The first artist born in each year to have a UK no.1 single

[Hartnell 1999 89]

An interesting piece of trivia in the music world is that Billie Eilish was the first person born in the 21st century to get to no.1 on the UK single charts. Since this forum has considerable knowledge of birth and death dates, I’d be fascinated to delve deeper and find out the first people born in each year and decade to score a no.1 single ever since the charts were first introduced in 1952. All the more poignant since the 14th of this month will mark 70 years to the date when it all began.
 

If any members could help me complete the list below, that would be much appreciated. I will make edits in due course.

 

First UK no.1 artists by year of birth
1900s (decade): Mantovani

1900: N/A

1901: Louis Armstrong (1968)

1902: N/A

1903: N/A

1904: N/A

1905: Mantovani (1953)

1906: N/A

1907: Syd Dean (Stargazers 1954)

1908: Ray Heindorf (with Doris Day 1954)

1909: Hugo Winterhalter (with Eddie Fisher 1953)

1910s (decade): Jo Stafford

1910: Winifred Atwell (1954) [might have been born in 1914]

1911: Mitch Miller (with Guy Miller 1953)

1912: Paul Weston (with Jo Stafford 1953)

1913: Frankie Laine (1953)

1914: Thurl Ravenscroft (The Mellomen 1954)

1915: Frank Sinatra (1954)

1916: Perez Prado (1955)

1917: Jo Stafford (1953)

1918: Ray Charles (with Perry Como 1953)

1919: Don Cornell (1954)
1920s (decade): Al Martino

1920: Dick James (Stargazers 1953)

1921: Ronnie Milne (Stargazers 1953)

1922: Kay Starr (1953)

1923: Cliff Adams (Stargazers 1953)

1924: Alan Dean (Johnston Brothers 1955)

1925: Fred Datchler (Stargazers 1953)

1926: Marie Benson (Stargazers 1953)

1927: Al Martino (1952)

1928: Eddie Fisher (1953)

1929: Dickie Valentine (1955)

1930s (decade): Ruby Murray

1930: Johnny Grande (Bill Haley & His Comets 1955)

1931: Tab Hunter (1957)

1932: Alma Cogan (1955)

1933: Marshall Lytle (Bill Haley & His Comets 1955)

1934: Joey Ambrose (Bill Haley & His Comets 1955)

1935: Ruby Murray (1955)

1936: Tommy Steele (1957)

1937: Niki Sullivan (The Crickets 1957)

1938: Connie Francis (1958)

1939: Jerry Allison (The Crickets 1957)

1940s (decade): Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers

1940: Sherman Garnes, Jimmy Merchant, & Joe Negroni (Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers 1956)

1941: Herman Santiago (Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers 1956)

1942: Frankie Lymon (Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers 1956)

1943: Tony Meehan (Cliff Richard & The Shadows 1959)

1944: Mike Maxfield (The Dakotas 1963)

1945: Gordon Waller (Peter and Gordon 1964)

1946: Helen Shapiro (1961)

1947: Dave Davies (The Kinks 1964)

1948: Steve Winwood (The Spencer Davis Group 1965)

1949: Maurice & Robin Gibb (Bee Gees 1967)

1950s (decade): Love Affair

1950: Steve Ellis, Morgan Fisher & Mick Jackson (Love Affair 1968)

1951: Lynton Guest (Love Affair 1968)

1952: Maurice Bacon (Love Affair 1968)

1953: Jimmy McCulloch (Thunderclap Newman 1969)

1954:

1955:

1956:

1957: Marcel King (Sweet Sensation 1974)

1958: Michael Jackson (The Jacksons 1977)

1959: Terry Hall (The Specials 1980)

1960s (decade): Jimmy Osmond

1960:

1961: Randy Jackson (The Jacksons 1977)

1962:

1963: Jimmy Osmond (1972)

1964: Nicole (1982)

1965:

1966:

1967:

1968:

1969:

1970s (decade): Tiffany

1970:

1971: Tiffany (1988)

1972:

1973:

1974: Robbie Williams (Take That 1993)

1975: Lauryn Hill (Fugees 1996)

1976: Emma Bunton (Spice Girls 1996)

1977: Ronan Keating (Boyzone 1996)

1978: Nicky Byrne (Westlife 1999)

