Bee Gees' Official Top 20 most-streamed songs

13 January 2021 | By Rob Copsey

 

Barry Gibb's new album, a collection of country reinterpretations of Bee Gees' biggest hits titled Greenfields, is the latest chapter in the brothers' hugely successful career that spans over 50 years and 31 Top 40 singles.

 

As Gibb's latest collection - the first of what he's hopes to be a trilogy of releases - heads for Number 1 on the Official UK Albums Chart, we're revealing which of the Bee Gees' hits stand up in the streaming age. The full Top 20 appears at the bottom of the page, but first, here's a closer look at the Top 10.

 

10. Tragedy (1979)

Official Singles Chart peak: 1

UK streams: 7.4 million

By the time Bee Gees released hook-laden Tragedy they had been regulars at the top end of the Official Singles Chart for well over a decade. The track became their fourth UK Number 1 and was also a chart-topper in America, where it knocked I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor off Number 1. 20 years after its release, Tragedy landed at the summit once again thanks to Steps.

 

9. Jive Talkin' (1975)

Official Singles Chart peak: 5

UK streams: 8.07 million

The lead single from their 1975 album Main Course (and later featured on the 1977 Saturday Night Fever soundtrack), Jive Talkin' was seen as somewhat of a comeback for the group after a three-year absence from the charts. The track was originally titled Drive Talking, inspired by the sound rhythm made by their car.

 

8. Massachusetts (1967)

Official Singles Chart peak: 1

UK streams: 8.28 million

The group's first UK Number 1 was originally written with Australian group The Seekers in mind. Despite having never set foot in Massachusetts, the track was their first global hit - and has the small claim to fame as the second song ever played on BBC Radio 1 following its launch that year.

 

7. To Love Somebody (1967)

Official Singles Chart peak: 41

UK streams: 10.9 million

The group's second single was a minor hit in the UK, but it success has endured over the years and remains one of the most popular songs of the 1960s - covered by everyone from Nina Simone and Janis Joplin to Rod Stewart and Michael Buble. In a 2017 interview, Barry Gibb said it was his favourite song he'd written for its clear and emotional message.

 

6. You Should Be Dancing (1976)

Official Singles Chart peak: 5

UK streams: 13.22 million

Credited as the song that launched the Bee Gees into disco, You Should Be Dancing saw Barry Gibb delivering the song in what would become his trademark falsetto. The track featured on their Children Of The World album, and the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack a year later.

 

5. You Win Again (1987)

Official Singles Chart peak: 1

UK streams:16.8 million

After going seven years without a hit single, the Bee Gees made a glorious comeback in 1987 with You Win Again. The defiant, drum-led anthem landed at Number 1, their fifth in the UK, making them the first group to claim a chart-topping single in three consecutive decades: the '60s, '70s and '80s.

 

4. More Than A Woman (1977)

Official Singles Chart peak: N/A

UK streams: 17.38 million

Written for the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, More Than A Woman was only released in a few territories, not including in the UK or US. Regardless, it's among their most popular songs - and was a staple of the group's live sets until Maurice's death in 2003. In 1998 the song was covered by another all-male trio, boyband 911, who took it to Number 2.

 

3. Night Fever (1978)

Official Singles Chart peak: 1

UK streams: 23.54 million

The Saturday Night Fever track became the trio's third UK Number 1, spending two weeks at the top, while in America is logged over two months at the summit.

 

2. How Deep Is Your Love

Official Singles Chart peak: 3

UK streams: 32.76 million

Another Saturday Night Fever cut, the wistful How Deep Is Your Love set a record in America for holding in the Top 10 for 17 weeks. In 1996 it was covered by Take That for their greatest hits album, sending it to Number 1 for three weeks.

 

1. Stayin' Alive

Official Singles Chart peak: 4

UK streams: 68.41 million

The opening song of Saturday Night Fever holds up as the Bee Gees most popular hit in the UK, with more than double the streams of How Deep Is Your Love. The group had mixed feelings about its success; on the one hand it brought them global fame, reaching Number 4 in the UK, but it also pigeonholed them as a disco act.

