Which actors have had a number one song?
A borderline psychotic level of ambition tends to be a consistent trait among many of those who find success in the world of entertainment. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that countless pop stars have tried to break into acting, and an equal number of accomplished actors have attempted to inflict their music upon a disinterested public.
More times than not, these crossover leaps have resulted in unintended comedy – Mariah Carey’s star turn in Glitter; Patrick Swayze’s hyper-sentimental torch ballad ‘She’s Like the Wind’; Keanu Reeves’ legendary band Dogstar. Even the relatively successful attempts, like Eddie Murphy scoring a number two hit with 1985’s ‘Party All the Time,’ can deliver a firm reality check to the performer.
“I thought this album would be doing much better now,” Murphy told the Los Angeles Times in December of 1985, a few months after the release of his debut album, ironically titled How Could It Be. “I look at Beverly Hills Cop; about 60 million people saw the movie. So you’d think at least one million would go out and buy my record. Unfortunately, I see now, it doesn’t work that way.”
In Murphy’s case, the goal in stretching beyond his success as a comedic film actor and stand-up was an appreciation for an older style of performer. “In the old days,” he said, “up to the early ‘50s, an entertainer was a whole show, doing everything on stage—singing, dancing, comedy, impressions, playing instruments. Very few people do that anymore. I want to do a show like that.”
That dream never played out for Murphy, and it has remained a rarity for someone to truly emerge as the “total package”. Every now and again, though, the leap goes well enough that an actor finds themselves suddenly at the summit of the other mountain, topping the pop charts.
For the purposes of this piece, we’re looking at nine examples of an entertainer – known first and foremost as a TV or film actor at the beginning of their career – notching at least one number one song. This loose definition means we won’t be including the likes of noted actors like Barbara Streisand, Frank Sinatra, or Cher, all of whom were always known more for their music than their screen roles. Same goes for Will Smith, who was already the MC the Fresh Prince before he became a sitcom star.
Under these arbitrary rules, though, we will be mentioning some actors who wound up becoming far more famous as pop stars over the long haul of their careers. And yes, that means we can jump straight to Australian sitcom land for our first two club members—two former Neighbours castmates who went on to equally relevant and lengthy careers as pop icons.
Actors who had a number one song:
Jason Donovan
Donovan first found fame as Scott Robinson on Neighbours, before launching a music career with Stock Aitken Waterman. His 1989 single ‘Too Many Broken Hearts’ hit number one in the UK, cementing his shift from soap star to teen pop idol and undisputed voice of his generation.
Kylie Minogue
Another Neighbours alumnus you may be less familiar with, Minogue’s character Charlene, captivated viewers before she topped charts worldwide. Her debut single ‘I Should Be So Lucky’ reached number one in the UK in 1988, and apparently, she still has a small but loyal cult following.
Ricky Nelson
The son in The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet became one of rock’s earliest teen idols. His 1958 single ‘Poor Little Fool’ was actually the first-ever number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.
David Soul
Best known as “Hutch” from the ’70s buddy cop show Starsky & Hutch, Soul’s soft rock ballad ‘Don’t Give Up on Us‘ reached number one in both the US and UK in 1977.
John Travolta
Already a household name thanks to Welcome Back, Kotter and Saturday Night Fever, Travolta hit number one in 1978 with ‘You’re the One That I Want,’ his duet with Olivia Newton-John from Grease. You might put an asterisk next to this one since it was a song in a film, but Travolta was trying to launch a singing career at the same time, with his solo hit ‘Let Her In’ having reached the number ten spot two years earlier.
Jamie Foxx
After breaking out on In Living Color and The Jamie Foxx Show in the ‘90s, he scored a number one single as a featured artist on Kanye West’s ‘Gold Digger’ in 2005—just months before winning an Oscar for Ray. Again, arguably an asterisk here, but a “ft” ain’t nothing, even if you’re just doing a Ray Charles impression in the song.
Jennifer Lopez
Another alum of In Living Color (as a dancer), J-Lo gained fame as an actress in the admittedly musical film Selena (1997), before releasing ‘If You Had My Love’ in 1999—her debut single and first number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
Donald Glover (Childish Gambino)
The stand-up comedian turned writer turned Community and Atlanta star turned rapper released one of the most talked about number one singles of 2018 with ‘This Is America‘.
Bradley Cooper
A well-known actor long before his musical “debut”, Cooper hit number one on Billboard’s Digital Songs chart in 2018 with ‘Shallow’, his A Star Is Born duet with Lady Gaga. Same deal as the Travolta/Newton-John situation here, as you technically have Cooper in the role of a film character rather than himself. But knowing this dude, and the fact that he directed said picture, he definitely wanted all the crossover flowers.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Can you think of an actor more obnoxious-seeming than Bradley Cooper? Well, she scored a surprise hit, too! Gwyneth’s duet with Huey Lewis from the 2000 movie Duets, a cover of Smokey Robinson’s ‘Cruisin’, apparently went straight to number one in Australia and New Zealand, and topped the Adult Contemporary charts in America. Crazy millennium times.
