Connie Francis, Who’s Sorry Now? (1958)

I used to be all set to surrender music for a scholarship at New York College. Then my father advised that if I sang Who’s Sorry Now? – a tune from 1923 – with rock’n’roll triplets, it could enchantment to grown-ups and youthful consumers. I hated it. I assumed the tune sounded “sq.” and proper as much as the final minute I didn’t wish to file it. I went into the session with each intention of working out of time, however midway via I requested the rhythm part to supply a stronger beat. I sang louder, and that second half is what most individuals recall. After I sang it on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand it took off within the States, however within the UK there have been solely two TV channels so it was totally right down to radio performs. Being No 1 felt overwhelming, however I’m frequently amazed by the reception given to what’s been referred to as “the last word revenge tune” by youthful generations. Only recently it’s been used as Disney’s Cruella trailer and in Don’t Fear Darling, starring Harry Kinds, which amazes me. Connie Francis

Chris Farlowe, Out of Time (1966)

I knew the Stones earlier than they have been the Stones. They’d come alongside once I was enjoying London golf equipment with the Thunderbirds. A couple of years later we rekindled our friendship and I signed to [Stones manager] Andrew Loog Oldham’s label, Quick. Someday Mick Jagger stated, “I’d like to put in writing some songs for you, Chris.” He sat down in his home, performed a few numbers for me on guitar and one in every of them was Out of Time. A month later we have been within the studio with an orchestra. Jimmy Web page performed on it – he was a session guitarist earlier than beginning Led Zeppelin. One evening I watched England win the World Cup on telly within the pub, then I performed a gig in Wales with an unknown Tom Jones. The next morning my mom woke me to say “There’s all these photographers on the entrance door.” I went down in my pyjamas they usually advised me I used to be No 1. I’m 82 now and nonetheless performing. I performed the Palladium final yr. If I didn’t play Out of Time they’d throw bottles at me. Chris Farlowe

Lieutenant Pigeon, Mouldy Previous Dough (1972)

We have been a severe experimental group referred to as Stavely Makepeace however began making novelty instrumentals for a giggle. We recorded Mouldy Previous Dough in Rob Woodward’s mum Hilda’s entrance room in Coventry. She performed piano and Rob advised me, “Once we get to the refrain bit, simply growl ‘mouldy outdated dough’.” At first, it died utterly. Then a Belgian TV information programme used it and we went to No 3 in Belgium. After that it snowballed. We bought two million copies worldwide and spent 4 weeks at No 1 within the UK. At our first High of the Pops I watched Marmalade laughing via their slot as a result of off-camera their roadie was baring his arse at them. So after we did our Christmas present we had a drink, dressed as pantomime characters and put a decoy pigeon on the piano. You’ll be able to hear our laughter on the printed. The tune gave us few years and there’s a field set out subsequent yr. It didn’t sink in how large it was till I used to be gazing out of the evening practice and the chap from Decca stated, “Every of these lights represents somebody who was watching you final evening.” Nigel Fletcher

Joe Dolce, Shaddap You Face (1981)

I’d bought my home and moved with my spouse and youngsters from Ohio to Australia to try to make it. It was powerful. We cut up up after a yr, however inside six months I met the love of my life and had a No 1. I’m Italian-American, and wrote Shaddap You Face from reminiscences of rising up within the kitchen, the place everybody talked in damaged English. After I first carried out it, drunken crowds shouted “Hey!” after every line, so I put that within the tune. I recorded it in a studio owned by Mike Brady, who’d had hits, He stated “This tune’s gonna be a monster” and launched it first. In England, Terry Wogan stated “That is the worst factor I’ve ever heard”, so the tune acquired a lot of consideration. CBS flew me over to do three TV exhibits and by the point I left, it was already No 3. It went to No 1 in 11 nations. Within the UK it stored Ultravox’s Vienna off the highest for 3 weeks, which drove Midge Ure loopy, however [keyboard player] Billy Currie stated, “That’s tune. I want we’d written it.” Joe Dolce

Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody (1975 and 1991)

