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British female solo artists with the most Number 1s

Girl power.
british-female-number-1s-1.jpg

There is nothing better than a big pop girl, and this list of the British female solo artists with the most Number 1s in UK chart history is more than proof of that. 

Dua Lipa has become the latest starlet to score four Number 1 singles, with the disco-tastic Dance The Night, taken from the soundtrack of Greta Gerwig's billion dollar blockbuster Barbie. But who exactly are the British female solo artists with the most Number 1s in Official Charts history? Let's dig in!

Jess Glynne (7)

Jess Glynne appeared seemingly out of nowhere to help Clean Bandit's orchestral banger Rather Be reach Number 1, and she really hasn't let up since. Her record-breaking collection of seven UK Number 1 singles made Official Charts history, showing an elasticity and versatility to Jess' pop persona, veering from self-help anthems (Hold My Hand), more traditional pop (Don't Be So Hard On Yourself) and trop-pop (Not Letting Go).

 

Number 1s: Rather Be (with Clean Bandit), My Love (with Route 94), Hold My Hand, Not Letting Go (with Tinie Tempah), Don't Be So Hard On Yourself, These Days (with Rudimental & Macklemore), I'll Be There

Time taken: 4 years

MORE: Jess Glynne's Official Charts history in full

Cheryl (5)

Our Cheryl. At the start of the decade at least, the guiding light of British pop girls. Already the owner of 4 shiny chart-toppers as part of the mighty Girls Aloud, each of Cheryl's Number 1 singles was a lightning strike of promotion and performance, many of them receiving memorably extravagant live performances on The X Factor, where she served as a judge.

2014 was the big one, where she scored two Number 1s in a row, Crazy Stupid Love with Tinie Tempah and I Don't Care. I Don't Care made chart history at the time, with Cheryl becoming the first British female solo act to ever achieve 5 Number 1 singles. Jess would go on to overtake, of course, but you can never take that original record away!

Number 1s: Fight For This Love, Promise This, Call My Name, Crazy Stupid Love (with Tinie Tempah), I Don't Care

Time taken: 5 years

MORE: Cheryl's Official Charts history in full

Dua Lipa, Ellie Goulding, Rita Ora, Geri Halliwell (4)

dua dance the night number 1

Now with four UK Number 1s to her name, Dua joins rank with Ellie Goulding, Rita Ora and Geri Halliwell, a veritable cornucopia of British female pop talent.

Geri Halliwell FKA Ginger Spice was the first British female artist to ever scoop four Number 1s, doing so consecutively with a quarter of her solo releases sans the Spice Girls, and still leaves a lasting legacy many an ex-girlband member asipires to. 

She was later joined by Rita, who became one of the biggest breakout stars of her generation, accumulating her banger-laden Number 1s in little over 2 years. Not bad going!

Ellie, of course, joined the cohort with her trance anthem Miracle with Calvin Harris earlier in 2023. Her chart-topping successes have been more spread out, accumulating over the best part of a decade, a brilliant show of Ellie's staying power in the boxing ring of popular music.

Dua Lipa - New Rules, One Kiss (with Calvin Harris), Cold Heart (with Elton John) and Dance The Night.
Time taken: 6 years, 1 month

Ellie Goulding - Burn, Love Me Like You Do, River, Miracle (with Calvin Harris)
Time taken: 9 years, 7 months

Rita Ora - Hot Right Now (with DJ Fresh), R.I.P (with Tinie Tempah), How We Do (Party), I Will Never Let You Down
Time taken: 2 years, 3 months

Geri Halliwell - Mi Chico Latino, Lift Me Up, Bag It Up, It's Raining Men
Time taken: 21 months

MORE: Flashback 2014 - I Will Never Let You Down

British female solo artists with 3 UK Number 1 singles

There are actually loads of acts with a trio of Number 1s to their name. Given their popularity, it's not a stretch to imagine either Adele or Dua Lipa (both still releasing music and arguably at the height of their powers) joining Ellie, Rita and Geri in the near future.

Adele - Someone Like You, Hello, Easy On Me
Time taken: 10 years, 8 months

Alexandra Burke - Hallelujah, Bad Boys (with Flo Rida), Start Without You (with Laza Morgan)
Time taken: 17 months

Billie Piper - Because We Want To, Girlfriend, Day And Night
Time taken:1 year, 10 months

Jessie J - Price Tag (with B.o.B), Domino, Bang Bang (with Ariana Grande & Nicki  Minaj)
Time taken: 3 years, 8 months

Leona Lewis - A Moment Like This, Bleeding Love, Run
Time taken: 2 years

Lily Allen - Smile, The Fear, Somewhere Only We Know
Time taken between Number 1s: 7 years, 5 months

Olivia Newton-John - You're The One That I Want (with John Travolta), Summer Nights (with John Travolta), Xanadu (with Electric Light Orchestra)
Time taken: 2 years

Pixie Lott - Mama Do, Boys and Girls, All About Tonight
Time taken: 2 years, 3 months

Sandie Shaw - (There's) Always Something To Remind Me, Long Live Love, Puppet On A String
Time taken: 2 years, 5 months

Two Number 1s: Cilla Black, Kate Bush, Melanie C, Emeli Sandé

Article Image: JM Enternational/Shutterstock

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M

Mogness

0

 Shirley Bassey from Wales, United Kingdom Now Dame Shirley Bassey

UK Number 1`s

As I  Love You -  1958

Reach For The Stars/Climb Ev`ry Mountain - 1961        Double A Side   


Therefore   3 UK Number 1 singles!!! 

