Every Official Number 1 debut single since 2000

Those who started their careers in the best possible way - with a Number 1 hit.
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To kick off your career with a Number 1 single is no easy feat, but it happened just this past week on the UK's Official Chart.

While it's become less commonplace in the modern streaming era due to the the slow burn build of artists nowadays, there some acts can still spark an immediate surge to the top.

MORE: View every Number 1 single on the UK's Official Chart

Throughout chart history, there's been various routes to getting a Number 1 with your debut single. Winning or doing well on a TV talent show has long been a failsafe way of scoring chart success, with Pop Idol, Fame Academy and The X Factor turning acts such as Gareth Gates, Leona Lewis, and Alexandra Burke into overnight sensations. Will Young's debut single Anything Is Possible/Evergreen from 2001 - his winner's single from the first series of Pop Idol in 2000 - is the 19th best-selling single ever, and the biggest debut since the turn of the century.

Charity singles have often led to debut Number 1s too, for those lucky enough to be credited by name on them. Many of them actors, the likes of Ruth Jones, Rob Brydon, Matt Lucas and The Kumars have claimed Number 1 hits with their debut recordings under fictional alter-egos. Peter Kay and James Corden went straight to the top of the charts with their first releases too. We even saw a charity song lead to a debut Number 1 in 2020 when Captain Tom Moore became the oldest person ever to claim a UK chart topper with You'll Never Walk Alone.

MORE: Every Official Number 1 debut album of the millennium

Leaving a band and going on to claim a solo Number 1 has been commonplace too, with so much attention behind a newly solo artist. Examples over the last 20 years include Brian McFadden, Cheryl's Fight For This Love, Tulisa's Young, Zayn's Pillowtalk and Harry Styles' Sign Of The Times.

And then, of course, there are those acts who just immediately position themselves as megastars and land a debut Number 1 single, like Arctic Monkeys, Lady Gaga and, ahem, Crazy Frog and Bob The Builder, or the tracks that become a school disco staple from the get go like DJ Casper's Cha Cha Slide or Whigfield's Saturday Night.

See below the 114 debut singles that went to Number 1 this century (Acts in bold are those on the song whose debut single it is)

