Most Played Songs in the UK over past 75 years

[paul jh]

Did anyone listen to the People's Chart on Radio 2 last Monday? It was a countdown of the most played songs in the UK over the past 75 years. It's not just radio, but in pubs, TV, films, jukeboxes, etc. It contains several surprises. There are many great records in this list, but my ultimate would have to be Angels, with Sugar Sugar a very close second. I'm sure Lena and Harry and John will be happy to see Perry Como and Al Martino on the list. Sadly there's no Matt Monro though.

1. Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade Of Pale 8/6/67
2 Queen- Bohemian Rhapsody 29/11/75
3 Everly Brothers - All I Have To Do Is Dream 4/7/58
4 Wet Wet Wet - Love Is All Around 4/6/94
5 Bryan Adams - (Everything I Do) I Do It For You 13/7/91
6 Robbie Williams - Angels 1/12/97
7 Elvis Presley - All Shook Up 12/7/57
8 Abba - Dancing Queen 4/9/76
9 Perry Como - Magic Moments 28/2/58
10 Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby - White Christmas 01/01/1942
11 Beatles - Hello Goodbye 6/12/67
12 Rod Stewart - Maggie May 9/10/71
13 Beatles - Get Back 23/4/69
14 All Saints - Pure Shores 14/2/00
15 Cristiano Spiller - Groovejet (If This Ain't Love) 14/8/00
16 Robbie Williams - Rock DJ 31/7/00
17 Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You 5/12/92
18 George Harrison - My Sweet Lord 30/1/71
19 Rolling Stones - Honky Tonk Women 23/7/69
20 Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U 3/2/90
21 The Verve - Bitter Sweet Symphony 16/6/97
22 Natalie Imbruglia - Torn 27/10/97
23 Elton John & Kiki Dee - Don't Go Breaking My Heart 24/7/76
24 T Rex - Hot Love 20/3/71
25 Madonna - Vogue 14/4/90
26 Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You 10/8/98
27 Doris Day - Whatever Will Be Will Be 10/8/56
28 Al Martino - Here In My Heart 14/11/52
29 Paul Anka - Diana 30/8/57
30 Harry Lillis Crosby - Santa Claus...01/01/1943
31 Freda Payne - Band Of Gold 19/9/70
32 John Lennon - Imagine 10/1/81
33 Candi Staton - Young Hearts Run Free 1/1/76
34 Glenn Miller - In The Mood 01/01/1939
35 Elton John - Sacrifice 23/6/90
36 Texas - Say What You Want 1/1/97
37 Frankie Goes To Hollywood -Two Tribes 16/6/84
38 New Radicals - You Get What You Give 20/4/99
39 Everly Brothers - Cathy's Clown 5/5/60
40 John Travolta & Olivia Newton John - You're The One That I Want 17/6/78
41 David Whitfield - Cara Mia 2/7/54
42 Archies - Sugar Sugar 25/10/69
43 Elvis Presley - It's Now Or Never 3/11/60
44 Cliff Richard - The Young Ones 11/1/62
45 Human League - Don't You Want Me 12/12/81
46 Judy Garland - The Trolley Song 01/01/1944
47 Slim Whitman - Rose Marie 29/7/55
48 Celine Dion - Think Twice 4/2/95
49 Macy Gray - I Try 27/9/99
50 Nilsson - Without You 11/3/72
51 Beatles - From Me To You 2/5/63
52 Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas 15/12/84
53 Les Brown And His Orchestra - Sentimental Journey 01/01/1944
54 Harry Belafonte - Mary's Boy Child 22/11/57
55 Cher - Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss) 4/5/91
56 Robbie Williams - Strong 8/3/99
57 Billy Joel - Uptown Girl 5/11/83
58 Frankie Laine - I Believe 24/4/53
59 Gerry & The Pacemakers - You'll Never Walk Alone 31/10/63
60 Outkast - Hey Ya 10/11/03
61 Tony Christie - (Is This The Way To) Amarillo 1/11/71
62 Shadows - Wonderful Land 22/3/62
63 Barry White - You're The First, The Last, My Everything 7/12/74
64 East 17 - Stay Another Day 10/12/94
65 No Doubt - Don't Speak 22/2/97
66 Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive 13/12/77
67 Sean "Puffy" Combs - I'll Be Missing You 28/6/97
68 Tom Jones - Green Green Grass Of Home 1/12/66
69 The Real Thing - You To Me Are Everything 26/6/76
70 John Travolta & Olivia Newton John - Summer Nights 30/9/78
71 Ella Fitzgerald - It's Only A Paper Moon 01/01/1945
72 Wings - Mull Of Kintyre 3/12/77
73 Eddie Calvert - Oh Mein Papa 8/1/54
74 The Police - Every Breath You Take 4/6/83
75 Snap! - Rhythm Is A Dancer 4/7/92

[ROBERT M.]

