 – Never Had A Dream Come True {#1 in 2000}

S Club 7 – Have You Ever {#1 in 2001}

Will Young – Don't Let Me Down {#2 in 2002}

Will Young – You And I {#2 in 2002}

Shane Richie – I'm Your Man {#2 in 2003}

Girls Aloud – I'll Stand By You {#1 in 2004}

Liberty X – A Night To Remember {#6 in 2005}

Emma Bunton – Downtown {#3 in 2006}

Spice Girls – Headlines (Friendship Never Ends) {#11 in 2007}

McFly – Do Ya {#18 in 2008}

Peter Kay's Animated All Star Band – The Official BBC Children In Need Medley {#1 in 2009}

JLS – Love You More {#1 in 2010}

The Collective – Teardrop {#24 in 2011}

Girls Aloud – Something New {#2 in 2012}

Ellie Goulding – How Long Will I Love You {#3 in 2013}

Gareth Malone's All Star Choir – Wake Me Up {#1 in 2014}

Brian Wilson & Various Artists – God Only Knows {#20 in 2014}

Jess Glynne – Take Me Home {#6 in 2015}

Craig David – All We Needed {#42 in 2016}

 

Comic Relief

 

Cliff Richard and the cast of The Young Ones – Living Doll {#1 in 1986}

Mel & Kim – Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree {#3 in 1987}

Bananarama & La Na Nee Nee Noo Noo – Help! {#3 in 1989}

Hale & Pace – The Stonk {#1 in 1989}

Victoria Wood – The Smile Song {#1 in 1989}

Smear Campaign – I Want To Be Elected {#9 in 1992}

Right Said Fred – Stick It Out {#4 in 1993}

Absolutely Fabulous – Absolutely Fabulous {#6 in 1994}

Cher, Chrissie Hynde, Neneh Cherry & Eric Clapton – Love Can Build A Bridge {#1 in 1995}

Spice Girls – Mama {#1 in 1997}

Spice Girls – Who Do You Think You Are {#1 in 1997}

Boyzone – When The Going Gets Tough {#1 in 1999}

Westlife – Uptown Girl {#1 in 2001}

Gareth Gates with The Kumars – Spirit In The Sky {#1 in 2003}

McFly – All About You {#1 in 2005}

McFly – You've Got A Friend {#1 in 2005}

Tony Christie & Peter Kay – Is This The Way To Amarillo {#1 in 2005}

Sugababes vs. Girls Aloud – Walk This Way {#1 in 2007}

The Proclaimers with Brian Potter & Andy Pipkin – I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) {#1 in 2007}

The Saturdays – Just Can't Get Enough {#2 in 2009}

Vanessa Jenkins, Bryn West & Tom Jones feat. Robin Gibb – Island In The Stream {#1 in 2009}

The Wanted – Gold Forever {#3 in 2011}

Susan Boyle & Geraldine McQueen – I Know Him So Well {#11 in 2011}

One Direction – One Way Or Another (Teenage Kicks) {#1 in 2013}

Sam Smith feat. John Legend – Lay Me Down {#1 in 2015}

 

Sport Relief

 

Elton John feat. Alessandro Safina – Your Song {#4 in 2002}

Rachel Stevens – Some Girls {#2 in 2004}

McFly – Don't Stop Me Now {#1 in 2006}

McFly – Please Please {#1 in 2006}

Leona Lewis – Better In Time {#2 in 2008}

Leona Lewis – Footprints In The Sand {#2 in 2008}

Robbie Williams – Morning Sun {#45 in 2010}

JLS – Proud {#6 in 2012}

Little Mix – Word Up! {#6 in 2014}

James Bay – Running [Live from Abbey Road Studios] {#60 in 2016}

 

Other

 

Artists Against AIDS Worldwide – What's Going On {#6 in 2001}

Artists For Children's Promise – It's Only Rock 'N Roll (But I Like It) {#19 in 1999}

Artists Stand Up To Cancer – Just Stand Up {#26 in 2008}

Band Aid – Do They Know It's Christmas? {#1 in 1984}

Band Aid II – Do They Know It's Christmas? {#1 in 1989}

Band Aid 20 – Do They Know It's Christmas? {#1 in 2004}

Band Aid 30 – Do They Know It's Christmas? {#1 in 2014}

Ben Haenow – Something I Need {#1 in 2014}

Childliners – The Gift Of Christmas {#9 in 1995}

Ferry Aid – Let It Be {#1 in 1987}

Hear 'N Aid – Stars {#26 in 1986}

Helping Haiti – Everybody Hurts {#1 in 2010}

James Arthur – Impossible {#1 in 2012}

The Justice Collective – He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother {#1 in 2012}

The Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Choir – A Bridge Over You {#1 in 2016}

Live Aid Armenia – What's Going On {DNC in 1989}

Louisa Johnson – Forever Young {#9 in 2015}

Military Wives with Gareth Malone – Wherever You Are {#1 in 2011}

Music Relief – What's Going On? {#70 in 1994}

Rock Aid Armenia – Smoke On The Water {#39 in 1989}

Sam Bailey – Skyscraper {#1 in 2013}

Smokin' Mojo Filters – Come Together {#19 in 1995}

Taylor Swift – Ronan {DNC in 2012}

The X Factor Finalists 2008 – Hero {#1 in 2008}

The X Factor Finalists 2009 – You Are Not Alone {#1 in 2009}

The X Factor Finalists 2010 – Heroes {#1 in 2010}

The X Factor Finalists feat. JLS & One Direction – Wishing On A Star {#1 in 2011}

 

As always, if you can think of others, please reply so I can add them to the list.