1979: Dane Bowers (Another Level 1998)

1980s (decade): Hanson

1980: Isaac Hanson (Hanson 1997)

1981: Britney Spears (1999)

1982: Billie (1998)

1983: Taylor Hanson (Hanson 1997)

1984: Gareth Gates (2002)

1985: Zac Hanson (Hanson 1997)

1986: Danny Jones (McFly 2004)

1987: Dougie Poynter (McFly 2004)

1988: Rihanna (2007)

1989: Rebecca Creighton (X Factor Finalists 2010)

1990s (decade): Pixie Lott

1990: Geneva Lane (X Factor Finalists 2010)

1991: Pixie Lott (2009)

1992: Sam Smith (2013)

1993: Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, Cher Lloyd (X Factor Finalists 2010)

1994: Harry Styles (X Factor Finalists 2010)

1995: Kieran Alleyne, Jordan Lee (Artists for Grenfell 2017)

1996: Lorde (2013)

1997: Jorja Smith, Raye (Artists for Grenfell 2017)

1998: Shawn Mendes (2016)

1999: Lil Nas X (2019)

2000s (decade): Billie Eilish

2000: N/A

2001: Billie Eilish (2020)

2002: Jawsh 685 (2020)

2003: Olivia Rodrigo (2021)

2004: Gayle (2022)

[Arsewipe 202]

It'll be Jimmy Osmond for 1972 (born in 63).

[Szabaka 93]

December 13, 1989 = Taylor Swift (pretty sure she would make your list)

[Hartnell 1999 89]

31 minutes ago, Szabaka said:

December 13, 1989 = Taylor Swift (pretty sure she would make your list)

Taylor’s first no.1 single wasn’t until 2017 (despite having been in the charts for a decade at that point). I’m sure there have been other artists born in ‘89 who had a UK chart-topping hit before then .

[ThereWillBeDeaths7 720]

Some of the following might be contenders for this list:

Al Martino (1927): first no. 1 of the list in 1952.

2Pac (1971)

Aaliyah (1979)

Britney Spears (1981)

Rihanna (1988)

Ed Sheeran (1991)

Sam Smith (1992)

Ariana Grande (1993)

Justin Bieber (1994)

Lorde (1996)

Shawn Mendes (1998)

Lil Nas X (1999)

[Hartnell 1999 89]

46 minutes ago, ThereWillBeDeaths7 said:

Some of the following might be contenders for this list:

Al Martino (1927): first no. 1 of the list in 1952.

2Pac (1971)

Aaliyah (1979)

Britney Spears (1981)

Rihanna (1988)

Ed Sheeran (1991)

Sam Smith (1992)

Ariana Grande (1993)

Justin Bieber (1994)

Lorde (1996)

Shawn Mendes (1998)

Lil Nas X (1999)

For additional trivia, here are the years and ages at which these artists had their first UK no.1 single:

 

Al Martino: 1952 (25 yrs)
2Pac: 2005 (34 yrs posthumously)

Aaliyah: 2002 (23 yrs posthumously)

Britney Spears: 1999 (18 yrs)

Rihanna: 2007 (19 yrs)

Ed Sheeran: 2014 (23 yrs)

Sam Smith: 2013 (21 yrs)

Ariana Grande: 2014 (21 yrs)

Justin Bieber: 2015 (21 yrs)

Lorde: 2013 (17 yrs)

Shawn Mendes: 2016 (18 yrs)

Lil Nas X: 2019 (20 yrs)

[Spade_Cooley 9,513]

I think these are all correct...

 

1946 Helen Shapiro  (1961 "You Don't Know")

1947 Sandie Shaw (1964 ""(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me")

1963 Little Jimmy Osmond (1972 "Long Haired Lover from Liverpool")

1964 Nicole (1982 "A Little Peace")

1971 Tiffany (1987 "I Think We're Alone Now)

1980 Isaac Hanson (1997 "Mmmbop")

1982 Billie (1998 "Because We Want To")

1983 Taylor Hanson (1997 "Mmmbop")

1984 Gareth Gates (2002 "Unchained Melody")

1985 Zac Hanson (1997 "Mmmbop")

1995 Jessica Smith (1997 "Teletubbies Say Eh-Oh")

1996  Lorde (2013 "Royals") got to #1 a month before Martin Garrix ("Animals") 

1998 Shawn Mendes (2015 "Stitches")

2002: Jawsh 685 (2020 "Savage Love")

