Every UK Number 1 single by Canadian acts
July 1 marks Canada Day - what better time to celebrate the chart-topping Canadian stars that went to Number 1 in the UK?
There are a few surprises on this list – the likes of Shania Twain, Nickelback, Avril Lavigne and Michael Buble don’t feature, as despite having brilliant back catalogues, none of them have hit Number 1 here on the UK's Official Singles Chart. 15 acts have however, with a combined 31 tracks that have hit the peak of the Official Singles Chart.
We've researched through 66 years of history in our chart archive, and here are a selection of the most notable acts who hit the big time here in the United Kingdom. Scroll the very bottom of the article for a full list of the 31 Canadian chart toppers.
Paul Anka
To find the first Canadian Number 1 in the UK, you have to go all the way back to 1957. Paul Anka’s jazzy track Diana got plenty of feet shuffling that August as the song spent a whopping nine weeks at the top, beginning a 17-year drought of Canadian chart-toppers.
MORE: View every UK Number 1 on the Official Singles Chart
Bryan Adams
We couldn’t not say a few words about the one and only Bryan Adams, could we? 1991 really was his year. Bryan’s track (Everything I Do) I Do It For You from the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is the longest consecutive chart topper in UK chart history, sitting comfortably for an incredible 16 weeks. That's four months.
Bryan later returned to Number 1 for a second time in 2000 - and no, it wasn’t with When You’re Gone featuring Mel C (that peaked at Number 3). Bryan’s featured slot on Chicane’s Don’t Give Up shifted 75,000 copies in its opening week to take it to the top.
MORE: The songs that spent the longest at Number 1 on the Official Singles Chart
Celine Dion
Although she’s managed a huge 26 UK Top 40 singles, it’s hard to believe that only two of Celine’s tracks, Think Twice and My Heart Will Go On, topped the charts. Both are million sellers, while the latter is the sixth most popular UK love ballad, and fourth best-selling song ever released by a female in the UK.
Bonus trivia: Celine and Nelly Furtado are the Canadian women with the most UK chart toppers, with two apiece. Nelly’s were 2006’s Maneater, and 2007’s Give It To Me with Timbaland and Justin Timberlake.
MORE: 11 incredible facts about Celine Dion worthy of a music icon
Drake
That's right, another enormous Number 1 single by a Canadian. Holder of five UK chart-toppers, Drake had the song of 2016 with One Dance featuring Wizkid and Kyla. At some moments it seemed no-one could shift it from the top, but after 15 weeks at Number 1, fending off strong contenders like Sia, Calvin Harris & Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, The Chainsmokers and Jonas Blue, Drake’s incredibly long dance was ended - by another Canadian...
From w/e 21 April: Drake - One Dance (ft. Wizkid & Kyla), 15 weeks.
MORE: View the Official Top 40 biggest songs of 2016
Justin Bieber
The Canadian with the most UK Number 1 singles? That’s right, it’s the Biebs. And to think, he didn’t have any this time four years ago, but now he has seven. Justin's first three Number 1s What Do You Mean, Sorry and Love Yourself quickly followed one another, and helped him become the first (and second overall) act to sit at Numbers 1, 2 and 3 concurrently on the Official Singles Chart.
MORE: Acts that have held Number 1 and 2 on the Official Singles Chart
It was Justin’s feature on Major Lazer’s Cold Water that drowned out Drake’s chances of equalling Bryan Adams’ chart record. Talk about an overload of Canada.
#ChartFact: Justin is the only artist to ever knock themselves from Number 1 twice with different song. Love Yourself dethroned Sorry in late 2015, while Despacito toppled I’m The One in 2017.
The complete list of Official UK Number 1 singles by Canadian acts (bolded acts in collaborations are the Canadian musicians):
YEAR | TITLE | ARTIST |
1957 | DIANA | PAUL ANKA |
1974 | SEASONS IN THE SUN | TERRY JACKS |
1976 | NO CHARGE | J.J BARRIE |
1991 | (EVERYTHING I DO) I DO IT FOR YOU | BRYAN ADAMS |
1995 | THINK TWICE | CELINE DION |
1997 | MY HEART WILL GO ON | CELINE DION |
2000 | DON'T GIVE UP | CHICANE FT. BRYAN ADAMS |
2006 | MANEATER | NELLY FURTADO |
2007 | GIVE IT TO ME | TIMBALAND FT. NELLY FURTADO AND JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE |
2011 | WHAT'S MY NAME? | RIHANNA FT. DRAKE |
2012 | CALL ME MAYBE | CARLY RAE JEPSEN |
2014 | TSUNAMI (JUMP) | DVBBS FT. BORGEOUS AND TINIE TEMPAH |
2014 | HIDEAWAY | KIESZA |
2014 | RUDE | MAGIC! |
2015 | WHAT DO YOU MEAN? | JUSTIN BIEBER |
2015 | SORRY | JUSTIN BIEBER |
2015 | LOVE YOURSELF | JUSTIN BIEBER |
2016 | STITCHES | SHAWN MENDES |
2016 | ONE DANCE | DRAKE FT. WIZKID AND KYLA |
2016 | COLD WATER | MAJOR LAZER FT. JUSTIN BIEBER AND MØ |
2017 | I'M THE ONE | DJ KHALED FT. JUSTIN BIEBER, QUAVO, CHANCE THE RAPPER & LIL WAYNE |
2017 | DESPACITO (REMIX) | LUIS FONSI & DADDY YANKEE FT. JUSTIN BIEBER |
2018 | GOD'S PLAN | DRAKE |
2018 | NICE FOR WHAT | DRAKE |
2018 | IN MY FEELINGS | DRAKE |
2019 | I DON'T CARE | ED SHEERAN & JUSTIN BIEBER |
2019 | SENORITA | SHAWN MENDES & CAMILA CABELLO |
2020 | BLINDING LIGHTS | THE WEEKND |
2020 | TOOSIE SLIDE | DRAKE |
2020 | LEMONADE | INTERNET MONEY FT. GUNNA, DON TOLIVER & NAV |
©2020 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, Every Scot to hit the UK top spot
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Andrew Tempest
Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen have both had UK number ones as Songwriters. Joni with Woodstock by Matthews Southern Comfort (1970) and River by Ellie Goulding (2020). Leonard with Hallelujah by Alexandra Burke (2008)
R
RockGolf
Robin Thicke (Blurred Lines) has dual US/Canadian citizenship, so it should be on the list as well.
Official Charts
Hi RockGolf. As with this list and our previous geographical features looking at Australian and Welsh chart toppers, we go by where the artist was born or how they identify. With Robin being born in the US and having Canadian citizenship only through his father, we left him off the list.
Tosyma
Did not know that Paul Anka, Terry Jacks & Magic are Canadians. Thanks, Official Charts! :)
I Am A Stegosaurus
Kind of sad Bieber got six #1s in two years, while Nickelback never managed it at ALL.
Johnny McVey
Nickelback are terrible
etin
Why terrible? chad Kroger can beat justin with his voice
T
TAYLOR
Not a fan of rock music but love the "photograph" song.
I Am A Stegosaurus
I'm not sure Despacito should count for Bieber, it's only a remix. Calvin Harris is never credited for 8 number 1's because his remix of 'Say My Name'.
Official Charts
Hi there. Justin is officially credited as an artist on Despacito (Remix) by the record labels, so his version of Despacito counts. If the song was called (Justin Bieber Remix), it wouldn't count.