# How often have the US and UK Billboard charts coincided at #1? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 15, 2003, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-have-the-us-and-uk-billboard-charts-coincided-at-1/148802 "2003-01-15T19:42:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-have-the-us-and-uk-billboard-charts-coincided-at-1/148802/1 "2003-01-15T19:42:52Z")
I used to think this happened often, but apparently not. Plenty of songs have been #1 on both charts, just not _simultaneously_. Has it ever happened? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-have-the-us-and-uk-billboard-charts-coincided-at-1/148802/2 "2003-01-15T19:44:03Z")
Ahhh … now that I think about it … I’ll bet’s Elton John’s 1997 tribute song to Lady Di (based on “Candle in the Wind”) probably did it. ---
**Author:** ![Fish42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4da419/32.png) [@Fish42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish42)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-have-the-us-and-uk-billboard-charts-coincided-at-1/148802/3 "2003-01-16T20:09:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bordelond \* > \*\*I used to think this happened often, but apparently not. Plenty of songs have been #1 on both charts, just not _simultaneously_. > > Has it ever happened? \*\* Here’s every instance between 1955 and 1982 (the years that happen to be covered by my old “Rolling Stone Rock Almanac” which conveniently listed the #1 song in the US and UK for each week). 1/2/57 to 1/16/57: “Singing the Blues” by Guy Mitchell 8/31/57: “Diana” by Paul Anka 5/29/60 to 6/14/60: “Cathy’s Clown” by the Everly Brothers 5/21/61: “Runaway” by Del Shannon 4/4/64 to 4/18/64: “Can’t Buy Me Love” by The Beatles 8/1/64 & 8/8/64: “A Hard Day’s Night” by The Beatles 10/10/64: “Oh, Pretty Woman” by Roy Orbison 11/21/64: “Baby Love” by The Supremes 12/26/64 to 1/9/65: “I Feel Fine” by The Beatles 8/22/65: “I Got You Babe” by Sonny and Cher 11/7/65 & 11/14/65: “Get Off Of My Cloud” by The Rolling Stones 6/25/66: “Paperback Writer” by the Beatles 1/14/67 to 2/4/67: “I’m A Believer” by The Monkees 12/30/67 to 1/13/68: “Hello Goodbye” by The Beatles 7/28/68: “Hey Jude” by The Beatles 5/25/69 & 5/31/69: “Get Back” by The Beatles 8/23/69: “Honky Tonk Women” by The Rolling Stones 4/4/70: “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon & Garfunkel 10/2/71 to 10/30/71: “Maggie Mae” by Rod Stewart 3/4/72 & 3/11/72: “Without You” by Nilsson 4/21/73 to 5/12/73: “Tie A Yellow Ribbon” by Dawn 7/20/74: “Rock Your Baby” by George McCrae 6/19/76: “Silly Love Songs” by Paul McCartney & Wings 8/7/76 to 8/28/76: “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” by Elton John & Kiki Dee 4/22/78 to 5/6/78: “Night Fever” by The Bee Gees 4/19/80 & 4/26/80: “Call Me” by Blondie 6/21/80: “Funkytown” by Lipps, Inc. 11/1/80 & 11/8/80: “Woman in Love” by Barbra Streisand 1/3/81 & 1/10/81: “(Just Like) Starting Over” by John Lennon ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-have-the-us-and-uk-billboard-charts-coincided-at-1/148802/4 "2003-01-16T21:26:33Z")
Thanks, Fish! Apparently, this question is a major stumper.