The four songs that have earned UK number ones with three different artists
No songwriting formula guarantees a number one single. There may be certain elements that increase your chances of climbing the charts – a catchy chorus here, a relatable lyric there – but there is no real concrete science to hit-making. It’s an art that many spend their whole careers trying to perfect, while others stumble upon it unexpectedly. And sometimes, a song is so well-written, so universally appealing that it tops the charts not once, not twice, but three times.
While most artists long for a number one, four songwriters throughout music history have seen their creations go to the top spot in the United Kingdom three times with three different artists. The first to achieve this feat, and a likely favourite for any Liverpool fans, was show tune turned football anthem ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’.
The track first topped the charts almost two decades after it was first created, in the now iconic Gerry and the Pacemakers version, which was quickly adopted by fans of the reds. A couple of decades later, The Crowd covered the song after a fire at Bradford City stadium killed spectators. The band featured a number of huge names, including Gerry of the Pacemakers.
Just over a decade later, ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ made its third appearance at the top of the charts, when Robson and Jerome covered the track. Given the enduring love for the song, it seems like it will only be a matter of time before another cover finds its way back to the top. But ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ isn’t the only song to have achieved this feat.
Not long after Gerry and the Pacemakers secured the Liverpool anthem its first number one, Norman Greenbaum’s ‘Spirit in the Sky’ began its own chart-topping streak. In 1970, Greenbaum’s original recording topped the charts. Then, in 1986, a cover by glam rockers Doctor and the Medics achieved the same feat.
The appeal of the song still hadn’t dimmed by the time the new century rolled round, as it was back at the top of the charts by 2003. Gareth Gates covered the track for Comic Relief, with some help from the Kumars, and attained a number one. In the year that followed, two more songs would join the ranks of three-time, three-artist chart-toppers.
The first was The Beatles’ iconic 1967 track, ‘With a Little Help from My Friends’. Perhaps unexpectedly, the song never topped the charts as a Fab Four track, but it did win three subsequent number ones for Joe Cocker in 1968, Wet Wet Wet in 1988 and Sam & Mark in 2004. It’s easy to see why – the hopeful lyrics and gorgeous melodies have endeared ‘With a Little Help from My Friends’ to generations of listeners.
The final song to accomplish this, and perhaps the most obvious, is Bob Geldof and Midge Ure’s iconic festive charity hit, ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ The tune has hit number one three times, each performed by a new crowd of celebrities. Band Aid took it to number one in 1984, Band Aid II achieved the same feat in 1989. Then, in 2004, the 20th iteration of Band Aid returned it to the chart-topping spot.
Ranging from supergroups to ‘Spirit in the Sky’, it’s a list of songs that have endured and resonated with audiences throughout the decades.
The four songs that have topped the charts with three different artists
- ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ – Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Crowd, Robson and Jerome
- ‘Spirit in the Sky’ – Norman Greenbaum, Doctor and the Medics, Gareth Gates and the Kumars
- ‘With a Little Help from My Friends’ – Joe Cocker, Wet Wet Wet, Sam & Mark
- ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ – Band Aid, Band Aid II, Band Aid 20
