CHART BEAT BONUS

Billboard Staff
Updated ·4 min read
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FIVE PLUS FIVE EQUALS: Who would have ever thought that almost two years after Lou Bega had an international hit with his remake of Perez Prado’s “Mambo No. 5,” the song would be a hit all over again? Not only a hit, but a No. 1 song in the U.K., two years after Bega’s version had a two-week stay in pole position.

When Bob the Builder’s version of “Mambo No. 5” debuted last week at No. 1 in Great Britain, I asked U.K. chart expert Dave McAleer for a list of songs that have been No. 1 in the U.K. by two different artists. Dave’s list is quite long — he came up with 26 songs, including two titles that have been No. 1 in the U.K. by three different acts. A similar list based on The Billboard Hot 100 would only have nine songs.

Here is a summary of the songs that have been No. 1 in the U.K. by two (or three) different artists, in alphabetical order by title:

“Answer Me”
David Whitfield (Nov. 6, 1953)
Frankie Laine (Nov. 13, 1953)

“Baby Come Back”
Equals (July 6, 1968)
Pato Banton (Oct. 29, 1994)

“Can’t Help Falling In Love”
Elvis Presley (Feb. 23, 1962)
UB40 (June 12, 1993)

“Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White”
Perez Prado (April 29, 1955)
Eddie Calvert (May 27, 1955)

“Dizzy”
Tommy Roe (June 7, 1969)
Vic Reeves & the Wonder Stuff (Nov. 9, 1991)

“Do They Know It’s Christmas”
Band Aid (Dec. 15, 1984)
Band Aid II (Dec. 23, 1989)

“Eternal Flame”
Bangles (April 15, 1989)
Atomic Kitten (Aug. 4, 2001)

“Everything I Own”
Ken Boothe (Oct. 26, 1974)
Boy George (March 14, 1987)

“I Believe”
Frankie Laine (April 24, 1953)
Robson & Jerome (Nov. 11, 1995)

“I Got You Babe”
Sonny & Cher (Aug. 28, 1965)
UB40 & Chrissie Hynde (Aug. 31, 1985)

“Lady Marmalade”
All Saints (May 23, 1998)
Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya & Pink (July 1, 2001)

“Living Doll”
Cliff Richard (July 31, 1959)
Cliff Richard & the Young Ones (March 29, 1986)

“Mambo No. 5”
Lou Bega (Sept. 4, 1999)
Bob the Builder (Sept. 15, 2001)

“Mary’s Boy Child”
Harry Belafonte (Nov. 22, 1957)
Boney M (Dec. 9, 1978)

“Seasons In the Sun”
Terry Jacks (April 6, 1974)
Westlife (Dec. 25, 1999)

“Singing the Blues”
Guy Mitchell (Jan. 4, 1957)
Tommy Steele (Jan. 11, 1957)

“Spirit in the Sky”
Norman Greenbaum (May 2, 1970)
Doctor & the Medics (June 7, 1986)

“This Ole House”
Rosemary Clooney (Nov. 26, 1954)
Shakin’ Stevens (March 28, 1981)

“Tragedy”
Bee Gees (March 3, 1979)
Steps (Jan. 9, 1999)

“Unchained Melody”
Jimmy Young (June 24, 1955)
Righteous Brothers (Nov. 3, 1990)
Robson & Jerome (May 20, 1995)

“Uptown Girl”
Billy Joel (Nov. 5, 1983)
Westlife (March 17, 2001)

“When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going”
Billy Ocean (Feb. 8, 1986)
Boyzone (March 13, 1999)

“With a Little Help From My Friends”
Joe Cocker (Nov. 9, 1968)
Wet Wet Wet (May 21, 1988)

“Without You”
Nilsson (March 11, 1972)
Mariah Carey (Feb. 19, 1994)

“You’ll Never Walk Alone”
Gerry & the Pacemakers (Nov. 1, 1963)
The Crowd (June 15, 1985)
Robson & Jerome (Nov. 9, 1996)

“Young Love”
Tab Hunter (Feb. 22, 1957)
Donny Osmond (Aug. 25, 1973)

The list doesn’t include No. 1 songs that sampled previous No. 1 hits, or Typically Tropical’s “Barbados,” which was revisited in the Vengaboys’ “We’re Going to Ibizia!” Also not counted is Abba’s “Take a Chance On Me,” which was one of four songs on Erasure’s No. 1 EP, “Abba-Esque.”

“Bohemian Rhapsody” was No. 1 twice, but both times by Queen, and “These Are the Days of Our Lives” was No. 1 by Queen, and then No. 1 again for the group when it appeared on the EP “Five Live.” The football anthem “Three Lions” by Baddiel & Skinner and Lightning Seeds was also No. 1 twice, albeit with slightly altered lyrics the second time around (as “3 Lions ’98”).

There may be another title added to the list soon. British co-ed quintet Steps has released “Chain Reaction” as their latest single. The original, recorded by Diana Ross, spent three weeks at No. 1 in the U.K. in March 1986.

If the Steps version of “Chain Reaction” does reach the top, it will complete an unusual hat trick. In 1986, the Billy Ocean version of “When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going” was succeeded at No. 1 by Ross’ “Chain Reaction,”which in turn was followed by Cliff Richard & the Young Ones’ update of “Living Doll.”


BOB THE BUILDER TAKES OVER THE WORLD: Speaking of Bob the Builder, “Mambo No. 5” is the second No. 1 hit in the U.K. for the children’s TV character. The animated construction worker was on top of the British singles chart at the end of 2000 with “Can We Fix It?” While “Mambo No. 5” was No. 1 in the U.K. last week (it was replaced this week by DJ Otzi’s “Hey! Baby (Uhh Ahh)”), “Can We Fix It?” rules the current Australian singles chart.

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