Bohemian Rhapsody was clearly a vital tune for Freddie [Mercury], about transformation. It wasn’t uncommon for him to come back in with varied sections of one thing he’d been engaged on and tinkle on the piano. Once we put all of it collectively the file firm stated “We will’t get a six minute single on the radio.” We refused to edit it. We had a kind of launch earlier than it was combined. Kenny Everett stole a tough lower and performed it on the radio, and it turned out it was radio pleasant as a result of it acquired everybody’s consideration. We hadn’t preferred doing High of The Pops as a result of they made you mime on podiums, so in three hours we made the video which turned an enormous speaking level. We’d simply reached No 2 with Killer Queen, so took the possibility that if Bohemian acquired to No 1 they’d have to point out it. The one spent 9 weeks at No 1 and there was such a celebratory feeling our supervisor made us beautiful gold plaques. After Freddie’s passing it was the Christmas No. 1 for a second time, elevating £1m for the Terence Higgins Belief. Younger folks suppose it’s at all times been there, like Beethoven or [Elgar’s] Pomp and Circumstance. Freddie would have beloved that. Brian Might

Sugababes, About You Now (2007)

I lately discovered one in every of my journals from once I was 12 years outdated and one in every of my objectives was to have a No 1. I used to be such a dreamer that it didn’t really feel like that a lot of a shock when it actually occurred. About You Now was our sixth and final. We’d usually co-written however that tune got here to us from Dr Luke and Cathy Dennis. It was fairly American-sounding, whereas we’d at all times sounded British. Dr Luke was fairly inflexible concerning the sound and I fought for my advert libs, however it’s a really catchy tune. After it was No 1, I all of a sudden learn that I used to be out of the group. No one had advised me. I had a very long time to unpick it, however I’ve labored via any emotions of betrayal and I don’t affiliate the tune with any disappointment. It’s a reflective, romantic tune that takes on a extra nostalgic which means now we’re again collectively [as the original trio]. Onstage I’ve seen that we’ve been singing it to one another. I’ve been capable of pause to take it in, as a result of you’ll be able to’t relive these moments. Keisha Buchanan

Gabrielle Aplin, The Energy of Love (2012)

I’d been doing YouTube movies in my bed room, then I signed to Parlophone. It was all very thrilling. I used to be requested to pitch for the following John Lewis Christmas advert, which was large then. All people beloved them. I went within the studio on the Saturday and submitted the tune for the Monday deadline. They’d chosen the Frankie Goes to Hollywood tune with a really particular transient: “no lyrics on this bit” and so forth. I needed it to sound wintry, however not unfavorable. Once we did the advert, the snowman animation hadn’t been completed, so I used to be singing to this little crimson circle, however I beloved it. I used to be buzzing when the tune went in at 36. Then it began climbing the charts, the label confirmed us a graph which confirmed we have been trailing Bruno Mars. My supervisor stated, “Nicely, your graph is mistaken.” Waking as much as uncover I used to be No 1 was loopy. I used to be 20, however it gave me a platform for my very own songs. I’ve acquired a brand new album out in January and I’ll at all times be thankful for that chance. Gabrielle Aplin

Captain Tom Moore, Michael Ball and the NHS Voices of Care Choir, You’ll By no means Stroll Alone (2020)

I used to be poorly with Covid and noticed Captain Tom on TV strolling spherical his backyard to boost cash for the NHS. Then I acquired him on my radio present and he was wonderful. BBC Breakfast requested me to sing a tune to have fun his a hundredth lap, so I sang You’ll By no means Stroll Alone over Zoom. I might see him singing alongside so jokingly stated “Tom, we should always do a duet.” Then I assumed, “May we presumably do this for his a hundredth birthday in three days?” I had a backing monitor from a earlier recording. Tom learn the lyrics like a poem however stored bursting into tune. I sang in my bed room. We had about 200 socially distanced NHS choristers. The whole lot was executed remotely: we completed it at 3.30am and it went reside on Zoe Ball’s present inside hours. Once we have been neck and neck within the charts with the Weeknd, he tweeted his tens of millions of followers asking them to get Tom to No 1. The tune raised £33m and Tom beloved each minute. I’d solely managed No 2, 34 years beforehand, however it wasn’t about me. It was a spontaneous, valuable second, a person nearing the top of his life who was capable of do one thing extraordinary. Michael Ball