It’s 1991 and everywhere Bryan Adam’s power ballad Everything I Do, I Do It For You can be heard on the TV and Radio.
The Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves song was at the number one spot for 16 weeks, a song which Bryan Adams admitted only took him 45 minutes to write, but its legacy has lasted a lifetime.
Bryan Adams told Classic Pop magazine, “I feel great about that song, it’s one of the reasons I’m still out there.
“It’s always worked live, so I enjoy singing it. It’s one you can’t replace in the show, you’d be really hard-pressed to leave that one out.”
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However, its reign at number one came to an end in the most unexpected way, after being kicked off the number one spot by another giant of music – Bono.
Yes, Bono and his band U2 unexpectedly knocked Bryan Adams off the top of the charts with their song The Fly, and the rest as they say is history.
October 31, 2021 marks thirty years since the hugely popular song was knocked off the top spot.
Bryan Adams isn’t the only music icon to have stayed at number one for months, and here we look at some the artists who followed in his footsteps.
Wet Wet Wet – Love is all around
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Long before actor Bill Nighy reintroduced the song to the world as Christmas is all around in 2003 hit romantic comedy Love Actually, Wet Wet Wet sound tracked another famous Richard Curtis Rom Com, Four Weddings and a Funeral.
The title song Love is All Around became an instant hit with fans, and one of Wet Wet Wet’s biggest records, dominating the charts for a total of 15 weeks in 1994.
A cover of The Trogg’s sixties hit, Wet Wet Wet admitted to the Daily Record that they nearly didn’t choose the song to sing for the soundtrack, and instead could have chosen Barry Manilow’s Can’t Smile Without You.
They also revealed that they were so sick of flying to London to perform the song on Top of the Pops, they decided to withdraw the single from circulation and give someone else a chance at the top spot.
Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody
(Image: EMI Records)
Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody is one of the biggest selling songs of all time, and not just that, it has been Christmas number one twice.
It first reached the top of the charts in 1975, staying at number one for nine weeks before being knocked off by Abba’s Mamma Mia.
However, they were originally told it had no chance of being played on radio due to exceeding the usual three minute playing length, but luckily a close friend of Freddie Mercury’s came to their help.
Late DJ and presenter Kenny Everett played the song 14 times in one weekend on Capital Radio, creating a hype around the song that eventually sent it to number one.
After Freddie Mercury’s death in 1991, the song was re-released with one of Freddie’s final songs with the band These Are The Days of Our Lives on the flip side of the record, staying at number one for five weeks.
Ed Sheeran – Shape of You
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There seems to be no stopping Ed Sheeran when he releases a record, and Shape of You became an instant hit on its release in 2017, from his album Divide.
Staying at number one for 14 weeks, it seemed no other artist could get a look in at the top spot as Ed Sheeran battled for the chart position with other songs by himself including Castle on the Hill.
However, Harry Styles’ broke Ed Sheeran’s reign with Sign of the Times, literally showing Ed that it was time for another hit musician to take the number one spot.
Whitney Houston – I Will Always Love You
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The nineties was full of chart topping film soundtracks, whether that was My heart will go on, Everything I Do, I Do It For You or Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You.
A cover of the Dolly Parton classic, Whitney’s version featured in the hit film Bodyguard, staying at number for 10 weeks in 1992 and 1993.
The film also starred Kevin Costner, who had previously appeared in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, which had featured Bryan Adam’s long reigning movie song.
Rhianna – Umbrella
(Image: WireImage)
There have been plenty songs with weather themes, but Rhianna’s Umbrella is one of the most iconic and catchy.
The collaboration with Jay-Z stayed at number one for 10 weeks, and became one of the singer’s signature songs, landing her first UK number one hit. until
However, it was later knocked off the top spot by Timberland’s The Way I Are.
Spiderman actor Tom Holland even performed the song dressed in one of Rihanna’s outfits from the video on the television show Lip Sync Battle in May 2017.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
