Posted October 14, 20195 yr Just looking at the list of UK no.1 singles,I've noticed that it's three years since a group had a number 1,Little Mix with 'Shout Out To My Ex'. I'm not counting groups like Clean Bandit and Rudimental who hire a different singer for each single they release or choirs put together to do a charity single. I'm only referring to permanent groups with their own lead singer or groups who share the vocals between them. When you can think of the number of groups from the past with multiple number 1s,it's suddenly very difficult for a group to top the chart once. I suppose the chart figures being dominated by streaming is mostly to blame here. So what do you think? Will a group ever have a no.1 single again and who might it be? Here is a list of groups to reach no.1 in this decade: 2010 Scouting For Girls Roll Deep JLS The Wanted The Black Eyed Peas 2011 The Wanted Nero One Direction Little Mix 2012 Coldplay Cover Drive Florence + the Machine Sam and the Womp Little Mix One Direction 2013 One Direction PJ & Duncan One Republic 2014 5 Seconds Of Summer Rixton Magic! Nico & Vinz Take That 2015 Years & Years Little Mix One Direction 2016 Lukas Graham Little Mix 2017 None 2018 None 2019 None Edited January 8, 20214 yr by King Rollo
October 14, 20195 yr Interesting observation but not sure what the logic is behind saying this is 'because of streaming', it's 100% just a coincidence. I suppose the streaming audience is less receptive to specifically indie/rock groups but there are very few acts that could even vaguely be considered that on your list anyway so that's something that predates the streaming era. I don't think there's any reason that streaming would lower the chance of pop groups reaching #1, and it'll obviously increase the chance of rap groups getting there (just so happens none of them have yet, but there have been big hits by the likes of NSG and Young T & Bugsey so an act like that could easily get a #1 at some point in the near future). Also seems a little arbitrary to count Nero but not any of the other dance groups - even if your logic is that one of their members is a singer, The Chainsmokers at least should then count as well! Groups are still groups whether or not they have a singer though.
October 14, 20195 yr I'm sure Pop will rise again when everyone gets taste again and realises a lot of the current trend is sh!te
October 14, 20195 yr 8 of this year's 11 #1s have been primarily pop songs but ok x (also that's not even what this thread is about)
October 14, 20195 yr Author Interesting observation but not sure what the logic is behind saying this is 'because of streaming', it's 100% just a coincidence. I suppose the streaming audience is less receptive to specifically indie/rock groups but there are very few acts that could even vaguely be considered that on your list anyway so that's something that predates the streaming era. I don't think there's any reason that streaming would lower the chance of pop groups reaching #1, and it'll obviously increase the chance of rap groups getting there (just so happens none of them have yet, but there have been big hits by the likes of NSG and Young T & Bugsey so an act like that could easily get a #1 at some point in the near future). Also seems a little arbitrary to count Nero but not any of the other dance groups - even if your logic is that one of their members is a singer, The Chainsmokers at least should then count as well! Groups are still groups whether or not they have a singer though. I didn't count Chainsmokers as they brought in Halsey on their no.1. Nero's number 1 was with their regular singer. If any of the dance groups had an instrumental no.1 then that would count.
October 14, 20195 yr Fun stat Maroon 5, Jonas Brothers, Little Mix, Coldplay all could do it in their next era if the right stars allied. Probably some unknown group will do it next though
October 14, 20195 yr The turnover of #1s of any type has decreased within the last 4 years. Also isn't Lukas Graham actually a group?
October 14, 20195 yr There's something in it though - looking at #2s, the last of these by a 'self-contained' group was even earlier: One Direction - Perfect in 2015. Several groups have had #2s since then, but they've all been collabs with other acts.
October 14, 20195 yr The girl group era for LM is largely over and we will have to wait for a new well supported group to form!
October 15, 20195 yr Interesting. If we disallow anything that uses a featured artist and also solo singers... it's probably more due to the way hits are advertised right now. At the moment, the trend is for personalities, global stars, and particularly people seem to like 'crossover songs' right now where one well known name teams up with another, Sheeran's current era influencing that massively. And that's something you don't get in a single group unless they're a well-known name. No chance some new or even mid-level group is going to make a #1 in this environment. Plenty of groups making music but the truly hyped lot that gets to #1 right now is only going to be these global stars on current trends.
