Posted May 10, 20196 yr Most weeks in total in the UK Singles Top 100 1| 468 Killers - Mr Brightside (2004) +2| 243 Lewis Capaldi - Someone You Loved (2018)3| 191 Ed Sheeran - Perfect (2017)4| 177 Goo Goo Dolls - Iris (1998) +5| 166 Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars (2006)6| 161 Vance Joy - Riptide (2013)7| 156 Coldplay - Viva La Vida (2008) +8| 147 The Weeknd - Blinding Lights (2019)9=| 140 Glass Animals - Heat Waves (2020)9=| 140 Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You (1994) 🎄11| 138 Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale Of New York (1987) 🎄12| 134 George Ezra - Shotgun (2018)13| 133 Frank Sinatra - My Way (1969) *14| 132 Kings Of Leon - Sex On Fire (2008)15=| 131 Fleetwood Mac - Dreams (1977) +15=| 131 Wham! - Last Christmas (1984) 🎄17| 130 Tom Odell - Another Love (2012)18| 128 Slade - Merry Xmas Everybody (1973) * 🎄19| 123 Fleetwood Mac - Everywhere (1988) +20| 120 Journey - Don't Stop Believin' (1982)21| 119 Ed Sheeran - Thinking Out Loud (2014)22| 117 Hozier - Take Me To Church (2014)23=| 116 Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper - Shallow (2018)23=| 116 Tones & I - Dance Monkey (2019)25=| 114 Ed Sheeran - Bad Habits (2021)25=| 114 Sia - Chandelier (2014)27| 113 Oasis - Whatever (1994)28| 112 Bastille - Pompeii (2013)29| 111 Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas? (1984) 🎄30| 110 The Weeknd - Save Your Tears (2021)31| 109 Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling (2009)32| 107 Imagine Dragons - Radioactive (2012)33| 104 Wizzard - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday (1973) 🎄34=| 103 Kings Of Leon - Use Somebody (2008)34=| 103 Shakin' Stevens - Merry Christmas Everyone (1985) 🎄36=| 102 Harry Styles - As It Was (2022)36=| 102 Take That - Rule The World (2007)38| 100 John & Yoko and the Plastic Ono Band - Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (1972) 🎄 Most weeks in total in the UK Singles Top 75 1| 208 Killers - Mr Brightside (2004)2| 161 Lewis Capaldi - Someone You Loved (2019)3| 130 Ed Sheeran - Perfect (2017)4=| 124 Frank Sinatra - My Way (1969) *4=| 124 Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You (1994) 🎄4=| 124 Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale Of New York (1987) 🎄7| 122 Wham! - Last Christmas (1984) 🎄8| 117 Glass Animals - Heat Waves (2020)9| 112 Slade - Merry Xmas Everybody (1973) * 🎄10| 111 Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars (2006)11| 106 The Weeknd - Blinding Lights (2019) Most weeks in total in the UK Singles Top 50 1| 123 Frank Sinatra - My Way (1969)2| 107 Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You (1994) 🎄3| 104 Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale Of New York (1987) 🎄4| 101 Wham! - Last Christmas (1984) 🎄5| 89 Lewis Capaldi - Someone You Loved (2019)6| 88 The Weeknd - Blinding Lights (2019)7| 84 Glass Animals - Heat Waves (2021)8| 79 Ed Sheeran - Perfect (2017)9| 79 Wizzard - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday (1973) 🎄10| 78 Teddy Swims - Lose Control (2023)Most weeks in total in the UK Singles Top 40 1| 101 Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You (1994) 🎄2| 96 Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale Of New York (1987) 🎄3| 89 Wham! - Last Christmas (1984) 🎄4=| 75 Benson Boone - Beautiful Things (2024) +4=| 75 Frank Sinatra - My Way (1969)6| 73 Glass Animals - Heat Waves (2021)7| 70 The Weeknd - Blinding Lights (2019)8| 69 Lewis Capaldi - Someone You Loved (2019)9=| 65 Harry Styles - As It Was (2022)9=| 65 Teddy Swims - Lose Control (2024)11| 64 Wizzard - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday (1973) 🎄12| 62 Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas? (1984) 🎄13| 60 Slade - Merry Xmas Everybody (1973) 