The all-American family with three generations of number-one stars
Keeping it in the family is, to be fair, a large part of how the music industry functions in this day and age.
We label it better now as nepotism, and while it’s a subject ranging from mild irritance to outrage rage for some, there’s no denying that, for better or worse, connections of all kinds have become a bedrock of catapulting success in today’s sonic world. Sometimes it’s a private education or a famous dad, but a lot of the time, if there’s a new kid on the block, it’s worth finding out who their parents are.
Despite the wrath of the nepo baby having become a persistent modern problem, however, this is not to say that it is a particularly new phenomenon. While we may naturally be more aware of it now than ever, sadly, familial contacts have been an integral part of the business for as long as it has existed.
Just ask the Nelsons. They may not be a lineage you are familiar with from surname alone, but they are a brood who have made history in the American charts by being the only family to have scored a number one hit over the course of three consecutive generations. You really have to hand it to them because it’s an unbelievable feat, and no one has done nepotism better than them.
Since they are the only ones to have ever pulled off such an achievement, it’s worth knowing exactly how they did it. The trend initially stretched all the way back to 1932, when patriarch and band leader Ozzie Nelson led his orchestra to number one victory with the song ‘And Then Some’. As it turned out, though, that extra package came in the form of his own son and grandson.
Who were the other Nelson family members to have a number one?
Almost 30 years after Ozzie had enjoyed his own streak of glory at the top spot, Ricky Nelson followed in his father’s footsteps of becoming a recording artist – or, more to the point, had been led into it by his family, due to starring in his parents’ radio and TV series, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, from the age of just eight years old.
But in his own right, Ricky turned into a major star, and subsequently saw him yield a slew of massive hits such as ‘Poor Little Fool’, which saw him become the apple of Ozzie’s eye by replicating his number one success in 1961. That would have been impressive enough, but the Nelsons were not content with just two generations of sonic greatness.
No, they had their eyes set on the prize of a chart-topping triple whammy. Oddly enough, on top of the fact that this transcended into a third generation, the feat was completed after another 30-year interlude, making them a family who clearly liked their even spacings as much as their success. But grandsons Gunnar and Matthew, appropriately known by the band name Nelson, sealed the deal in 1990 with the song ‘(Can’t Live Without Your) Love and Affection’.
It remains to be seen whether a new generation of Nelsons will continue their family’s starry trajectory, but you could also argue that three times is more than enough. At the end of the day, how many gold plaques can one brood fit in their house? Their number one successes will be passed down the line of inheritance anyway, that’s for sure.
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