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

Related artists

Related Singles and Albums

CHA CHA SLIDE
DJ CASPER

DRIVERS LICENSE
OLIVIA RODRIGO

FIGHT FOR THIS LOVE
CHERYL

SWAGGER JAGGER
CHER LLOYD

João Paulo Sena Siqueira

5th July 2020

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

Barry Sarah-Jessica Parker

3rd July 2020

-1

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

Official Charts

3rd July 2020

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.