🎄14| 58 Noah Kahan - Stick Season (2023)15=| 56 Ed Sheeran - Thinking Out Loud (2014)15=| 56 Shakin' Stevens - Merry Christmas Everyone (1985) 🎄17=| 54 Bill Haley and his Comets - Rock Around The Clock (1955) **17=| 54 Billie Eilish - BIRDS OF A FEATHER (2024)17=| 54 Chappell Roan - Good Luck, Babe! (2024)17=| 54 John Legend - All Of Me (2014)21=| 52 Ed Sheeran - Bad Habits (2021)21=| 52 Mr. Acker Bilk - Stranger On The Shore (1961)21=| 52 Tones & I - Dance Monkey (2019)24| 50 Pharrell Williams - Happy (2013) Most weeks in total in the UK Singles Top 20 1| 79 Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale Of New York (1987) 🎄2| 74 Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You (1994) 🎄3| 59 Wham! - Last Christmas (1984) 🎄4| 52 Benson Boone - Beautiful Things (2024) +5=| 44 Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas? (1984) 🎄5=| 44 Harry Styles - As It Was (2022)7| 42 Lewis Capaldi - Someone You Loved (2019)8| 39 Taylor Swift - Cruel Summer (2023)9=| 37 Mr. Acker Bilk - Stranger On The Shore (1961)9=| 37 Shakin' Stevens - Merry Christmas Everyone (1985) 🎄9=| 37 The Weeknd - Blinding Lights (2019) Most weeks in total in the UK Singles Top 101| 49 Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You (1994) 🎄2| 46 Wham! - Last Christmas (1984) 🎄3| 37 Harry Styles - As It Was (2022)4| 36 Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale Of New York (1987) 🎄5| 35 Frankie Laine - I Believe (1953)6| 33 Benson Boone - Beautiful Things (2024)7| 31 Lewis Capaldi - Someone You Loved (2019)8| 29 Taylor Swift - Cruel Summer (2023)9=| 27 Doris Day - Secret Love (1954)9=| 27 Rema - Calm Down (2022)Most weeks in total in the UK Singles Top 5 1| 37 Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You (1994) 🎄2| 35 Wham! - Last Christmas (1984) 🎄3| 30 Frankie Laine - I Believe (1953)4| 22 Chappell Roan - Pink Pony Club (2025)5| 21 Frank Chacksfield - Terry's Theme (Theme From "Limelight") (1953)6=| 20 Beatles - She Loves You (1963)6=| 20 Benson Boone - Beautiful Things (2024)6=| 20 Harry Styles - As It Was (2022)6=| 20 Sabrina Carpenter - Espresso (2024)10=| 19 Bryan Adams - (Everything I Do) I Do It For You (1991)10=| 19 Doris Day - Secret Love (1954)10=| 19 Ed Sheeran - Shape Of You (2017)10=| 19 Wet Wet Wet - Love Is All Around (1994)Most weeks in total in the UK Singles Top 3 1| 32 Wham! - Last Christmas (1984) 🎄2| 26 Frankie Laine - I Believe (1953)3| 23 Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You (1994) 🎄4=| 18 Beatles - She Loves You (1963)4=| 18 Harry Styles - As It Was (2022)4=| 18 Sabrina Carpenter - Espresso (2024)7=| 17 Bryan Adams - (Everything I Do) I Do It For You (1991)7=| 17 Ed Sheeran - Shape Of You (2017)7=| 17 Wet Wet Wet - Love Is All Around (1994)10=| 16 Alex Warren - Ordinary (2025)10=| 16 Calvin Harris & Ellie Goulding - Miracle (2023)10=| 16 Doris Day - Secret Love (1954)10=| 16 Lewis Capaldi - Someone You Loved (2019)10=| 16 Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody (1975) Most weeks in total at UK Singles #1 1| 18 Frankie Laine - I Believe (1953)2| 16 Bryan Adams - (Everything I Do) I Do It For You (1991)3=| 15 Drake featuring Wizkid & Kyla - One Dance (2016)3=| 15 Wet Wet Wet - Love Is All Around (1994)5=| 14 Ed Sheeran - Shape Of You (2017)5=| 14 Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody (1975)7| 13 Alex Warren - Ordinary (2025)8=| 11 Ed Sheeran - Bad Habits (2021)8=| 11 Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber - Despacito (2017)8=| 11 Slim Whitman - Rose Marie (1955)8=| 11 Tones & I - Dance Monkey (2019) Most weeks in total at UK Singles #1 without ACR 1=| 18 Alex Warren - Ordinary (2025) +1=| 18 Frankie Laine - I Believe (1953)3=| 16 Bryan Adams - (Everything I Do) I Do It For You (1991)3=| 16 Wham! - Last Christmas (2021) 🎄5=| 15 Drake featuring Wizkid & Kyla - One Dance (2016)5=| 15 Tones & I - Dance Monkey (2019)5=| 15 Wet Wet Wet - Love Is All Around (1994)8=| 14 Ed Sheeran - Shape Of You (2017)8=| 14 Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber - Despacito (2017)8=| 14 Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody (1975) (years in brackets indicate first weeks on chart)* includes weeks before full Top 75 introduced in 1978 and full Top 100 introduced in 1983** includes weeks before full Top 40 and Top 50 introduced in 1960 + most recent week at date last updated All lists last updated w/e 07/08/25 See also: Most consecutive weeks in the UK Singles Top 100, 75, 50, 40
May 10, 20196 yr Author Commentary on top 10 songs with most weeks in total in the Top 100: These songs have spent the longest in the charts of their size at the time. Always remember them this way, as two of those tied in 10th place are about to be booted out of the top 10. That does at least mean those remaining will have all racked up two or more years on the chart, while Mr Brightside’s next week will complete four years. This is the only of these top 10s which is (for now) a Christmas-free zone and it’s also notable that, other than Chandelier and the two Ed Sheeran songs, these all completed at least half of their current tallies while the charts were sales only.
May 17, 20196 yr Author Commentary on top 10 songs with most weeks in total in the Top 75: And here are the songs with the most presence in the charts Music Week would recognise. The first 122 chart weeks for My Way were in what was then a Top 50 chart but over a period of 144 weeks – had it then been a full Top 75, it would have been much further in front here. I know it feels like Perfect has been around forever, but who knew it’s just two weeks behind (the song it aspired to be in) 3rd place? Further down the list, it’s Chriiistmaaas, as all those festive chart runs add up – if you’re wondering, Mariah’s classic is poised on 77 weeks, so should join this list by the end of November (OCC rules permitting).
May 17, 20196 yr My Way will always remain the greatest song on any of these "most weeks" lists... Whatever is sensational as well, unbelievable to see that appear here as it's not really considered one of Oasis' most well-known songs. Edited May 17, 20196 yr by dobbo
May 17, 20196 yr I believe Whatever only lasted so long in the chart because it wasn't on any of their studio albums, still impressive though.
May 17, 20196 yr Yes I do believe that's the primary reason why! I think it wasn't even included on any greatest hits either until Time Flies.
May 25, 20196 yr Author Commentary on top 10 songs with most weeks in total in the Top 50: My Way tops this list by such a huge margin it may never be caught, at least not within the next decade. Sinatra’s nearest challenger namechecks him in the lyrics. These ten songs first appeared in six different decades with the oldest, Rock Around The Clock, starting out when the chart was just a Top 25, before charting again in the 60’s and 70’s – although its place in this top 10 is under threat from an all too familiar song which has just fallen out of the Top 50 this week (for now.)
May 31, 20196 yr Author Commentary on top 10 songs with most weeks in total in the Top 40: Sinatra rules again – can you imagine if Buzzjack had existed in the early 1970’s, the chart show thread would be full of complaints that My Way was still hanging around and that R1 kept playing it every week :) On an unrelated note, Shotgun (which belatedly draws level with Rock Around The Clock for time in the Top 50 this week) is one Top 40 week away from joining this top 10 as well – maybe after Glastonbury? Anyway, I’ll try to keep these lists up to date when anything changes.