October 15, 20195 yr Interesting. If we disallow anything that uses a featured artist and also solo singers... it's probably more due to the way hits are advertised right now. At the moment, the trend is for personalities, global stars, and particularly people seem to like 'crossover songs' right now where one well known name teams up with another, Sheeran's current era influencing that massively. And that's something you don't get in a single group unless they're a well-known name. No chance some new or even mid-level group is going to make a #1 in this environment. Plenty of groups making music but the truly hyped lot that gets to #1 right now is only going to be these global stars on current trends. I don't think big name collaborations are really that dominant. There were the 3 big #1s from Ed's collab album of course but he'd likely have had at least one #1 if he'd just dropped a solo album instead (I'm still fairly certain a proper solo album would have done better overall for him). Other than that we had Shawn & Camila which, fair, fits your description here, and I suppose also Lil Nas X & Billy Ray Cyrus which was just a beast unto itself unconnected to any larger musical trend (and also was by a previously totally unknown artist collaborating with a long irrelevant one hit wonder). The rest have been solo songs and half of those were by previously unknown artists, including of course the biggest hit of the year from Lewis Capaldi. Perhaps he was aided in blowing up by being a funny personality but I don't think 'Someone You Loved' would have been any less of a hit if, say, Lewis was just the lead singer of a group releasing the song. Same applies to 'Dance Monkey' (hell I'd bet a pretty significant proportion of people think Tones And I is the devil a group) and Tones doesn't even have the 'big personality' thing going for her. The fact that more than half of the year's #1s are solo songs despite collaborations being such a common thing these days is kind of interesting in itself.
October 15, 20195 yr I think collabs are what passes for groups now. It's important that the public know people within that group. I also think that Capaldi just wouldn't have been pushed as the lead singer of a group with a band name. For whatever reason, and I'm just guessing based on the evidence, the people who decide hits probably have some focus grouped information that the public connects better with a song if they know the name of the artist directly. Annoying for me as if anything I'm the opposite, I love evocative band names that hint at a group's musical style, but makes some sense. Applies less to Tones & I, I suppose but she's a new quantity. Of course there are always solo singers and indeed they are more dominant, and every year there are a couple of new breakthroughs into that superstar list. But groups that don't tell you the names of the people involved appear to not be in fashion. Solo superstars getting together and releasing a new hype song to catch the attention of multiple fan groups seems to have filled that space. I guess my summary would be: there's only a certain amount of weeks at number one in the year which aren't going to be taken up by whichever global superstars are due to release their solo campaign that year. Groups used to get a look in, now it's the testing grounds for new soloists or time for a surprise 'hype collab'.
October 15, 20195 yr I think so yeah! There was a time when we went ages without a female lead #1 wasn’t there (between Hello and New Rules). Little Mix could definitely do it with the right track or a Christmas single what’s an original track. There’ll also be new bands forming next decade who could do it too. I think we’ll get one in 2020.
October 16, 20195 yr for a new random act with a new random hit, it doesn't matter if you're a solo singer or a band, proof is barely anyone knows that Lukas Graham is a band but sure streaming has affected fan based-groups that were going straight at #1 on release week thanks to fans multi buying. For instance, Wrestle going to #1 with the 5th single off their debut, Fool Again, that's impossible to imagine this happening now... in a low sales week with no competitions a dedicated fanbase could help achieve a #1, but there is no way they generate enough streams on their own right now... that's something that was much easily achieved with Cd sales than streaming... and thats why the last Westlife single didn't even go top 100 still think a very popular boy or girlband could do it now... we're just in a dry period cos 1D broke up and Little Mix seems to have peaked, and there is no replacement yet funnily I read something similar for the US, think Jonas Brothers this yer has been the only solo single for a band without features or anything this decade in the US
October 16, 20195 yr Also I think it’s only a matter of time before we get a 1D reunion of some sort (without Zayn and possibly Harry too) which will go number one on hype.
October 16, 20195 yr I think Harry will be the one not to rejoin tbh, definitely not for a while at least.
October 16, 20195 yr I think Harry will be the one not to rejoin tbh, definitely not for a while at least. I strongly disagree, it won't happen at all without Harry...!
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