8 May 1964 Not quite nepo-baby level, but it's sure handy if in 1964 you're in a pop group looking for a hit, your sister's boyfriend is Paul McCartney, and he's even sharing a room with you in your family home. That's how Peter Asher, brother of actress and then-Beatle-partner Jane, gets an unused Lennon-McCartney … Continue reading Peter and Gordon – ‘A World Without Love’ →

17 April 1964 I'll be honest: I thought we'd be seeing more Beatles number ones than this. Anyway, it's mid-1964 and Ireland gets only its second Fab Four chart-topper. For comparison, in America 'Can't Buy Me Love' was the third number one in a row by The Beatles, after 'She Loves You' and 'I Want … Continue reading The Beatles – ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ →

9 April 2009 A.R. Rahman isn't the first Irish number one act who was born in India—that'd be child of the Raj, Cliff Richard—but he provides our first chart-topping representative from the rich Indian tradition of music for cinema. The feature credit breakout to Nicole Scherzinger is odd, since she was still a member of … Continue reading A.R. Rahman & The Pussycat Dolls ft. Nicole Scherzinger – ‘Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)’ →

27 December 1963 Did Brendan Bowyer have an Elvis franchise for Ireland? Here he is following up his first Irish number one, 'Kiss Me Quick', with another chart-topping Elvis cover - this time a whimsical acoustic ditty from the movie Blue Hawaii. Yes, it's pretty much the same thing as his 'Kiss Me Quick', but … Continue reading Brendan Bowyer and The Royal Showband – ‘No More’ →

27 March 1964 I've just noticed on the record sleeve above how eerily similar Jim Reeves looks to Jim Jones, the '70s US cult leader of the Jonestown massacre, and now I can't unsee it. Anyway, here's another chart-topper from the '60s US cult leader of country & Irish. Not that any Jim Reeves record … Continue reading Jim Reeves – ‘I Love You Because’ →

20 March 2009 Sounding like the answer to the question "what if Timbaland got hit on the head and woke up thinking he was in the Black Eyed Peas?" here's Flo Rida again. Who's he dragging into his hot mess this time? Why, Kesha at the start of her hit-making career and Dead Or Alive … Continue reading Flo Rida ft. Kesha – ‘Right Round’ →

13 March 2009 I haven't been able to find this single in physical, digital or any other format, so this post is currently a placeholder until I hopefully do. You can help, and maybe even have your name noted here in my eternal gratitude. Since Julie-Anne Dineen was from Limerick, I'm especially making doe eyes … Continue reading Julie-Anne Dineen – ‘Do You Believe’ →

20 March 1964 'Anyone Who Had A Heart' is the first Irish number one single to be performed by a woman. Unfortunately, that woman isn't Dionne Warwick, who had the original US hit with this song. Instead, before any release on this side of the pond, future TV matchmaker Cilla Black (real name: Cilla White) … Continue reading Cilla Black – ‘Anyone Who Had A Heart’ →

26 February 2009 Ha! So busy were you tittering and guffawing at the mild sauce of "'cause I'm bluffin' / With my muffin" you didn't notice that in the chorus of 'Poker Face' Lady Gaga actually sings "puh-puh-puh-poker face / Fuh-fuh-fuck her face". Granted, I didn't notice it either, and it's not very noticeable in … Continue reading Lady Gaga – ‘Poker Face’ →