# What song was number one (US and UK) when you were born? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 17, 2001, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-was-number-one-us-and-uk-when-you-were-born/72794 "2001-07-17T14:04:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Simetra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Simetra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simetra)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-was-number-one-us-and-uk-when-you-were-born/72794/1 "2001-07-17T14:04:01Z")
You can find out [here](http://www.thisdayinmusic.com/cont/choose.html). April 12, 1979 - Number one on the US and UK charts, _I Will Survive_ by Gloria Gaynor. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pezpunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@pezpunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pezpunk)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-was-number-one-us-and-uk-when-you-were-born/72794/2 "2001-07-17T14:13:40Z")
Januray 16, 1974 the No. 1 song in the US was **The Joker - By Steve Miller** and in the UK it was **Merry Xmas - By Slade** ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-was-number-one-us-and-uk-when-you-were-born/72794/3 "2001-07-17T14:20:38Z")
December 17, 1955, # 1 in the UK, _Christmas Alphabet_, by Dickie Valentine, # 1 in the US _Sixteen Tons_, by Tennessee Ernie Ford. ---
**Author:** ![Gregor\_Samsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@Gregor\_Samsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gregor_Samsa)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-was-number-one-us-and-uk-when-you-were-born/72794/4 "2001-07-17T14:28:58Z")
20 January 1962: _The Twist_ by **Chubby Checker** (US,) and _The Young Ones_ by **Cliff Richard and the Shadows** (UK.) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-was-number-one-us-and-uk-when-you-were-born/72794/5 "2001-07-17T14:30:38Z")
Nothing. The database doesn’t go back that far. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-was-number-one-us-and-uk-when-you-were-born/72794/6 "2001-07-17T15:26:07Z")
US: _Family Affair_, by Sly and the Family Stone UK: _Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)_, by Benny Hill. Dec. 19, 1971. –sublight. ---
**Author:** ![Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/41988e/32.png) [@Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tequila_Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-was-number-one-us-and-uk-when-you-were-born/72794/7 "2001-07-17T15:40:15Z")
US: _To Sir With Love_ by Lulu UK: _Baby, Now That I’ve Found You_ by The Foundations Nov. 11, 1967 ---
**Author:** ![Henry\_Weinhard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Henry\_Weinhard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Henry_Weinhard)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-was-number-one-us-and-uk-when-you-were-born/72794/8 "2001-07-17T15:55:12Z")
US: I Just Called to Say I Love You - by Stevie Wonder UK: Freedom - by Wham! October 30, 1984 -Henry ---
**Author:** ![Gunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gunslinger)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-was-number-one-us-and-uk-when-you-were-born/72794/9 "2001-07-17T16:00:39Z")
US: _ILova Rock and Roll_, Joan Jett UK: _Seven Tears_, Goombay Dance Band. 4 April 1982 ---
**Author:** ![Gunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gunslinger)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-was-number-one-us-and-uk-when-you-were-born/72794/10 "2001-07-17T16:05:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gunslinger \* > \*\*\*ILova [/i \*\* :eek: It’s early, I just got up, and I’m not fully awake yet. ---
**Author:** ![Many\_Crows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Many\_Crows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Many_Crows)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-was-number-one-us-and-uk-when-you-were-born/72794/11 "2001-07-17T16:18:25Z")
I just did a search and the artists I recognized were the likes of Doris Day, Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, and the McGuire Sisters. I feel old. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-was-number-one-us-and-uk-when-you-were-born/72794/12 "2001-07-17T16:33:21Z")
Endless Love by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie. Gaaah. Well, at least it was used in the fabu short film **Trevor**. The “theme song for my life” (18th birthday top of the pops) was **Heartbreaker** by Mariah Carey. Thank you, no. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-was-number-one-us-and-uk-when-you-were-born/72794/13 "2001-07-17T16:51:00Z")
UK: I Can’t Stop Loving You by Ray Charles US: Roses are Red by Bobby Vinton July 15, 1962 Won’t that make ya feel OLD!?! [sub](But Tom Cruise is 9 days older than I am)[/sub] 😛 ---
**Author:** ![tourbot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@tourbot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tourbot)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-was-number-one-us-and-uk-when-you-were-born/72794/14 "2001-07-17T17:49:21Z")
On both charts: the Beatles, _I Feel Fine_. But actually I don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Winnowill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4491bb/32.png) [@Winnowill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnowill)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-was-number-one-us-and-uk-when-you-were-born/72794/15 "2001-07-17T17:54:00Z")
US & UK: Honky Tonk Women by The Rolling Stones Not one of my fave tunes of all time. But that figures. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Witch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e7dd6/32.png) [@The\_Witch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Witch)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-was-number-one-us-and-uk-when-you-were-born/72794/16 "2001-07-17T18:17:24Z")
U.S. _The Happening_ by the Supremes. Good omen . . . U.K. _Puppet on a String_ by Sandie Shaw. Bad omen . . . ---
**Author:** ![VileOrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/9e8a1a/32.png) [@VileOrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VileOrb)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-was-number-one-us-and-uk-when-you-were-born/72794/17 "2001-07-17T18:39:37Z")
Both Europe and America were listening to The Beatles’ We Can Work It Out. I wonder if we ever will. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-was-number-one-us-and-uk-when-you-were-born/72794/18 "2001-07-17T18:53:53Z")
May 13, 1971. UK - Double Barrel by Dave And Ansil Collins US - Joy to the World by Three Dog Night 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![katiekilldare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/838e76/32.png) [@katiekilldare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/katiekilldare)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-was-number-one-us-and-uk-when-you-were-born/72794/19 "2001-07-17T19:29:52Z")
November 12, 1974 U.S. - “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet” by Bachman Turner Overdrive U.K. - “Everything I Own” by Ken Boothe What? I’ve never heard of these songs, or these people. ---
**Author:** ![plasticbryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6a8cbe/32.png) [@plasticbryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plasticbryan)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-was-number-one-us-and-uk-when-you-were-born/72794/20 "2001-07-17T20:18:12Z")
April 6, 1965 _Stop in the Name of Love_ - The Supremes - U.S. _The Last Time_ - The Rolling Stones - U.K. Both very good songs, and groups, but not quite on the musical genius level of _Ernie(The Fastest Milkman in the West_). 😉 Benny Hill was a riot. When we finally got the reruns here in the States, I was in my teens, the perfect age for Benny. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-was-number-one-us-and-uk-when-you-were-born/72794.md?page=2)