Every so often, the UK singles chart throws up something magical — a song you thought had its moment years (or even decades) ago suddenly finds itself back at the very top. Whether it’s thanks to a hit TV show, a major sporting event, a viral campaign, or an unexpected cultural moment, these songs that returned to number one prove that great music never truly goes away.
In this feature, we revisit some of the most iconic examples — from Kate Bush and Wham! to Rage Against the Machine and Elton John — looking at how each track reclaimed chart glory long after its original run.
‘Running Up That Hill’ – Kate Bush
Few songs that returned to number one have done so with such style as Kate Bush’s 1985 masterpiece Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God). Originally peaking at number three on release, the song became an instant classic among fans, but it wasn’t until decades later that it re-entered the public consciousness in spectacular fashion.
The catalyst? Its haunting placement in a major scene in Netflix’s sci-fi horror juggernaut Stranger Things. The show’s nostalgic 1980s setting and emotionally charged storyline struck a chord with viewers, sending streams and sales of the track soaring worldwide.
Its renewed success broke several UK chart records — Bush became the oldest female artist to top the singles chart (63 years old at the time) and she achieved the longest gap between number ones for any artist: 44 years since Wuthering Heights in 1978. It also reached the top five in more than 20 countries and gave Bush her first-ever US Billboard Hot 100 top 10.
‘Three Lions’ – Baddiel, Skinner & The Lightning Seeds
If there’s one song guaranteed to reappear whenever England finds itself on the verge of football glory, it’s Three Lions. This football anthem is in a league of its own when it comes to songs that returned to number one, achieving the feat on four separate occasions — a UK chart record no other track has matched.
First released in 1996 for the European Championships, it entered straight at number one and returned to the top a few weeks later when England reached the semi-finals. A new version topped the chart again in 1998 for the FIFA World Cup, and the original 1996 recording surged back in 2018 after England made it to the World Cup semi-finals.
It has now spent a total of 9 weeks at number one across its various runs, making it the UK’s most successful football song in chart history.
‘Killing in the Name’ – Rage Against the Machine
Some songs that returned to number one do so through nostalgia or seasonal timing. Killing in the Name did it through pure rebellion. In December 2009, a grassroots Facebook campaign launched to stop The X Factor winner from taking the Christmas number one for a fifth year in a row.
The campaign encouraged fans to buy Rage Against the Machine’s 1992 protest anthem in the week leading up to Christmas. It sold 502,672 downloads in seven days, beating Joe McElderry’s The Climb and ending a four-year streak of talent-show domination.
It entered the Guinness World Records as the “Fastest-Selling Digital Track in UK History” at the time and marked the first download-only number one in UK Christmas chart history.
‘Should I Stay or Should I Go’ – The Clash
Originally a 1982 release that peaked at number 17 in the UK, Should I Stay or Should I Go didn’t seem destined for chart-topping glory. But as with other songs that returned to number one, a perfectly timed cultural moment changed everything.
In 1991, a Levi’s 501 jeans commercial featured the track, introducing it to a brand-new audience. The ad campaign sent the single to number one nearly a decade after its original release — The Clash’s only UK chart-topper.
This comeback was particularly ironic given the band’s anti-commercial stance throughout their career, but it remains one of the most famous examples of a song revived through advertising.
‘Let’s Get Ready to Rhumble’ – PJ & Duncan (Ant & Dec)
Not all songs that returned to number one are grand artistic statements — some are just joyful bursts of nostalgia. First released in 1994 by teenage pop duo PJ & Duncan (now Ant & Dec), the track peaked at number nine.
In 2013, nearly two decades later, the duo performed it on Saturday Night Takeaway after a fan vote. The performance went viral, the single was re-released, and it shot to number one the following week. Proceeds went to Childline, and the track became one of the unlikeliest charity chart-toppers in recent memory.
‘Candle in the Wind 1997’ – Elton John
Elton John’s Candle in the Wind is one of the most significant songs that returned to number one — but in this case, it was reworked for a new and deeply emotional purpose. Originally written in 1973 as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, Elton rewrote the lyrics in 1997 in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales.
It sold an unprecedented 4.86 million copies in the UK alone, making it the biggest-selling single in UK chart history — a record it still holds. Globally, it moved over 33 million units, also earning the Guinness World Record for “Best-Selling Single Since UK and US Charts Began.”
‘Last Christmas’ – Wham!
For years, Wham!’s Last Christmas held the title of the UK’s best-selling single never to hit number one, spending five weeks at number two in 1984, kept off the top spot by Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas?.
But in January 2021, the track finally made it — 36 years after release — breaking the record for the longest gap between a song’s release and it reaching number one in UK history. It also meant George Michael became one of the few artists to have number one singles in four separate decades.
‘Unchained Melody’ – The Righteous Brothers
Few songs that returned to number one have a chart story as fascinating as Unchained Melody. Written in 1955, it has topped the UK charts for four different artists, but the Righteous Brothers’ version is by far the most famous.
First peaking at number 14 in 1965, it was re-recorded and re-released in 1990 after being featured in the hit film Ghost. Despite being released late in the year, it became the UK’s top-selling single of 1990, shifting 840,000 copies and spending four weeks at number one.
It also set the quirky record for the most different versions of the same song appearing in the UK charts simultaneously — four in June 1955.
Final Thoughts
From chart records to unexpected cultural boosts, these songs that returned to number one prove that the right moment can revive a track’s fortunes decades later. Whether sparked by TV, advertising, sport, or sheer public willpower, each of these comebacks shows that a truly great song never loses its magic.