 

In 1995, electronic group N-Trance took the song to even greater chart heights, reaching Number 2 with their old-school hip-hop interpretation. Adding to the song's legacy, it's used in medical training as the beat provides the correct number of chest compressions per minute while performing CPR, while last year it re-emerged in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

 

Bee Gees Official Top 20 most-streamed songs

POS TITLE ARTIST PEAK YEAR

1 STAYIN' ALIVE BEE GEES 4 1978

2 HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE BEE GEES 3 1977

3 NIGHT FEVER BEE GEES 1 1978

4 MORE THAN A WOMAN BEE GEES N/A 1978

5 YOU WIN AGAIN BEE GEES 1 1987

6 YOU SHOULD BE DANCING BEE GEES 5 1976

7 TO LOVE SOMEBODY BEE GEES 41 1967

8 MASSACHUSETTS BEE GEES 1 1967

9 JIVE TALKIN' BEE GEES 5 1975

10 TRAGEDY BEE GEES 1 1978

11 I STARTED A JOKE BEE GEES N/A 1968

12 TOO MUCH HEAVEN BEE GEES 3 1978

13 IMMORTALITY CELINE DION & THE BEE GEES 5 1998

14 WORDS BEE GEES 8 1968

15 HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART BEE GEES N/A 1971

16 IVE GOTTA GET A MESSAGE TO YOU BEE GEES 1 1968

17 ALONE BEE GEES 5 1997

18 NIGHTS ON BROADWAY BEE GEES N/A 1975

19 ISLANDS IN THE STREAM BEE GEES N/A 2001

20 FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS BEE GEES 4 1993

 

©2021 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.

https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/b...d-songs__32119/

Kind of interesting how many of their songs had cover versions that charted as high if not higher.

 

I didn't know that 'Nights On Broadway' wasn't one of their hit singles! That is one of my favourites from them.

'How Deep is Your Love', 'Stayin' Alive' and 'Night Fever' are all million sellers btw.

For Whom The Bell Toll should be top 5 :wub: such a forgotten classic.

Quite surprised at Stayin' Alive. Thought it would be Night Fever.

For Whom The Bell Toll should be top 5 :wub: such a forgotten classic.

 

That is actually my favourite Bee Gees song so I completely agree, I was only listening to it the other day funnily enough.

A number 41 positions sounds more like a flop than a minor hit

Kind of interesting how many of their songs had cover versions that charted as high if not higher.

 

I didn't know that 'Nights On Broadway' wasn't one of their hit singles! That is one of my favourites from them.

'Nights On Broadway' almost made the top 50 (the chart size at the time) in November 1975 with the record peaking at number 5 on the Breakers Chart which was the next 10 records below the top 50 which had previously not charted (it would be good to see these charts in the OCC archive). Its chart run on the Breakers Chart was 5-9-7-7.

 

Quite surprised at Stayin' Alive. Thought it would be Night Fever.

Same here.

 

I'm surprised you guys think that, 'Stayin' Alive' is quite clearly the signature Bee Gees song to me, although of course they have many other classics, 'Night Fever' included.

 

I think it's quite interesting how 'low' 'Tragedy' appears. I wonder if Steps' version has better streams.

Yeah I was thinking 'Tragedy' seems quite low for such a well known song compared to some of the others above it.

 

I echo the sentiments about 'For Whom The Bell Tolls', love that song :wub: 'To Love Somebody' and 'You Win Again' are my other favourites but agree with Liam that 'Stayin' Alive' is clearly their signature song!

 

 

My fave is Saved By The Bell, really a solo song by Robin but they all sang on it.

would Immortality make the list ?

I didn't know that 'Nights On Broadway' wasn't one of their hit singles! That is one of my favourites from them.

That's probably the most surprising thing about this list for me too. It's such a good song and definitely one of the definitive Bee Gees songs for me! Would have expected it higher.

Tragedy is an unusual case of both the original and the cover version becoming classics that are still widely played to this day, but I expect Steps' version has eaten into the original's streaming potential in the UK. In fact, because of the famous dance there's even a case to argue that Steps' version is slightly more recognisable to many people now.

 

You Win Again is a masterpiece, good to see it top ten here.

 

Seems odd that More Than A Woman was never released here as a single, it seems so well known.

You Win Again is a masterpiece, good to see it top ten here.

 

I miss drunkenly asking for this on nights out and DJ's looking at me like 'are you okay?' :lol:

 

In all seriousness though it's such a good song :wub:

Seems odd that More Than A Woman was never released here as a single, it seems so well known.

 

It was a Top 10 hit for the Tavares in 1978 then covered by 911 in the 90's so it's probably well known thanks to those versions.

Seems odd that More Than A Woman was never released here as a single, it seems so well known.

Agreed! I was so surprised to learn it wasn't a single here.

Tragedy is an unusual case of both the original and the cover version becoming classics that are still widely played to this day, but I expect Steps' version has eaten into the original's streaming potential in the UK. In fact, because of the famous dance there's even a case to argue that Steps' version is slightly more recognisable to many people now.

 

You Win Again is a masterpiece, good to see it top ten here.

 

Seems odd that More Than A Woman was never released here as a single, it seems so well known.

Although the Bee Gees started to record the track in early 1977 they never got around to finish recording it until September 1977, just in time for the deadline for the completion of the 'Saturday Night Fever' soundtrack. By then Tavares had recorded the track and it had been agreed that their version would be released as a single.