The only rock band to have topped the UK charts in the 2020s so far
It’s August already. We’re more than halfway through the year, and not a single band has managed to make it to the top spot of the UK singles charts in 2024. From Ed Sheeran to ‘Espresso’, eight months have passed while solo artists dominate the airwaves. This is a trend that hasn’t just transpired for the first time this year—soloists have taken up a shocking percentage of the charts for most of the decade so far.
Since the beginning of the 2020s, 61 new singles have found their way to the top of the charts. Ellie Goulding kicked things off in January 2020 with her cover of Joni Mitchell’s ‘River’. Since then, we’ve had iconic rap tracks like ‘WAP’ by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, a slew of singalong-worthy Olivia Rodrigo hits, and Miley Cyrus’ lengthy stint at number one with ‘Flowers’, but there has been a tangible lack of bands finding their way to the top spot.
There are just three bands that have earned a UK number one with a new song in the 2020s. The first came in May 2020, when an all-star group of artists, including Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and popstar Dua Lipa, came together to record a charity cover of the 2003 Foo Fighters track ‘Times Like These’. Then, in early 2021, Little Mix took up the top spot for their song, ‘Sweet Melody’.
However, only one rock band has managed to secure a number one single in the last four years, and it’s a name you might not have expected to see still climbing the charts in the 2020s: The Beatles. In the autumn of 2023, the Fab Four took home their 18th UK number one, and their first in over half a century, for the release of their final song, ‘Now and Then’.
It’s not necessarily a surprise that ‘Now and Then’ achieved this feat. The Beatles remain, undoubtedly, the most influential band in the entirety of music history. Of course, the announcement and release of their farewell single was going to pique the interest of the masses. However, the fact that this is the only new song by a rock outfit to attract so much interest in the 2020s proves just how dire the situation is for upcoming bands.
Back in the 1960s, the charts were full of rock and roll bands extending far beyond The Beatles. The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, The Monkees. The charts were full of guitar bands. The same trend continued into the 1970s, when T. Rex, Slade, and more found their way to number one. The 1980s had Dexys Midnight Runners, Blondie, and The Police, while the 1990s propelled Oasis and Blur to national success.
Since then, however, the interest and excitement about bands seems to have dwindled. It’s a trend that has been reflected in the live circuit, too, with festivals often looking to legacy acts for their headliner slots. The Cure first took to Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage back in 1986, and they were still headlining the festival in 2019. Newer bands simply haven’t been able to top their success or appeal.
Perhaps it’s due to the dwindling funding of smaller venues that build bands up in their early days. Maybe it’s merely audience interests and methods of finding music that are shifting. Whatever the reason, the days of rock bands dominating the charts seem to be long gone.
