After seven consecutive weeks in the Official Singles Chart Top 3 without hitting the top spot, Nathan Evans has finally claimed Number 1 with Wellerman.
The viral sea shanty that gained traction on TikTok is the 44th song by an act from Scotland to reach the peak of the Official Chart. Overall, 29 Scottish solo artists/groups have scored a chart-topping single in the UK.
We've researched through 66 years of history in our chart archive, and here are a selection of the most notable. Scroll to the very bottom of the article for the full list.
Calvin Harris
We've touched upon his success already, but Calvin Harris is by far the most successful Scot in the history of the Official Chart when it comes to Number 1s. 10 years worth of Number 1 hits is not something everyone can achieve, and its made even more impressive when you see Calvin has scored the most UK Number 1s this decade, with eight.
Calvin's Number 1s are: Dance Wiv Me (with Dizzee Rascal & Chrome); I'm Not Alone; We Found Love (with Rihanna); Sweet Nothing (with Florence Welch); Under Control (with Alesso & Hurts); Summer; Blame (ft. John Newman); Feels (ft. Pharrell, Katy Perry & Big Sean); One Kiss (with Dua Lipa); and Promises (with Sam Smith). View Calvin's complete UK chart history.
MORE: Calvin Harris' Official Top 20 biggest UK singles revealed
Wet Wet Wet
Marti Pellow's successful group are the next most prolific when it comes to Number 1 singles, with three to their name. Wet Wet Wet's Billy Bragg collab With a Little Help from My Friends was their first Number 1 in 1988, and the followed that up four years later with Goodnight Girl.
Then in 1994, the third time really was the charm. Love Is All Around from the Four Weddings and a Funeral movie soundtrack spent 15 weeks at Number 1, the joint second-longest consecutive reign at the top EVER.
#ChartFact: All three of WWW's Number 1s kept a Kylie Minogue song off the top spot.
Midge Ure
While Midge Ure never scored a chart-topper with his most famous group Ultravox, his first band Slik did hit the top spot in 1976 with Forever and Ever. Nine years later, Midge returned to the top as a soloist with If I Was.
TV talent show contestants
It turns out that Scottish people are really good at TV talent shows. Pop Idol semi-finalist Darius was the first competition star to hit Number 1, with Colourblind in 2002. Shortly after, Fame Academy winner David Sneddon hit the big time with Stop Living The Lie in 2003.
Fast forward another year and Michelle McManus' Pop Idol winning single All This Time spent three weeks at Number 1. Finally in 2007, Leon Jackson won The X Factor and scored the Official Christmas Number 1 with When You Believe.
Emeli Sande
Other than Calvin Harris, Emeli Sande is the only other Scot to score multiple UK Number 1s this decade. Emeli has climbed to the top spot twice, ironically knocking Calvin Harris from the top on both occasions. She has guested on Professor Green's Read All About It, and Labrinth's Beneath Your Beautiful.
The complete list of Official UK Number 1 singles by Scottish acts with credited appearances only (bolded acts in collaborations are the Scottish musicians):
| YEAR | TITLE | ARTIST |
| 1969 | OB-LA-DI OB-LA-DA | MARMALADE |
| 1971 | CHIRPY CHIRPY CHEEP CHEEP | MIDDLE OF THE ROAD |
| 1972 | AMAZING GRACE | THE PIPES & DRUMS & MILITARY BAND OF THE ROYAL SCOTS DRAGOON GUARDS |
| 1975 | JANUARY | PILOT |
| 1975 | BYE BYE BABY | BAY CITY ROLLERS |
| 1975 | GIVE A LITTLE LOVE | BAY CITY ROLLERS |
| 1975 | D.I.V.O.R.C.E | BILLY CONNOLLY |
| 1976 | FOREVER AND EVER | SLIK |
| 1979 | ONE DAY AT A TIME | LENA MARTELL |
| 1980 | FEELS LIKE I'M IN LOVE | KELLY MARIE |
| 1981 | JAPANESE BOY | ANEKA |
| 1984 | I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER | JIM DIAMOND |
| 1985 | I KNOW HIM SO WELL | ELAINE PAIGE AND BARBARA DICKSON |
| 1985 | IF I WAS | MIDGE URE |
| 1988 | WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS/SHE'S LEAVING HOME | WET WET WET/BILLY BRAGG WITH CARA TIVEY |
| 1989 | BELFAST CHILD | SIMPLE MINDS |
| 1992 | GOODNIGHT GIRL | WET WET WET |
| 1992 | EBENEEZER GOODE | THE SHAMEN |
| 1993 | YOUNG AT HEART | THE BLUEBELLS |
| 1993 | RELIGHT MY FIRE | TAKE THAT FT. LULU |
| 1994 | INSIDE | STILTSKIN |
| 1994 | LOVE IS ALL AROUND | WET WET WET |
| 1996 | KNOCKIN' ON HEAVEN'S DOOR | DUNBLANE |
| 2002 | COLOURBLIND | DARIUS |
| 2003 | STOP LIVING THE LIE | DAVID SNEDDON |
| 2004 | ALL THIS TIME | MICHELLE |
| 2006 | I WISH I WAS A PUNK ROCKER (WITH FLOWERS IN MY HAIR) | SANDI THOM |
| 2007 | (I'M GONNA BE) 500 MILES | THE PROCLAIMERS/B POTTER/A PIPKIN |
| 2007 | WHEN YOU BELIEVE | LEON JACKSON |
| 2008 | DANCE WIV ME | DIZZEE RASCAL/CALVIN HARRIS/CHROME |
| 2009 | I'M NOT ALONE | CALVIN HARRIS |
| 2011 | WE FOUND LOVE | RIHANNA FT. CALVIN HARRIS |
| 2011 | READ ALL ABOUT IT | PROFESSOR GREEN FT. EMELI SANDE |
| 2012 | SWEET NOTHING | CALVIN HARRIS/FLORENCE WELCH |
| 2012 | BENEATH YOUR BEAUTIFUL | LABRINTH FT. EMELI SANDE |
| 2013 | UNDER CONTROL | CALVIN HARRIS/ALESSO/HURTS |
| 2014 | SUMMER | CALVIN HARRIS |
| 2014 | BLAME | CALVIN HARRIS FT. JOHN NEWMAN |
| 2017 | FEELS | CALVIN HARRIS FT. PHARRELL WILLIAMS, KATY PERTY AND BIG SEAN |
| 2018 | ONE KISS | CALVIN HARRIS & DUA LIPA |
| 2018 | PROMISES | CALVIN HARRIS & SAM SMITH |
| 2019 | SOMEONE YOU LOVED | LEWIS CAPALDI |
| 2020 | BEFORE YOU GO | LEWIS CAPALDI |
| 2021 | WELLERMAN | NATHAN EVANS/220 KID/BILLEN TED |
©2021 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.
Like this list? Take a look at: Every Australian Number 1 ever, Every Welsh act to score a UK chart topper, ALL the Canadians to hit the Official Singles Chart top spot