Thanks for that long list Jeff, I did read something about the list on Teletext last week but I think these lists have to be taken with a pinch of salt just two Beatles and two Elvis songs..............that cannot be correct

[Lena & Harry Smith]

I did listen to this programme Paul and put a posting on Al Martino's web forum.
Angels has done so well, and we like "Sugar Sugar" too. The Beatles surprisingly didn't quite make the first Ten, but more surprising, no Frank Sinatra, Vic Damone, Tony Bennett, Jerry Vale, Johnny Mathis or Jack Jones, so we thought that Al's " Here In My Heart " was creditable at number 28.
Really enjoyed this Three Hours.

[Gray]

Groovejet at #15 - only 9 years old!
That's had some serious airplay somewhere, hasn't it??????

[jon]

I did see this list but I'm not clear how they can compile one on the basis of songs played in pubs, cinemas, jukeboxes: how would they have been registered? An official chart, yes, but the other criteria seem a bit dodgy to me. I take the point about there not being many Beatles, Rolling Stones songs etc, but it is a list of the most played, and many of them appear to be the kind of wallpaper tracks that you hear all over the place -unfortunately, in some cases...

[cmartin_ok]

Number 70 - a travesty - the version by Hilda Baker and Arthur Mullard is so much better

[paul jh]

Thanks for that long list Jeff, I did read something about the list on Teletext last week but I think these lists have to be taken with a pinch of salt just two Beatles and two Elvis songs..............that cannot be correct

Of course it's correct Robert. All of you told me that rock music wasn't played on the British radio stations in the 1950s and 1960s (which still shocks me!). To hear rock music, you had to listen to pirate radio or Radio Luxembourg, or in the sound booths at the record shops. And I rarely hear Elvis and the Beatles on Radio 2 or in shopping malls. So they didn't haven't gotten much airplay over the years. But songs like Magic Moments and Whatever Will Be Will Be might have been played by the Light Programme and are still featured on Radio 2 today.

Hello Goodbye is high because it was released when Radio 1 started -- in 1968. So it got more airplay than something like She Loves You.

Lena and Harry -- I would have thought My Way or Strangers in the Night would have been on the list. But he probably didn't receive enough radio airplay. Glad you like Sugar Sugar.

I was also shocked that Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics wasn't on the list. It is probably the most played track of the last 20 years in the US. Thankfully horrific power ballads [Up Where We Belong, I Don't Want To Miss A Thing, (I've Had) The Time of My Life] weren't on the list.

Jon -- In the US, if a track is played in a film or TV show, it needs to be registered with an agency so royalties are paid. I'm sure there's something like that in the UK. This would also apply to the companies that provide background music for shopping malls, stores, restaurants. The jukeboxes would be harder to monitor, so they are likely not included.

Gray -- I'm sure you'll recall that Groovejet received massive radio airplay in its release year and several years later. I remember how excited I was about this song when it came out and I still love it. One of the definitive tracks of the 2000s.

Chris Martin -- I can't imagine anyone singing Summer Nights better than my Olivia Newton-John.

[Gray]

Hi Jeff

Cannot place the song, I'll try to track it down.

[paul jh]

This may help you Gray. Remember that big chart battle in the summer of 2000 ... Groovejet was released the same week as a song which featured vocals from Posh Spice. I can't even recall the title, but it was a garage track. She was so certain that she would get to #1 as all the other Spice Girls already had solo #1s. The midweek chart showed it very close, but with Groovejet having the edge. Then Victoria did all this promotion in London and other parts. In the end, Groovejet was #1 and became an instant classic. And Victoria's song has long been forgotten.

Groovejet was originally an instrumental dance track, with the sound of a jet at the beginning. Later lyrics were added. The chorus lyrics are:

If this ain't love,
Why does it feel so good?

Sophie Ellis-Bextor (formerly of the group 'The Audience') provided the lead vocals. Spiller is an Italian DJ.

[ROBERT M.]

Voila

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQg8IhpcLWg

[ROBERT M.]

I beg to differ Jeff, but Elvis songs were all over the radio airwaves in the late 60's and early to mid 70's

[Gray]

Thanks for that Jeff, of course I know the song.
In fact I thought "I wonder if it's the Sophie Ellis Baxter song, but nah, it can't be because then the artist would of been Sophie Ellis Baxter"

I am very surprised Texas have made this list.

[paul jh]

Thanks for that Jeff, of course I know the song.
In fact I thought "I wonder if it's the Sophie Ellis Baxter song, but nah, it can't be because then the artist would of been Sophie Ellis Baxter"

I am very surprised Texas have made this list.

I figured that you must have known Groovejet. Do you like the record?

That Texas song received so much airplay across the gamut of UK radio stations. it got absolutely no airplay on US radio, but I have heard it in a shop once!

[Gray]

Hiya

Yes, it's OK.
Wouldn't go mad on it or anything but it's alright for a boogie.
On the GL rating system: 3 out of 5.

[paul jh]

On the JPH rating system, Groovejet is a definite 10 and Say What You Want is a solid 9.