The only artists to replace themselves at number one in the charts
Forget Beatlemania; for a time in the UK, there was a heavy dose of national delirium over Cliff Richard and The Shadows too. The depths of this poppy pandemonium are revealed by the chart history from Blighty’s music records book. You see, the 1960s wasn’t all sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll; there was an awful lot of specs, Christian rock, and Pledge aerosols too.
Of all the artists who managed to topple themselves from the top of the charts, The Shadows stand out for the uncanny feat of achieving it thrice in a matter of months. Much of this had to do with ‘Summer Holiday’. The song capitalised on the UK’s rather village-green side of life and set off a storm. The annals of chart history continually reflect this viral fad sensation is what you need for a period of chart dominance.
Any commercial chart has also been more of an arbiter of peculiar societal crazes rather than artistic merit. That is not to dismiss any of the songs featured, but chart history is a very odd thing to study because the songs don’t always have a legacy in the long run. For instance, in 2005, a wild array of songs debuted at number one; some of them went on to have a huge cultural impact, such as, ‘I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor’, whereas Crazy Frog triumphing in the charts has you scratching your head.
There are also a few other factors that come into it. For instance, following his death, John Lennon had three number ones in quick succession. He is one of 13 artists to have scored a posthumous number one. Elvis Presley also managed to secure the feat of posthumously replacing himself as the top spot thanks to a 50-year anniversary reissue storming the charts.
And so it comes to pass that the charts reflect the best of times and the worst of times in society, but very rarely do they really reflect the substance of great music. As Sting once said: “I see songs not as a commodity used up when the album goes off the charts, which is often the case with pop songs. I see them as a body of work. Life should be breathed into them.”
Artists who have replaced themselves at number one:
- January, 1957: Ray Conniff and his Orchestra – ‘Just Walking In The Rain’ replaced by ‘Singing The Blues’
- August, 1960: The Shadows – ‘Please Don’t Tease’ replaced by ‘Apache’
- March, 1963: Norrie Paramor and the String Section of his Orchestra – ‘The Wayward Wind’ replaced by ‘Summer Holiday’
- January, 1963: The Shadows – ‘The Next Time / Bachelor Boy’ replaced by ‘Dance On!’
- March, 1963: The Shadows ‘Summer Holiday’ replaced by ‘Foot Tapper’
- April, 1963: The Shadows – ‘Foot Tapper’ replaced by ‘Summer Holiday’
- December, 1963: The Beatles – ‘She Loves You’ replaced by ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’
- February, 1981: John Lennon – ‘Imagine’ replaced by ‘Woman’
- January, 2005: Elvis Presley – ‘Jailhouse Rock’ replaced by ‘One Night / I Got Stung’
Full credits for the songs listed: ‘Just Walking In The Rain’ – Johnnie Ray, Ray Conniff and his Orchestra / ‘Singing The Blues’ – Guy Mitchell, Ray Conniff and his Orchestra / ‘The Wayward Wind – Frank Ifield, with Norrie Paramor and his Orchestra / ‘Summer Holiday’ – Cliff Richard, The Shadows and the Norrie Paramor Strings.
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