A Number One Artist's Name in a Number One Song

Cafe Society
#1

This question is prompted by Taylor Swift’s song “Tim McGraw.” Her debut single, it got all the way to number six on Billboard’s Country chart and for all I know may have had some crossover appeal on the Hot Hundred. And the title of the single refers to country singer Tim McGraw, who himself has had multiple number one Billboard country singles.

So to revive a trivia interest born from weekly doses of Kasey Kasem in the 70s: has any number one song contained the name of a number one artist in its title?

#2

I am assuming that you mean both the first and last names.

For instance, Kim Carnes took “Bette Davis Eyes” to #1, so if Bette Davis had a number one hit that would be an example? Is that right?

#3

The Barenaked Ladies’ “Brian Wilson”

#4

If that counts:

ABC’s “When Smokey Sings” was #1 in the Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Songs charts. It refers to Smokey Robinson, who had two #1 hits in the US R&B charts (and certainly several others with the Miracles, but I was too lazy to look that up).

#5

Mojo Nixon’s “Elvis is Everywhere” *and *“Debbie Gibson is Pregnant with My Two-Headed Love Child”

#6

Well, Beethoven wasn’t a #1 artist. But, if they had America’s top 40 back in the day, I think he’d qualify.

Walter Murphy hit #1 with his “A Fifth of Beethoven” in 1977

#7

Where were these songs #1?

#8

There have been a few #1 songs (“ABC”, “War”, “Kiss”) that were also the names of artists, but I don’t think any of those bands charted at #1.

The closest I got is “Papa was a Rollin’ Stone”. :smiley:

#9

Never mind.

#10

On all the best stations. :wink:

#11

The Beatles had a #1 song with “The Ballad of John and Yoko”.

#12

“Bo Diddley” by Bo Diddley was #1 for two weeks, so not only does the song mention a #1 artist, but that number #1 artist recorded it himself.

#13

Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start The Fire” went to #1 in 1989 and mentioned the following performers who had #1 hits:

Doris Day
Johnny Ray
Elvis Presley
Chubby Checker
The Beatles (the lyric is “British Beatlemania” to be specific)

#14

“One Week” by Barenaked Ladies hit #1 in 1998 and mentions Bert Kaempfert who topped the charts with “Wonderland by Night” in 1961

#15

Miley Cyrus has that piece of dreck “Party in the USA” in which she sings “…and the Jay-Z song was on”. She also says “. . .and a Britney song was on” but that doesn’t mention her last name.

#16

Joe Diffie had “Bigger than the Beatles” which hit # on Billboard Country Singles & Tracks.

#17

Hmmm… Stevie Wonder’s #1 song “Sir Duke” was about Duke Ellington, but I don’t know if the Duke ever had anything that could be officially termed a #1 record.

#18

Tyler Dean has a song called “Taylor Swift” but I don’t think it’s hit #1.

#19

“Amrican Pie,” a number one hit, ALLUDES to several artists with #1 hits, without naming them (Buddy Holly, Elvis).

It also mentions the Byrds and John Lennon, who both hit #1. But it mentions them subtly "Lennon sounds like “Lenin,” while the Byrds (who had a big hit with “8 Miles High”) could be just ordinary feathered creatures.

#20

At the end of the #1 hit “Love Will Keep Us Together,” Toni Tennille sings “Sedaka is baaaack,” an allusion to Neil Sedaka, who wrote the song, and who had scored several #1 hits in his own right.