Pick of the Pops - Welsh No.1s

WELSH No. 1s

WELSH No. 1s

Pick of the Pops next month will be a Eurovision Song Contest special, however, this month we are looking closer to home and the Welsh bands/acts that charted at number 1 in the UK charts.

Since the start of the top 40 charts in November 1952, Welsh acts have seen 22 number 1s and 8 International number 1s.

Let’s go back to Christmas Day 1958, to commence the countdown of the Welsh charts. The number in brackets will illustrate the number of weeks at number 1.

December 1958 – As I Love You – Shirley Bassey (4)

August 1960 – Tell Laura I Love Her – Ricky Valance (3)

August 1961 – Reach for The Stars/Climb Ev’ry Mountain – Shirley Bassey (1)

February 1965 – It’s Not Unusual – Tom Jones (1)

December 1965 – Keep on Running – Spencer Davis Group (1)

March 1966 – Somebody Help Me – Spencer Davis Group (2)

November 1966 – Green, Green Grass of Home – Tom Jones (7)

September 1968 – Those Were the Day’s – Mary Hopkin (6)

February 1969 – (If Paradise Is) Half as Nice – Amen Corner (2)

November 1970 – I Hear You Knocking – Dave Edmonds (6)

February 1981 – This Ole House – Shakin’ Stevens (3)

July 1981 – Green Door – Shakin’ Stevens (4)

January 1982 – Oh Julie – Shakin’ Stevens (1)

February 1983 – Total Eclipse of The Heart – Bonnie Tyler (2)

November 1983 – Only You – The Flying Pickets (5)

December 1985 – Merry Christmas Everyone – Shakin’ Stevens (2)

September 1998 – If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next – Manic Street Preachers (1)

January 2000 – The Masses Against the Classes – Manic Street Preachers (1)

March 2005 – Dakota – Stereophonics (1)

February 2008 – Mercy – Duffy (5)

March 2009 – (Barry) Islands in The Stream – Ruth Jones, Tom Jones and Rob Brydon (1)

July 2011 – Louder – DJ Fresh ft. Sian Evans (1)

The 8 International Number Ones have been:

1960 – Jimmy’s Girl – Ricky Valance (Austria & Scandinavia)

1961 – Moving Away – Ricky Valance (Austria & Scandinavia)

1968 – Delilah – Tom Jones (German & Swiss)

1977 – It’s A Heartache – Bonnie Tyler (French, Swedish & Norwegian)

1980 – Fade to Grey – Steve Strange’s Visage (German & Swiss)

1990 – Way Down Now – World Party (US)

1998 – Love Him – Donna Lewis (US)

2001 – Buck Rogers – Feeder (South African)

2003 – Si Demain (Don’t Turn Around) – Bonnie Tyler (French)

Copyright - The Bay Magazine, April 2021