UK Singles Chart Records and Statistics - Longest Run at Number One

Longest Run At Number One

Another record is how many weeks a record can stay at the top of the UK charts in a consecutive run (records that go back to the top are excluded from this section). This record hasn't changed much over the years. In 1952, the first Number 1, "Here In My Heart" by Al Martino, topped the UK charts for 9 weeks. In the summer of 1954 David Whitfield broke the record when "Cara Mia" held on for 10 weeks. During the 1950s songs managed to stay at the top of the charts for lengthy periods of time – the following year, US country singer, Slim Whitman held on to the top for 11 weeks with his only No. 1 single, "Rose Marie". This record remained for 36 years. In 1991, Bryan Adams spent 16 weeks at the top with his hit single, "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You", the theme song from the movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. To date, no-one has beaten this record.

In 1992 Whitney Houston spent 10 weeks at the top with the hit single from her movie, The Bodyguard, "I Will Always Love You". In 1994 Wet Wet Wet's recording of "Love Is All Around", featured in the movie Four Weddings and a Funeral spent 15 weeks at the top. In 1992, Shakespear's Sister's "Stay" held the top spot for 8 weeks, to date the longest consecutive period at the top by an all-female duo. In 1997, Spice Girls' "Wannabe" managed 7 weeks at #1 making it the longest consecutive period at the top by an all-female group. It became less common for songs to stay in the number one spot for long from the mid 90s. In 1998, Cher's "Believe" spent 7 weeks at the top becoming the last single to spend more than 6 weeks at the top until 2005 when Tony Christie's "(Is This The Way To) Amarillo", managed 7 weeks at the top. The addition of digital singles into the chart seems to have created a greater rate of change in the number one spot. In 2006 US duo Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" became the first artist in 12 years to spend 9 weeks at number one with its first week based solely on downloads (and being the first artist to do so). "Crazy" might have been able to spend additional weeks in the top position but it was deleted so that Gnarls Barkley could start promoting their upcoming single. In 2007, Rihanna's single, featuring rapper Jay-Z, "Umbrella" was at #1 for 10 weeks.

The record for most non consecutive weeks at No.1 is held by Frankie Laine's "I Believe". In 1953, it spent 9 weeks at No.1, dropped down for a week, returned to No.1 for 6 weeks, dropped down for a further week and returned to No.1 a second time for 3 weeks. This totalled its run at 18 weeks. It is also the only song to return to #1 more than once under the same catalogue number.

Below is a table of all singles that have lasted 10 or more weeks at the top of the charts:

* not consecutive weeks at the top of the charts