The first two blog experiments have been postponed until I get some spare time (i.e. after I have finished Lost, 24, Seinfeld, Simpsons, etc). But this one I have already completed!
During a road trip to Canada I listened to all of the first 1000 UK Number 1's . . . here's my story (which will be constructed over the next few weeks).
First UK No.1 : "Here In My Heart" by Al Martino in 1952. I didn't care for it much. Some 50's songs I did care for, such as "She Wears Red Feathers" by Guy Williams.
1000th UK No. 1: "One Night" by Elvis Presley in 2005. Not a classic, and was a number one in 1959 anyway.
So didn't start well and ended with a bit of a let down, in my view. So what was in between? I'll pick out some themes.
When the charts started in 1952, most artists were individual singers, not many groups around other than supporting groups. Such as Buddy Holly & The Crickets, Cliff Richard and The Drifters etc. Cliff Richard also sang with The Shadows, who were one of the early groups to have a number one hit as a group (and they were instrumental in the sense that they had no singer, rather than being fundamental). Their first No.1 without Cliff was in 1960 (the classic song Apache). The Beatles arrived at the top of the charts in 1963 and around that time groups started to take off a bit more. We also see songs being number one sung by different artists but released around the same time. Imagine if there was a Wet Wet Wet version of Everything I Do (I Do It For You) knocking around at the same time as the Bryan Adams version? Shudder. But it shows that the cover version is not a recent boyband / Westlife / Boyzone trend.
More later . . .
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