The Official Charts are preparing a range of activities to celebrate 70 years of the UK’s Official Singles Chart this year, this week unveiling the anniversary campaign branding and the first event of the commemorations.

 

November 14th this year will mark 70 years since the first singles chart was published by the New Musical Express’s Percy Dickins in 1952, topped by Al Martino’s Here In My Heart – but the birthday celebrations will begin next month, kicking off in style on Jubilee weekend with a fun-filled partnership with Mighty Hoopla Festival.

 

Beyond the June Bank Holiday starting horn, a range of other anniversary are set to be unveiled over the coming weeks and months, including music releases, print publications, radio and TV broadcasts, brand new charts, celebratory events and more.

 

Another key moment will be the crowning, over the summer, of the 1400th Number 1 single of all time.

 

See more here.

 

 

70 years of iconic Number 2s: Every song to peak at Number 2 in the UK.

 

Sometimes it's just as impressive to nearly get a Number 1 in the UK, as the tracks that only ever peaked at Number 2 on the Official Singles Chart prove.

 

Getting a Number 1 on the UK's Official Charts is, for many acts both at home and around the globe, a massive achievement - and as the Official Charts Company begins to celebrate our 70th anniversary year in 2022, we're also taking a look back at the biggest tracks that just missed out on the top spot.

 

Using our data, we've collected below every single song to peak at Number 2 on the Official Singles Chart - from the first (Guy Mitchell's Feet Up in 1952 if you wondered) all the way to Sam Ryder's recent Eurovision mega-hit SPACE MAN in 2022.

 

The full list can be found here.

Edited May 25, 20223 yr by ben08

Bold of them to assume we'll get as many as nine new #1 singles before the summer is over :kink:

 

I'm being pedantic of course but 'As It Was' by the metric of common sense should be considered the 1391th #1 hit, not the 1397th.

 

I see that they've even excluded the nine Elvis re-issues that made #2 in their #2s list, so it makes even less sense that they seemingly are still considering his #1 re-issues to be additional #1s.

Bold of them to even assume we'll have three new #1s by the end of summer based on the year so far.

 

I wonder if we'll be getting an updated 'Nations Favourite #1s' TV countdown like they did in 2012.

So the 6 “non #1s” (but still counted by the OCC) are

 

Bohemian Rhapsody / These Are the Days of Our Lives (1991)

Three Lions ‘98 (1998)

My Sweet Lord (2002)

Jailhouse Rock (2005)

One Night / I Got Stung (2005)

It’s Now or Never (2005)

 

Is that right? I really think the OCC should use the opportunity of the 70th anniversary / 1400th number 1 to formally renumber all the #1s correctly. Do you think they would listen to us if we contacted them haha

 

 

The OCC count the same songs twice because they count them as products due to the different label and/or catalogue number. It's all very business like for the OCC!

Three Lions '98 is a distinct song though and the Queen double-A Side includes a brand new #1 in These Are The Days Of Our Lives.

 

I agree that the Elvis and George Harrison songs shouldn't count as distinct #1's though as they are straight up re-issues of the exact same song.

So that would give U2 the true 1000th #1?

When the OCC gives sales totals for 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and 'Three Lions' they always include the sales from 91/92 and 98 respectively I believe. And streams/downloads of 'Three Lions '98' are now definitely combined with the original in the weekly charts on its returns every 2-4 years. If they were continuing to be counted as distinct in that regard then I could understand them being counted as 2 separate #1s but as it is I don't recognise them as such x

I remember in 2002 when Channel 4 did their Ultimate Chart, Three Lions wasn’t in the Top 100, so the OCC must have made an active decision to combine sales after this date. It’s odd - all we really are asking for is consistency I guess.

That's precisely the reasoning behind how I've numbered the #1s in my thread (which I've updated today as this thread gave me the reminder).

 

Which makes the "real" 1000th #1 single: Nelly feat. Tim McGraw - Over And Over [admittedly not a very exciting song to have that accolade (the 1001st #1 was the much better "Dakota") but hey]

Yeah I take that point about them combining sales for Three Lions. I still think it has a stronger case for being considered separately since it has new lyrics unlike the rest of the re-issues but if OCC have been combining the sales of both for many years then that suggests they consider them to be as one. They can't have it both ways and call it a separate #1 and then combine the sales.

 

Over and Over is a bit forgotten isn't it. I guess the 1000th number one just wasn't destined to be something that was culturally massive at the time whichever way you look at it. :lol:

I’d rather Over and Over have the 1,000th accolade than One Night / I Got Stung, which I believe is what had it counting each separate product. I was so disappointed about that at the time (as well as how diabolical the sales were of course).

It was however conveniently good publicity for the charts for the 1000th #1 to belong to its most successful act. Not that I’m suggesting any conspiracy at all ofc…..

In the list of records to peak at number 2 the OCC have included 'Rivers Of Babylon/Brown Girl In The Ring' by Boney M, which was a number 1 in 1978. I don't think this should be included as 'Rivers Of Babylon' had been a number 1 for 5 weeks and the record was falling down the charts, to number 20, when the B side ('Brown Girl In The Ring') suddenly became popular and started being listed alongside 'Rivers Of Baylon'. The record climbed back up the chart, eventually peaking at number 2. It's the very same release as the one that made number 1, albeit with an additional credit due to the B side suddenly becoming popular.

So the 6 “non #1s” (but still counted by the OCC) are

 

Bohemian Rhapsody / These Are the Days of Our Lives (1991)

Three Lions ‘98 (1998)

My Sweet Lord (2002)

Jailhouse Rock (2005)

One Night / I Got Stung (2005)

It’s Now or Never (2005)

 

Is that right? I really think the OCC should use the opportunity of the 70th anniversary / 1400th number 1 to formally renumber all the #1s correctly. Do you think they would listen to us if we contacted them haha

 

I think it's right to list these as separate #1s because historically it was a singles chart - and these are separate, re-issued singles.

I remember in 2002 when Channel 4 did their Ultimate Chart, Three Lions wasn’t in the Top 100, so the OCC must have made an active decision to combine sales after this date. It’s odd - all we really are asking for is consistency I guess.

 

My guess is that they decided to combine them when the 2 versions were re-released together as a CD and digital single in 2006. At that point you needed to have a CD single available in order to chart. So they would've been forced at that point to make a decision whether to either allow individual downloads of the '98 version to count towards the one combined chart position, or discounted.

Edited May 26, 20223 yr by AcerBen

By the same logic, the 9 Elvis re-issues which made #2 should make the #2s list as Dan mentioned, and certainly Wham! - Everything She Wants should. I see they included Madonna's Crazy For You on there twice as well as the double A-sided versions of Steps - One For Sorrow and Cliff Richard - Move It.

 

These are all moot points really - it's great that they're recognising the history of the chart in such a way.

Wonder if they will produce an up to date list of pure million sellers?

And another list which includes streams.

 

Wonder what the brand new charts will be about? Any guesses?

could perhaps be the start of the Catalogue Singles chart which would rid the chart of all the old Xmas songs dominating the official chart every December? I can sure imagine there’d be much label pressure to get rid of old Xmas songs in the chart.

By the same logic, the 9 Elvis re-issues which made #2 should make the #2s list as Dan mentioned, and certainly Wham! - Everything She Wants should. I see they included Madonna's Crazy For You on there twice as well as the double A-sided versions of Steps - One For Sorrow and Cliff Richard - Move It.

 

These are all moot points really - it's great that they're recognising the history of the chart in such a way.

 

Probably yes, but I guess it's just an oversight