May 31, 20196 yr Commentary on top 10 songs with most weeks in total in the Top 40: Sinatra rules again – can you imagine if Buzzjack had existed in the early 1970’s, the chart show thread would be full of complaints that My Way was still hanging around and that R1 kept playing it every week :) On an unrelated note, Shotgun (which belatedly draws level with Rock Around The Clock for time in the Top 50 this week) is one Top 40 week away from joining this top 10 as well – maybe after Glastonbury? Anyway, I’ll try to keep these lists up to date when anything changes.There were a number of long running hits around in the early 1970s simply because singes sales were quite low and the likes of 'My Way' were selling small but consistent amounts each week so just kept charting. The lack of turnover in the charts led to the then chart compilers (BMRB) to introduce for the first time a rule which removed records from the charts - from 12 July 1975 any record that had falling sales for two weeks in a row and which would otherwise be placed below number 40 was removed from the chart. That's why there were so few re-entries to the chart from that date until the rule was dropped in May 1978 when the chart was expanded to a top 75. Despite the multiple weeks 'My Way' spent on the chart it only sold something like 625,000 copies back in the day though it has since gone on to sell enough downloads and rack up enough streams to bring its overall total close to a million. I'm not sure if it has passed a million yet but it surely can't be far off.
November 29, 20195 yr Author As with the equivalent thread for consecutive weeks, I’ve added a new list below:Songs to spend most weeks in total in each Top X of the UK Singles Chart This goes from a Top 1 to a Top 100 to list the songs which spent the most weeks in each. As can be seen, Chasing Cars has so far withstood at least some of Mr Brightside’s quicksand, but the real story is the growing domination of the Pogues / Kirsty song in the upper reaches: 53 weeks in the Top 20, with more to come very soon! Mariah is catching up, but both have a long way to go to shift I Believe from its lead all the way down its native Top 12. I’ve also given a more permanent home here to:- Songs with the most weeks to date in the UK Top 10 while on ACRoriginally posted on the ACR thread in August - they are as yet unchanged, but won't be for much longer... Songs to spend most weeks in total in each Top X of the UK Singles Chart All songs appear in at least one of the above lists - refer to these for artists and years: Top 1| I Believe (18)Top 2| I Believe (25)Top 3| Last Christmas (28)Top 4| I Believe / Last Christmas (29)Top 5| All I Want For Christmas Is You (33)Top 6-7| All I Want For Christmas Is You (38)Top 8-10| All I Want For Christmas Is You (44)Top 11| All I Want For Christmas Is You (46)Top 12| All I Want For Christmas Is You (50)Top 13| All I Want For Christmas Is You (52)Top 14| All I Want For Christmas Is You (54)Top 15| Fairytale Of New York (57)Top 16| Fairytale Of New York (60)Top 17| Fairytale Of New York (62)Top 18| Fairytale Of New York (69)Top 19| Fairytale Of New York (74)Top 20-21| Fairytale Of New York (75)Top 22| Fairytale Of New York (76)Top 23| Fairytale Of New York (78)Top 24-25| Fairytale Of New York (79)Top 26| Fairytale Of New York (81)Top 27-29| Fairytale Of New York (83)Top 30| All I Want For Christmas Is You / Fairytale Of New York (84)Top 31| All I Want For Christmas Is You (86)Top 32| All I Want For Christmas Is You / Fairytale Of New York (86)Top 33| Fairytale Of New York (87)Top 34| All I Want For Christmas Is You (89)Top 35| All I Want For Christmas Is You (90)Top 36| All I Want For Christmas Is You (91)Top 37-39| All I Want For Christmas Is You (93)Top 40-43| All I Want For Christmas Is You (94)Top 44| My Way (98)Top 45| My Way (105)Top 46-47| My Way (107)Top 48| My Way (110)Top 49| My Way (118)Top 50-57| My Way (123)Top 58-65| My Way (124)Top 66| Someone You Loved (127)Top 67| Someone You Loved (129)Top 68| Someone You Loved (132)Top 69| Someone You Loved (133)Top 70| Someone You Loved (135)Top 71| Someone You Loved (138)Top 72| Someone You Loved (140)Top 73| Someone You Loved (144)Top 74| Someone You Loved (146)Top 75| Someone You Loved (150)Top 76| Someone You Loved (153)Top 77| Someone You Loved (155)Top 78| Someone You Loved (158)Top 79| Mr Brightside (166)Top 80| Mr Brightside (179)Top 81| Mr Brightside (190)Top 82| Mr Brightside (201)Top 83| Mr Brightside (207)Top 84| Mr Brightside (216)Top 85| Mr Brightside (227)Top 86| Mr Brightside (239)Top 87| Mr Brightside (246)Top 88| Mr Brightside (257)Top 89| Mr Brightside (273)Top 90| Mr Brightside (286)Top 91| Mr Brightside (292)Top 92| Mr Brightside (310)Top 93| Mr Brightside (321)Top 94| Mr Brightside (327)Top 95| Mr Brightside (336)Top 96| Mr Brightside (346)Top 97| Mr Brightside (354)Top 98| Mr Brightside (365)Top 99| Mr Brightside (375)Top 100| Mr Brightside (390) Last updated w/e 04/01/24 Edited March 1Mar 1 by jimwatts
December 7, 20195 yr Yes I do believe that's the primary reason why! I think it wasn't even included on any greatest hits either until Time Flies. That's right. It was a glaring omission from Stop The Clocks.