2003: Olivia Rodrigo (2021 "Drivers Licence")

2004: Gayle (2021 "abcefu")

 

 

 

[DemBones 36]

Artists with #1 singles in 1953 who are first in their birth years:

 

1905: Mantovani

1912: Perry Como

1913: Frankie Laine

1917: Jo Stafford

1922: Kay Starr

1925: David Whitfield

1926: Lita Roza

1928: Eddie Fisher

 

I don’t know how (or if) you want to count groups as opposed to solo artists, but the Stargazers also had a #1 hit that year. Members at the time of recording are listed as Cliff Adams (b. 1923), Ronnie Milne (b. 1921), Dick James (b. 1920), Marie Benson, and Fred Datchler. I haven’t found birth dates for the latter two yet.

 

Edit: Marie Benson was born in 1928. The Stargazers hit #1 before Eddie Fisher, so if you’re counting group members then she wins for that year.

 

Artists with #1 singles in 1954 who are first in their birth years:

 

Una Atwell (birth year disputed; either 1910 or 1914)

1915: Frank Sinatra

1919: Don Cornell

1921: Kitty Kallen (only if Ronnie Milne doesn’t count).

 

 

Edited November 4, 2022 by DemBones

[justonecornetto 947]

May need verification

 

1950 Mary Hopkin (1968 - Those were the days)

 

[Hartnell 1999 89]

10 hours ago, Spade_Cooley said:

I think these are all correct...

 

1946 Helen Shapiro  (1961 "You Don't Know")

1947 Sandie Shaw (1964 ""(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me")

1963 Little Jimmy Osmond (1972 "Long Haired Lover from Liverpool")

1964 Nicole (1982 "A Little Peace")

1971 Tiffany (1987 "I Think We're Alone Now)

1980 Isaac Hanson (1997 "Mmmbop")

1982 Billie (1998 "Because We Want To")

1983 Taylor Hanson (1997 "Mmmbop")

1984 Gareth Gates (2002 "Unchained Melody")

1985 Zac Hanson (1997 "Mmmbop")

1995 Jessica Smith (1997 "Teletubbies Say Eh-Oh")

1996  Lorde (2013 "Royals") got to #1 a month before Martin Garrix ("Animals") 

1998 Shawn Mendes (2015 "Stitches")

2002: Jawsh 685 (2020 "Savage Love")

2003: Olivia Rodrigo (2021 "Drivers Licence")

2004: Gayle (2021 "abcefu")

 

 

 

Very good

 

Was Jessica Smith actually credited on the Teletubbies hit? If so that would make her the youngest person ever to score a UK no.1, which to my understanding I had always assumed was Jimmy Osmond.

[Bibliogryphon 9,565]

For 1978 it is going to be Kate Bush born 1958 - she was 19 at the time. Don't think there would be anyone younger?

[Book 3,545]

For 1974 it's Robbie Williams. He was 19 when he hit No.1 with Take That in 1993 for the first time.

For 1975 it's Lauryn Hill, I think. She was 21 when she hit No. 1 in 1996 with the Fugees.

And for 1976 Emma Bunton (Spice Girls), who hit No. 1, also in 1996, aged 20.

[justonecornetto 947]

2 hours ago, Book said:

For 1974 it's Robbie Williams. He was 19 when he hit No.1 with Take That in 1993 for the first time.

For 1975 it's Lauryn Hill, I think. She was 21 when she hit No. 1 in 1996 with the Fugees.

And for 1976 Emma Bunton (Spice Girls), who hit No. 1, also in 1996, aged 20.

 

Shane Lynch (3/7/1976) was younger when Boyzone made No. 1 in October 1996 aged 20 +3 months

compared to Emma Bunton (21/1/1976) who was 20 + 6 months when Spice Girls got their first No. 1

[Hartnell 1999 89]

23 minutes ago, justonecornetto said:

 

Shane Lynch (3/7/1976) was younger when Boyzone made No. 1 in October 1996 aged 20 +3 months

compared to Emma Bunton (21/1/1976) who was 20 + 6 months when Spice Girls got their first No. 1

Spice Girls still topped the charts before Boyzone, therefore Bunton would take the honour of first No.1 from the class of ‘76.