DATE* TITLE ARTIST WKS AT NO.1
19/10/2023 STRANGERS KENYA GRACE 1
08/09/2022 B.O.T.A (BADDEST OF THEM ALL) ELIZA ROSE & INTERPLANETARY CRIMINAL 2
14/07/2022 AFRAID TO FEEL LF SYSTEM 8
20/01/2022 ABCDEFU GAYLE 1
25/03/2021 WELLERMAN NATHAN EVANS/220 KID/BILLEN TED 2
21/01/2021 DRIVERS LICENSE OLIVIA RODRIGO 9
09/07/2020 SAVAGE LOVE (LAXED - SIREN BEAT) JAWSH 685 & JASON DERULO 1
30/04/2020 YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE MICHAEL BALL & CAPTAIN TOM MOORE 1
25/04/2019 OLD TOWN ROAD LIL NAS X 2
27/12/2018 WE BUILT THIS CITY LADBABY 1
06/09/2018 EASTSIDE BENNY BLANCO/HALSEY/KHALID 1
20/04/2017 SIGN OF THE TIMES HARRY STYLES 1
11/02/2016 PILLOWTALK ZAYN 1
31/12/2015 A BRIDGE OVER YOU THE LEWISHAM & GREENWICH NHS CHOIR 1
17/09/2015 EASY LOVE SIGALA 1
16/07/2015 HOUSE EVERY WEEKEND DAVID ZOWIE 1
09/07/2015 ARE YOU WITH ME LOST FREQUENCIES 1
09/05/2015 CHEERLEADER (FELIX JAEHN REMIX) OMI 4
25/04/2015 SEE YOU AGAIN WIZ KHALIFA FT. CHARLIE PUTH 2
27/12/2014 SOMETHING I NEED BEN HAENOW 1
11/10/2014 ALL ABOUT THAT BASS MEGHAN TRAINOR 1
09/08/2014 RUDE MAGIC! 1
26/07/2014 ME AND MY BROKEN HEART RIXTON 1
19/07/2014 IT'S MY BIRTHDAY WILL.I.AM FT. CODY WISE 1
21/06/2014 GHOST ELLA HENDERSON 2
07/06/2014 I WANNA FEEL SECONDCITY 1
05/04/2014 SHE LOOKS SO PERFECT 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER 1
01/02/2014 RATHER BE CLEAN BANDIT FT. JESS GLYNNE 4
28/12/2013 SKYSCRAPER SAM BAILEY 1
16/11/2013 LOOK RIGHT THROUGH STORM QUEEN 1
02/11/2013 ROYALS LORDE 1
27/04/2013 WAITING ALL NIGHT RUDIMENTAL FT. ELLA EYRE 1
16/02/2013 THRIFT SHOP MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS FT. WANZ 1
15/12/2012 IMPOSSIBLE JAMES ARTHUR 4
08/12/2012 THE POWER OF LOVE GABRIELLE APLIN 1
01/09/2012 BOM BOM SAM & THE WOMP 1
09/06/2012 FEEL THE LOVE RUDIMENTAL FT. JOHN NEWMAN 1
12/05/2012 YOUNG TULISA 1
25/02/2012 HOT RIGHT NOW DJ FRESH FT. RITA ORA 1
31/12/2011 WHEREVER YOU ARE MILITARY WIVES/GARETH MALONE 1
24/12/2011 CANNONBALL LITTLE MIX 1
08/10/2011 LOCA PEOPLE SAK NOEL 1
01/10/2011 NO REGRETS DAPPY 1
24/09/2011 WHAT MAKES YOU BEAUTIFUL ONE DIRECTION 1
27/08/2011 DON'T GO WRETCH 32 FT. JOSH KUMRA 1
13/08/2011 SWAGGER JAGGER CHER LLOYD 1
16/07/2011 LOUDER DJ FRESH FT. SIAN EVANS 1
23/04/2011 PARTY ROCK ANTHEM LMFAO/LAUREN BENNETT/GOONROCK 4
25/12/2010 WHEN WE COLLIDE MATT CARDLE 3
11/09/2010 PLEASE DON'T LET ME GO OLLY MURS 1
07/08/2010 ALL TIME LOW THE WANTED 1
31/07/2010 WE NO SPEAK AMERICANO YOLANDA BE COOL VS D CUP 1
24/07/2010 AIRPLANES B.O.B FT. HAYLEY WILLIAMS 1
19/06/2010 SHOUT SHOUT FT. DIZZEE & JAMES CORDEN 2
29/05/2010 NOTHIN' ON YOU B.O.B FT. BRUNO MARS 1
01/05/2010 ONCE DIANA VICKERS 1
13/03/2010 PASS OUT TINIE TEMPAH 2
30/01/2010 FIREFLIES OWL CITY 3
16/01/2010 REPLAY IYAZ 2
02/01/2010 THE CLIMB JOE MCELDERRY 1
31/10/2009 FIGHT FOR THIS LOVE CHERYL COLE 2
15/08/2009 NEVER LEAVE YOU TINCHY STRYDER FT. AMELLE BERRABAH 1
25/07/2009 BEAT AGAIN JLS 2
20/06/2009 MAMA DO PIXIE LOTT 1
21/03/2009 ISLANDS IN THE STREAM VANESSA JENKINS (RUTH JONES) & BRYN WEST (ROB BRYDON) FT. TOM JONES & ROBIN GIBB 1
14/03/2009 RIGHT ROUND FLO RIDA FT. KESHA 1
17/01/2009 JUST DANCE LADY GAGA 3
27/12/2008 HALLELUJAH ALEXANDRA BURKE 3
12/07/2008 DANCE WIV ME DIZZEE RASCAL FT. CALVIN HARRIS & CHROME 4
29/12/2007 WHEN YOU BELIEVE LEON JACKSON 3
08/09/2007 BEAUTIFUL GIRLS SEAN KINGSTON 4
18/08/2007 WITH EVERY HEARTBEAT ROBYN WITH KLEERUP 1
31/03/2007 I'M GONNA BE (500 MILES) THE PROCLAIMERS FT. BRIAN POTTER & ANDY PIPKIN (MATT LUCAS) 3
27/01/2007 GRACE KELLY MIKA 5
30/12/2006 A MOMENT LIKE THIS LEONA LEWIS 4