 

Which one is your all time favourite?

 

In my case, I seem to prefer the "All-Star Various Artists" collaborations which showcases the vocals of many of my favourite recording artists into one song. It's hard to pick my all time favourite, but I think I've made up my mind that it is;

 

Tony Christie & Peter Kay – Is This The Way To Amarillo

Edited by awardinary™

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Sport Relief

 

Leona Lewis – Better In Time {#2 in 2008}

Leona Lewis – Footprints In The Sand {#2 in 2008}

 

:wub: :wub:

Edited by Karma

Lou Reed and Various Artists – Perfect Day {#1 in 1997}

 

It's hard for anything to come close to that. Even Heather Small's parts are very good.

Cliff Richard and the cast of The Young Ones – Living Doll {#1 in 1986}

 

A fun song with a hilarious video. A real rarity nowadays.

  • Author
Lou Reed and Various Artists – Perfect Day {#1 in 1997}

 

It's hard for anything to come close to that. Even Heather Small's parts are very good.

It's certainly up there with the best isn't it. :D

Something New is THE BEST Charity single ever.

"Is This The Way to Amarillo" is my favourite as well. I like Love You More too.

 

All X Factor winners singles since 2012 have also been released for charity. There is also the Justice Collective and NHS Choir which got the 2012 & 2015 Christmas No. 1 respectively. Not forgetting Band Aid of course.

Edited by Hassaan

Something New is THE BEST Charity single ever.

 

 

It's not even the best GA charity single ever. :D

  • Author
"Is This The Way to Amarillo" is my favourite as well. I like Love You More too.

 

All X Factor winners singles since 2012 have also been released for charity. There is also the Justice Collective and NHS Choir which got the 2012 & 2015 Christmas No. 1 respectively. Not forgetting Band Aid of course.

Thanks for pointing those out Hasaan, I can't believe I forgot Band Aid! :blink:

It's not even the best GA charity single ever. :D

!

 

Too true :lol:

:rolleyes: Something New trolls are not welcome x

 

Something New is for sure my fave charity single ever, although Never Had a Dream Come True and Have You Ever both run it close. A selection of my faves from the above lists, alphabetically:

 

Ellie Goulding - How Long Will I Love You

Girls Aloud - I'll Stand By You

Girls Aloud - Something New

James Bay - Running

Leona Lewis - Footprints In the Sand / Better In Time

Louisa Johnson - Forever Young

One Direction - One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks)

Rachel Stevens - Some Girls

S Club 7 - Never Had a Dream Come True

S Club 7 - Have You Ever

Spice Girls - Who Do You Think You Are

Sugababes vs. Girls Aloud – Walk This Way

The Saturdays - Just Can't Get Enough

The X Factor Finalists 2008 - Hero

The X Factor Finalists 2009 - You Are Not Alone

'Perfect Day' would probably be my favourite, it actually gives me chills.

 

A few other good'uns there like 'Some Girls', 'All About You', 'I'll Stand By You' and 'Who Do You Think You Are?'

 

'Spirit In The Sky' is a massive guilty pleasure lmao :ph34r:

My favourite is 'Just Stand Up'. By quite a distance. 'Something Poo' will always be ridiculously overrated though :puke:

 

I really like the new 'Hands' charity single, too! Britney sounds REALLY good on it *.*

 

It premiered today and has a lot of current artists on it! Britney, Selena, Gwen, P!nk, Troye Sivan, Imagine Dragons, Meghan Trainor, Shawn Mendes et al. It's for the Orlando cause! <3

 

Great list! A few additions for you ... Children in Need ...

Little Drummer Boy/ Peace on earth - Bandaged (this was Sir Terry Wogan and Aled Jones) (3 -2008)

We have a dream - Pudsey's All Star Heroes (40 - 2008)

Silver Bells/ Me and my teddy bear - Sir Terry Wogan and Aled Jones/Sharon Corr (27 -2009)

 

Childline

With a little help from my friends/She's leaving home - Wet Wet Wet/Billy Bragg with Cara Tivey (1 -1988)

 

As for my favourite ... 'Do they know it's Christmas' - Band Aid

Forgot about that one - had they done a 'Band Aid 10' the lineup would probably be near-identical to that.

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