December 21, 20195 yr Author I've added new lists for the songs with: Most calendar years in which a new run started in each of the Top 100, 75 , 50 and 40. Merry Xmas Everybody, which (if you include the late 1990's Slade vs. Flush version as I have) is now on its 101st week in the Top 100, leads the way for the Top 100 with entries in 26 different calendar years, and similarly for the Top 75 and 50, while Fairytale Of New York dominates the Top 40 with entries in 17 years (including all of the past 15). A few non-Christmas songs have also made it into these top tens. Edited November 4, 20222 yr by jimwatts
December 24, 20195 yr Author I was going to combine this with Friday’s update, but today seems more appropriate: I’ve added new lists for the ten Christmas songs with most weeks in each of the Top 100 and Top 40. I’ve gone for an objective definition of a Christmas song :P as one which has spent at least 50% of its time on chart in weeks beginning during the month of December. That immediately excludes Let It Go and, by a slim margin, Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s The Power Of Love (which, despite a nativity themed video, owes 4 of its 18 weeks in the Top 40 to a dance remix in summer 2000), but narrowly qualifies Stay Another Day whose continued seasonal placement now outweighs its months in the bargain bins in early 1995. This also happens to be my 500th post (and probably one of my shorter ones). I hope you’ve found at least some of these lists of interest, and have a great Christmas! Edited November 4, 20222 yr by jimwatts
December 24, 20195 yr Author It would be here for the Top 40 (18 weeks) and Top 50 (21 weeks), except that I excluded it as most of those weeks weren't in December - had to draw the line somehow!
December 24, 20195 yr Eventually most of those weeks will fall in December though if it charts enough.
December 24, 20195 yr Author The thing is it's only charted once in the digital era, in 2012 on the back of the Gabrielle Aplin version, so would probably be dropping off these lists next year anyway.
December 24, 20195 yr Mariah will very slowly catch The Pogues' longevity stats if current trends continue indefinitely. As in catching up by about 1 week per year :lol:
December 31, 20195 yr Author I’ve updated the OP as everything stands going into the new decade. Festive tunes now make up 3 of the 4 most charted songs in the Top 40 at any time, although that could change again in late February... Also, Bré is correct that Mariah isn’t really closing in on the Pogues that much, except when you go into the Top 14 where she is already ahead or very close: Top 15: FONY (40), I Believe (36), AIWFCIY (33) Top 14: I Believe (36), FONY (34), AIWFCIY (33) Top 13: I Believe (36), AIWFCIY (32), FONY (31) Top 12: I Believe (36), AIWFCIY (30), FONY (26) etc. The lack of a reset to SCR (amongst other things well documented elsewhere) may have cost Mariah a long-awaited #1, but it does mean her song joins the exclusive club which have had four runs at their peak position and also replaces Despacito for having the most weeks in the Top 10 while on ACR. Meanwhile, the #9 position is being increasingly left behind in terms of ACR action: it has long been the only position in the Top 100 where no song on regular ACR has yet landed. Conversely, at least one song on permanent ACR due to being over 3 years old has now held every position in the Top 100 with the exception of #40 – maybe one day I’ll post a full list... Happy new year folks.
Create an account or sign in to comment