15/07/2006 SMILE LILY ALLEN 2
10/06/2006 I WISH I WAS A PUNK ROCKER (WITH FLOWERS IN MY HAIR) SANDI THOM 1
08/04/2006 CRAZY GNARLES BARKLEY 9
25/03/2006 NO TOMORROW ORSON 1
11/03/2006 IT'S CHICO TIME CHICO 2
18/02/2006 THUNDER IN MY HEART AGAIN MECK FT. LEO SAYER 2
31/12/2005 THAT'S MY GOAL SHAYNE WARD 4
29/10/2005 I BET YOU LOOK GOOD ON THE DANCEFLOOR ARCTIC MONKEYS 1
04/06/2005 AXEL F CRAZY FROG 4
26/03/2005 (IS THIS THE WAY TO) AMARILLO TONY CHRISTIE FT. PETER KAY 7
29/01/2005 GOODIES CIARA FT. PETEY PABLO 1
08/01/2005 AGAINST ALL ODDS STEVE BROOKSTEIN 1
18/09/2004 REAL TO ME BRIAN MCFADDEN 1
21/08/2004 BABYCAKES 3 OF A KIND 1
24/07/2004 LOLA'S THEME SHAPESHIFTERS 1
22/05/2004 F.U.R.B. (F U RIGHT BACK) FRANKEE 3
24/04/2004 F**K IT (I DON'T WANT YOU BACK) EAMON 4
10/04/2004 FIVE COLOURS IN HER HAIR MCFLY 2
20/03/2004 CHA CHA SLIDE DJ CASPER 1
21/02/2004 WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS/MEASURE OF A MAN SAM & MARK 1
07/02/2004 TAKE ME TO THE CLOUDS ABOVE LMC V U2 2
17/01/2004 ALL THIS TIME MICHELLE 3
27/12/2003 MAD WORLD MICHAEL ANDREWS & GARY JULES 3
14/06/2003 BRING ME TO LIFE EVANESCENCE 4
22/03/2003 SPIRIT IN THE SKY GARETH GATES FT. THE KUMARS 2
25/01/2003 STOP LIVING THE LIE DAVID SNEDDON 2
28/12/2002 SOUND OF THE UNDERGROUND GIRLS ALOUD 4
09/11/2002 HEAVEN DJ SAMMY & YANOU FT. DO 1
19/10/2002 THE KETCHUP SONG (ASEREJE) LAS KETCHUP 1
31/08/2002 CROSSROADS BLAZIN' SQUAD 1
10/08/2002 COLOURBLIND DARIUS 2
11/05/2002 KISS KISS HOLLY VALANCE 1
30/03/2002 UNCHAINED MELODY GARETH GATES 4
09/03/2002 ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE/EVERGREEN WILL YOUNG 3
08/12/2001 GOTTA GET THRU THIS DANIEL BEDINGFIELD 2
27/10/2001 BECAUSE I GOT HIGH AFROMAN 1
02/06/2001 DO YOU REALLY LIKE IT? DJ PIED PIPER & THE MASTERS OF CEREMONIES 1
24/03/2001 PURE AND SIMPLE HEAR'SAY 3
13/01/2001 TOUCH ME RUI DA SILVA FT. CASSANDRA 1
23/12/2000 CAN WE FIX IT? BOB THE BUILDER 3
16/09/2000 LADY (HEAR ME TONIGHT) MODJO 2
24/06/2000 YOU SEE THE TROUBLE WITH ME BLACK LEGEND 1
20/05/2000 DON'T CALL ME BABY MADISON AVENUE 1
06/05/2000 BOUND 4 DA RELOAD (CASUALTY) OXIDE & NEUTRINO 1

©2020 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.
*Date is week ending the first week the single reached Number 1

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avatar

João Paulo Sena Siqueira

1

How come still there's not a global chart, which would count all countries charts together?

avatar

Barry Sarah-Jessica Parker

-1

DJ Otzi Hey Baby from 2001 isn’t on the list, another debut hit

avatar

Official Charts

1

In response to all of your comments Barry, DJ Otzi released two songs before Hey Baby, All The Things She Said was from Tatu's second album, JXL released two albums worth of material before A Little Less Conversation, Room 5 previously released music under the names Benny B and Wamblee, Tim McGraw had a career spanning 13 years before Over and Over, Pussycat Dolls first single was Sway which appeared on the soundtrack to the 2004 film Shall We Dance, and Fatman Scoop and Crooklyn Clan released the single Where U @ before Be Faithful.

avatar

Barry Sarah-Jessica Parker

0

Katy Perry’s debut I Kissed A Girl was a number 1 but not on the list

avatar

Official Charts

0

Hi Barry, Katy previously released music under the name Katy Hudson.

R

Richard

0

What about Groovejet (If This Ain't Love) for Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Spiller from 2000?

avatar

Official Charts

1

Hi Richard. Spiller has released prior material and Sophie is uncredited on the track.