OP, could you clarify whether the name has to be in the song title (a la the body of the OP) or just in the song (a la the title of the OP)?
I don’t know how to find out for sure, but I’m certain that Glenn Miller’s *Jukebox Saturday Night *recorded in 1942 made it to number one. And in it he refers to himself, Kay Kyser, Benny Goodman, Harry James, and the Ink Spots each of whom must have had at least one number one.
I don’t know about Duke, but… the song lyrics say…
"Here are some of msuic’s finest, that time will not allow us to forget.
“There was Basie, (Glenn) Miller, Satchmo, and the king was Sir Duke.
And with a voice like Ella (Fitzgerald’s) ringing out, there’s no way the band could lose.”
Satchmo is, of course, Louis Armstrong, who had a #1 hit as recently as 1964, with “Hello Dolly.”
And I’m sure Glenn Miller hit #1 a few times.
Another candidate is Peter, Paul, and Mary’s I Love Rock And Roll Musicwhich refers to the Mommas and the Papas.
Weezer’s “Buddy Holly” made it to #2.
So close.
Oh, there are countless close calls. Like Arthur Conley’s “Sweet Soul Music,” which mentions several soul legends, but only reached #2.
Or the Righteous Brothers’ “Rock and Roll Heaven,” which didn’t quite reach #1, but mentions several artists (Jim Croce, Janis Joplin, Bobby Darin, Jim Morrison, Otis Redding) who did.
Oh, good one! It was actually called “I **Dig **Rock and Roll Music,” and it mockingly mentions the Mamas and the Papas, Donovan, and the Beatles. All of them had #1 hits, I think.
The Mamas and the Papas used to be part of the same Greenwich Village folk scene that Peter Paul and Mary came from… but PPM thought John Phillips & Co. were pretty much total sellouts by the late Sixties.
OK, a bit convoluted here. In Creeque Alley, The Mommas and Papas mention each of themselves, who as a group went to number one a couple of times (They even specifically mention “California Dreaming”). While doing that they mention Cass Elliot who later hit number one. They also mention Maquinn (sp) and McGuire (“can’t get no higher. in LA you know where that’s at!”) who while in the New Cristy Minstrels had a number one hit (on the folk charts) and the McGuire was Barry McGuire of “Eve of Distruction” fame which on some chart was a number one, I’m sure.
Now the argument can be made that Creeque Alley was never a number one hit as a single, which is true (I think) but The Greatest Hits album of the Mommas and Papas did go to number one on the album charts and Creeque Alley was on that.
Neil Sadaka mentions Carol King’s first name in his first number one hit, “Oh Carol” since it was about her.
The “McGuinn” mentioned in “Creeque Alley” was Roger McGuinn, leader of the Byrds, who hit #1 with “Mr. Tambourine Man.”
I think a couple of people have gone #1 (briefly) with “Roll over Beethoven.”
Tell Tchaikovsky the news.
I believe that Judy Garland’s first big hit was “Dear Mr. Gable (You Made Me Love You).” He was the number one star in Hollywood at the time. I remember hearing somewhere that the song was the biggest hit of the day, but I can’t testify to where I heard it.
In July 1988, Michael Jackson had a #1 hit with “Dirty Diana,” which some people suggested referred to Diana Ross, but MJ claimed it was a about a hypothetical groupie.
Garland’s first big hit? What about Somewhere Over The Rainbow?
That came later. It is suggested that she got the part in Wizard of Oz from which came Somewhere Over the Rainbow because of the “video” the studio put with “Dear Mr. Gable” for Gable’s birthday.
In January 1989, Marc Almond and Gene Pitney reached No.1 in the UK with the single Something’s Gotten Hold Of My Heart.
Heart reached No.1 in the US singles chart in 1986 with These Dreams.
Nitpick: “Here are some of music’s pioneers, that time will not allow us to forget.”
Okay… I guess, as mondegreens go, mine wasn’t too embarrassing.
What can I say- I never saw a lyrics sheet, I was going by memory.
Adam Ant’s only UK No.1 was Prince Charming in September 1981.
In April 1994, Prince had a UK No.1 with The Most Beautiful Girl In The World.