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Songs that Got to Number 1 in the UK Charts, but Did Not in the Irish Charts

Declan A Walsh

Inspired by that thread about songs reaching higher in the Irish charts. I happened to notice a few examples of songs that got to Number 1 in the UK, but not in Ireland.

Here are some examples.

Rat Trap by the Boomtown Rats - #2 - this was a surprise to me!

Frankie Goes to Hollywood:

Relax - #3 and The Power of Love - #2

Geno by Dexys Midnight Runners - #2

One Day at a Time by Lena Martell - #27. Contrast this with Gloria's version which got to Number 1 in Ireland and spent a record-breaking 90 weeks in the Irish charts, but did not chart in the UK!

The One and Only by Chesney Hawkes - #3

Whitney Houston:

I Wanna Dance with Somebody (who Loves me) and One Moment In Time both got to #2

Cher:

Gypsy, Tramps and Thieves - #3

Half-Breed - * Did not Chart

Dark Lady - Did not Chart

Love Can Build a Bridge (with others) - #5

*Don't know if those two non-charting songs were released in Ireland.

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Declan A Walsh

Here is an interesting one I discovered, given that the original version by this singer charted higher in Ireland.

Thunder in My Heart Again by Meck (featuring Leo Sayer) - #14

gabria

I suppose the one that might spring to mind for many is Love is all around by Wet wet wet. Stuck at 2 behind Bill Whelan's riverdance all of summer 94 while it was nearly breaking Bryan Adam's UK no 1 record in UK. I think it might have the record for consecutive weeks at number 2 here ?

Declan A Walsh

Suzi Quatro - Can the Can - #5

rpirl

There's a few from the UK Garage scene

Craig David – 'Fill Me In' (Ireland #7)

Shanks & Bigfoot – 'Sweet Like Chocolate' (Ireland #9)

Daniel Bedingfield – 'Gotta Get Thru This' (Ireland #15)

So Solid Crew – '21 Seconds' (Ireland #21)

Declan A Walsh

Some England soccer songs that got to #1 in the UK, but not in Ireland.

New Order (with England squad) - World in Motion - #7 in Ireland

The Lightning Seeds (with David Baddiel and Frank Skinner) - Three Lions :

Three Lions (original 1996 version) - #9 in Ireland

Three Lions '98 - #14 in Ireland

Three Lions (re-entry in 2018) - #65 in Ireland

Declan A Walsh

Some more examples.

#2 in Ireland:

Dreadlock Holiday by 10cc

Theme from S'Express by S'Express

Is there Something I Should Know by Duran Duran

Uptown Top Ranking by Althea and Donna

(I Can't Help) Falling in Love with You by UB40

#3 in Ireland:

You to Me are Everything by The Real Thing

Sad Sweet Dreamer by Sweet Sensation

Rock Your Baby by George McCrae

(If Paradise is) Half as Nice by Amen Corner - #4 in Ireland

The Power by Snap! - #5 in Ireland

Declan A Walsh

More examples.

Space Oddity by David Bowie (in 1975's re-release when it reached #1 in the UK): #3 in Ireland

Innuendo by Queen: #4 in Ireland

#2 in Ireland:

Don't Give Up on Us by David Soul

Massachusetts by The Bee Gees

When Will I See You Again by The Three Degrees

The Name of the Game by Abba

Respectable by Mel and Kim

Tears on My Pillow by Kylie Minogue….

Other Kylie Minogue songs:

Spinning Around: #4 in Ireland

Slow: #5 in Ireland

BagofWeed

Bound for the reload- Neutrino & Oxide. #1 in UK #26 in Irl.

Declan A Walsh

Take Me Bak 'Ome by Slade: #4 in Ireland

Eye Level by the Simon Park Orchestra: #3 in Ireland

I Only Have Eyes for You by Art Garfunkel: #2 in Ireland

So You Win Again by Hot Chocolate: #2 in Ireland

Being with You by Smokey Robinson: #2 in Ireland

Your Woman by White Town: #5 in Ireland

Declan A Walsh

Dreamer by Livin' Joy: #7 in Ireland

Don't Turn Around by Aswad: #4 in Ireland

Mr. Blobby by Mr. Blobby: #8 in Ireland

Oasis:

Some Might Say: #3 in Ireland

The Hindu Times: #2 in Ireland

Lyla: #5 in Ireland

The Importance of Being Idle: #15 in Ireland

Declan A Walsh

Madonna:

La Isla Bonita, Vogue, American Pie, Hung Up - #2 in Ireland

Frozen - #4 in Ireland

Music - #7 in Ireland

Sorry - #5 in Ireland

Declan A Walsh

At the time of typing this, the Arctic Monkeys have had two Number 1s in the UK, neither of which reached #1 in Ireland.

I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor - #12 in Ireland

When the Sun Goes Down - #11 in Ireland

Declan A Walsh

Coldplay -

These songs got to #1 in the UK, but not in Ireland.