[justonecornetto 947]

33 minutes ago, Hartnell 1999 said:

Spice Girls still topped the charts before Boyzone, therefore Bunton would take the honour of first No.1 from the class of ‘76.

 

Cheers, for some reason I misunderstood the criteria

[Book 3,545]

I think I've found another two:

*03.03.1977 Ronan Keating, No.1 in 1996 with Boyzone

*09.10.1978 Nicky Byrne, No. 1 in 1999 with Westlife

[ladyfiona 2,572]

We might need to exclude Lennon/McCartney because they liked to release in December during the 60's which had no 1 for a few weeks, lol.

 

1920 - Clive Dunn with Grandad.

 

1924 - Benny Hill no1 for 4 weeks in December.

 

1930 - Rolf Harris - Had No1 hit in December with Two Little Boys in 1969 that lasted until end of January of the next year.

 

1939 - Spencer Davis with The Spencer Davis Group - No1 hit  on 20 January 1966

 

1945 - The Monkees had a No1 hit in January 1967 with I'm A Believer. Micky Dolenz I believe was the main singer and so you can put him for 1945 or Marmalade (Dean Ford as singer) got No1 January 1st 1969 so could put him for 1945.

 

1940 - Though Tom Jones was a no1 hit for 7 weeks from December so he could be added for 1940 if we're getting technical. John Lennon could also be added for 1940 due to Beatles having No1 with I want to Hold Your Hand in December 1963 and holding it until mid January.

 

1943 - Pink Floyd (Roger Waters) who sang Another Brick In the Wall - no1 in December 1979 for 5 weeks.

 

1946 - Freddie Mercury No1 hit with Queen in November 1975 and it lasted 9 weeks.

 

1986 -  Ellie Goulding - No1 hit 2 January 2020 with River

 

1987 - Ladbaby (Mark Hoyle) had No1 hit on 31 December 2020 (he had a lot of new year hits recently)

 

1991 - Ed Sheeran - No1 hit with Perfect that lasted until 25th January.

 

I'm editing this post as I find more.

 

[Hartnell 1999 89]

19 minutes ago, ladyfiona said:

1945 - The Monkees had a No1 hit in January 1967 with I'm A Believer. Micky Dolenz I believe was the main singer and so you can put him for 1945 or Marmalade (Dean Ford as singer) got No1 January 1st 1969 so could put him for 1945.

 

1940 - Though Tom Jones was a no1 hit for 7 weeks from December so he could be added for 1940 if we're getting technical. John Lennon could also be added for 1940 due to Beatles having No1 with I want to Hold Your Hand in December 1963 and holding it until mid January.

 

 

I'm editing this post as I find more.

As i read this post, Micky Dolenz would claim the 1945 spot since he got to No.1 before Marmalade.

 

Same with John Lennon trumping Tom Jones for 1940.

[msc 18,421]

39 minutes ago, ladyfiona said:

 

 

1940 - Though Tom Jones was a no1 hit for 7 weeks from December so he could be added for 1940 if we're getting technical. John Lennon could also be added for 1940 due to Beatles having No1 with I want to Hold Your Hand in December 1963 and holding it until mid January.

 

 

 

16 minutes ago, Hartnell 1999 said:

 

Same with John Lennon trumping Tom Jones for 1940.

 

I see your Lennon/Jones thing and just want to point out that Cliff Richard had had about 6 or 7 UK number ones before the Beatles or Tom Jones had any!

[ladyfiona 2,572]

1973 - Clean Bandit No1 in November 2016 that lasted until mid January the next year. Anne-Marie and Sean Paul were singers of that song. As 1991 spot been taken by Ed Sheeran. Put Sean Paul in 1973 position.

 

1994 - The Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir had a No 1 hit 31 December 2015 but unless we want to take an average of all the singers in that choir. We could instead list Justin Bieber whose song was No1 a week before and a week after. That would mean he could be put in 1994 spot.

[Hartnell 1999 89]

46 minutes ago, ladyfiona said:

We might need to exclude Lennon/McCartney because they liked to release in December during the 60's which had no 1 for a few weeks, lol.

 

1920 - Clive Dunn with Grandad.