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se4n

0

Billie Piper also had 3 number ones (Because We Want To, Girlfriend, Day and Night).
With 2 Number ones there's:
Melanie C (never be the same again and i turn to you)
Gabrielle had 2 also (dreams and rise)
Lisa Stansfield (All Around The World and Five Live)

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Blank

0

Cher has had at least 4 (I Got You Babe w/Sonny, Shoop Shoop Song, Love Can Build A Bridge w/Chrissie Hynde, Eric Clapton and Neneh Cherry, Believe) - although not British of course.

GW

Gary Watson

6

If Jess Glynn counts as a “featured” artist surely you need to add in Geri’s hits with the Spice Girls? Doesn’t really make her a record holder if she’s on somebody else’s track.

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Denzil4

3

Jess Glynne has only had 3 number one's because the other 4 were her as a featured artist. The OCC are wrong when they say 7 just like they're wrong when they say that Dua Lipa has had 2 because the hit 'One Kiss' is a double act with Calvin Harris and should be listed separately otherwise they'll be counting anyone who has sung on any of the Band Aid number one's. Another example is Rihanna who has had 6 not 9 and Kylie Minogue who has had 6 not 7 because the aforementioned either featured on a number one or had one with another artist. In the case of Kylie it was with Jason Donovan so it should be a completely different act. Going back a bit further, when Elton John had a number one with 'Sacrifice' the OCC announced it as his first solo number one which was correct because ' Don't Go Breaking My Heat' was a duet with Kiki Dee. Now they seem to have moved the goalposts, so to speak. One other example is Olivia Newton-John who hasn't had a solo number one because the two with John Travolta were double act as was her 1980 number one with ELO. If it says " And " then it's a separate act all together. " With " or "Featuring" should be defined as the main act's number one only and not credited to the featured artist. I don't know why they've started doing this. I mean if they get this so wrong they may as well be saying that anyone who sang on the Band Aid singles should be credited with having a number one. It's a farce to be quite honest.

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Smith Smyth

1

Yeah I do think it depends on who they want, or are being paid, to push!

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Smith Smyth

0

Jess Glynne sings like a goat! (And I don't mean the greatest of all time. Lol)

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Blank

2

Coincidentally, she was supporting the British female with the most #1s (if you count group totals too): Spice Girls at Wembley in 2019. Geri Halliwell with 13.

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Smith Smyth

3

I always had a soft spot for Geri. She never pretended to be the world's greatest singer but she can perform.

J

JK

0

Thank you, it’s disgusting that Official charts tries to pass a feature as a single from Jess. The Uk woman with more number one singles on her own is Cheryl, you either like her or not, but the facts are there. To call Jess an irrelevant chorus vocalist the most successful Uk female, chart wise is simply a disgusting lie

A

Andrew077

4

But the majority of them can't sing, particularly Geri Halliwell and Cheryl whatevershewantstocallherselfthesedays, I don't understand how they can have so many No.1's and the talented likes of Karen Carpenter, Sade, Janis Joplin, Mama Cass, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Etta James, Nina Simone, Carole King, Norah Jones, Amy Winehouse, Ronnie Spector, KT Tunstall, Hope Sandoval, Siouxsie Sioux, Elizabeth Fraser, Tanya Donnelly, Fiona Apple, Beth Orton...etc who can all sing, have NEVER had a UK No.1 hit. What is wrong with this country???

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Rob Parkinson

3

You mention some very talented female artists there but make your point feel less justified when you mention that cheryl cant sing when not my cup of tea, she is a well known household name that began her career in a singing talent show that she went on to win, together with the others who went on to be girls aloud. She clearly can sing, remove that part and your claim is very valid.

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Mr. Threepwood

1

Mainstream success typically indicates the ability to market music to people who buy music. Quality and success don't often overlap in pop culture. It's not like it's a new thing...

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Smith Smyth

1

But it isn't about "buying" music anymore is it? It's about who manages to get their nose ahead on free streaming services. Sales don't count for much these days.

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Smith Smyth

2

I do think she's an average vocalist Rob. There are very few female vocalists that have come forward and really challenged for the accolade of best singer since Leona Lewis to be honest. A lot of average, middle of the road forgettable stuff in my very humble opinion.

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se4n

1

I think there's two type of artists. Strong singers and Enterteiners. Madonna, Britney (and so many others) are not the best singers but a strong enterteners. It's the same for Geri and Cheryl.
It surprises me so few female singers/Enterteiners have #1.
And I would like to see more of Leona, KT, Ella, Florence, Jessie J and many other strong singers that are struggling to keep successful today.

M

Mogness

0

No one mentioned Shirley Bassey

              now a Dame!

Britain`s most successful female

chart artist.  She really can sing!!!