We've probably discussed this before, but....

[bengraham.livejournal.com]

Which is the best pop song (that had an official single release) never to reach #1 in the UK singles chart?

I only ask because this morning, my iPod randomly played one of the songs that I consider an all time great, and it occurred to me that it never reached #1 in the UK (confirmed by Wikipedia, although it did reach #1 in the US). The song in question is 'Black Velvet' by Alannah Myles. Can anyone better that?

Comments

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

cue lots of "this number 2 was robbed" chat. "Common People" etc

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

That wasn't robbed.

'Milkshake' was the first to spring to mind.

ech

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

would rather listen to lots and lots of 80s hair metal than hear Alannah Myles again. sorry. (at the time i always got her confused with Mariah Carey, isn't that odd?)

Re: ech

[bengraham.livejournal.com]

No, it's not odd, they both have wonderful voices. The main difference between them is that Alannah Myles actually wrote some quality songs.

You're entitled to your opinion, but in this instance, you're just wrong!! It's a beautiful song.

Re: ech

[damnspynovels.livejournal.com]

I used to get Amy Grant mixed up with Mariah.

Re: ech

[koganbot]

Well, they sing in very different styles; Myles is southern blues rock with popmetal hooks, Mariah is gospel-inflected dance pop and r&b. Those aren't total opposites (it isn't as if there's no gospel in southern blues rock), but they're not kissing cousins, either.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

In terms of 'songs that actually had a decent chance of being #1' only...

'Blue Monday' is my standard response. it's novel, reverential (perhaps too much) and crucially ubiquitous...implicitly pop in these respects, if not others...

numerous 'soul classics' like 'Nothing But A Heartache' also spring to mind for me.

lots of 80s Prince singles. it's a shame that Prince did not have a single #1, er, single, at the height of his powers.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

My stock answer is "On A Ragga Tip"

[koganbot]

Thousands upon thousands of candidates, really: "Anarchy In The U.K.," "Hooray, Hooray, It's A Holi-Holiday," "Mother's Little Helper," "It's My Life," "Hunter Gets Captured By The Game," "Come Clean," "96 Tears," "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag," "Back That Azz Up," "Get Ur Freak On," "Get Low," "In Da Club," "Beware Of The Boys," "Since U Been Gone," "4ever," "Be My Baby," "Waterloo Sunset," "Victim," "Welcome To The Jungle," "Pour Some Sugar On Me," "Get Down Tonight," "Love Hangover," and on and on and on.

[mcatzilut.livejournal.com]

I was gonna nominate 'Anarchy in the U.K.' but Frank beat me to it. Consider this is a 'seconding' for it, then.

[therealjo.livejournal.com]

I can't better it but I can confirm that Black Velvet was the first 7" I ever bought. Pop credentials intact.

[getbacknow.livejournal.com]

'Some Girls'...I'm not enough of a historian to go back much further. Some Girls has to be pretty competitive though!

[boof-boy.livejournal.com]

Easy. God Save the Queen by the Sex Pistols.

[(Anonymous)]

I heard "Black Velvet" in the supermarket last week. Amazing. I preferred "Love Is". I always used to say there were too many female singers with AM as their initials but damned if I can remember any actual popular ones apart from she and Alanis nowadays.

[umlauts.livejournal.com]

That was me, curses.

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

Salt n Pepa - Push It
Technotronic - Pump up the Jam

I pick on those two because I remember being particularly annoyed at the time they missed out on the top, and that was the era I *cared* most passionately about the charts.