 

1924 - Benny Hill no1 for 4 weeks in December.

 

1930 - Rolf Harris - Had No1 hit in December with Two Little Boys in 1969 that lasted until end of January of the next year.

 

1939 - Spencer Davis with The Spencer Davis Group - No1 hit  on 20 January 1966

 

1945 - The Monkees had a No1 hit in January 1967 with I'm A Believer. Micky Dolenz I believe was the main singer and so you can put him for 1945 or Marmalade (Dean Ford as singer) got No1 January 1st 1969 so could put him for 1945.

 

1940 - Though Tom Jones was a no1 hit for 7 weeks from December so he could be added for 1940 if we're getting technical. John Lennon could also be added for 1940 due to Beatles having No1 with I want to Hold Your Hand in December 1963 and holding it until mid January.

 

1943 - Pink Floyd (Roger Waters) who sang Another Brick In the Wall - no1 in December 1979 for 5 weeks.

 

1946 - Freddie Mercury No1 hit with Queen in November 1975 and it lasted 9 weeks.

 

1986 -  Ellie Goulding - No1 hit 2 January 2020 with River

 

1987 - Ladbaby (Mark Hoyle) had No1 hit on 31 December 2020 (he had a lot of new year hits recently)

 

1991 - Ed Sheeran - No1 hit with Perfect that lasted until 25th January.

 

I'm editing this post as I find more.

 

 

1 minute ago, ladyfiona said:

Does anyone know the main singer of Clean Bandit as they had a No1 in November 2016 that lasted until mid January the next year?

I think you’ve misunderstood the topic title. I’m looking for the first artist born in a particular year to have a No.1 single, rather than the first No.1 single of each year with that artist’s birth date. Hence the Billie Eilish example in the opening post.

[ladyfiona 2,572]

Just now, Hartnell 1999 said:

 

I think you’ve misunderstood the topic title. I’m looking for the first artist born in a particular year to have a No.1 single, rather than the first No.1 single of each year with that artist’s birth date. Hence the Billie Eilish example in the opening post.

 

*closes multiple tabs and sighs*

 

Well that was a fun research anyway.

[DemBones 36]

Artists who hit #1 in 1955:

 

1916: Pérez Prado

1929: Dickie Valentine

1930: Johnny Grande (Bill Haley & His Comets)

1932: Alma Cogan

1933: Marshall Lytle (Bill Haley & His Comets)

1934: Joey Ambrose (Bill Haley & His Comets)

1935: Ruby Murray (first chart-topper born in the 1930s)

 

Artists who hit #1 in 1956:

 

1940: Sherman Garnes, Jimmy Merchant, & Joe Negroni (Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers) (apologies to both John Lennon and Tom Jones)

1941: Herman Santiago (Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers)

1942: Frankie Lymon (Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers)

(All five would count as the first chart-toppers born in the 1940s)

 

The one piece of missing information from 1956 is the birth date of Gene Adkinson from the vocal duo “The Dream Weavers” who hit #1 in March. Wade Buff, the other half of the duo, was born in 1934 (and just died this past April, I found his obit) so he loses out to Ambrose, but Adkinson is still a mystery.

 

Edit to add:

 

Artists who hit #1 in 1957:

 

1931: Tab Hunter

1936: Tommy Steele

1937: Niki Sullivan (The Crickets)

1939: Jerry Allison (The Crickets)

 

Artists who hit #1 in 1958:

 

1924: Michael Holliday

1938: Connie Francis

 

That should take care of both the 1920s and the 1930s, unless we find out later that Fred Datchler and/or Gene Adkinson had a superseding birthday.

[Hartnell 1999 89]

28 minutes ago, ladyfiona said:

 

*closes multiple tabs and sighs*

 

Well that was a fun research anyway.

Still useful information though. This data can be used to collate and compare different artists/musicians who share the same birth year, then the first out of that cohort to score a No.1 can be picked for the OP list’s entry for that year.

 

Carry on researching! 

[RoverAndOut 4,745]

Three of the Arctic Monkeys (Alex Turner, Andy Nicholson and Matt Helders) were born in 1986 and had their first #1 in 2005 when they were 19. Any advance on that?

 

1987: Joss Stone was credited on the 20th anniversary 'Do They Know It's Christmas' which reached #1 in 2004, when she was 17.