The debate about which songs are more remembered over others is an odd one.

Comparing 30 year old songs to a 1 year old one feels quite mute - the former has proven its ‘remembered’ the latter can’t do that yet.

It’s also a generational thing as to what is remembered which is why it’s different for each person, a lot of people commenting on how well remembered Everything I Do, Love Is All Around, and Umbrella are all seem to have lived through those times, my 14 and 16 year old nieces don’t know any of those songs but have hammered RMI this year and they are the ones in years to come that will remember the hits of now.

9 hours ago, Bror said:

It does matter though - the only way you could claim 'Rein Me In' is 'undisputed' as the biggest song of the year is by taking the charts with ACR applied at face value. If ACR wasn't a thing it'd be quite clear that 'Man I Need' has been at the very least right on par if not bigger this year. It just happened to be unlucky enough to go to ACR very early in its run and never managed to get reset. 'Man I Need' going down in the chart records as a one week #1 while 'Rein Me In' gets 15+ is quite an indictment of how arbitrary ACR can be.

(Of course Livvy Deez wins either way so I'm sure she wouldn't mind this debate x)

It is still the undisputed most successful chart hit of the year though with 13 weeks at #1 and that’s what people will remember it for, over Man I need in the future.

I totally get what you are saying though about it all being a bit of luck too, but that applies to any song. Shakespeare’s Sister getting 8 weeks at #1 in the 90s with lower sales for Stay (not even being a platinum seller at the time) compared to Wannabe achieving 7 weeks on much higher sales is the same thing, luck of the draw and what is going on around the charts at that time.

 

9 hours ago, 777666jason said:

because they could never get a long running number 1 😜

Wannabe - 11 weeks Australia / 7 weeks UK / 4 weeks USA

2 become 1 - 3 weeks UK (post album release)

Mama / WDYTYA - 3 weeks UK (post album release)

Goodbye - 16 weeks Canada

Edited 9 hours ago9 hr by Spiceboy

Actually I think Man I Need might actually be more remembered than Rein Me IN or at least equally im future

 

1 minute ago, Spiceboy said:

Goodbye - 16 weeks Canada

Last I checked this was UK chart thread babes your reaching 😜

7 minutes ago, 777666jason said:

Last I checked this was UK chart thread babes your reaching 😜

James Masterton confirms that Man I Need is again the real No. 1 (22,500 adjusted so ~45,000 unadjusted).

So that's 9 real starred out weeks at No. 1 for Man I Need (in 3 separate runs) and 10 real weeks (2 separate runs) at No.1 for Rein Me In in 2026 so far....

Edited 17 hours ago17 hr by braindeadpj

I notice on the OCC website that Sam Fender is bookies favourite to be one of the headline acts at next year's Glastonbury.

This will be just as Rein Me In has it's 66th week at number 1 - Sam's headline set ( with guest Olivia Dean ) will save it from ACR yet again !!

1 hour ago, braindeadpj said:

James Masterton confirms that Man I Need is again the real No. 1 (22,500 adjusted so ~45,000 unadjusted).

So that's 9 real starred out weeks at No. 1 for Man I Need (in 3 separate runs) and 10 real weeks (2 separate runs) at No.1 for Rein Me In in 2026 so far....

19/26(ish) weeks for just one artist! Has anyone else ever had similar domination?

I assume that would beat Frankie Laine’s greatest dominance - but how about Ed Sheeran? Or Drake?

1 hour ago, braindeadpj said:

James Masterton confirms that Man I Need is again the real No. 1 (22,500 adjusted so ~45,000 unadjusted).

So that's 9 real starred out weeks at No. 1 for Man I Need (in 3 separate runs) and 10 real weeks (2 separate runs) at No.1 for Rein Me In in 2026 so far....

I think 'Man I Need' has had 10 weeks at #1 without ACR this year, and 13 in total (in 5 separate runs) - the official #1s in those weeks this year:

1 wk: 'Where Is My Husband!'

2 wks: 'End Of Beginning'

2 wks: 'Raindance'

1 wk: 'Opalite'

4 wks (so far): 'Rein Me In'

It therefore ties with 'Rein Me In' for 10 weeks at ACR-free #1 in 2026, while 'Rein Me In' becomes the first song to gain as many as 4 weeks at #1 thanks to ACR (surpassing the 3 weeks of 'Own It', 'Merry Christmas' and 'The Fate Of Ophelia')

Alan Jones normally mentions when there is a different REAL number 1.

Maybe he didn't spot it but will mention it next week if Man I Need does it again,

You're right, it's 10 week's for both. I counted the weeks at No.1 based on your estimated chart and I think I forgot to add this week's which of course isn't there yet (either that or I just can't count)!!

Frankie Laine managed 27 weeks at No.1 in an 8.5 month period (36 weeks), 24.04.1953 to 25.12.1953 (note 1 additional week as the first week of 1954)

24.04.1953 to 19.06.53 9 weeks

1 week

03.07.1953 to 07.08.53 6 weeks

1 week

21.08.1953 to 04.09.52 3 weeks

6 weeks

23.10.1953 to 30.10.1953 2 weeks

1 week

13.11.1953 to 25.12.1953 7 weeks

There was a total of 8 weeks between the 18 weeks of I Believe and 2 weeks of Hey Joe! so that's 20 weeks [2 no.1s] over 26 weeks... (or alternatively the last 2 weeks of the first run of I Believe through to 25.12.1953 (the last of 7 weeks for Answer Me; so 3 No. 1s); 29 weeks but also 20 weeks at No.1... [or 18 weeks at No.1 in 26 weeks if excluding I Believe's 1st run completely]).

This is the 27th week of the year, though of course Last Christmas was No.1 the 1st week, so Olivia Dean has currently equalled Frankie Laine's 20 weeks at No.1 out of 26 weeks....

Assuming Olivia Dean is No.1 next week, she would beat Frankie Laine with 21 weeks out of 27 weeks....though as to whether she could continue to be ahead as the weeks add up is another question....

Edited 4 hours ago4 hr by braindeadpj
Sorry I can't add up!!!!!