Viva la Vida - #3

Paradise - #2

[Deleted User]

Any Irish songs that held the Irish number 1 for a prolonged period of time would have meant that the UK number 1 at the time would have never made it to number 1 in Ireland.

A great example is 1990.

Between April 5th and August 23rd you had the following at number 1 in Ireland.

"The by road to Glenroe" Mick Lally

"The Game" by The Memories.

"Give it a lash Jack"

"Put'em under pressure"

Then between 20th September and the end of the year you only had three weeks with Number 1s that were not uniquely Irish.

So for those 30 or so weeks the following failed to get to Number 1 in Ireland while they got to Number 1 in the UK.

Madonna "Vogue'

Admaski "Killer"

Elton John "Sacrifice"

Partners in Kryme "Turtle Power"

Maria McKee "Show me Heaven"

The Beautiful South "A little time"

Cliff Richard "Saviours Day'

Declan A Walsh

How Do You Do It by Gerry and the Pacemakers in 1963 - #2 in Ireland. It was their debut single and the first of three in a row Number 1s in the UK (the other two did get to #1 in Ireland), a feat never before achieved in the UK (first three singles getting to #1) and not equalled until 1984 with fellow Liverpudlians Frankie Goes to Hollywood. In an earlier post above, I did mention two of those three latter songs, which did not reach #1 in Ireland.

Sticking with Liverpool acts, you can't get more famous than the Beatles. Not all their UK Number 1s did the same in Ireland.

#2 in Ireland: She Loves You, I Want to Hold Your Hand, Hello Goodbye

#3 in Ireland: Lady Madonna

Declan A Walsh

Showaddywaddy - Under the Moon of Love: #6 in Ireland

Declan A Walsh

Two of the Pet Shop Boys UK Number 1s stalled at #2 in the Irish charts: West End Girls and Always on My Mind.

Declan A Walsh

Robson and Jerome had three big hits in the 1990s, all of which got to Number 1 in the UK but not in Ireland:

Unchained Melody / (There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover - #2

I Believe / Up On the Roof - #3

What Becomes of the Brokenhearted / Saturday Nights at the Movie / You'll Never Walk Alone - #7

Declan A Walsh

The Beautiful South had just one song reach #1 in the UK, but it stalled in the Irish charts at #2:

A Little Time.

Edit: I see it was mentioned in a post back in May. Whoops! I had entries for The Beautiful South in a thread about songs higher in the Irish Charts and thought of this one for here.

Declan A Walsh

The Manic Street Preachers had two Number 1s in the UK, neither of which reached the top in the Irish charts.

If You Tolerate This Your Children Will be Next: #3

The Masses Against the Classes: #7

George White

Every Loser Wins by Nick Berry - No 1 in the UK, and I think the best selling single of that year there, but didn't even chart here. I presumed 'oh, EastEnders wasn't as big in Ireland, esp as RTE didn't carry it', but Anyone Can Fall in Love by Anita Dobson got to no 9 here, and Berry's version of Heartbeat got to no 18 here in 1992.

The theme to Prisoner Cell Block H here got to no 11 when UTV weren't even showing it at the time.

The Lena Martell One Day at a Time getting to 27 is fascinating, because IIRC her version was released as something of a spoiler for the Gloria version. I still managed to find a signed Lena LP in a bargain bin in the Rage on fade street.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123871771#Comment_123871771

I'm surprised it was those 2. Both on the more political side of their stuff.

Australia, Design for Life or Motorcycle Emptiness would have been my guesses.

Declan A Walsh

Blondie had six Number 1s in the UK, but only one of them reached #1 in Ireland - Sunday Girl.

The other UK Number 1s follow, with their highest placing in the Irish charts.

Heart of Glass - #2

Call Me - #2

Atomic - #3

The Tide is High - #2

Maria - #3

Declan A Walsh

Rod Stewart had a number of Number 1s in the UK and a few in Ireland too, but he had more in the UK. Here are the UK Number 1s which did not get to the top of the Irish Charts, and their chart positions in Ireland.

Reason to Believe/Maggie May - DNC

You Wear it Well - #2

I Don't Want to Talk About It/The First Cut is the Deepest - #4

Do Ya Think I'm Sexy - #5

Three of Gareth Gates' songs got to #1 in the UK but not in Ireland.

Anyone of Us (Not Stupid) - #2

The Long and Winding Road (with Will Young)/Suspicious Minds - #4

Spirit in the Sky (featuring the Kumars) - #2

Speaking of Will Young…

Anything is Possible/Evergreen - #2

Light My Fire - #5

its_steve116

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123147329#Comment_123147329

...and "I Swear" by All-4-One was stuck behind them in Ireland at #3.

A Pop Fans Dream

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124522042#Comment_124522042

and stuck behind Love Is All Around for seven weeks in the UK