This idea came to my head a while back and has been magnified by the success of Steve's Lava Chicken. I was thinking the record for shortest ever top 40 single would never be broken but alas it was! So it got me thinking about other records that might literally never be broken. Here are my thoughts on a few random ones:

Most UK #1 singles

For a certain period it felt as if Ed Sheeran might be the one to finally break Elvis' record of 21 (or 18 if you don't count the re-issues which I personally don't). Ed is currently on 14 so it is certainly achievable but is he going to maintain his all conquering chart dominance late into his career? Azizam can potentially make it 15 but would need Ordinary to go to ACR and no surprise releases thereafter.

Most weeks at #1 by a single

I think ACR has all but destroyed any chance of a song surpassing I Believe's 18 total weeks, a record which has stood since 1953. Of course One Dance came relatively close but not quite!

Youngest ever artist to achieve a #1 single

Little Jimmy Osmond (aged 7 at the time) is never losing this record. Can't see it ever happening especially with children being more protected in the entertainment industry nowadays. Willow Smith was 9 when Whip My Hair charted at #2 so that would have ran him very close.

Oldest ever artist to achieve a #1 single

Similarly can anyone really see anyone older than Capt. Tom Moore (100) doing this? Would need a very similar set of circumstances imo.

Longest/shortest songs to reach #1

All Around The World by Oasis still retains this record, clocking in at 9 minutes 38 seconds. Don't think this will ever be broken, although Mirrors by Justin Timberlake wasn't far off at 8 minutes 7 seconds. Conversely, the shortest #1 single ever is from way back in 1959! Adam's Faith's What Do You Want? is just 1 minute 35 seconds but I actually can see this one being broken one day (manifesting Jack Black).

Most weeks top 100

Mr. Brightside (455 so far and counting!) will keep this record for eternity. Next.

Fastest selling single

This will also very clearly never ever be broken. Candle In The Wind sold a quite ridiculous 1.55 million copies in its first week. Even with streaming adjusted sales, nothing will ever touch this (or will it?)

Most weeks at #2 without going to #1

We've had a few close calls recently (Murder On The Dancefloor and APT) however nothing has yet beaten Frank Chacksfield's Terry's Theme From Limelight's 8 weeks from all the way back in 1953.

Most top 10 singles

Another of Elvis' seemingly insurmountable records, he currently has 76. There was a time where Drake on his then trajectory looked a serious threat to this but he is still some way behind on 46. Ed Sheeran has 42.

Most #2s without a #1

A classic bit of trivia for all chart nerds, this 'achievement' belongs to Sash! with 5. I'm not exactly sure if anyone is currently close to this but it seems an extremely specific record to be the bridesmaid so many times.

So that is 10 random records to get the discussion going, would love to hear everyone else's thoughts on these ones and any other!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again... @Dobbo makes the most interesting threads!

Great thread Dobbo! I agree with most of what you said.

11 minutes ago, Dobbo said:

Most UK #1 singles

For a certain period it felt as if Ed Sheeran might be the one to finally break Elvis' record of 21 (or 18 if you don't count the re-issues which I personally don't). Ed is currently on 14 so it is certainly achievable but is he going to maintain his all conquering chart dominance late into his career? Azizam can potentially make it 15 but would need Ordinary to go to ACR and no surprise releases thereafter.

This record is going to take a very long time to break IMO since there's far less guarantees of a #1 single these days compared to 20 years ago when acts like Westlife were pretty much guaranteed a week at #1 with a new single. 'Azizam' has no chance even if 'Ordinary' goes to ACR as other songs will be ahead of it. If physicals couldn't propel it to #1 then nothing will!

14 minutes ago, Dobbo said:

Longest/shortest songs to reach #1

All Around The World by Oasis still retains this record, clocking in at 9 minutes 38 seconds. Don't think this will ever be broken, although Mirrors by Justin Timberlake wasn't far off at 8 minutes 7 seconds. Conversely, the shortest #1 single ever is from way back in 1959! Adam's Faith's What Do You Want? is just 1 minute 35 seconds but I actually can see this one being broken one day (manifesting Jack Black).

I think this can be broken. YUNGBLUD recently released a similar length song, of course that didn't even chart but there's no reason a song like that couldn't go to #1 if it was a big comeback single for someone for example. I can see the shortest one being broken even sooner.

16 minutes ago, Dobbo said:

Most weeks at #2 without going to #1

We've had a few close calls recently (Murder On The Dancefloor and APT) however nothing has yet beaten Frank Chacksfield's Terry's Theme From Limelight's 8 weeks from all the way back in 1953.

Isn't 'Pink Pony Club' now also tied with Murder and APT? Given how recent all three of those songs are, I'd say this is probably the most likely of all these records to be broken soon.

Edited May 8May 8 by Mangø

5 minutes ago, Mangø said:

Isn't 'Pink Pony Club' now also tied with Murder and APT? Given how recent all three of those songs are, I'd say this is probably the most likely of all these records to be broken soon.

It's 'without going to #1' and of course PPC had 2 weeks there. I think it equalled the record of most weeks at #2 in general though?

6 minutes ago, Mangø said:

Isn't 'Pink Pony Club' now also tied with Murder and APT? Given how recent all three of those songs are, I'd say this is probably the most likely of all these records to be broken soon.

But Pink Pony Club already did go to #1...

Definitely think the longest song at #1 could be broken, Taylor Swift's 'All Too Well (Taylor's Version) got to #3 and was 10:13.

Ed needs only 5 Christmas singles to reach 19. :p

27 minutes ago, Dobbo said:

It's 'without going to #1' and of course PPC had 2 weeks there. I think it equalled the record of most weeks at #2 in general though?

27 minutes ago, awardinary said:

But Pink Pony Club already did go to #1...

Duh, yeah that's my bad, sorry! I guess my point still stands though in that it seems easier these days for songs to spend multiple weeks at #2 (probably due to how stagnant the charts are).

Edited May 8May 8 by Mangø

Think including streaming Shape Of You has overtaken Candle In The Wind but nothing is passing it in pure sales. All Too Well 10 minute version hit number 3 so longest number one could be broken...

Last year that album track by The Kid LAROI spent an age in the Top 40 and it was bearly over a minute in length.

oh always thought Bryan Adams had the record for weeks at #1?

EDIT: I see he has the record for consecutive weeks

Who has the record of most weeks INSIDE the Top 40 without going into the Top 10?

6 minutes ago, awardinary said:

Who has the record of most weeks INSIDE the Top 40 without going into the Top 10?

At a guess I would say Idina Menzel - Let It Go

How long was ding dong witch dead that got number 2

3 minutes ago, Dj Cheeky magpie said:

How long was ding dong witch dead that got number 2

51 seconds.

And the 2 Boris Johnson ones were both 56 seconds.

I know another record that might never be broken, the most weeks in the top 10 held by All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey.

Edited May 8May 8 by adrianreavill83
Minor error

Christmas songs really should be ineligible for these types of records, otherwise in years to come they will own almost all of them.

'Thank You Baked Potato' was just over a minute in length, I remember being surprised at the time that it didn't do better than #34.

I don't know if it's a "record" as such but it's one of my favourite unique and quirky chart facts:

The Eurythmics have 9 top 10 singles, each at a different peak position except for #7.

Now we just need to get one of their other singles to #7 and we're sorted!!

at the rate it's going Last Christmas could grab the record for more weeks at #1 (non-consecutive)

but actually a tiktok hit ala ordinary could get the record for more consecutive weeks at #1 considering how slow things are nowadays and the slow pace at which new songs are coming up