No, The Who never had a #1 single on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 or the UK Singles Chart, despite being an iconic band with many hits, with their highest-charting US single being "I Can See For Miles" (Top 10) and a major UK hit being "Pinball Wizard" (which only reached #4). They were more of an album-focused band, though they did have #1 albums like Who's Next.
Never Had a #1 Hit… The Who
The Who's first and only UK Number 1 album is Who's Next, released in September 1971.
Compared to 14 singles chart entries during the 1960s, for instance, they had only nine in the States, and only one of those made the top ten. That track entered the bestsellers 49 years ago, on 14 October 1967. The name of The Who's biggest US hit? 'I Can See For Miles.
The "number one played song in the world" depends on the metric: The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights" is the most-streamed song ever on Spotify (over 5.231 billion streams), while Djo's "End of Beginning" was a top global song recently on Spotify; historically, Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" is the best-selling single of all time, and Elton John's "Candle in the Wind 1997" / "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" is the biggest-selling single since charts began, but in terms of current global popularity, it's a rotating list with many contenders.
Slip Kid. From the 1975 album “The Who by Numbers“, “Slip Kid” stands out with its energetic beat and introspective lyrics. Written by Pete Townshend, the song explores themes of resistance and independence.
That epic run ended this week when Taylor Swift added yet another honor to her already hefty list of accomplishments when the 10:13 long “All Too Well (Taylor's Version)” officially became the longest No. 1 hit of all time.
Track listing
1. 'Who's Next' Most people listen to Who's Next and hear a near-perfect rock album. Songs like "Behind Blue Eyes," "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "Baba O'Riley" are some of the most enduring songs in the Who's entire catalog and have been played millions of times on classic rock radio.
100 Greatest British Artists Of All Time
Taylor Swift Beats The Beatles' Record
The Beatles held the previous record with six songs in the Top 10 in 1964. Swift's dominance is further highlighted by the success of her single "The Fate of Ophelia," which debuted at No. 1 with nearly 700,000 points—mostly from streams—but also bolstered by sales and airplay.
Pete Townshend wrote all those great Who songs. But, he also had a great solo career.
The "most played song of all time" depends on the metric, but currently, The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights" is the most-streamed song ever on Spotify (over 5.2 billion streams). For recorded sales before streaming, Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" holds the Guinness World Record for best-selling single, while older, widely covered songs like George Gershwin's "Summertime" might be the most recorded,"Roadie Music" says Roadie Music.
There's no single "number 1 artist of all time" as it's subjective, but Leonardo da Vinci often tops lists for visual art due to masterpieces like the Mona Lisa, while The Beatles are frequently cited as the best-selling music group ever, and Michael Jackson or Elvis Presley are often named as top solo music artists by sales and influence. Modern metrics like Spotify streams point to artists like Bad Bunny or Taylor Swift for recent dominance.
The song that takes over 600 years to play is John Cage's composition "Organ²/ASLSP (As Slow as Possible)," currently being performed on a specially built organ in Halberstadt, Germany, from 2001 to 2640, making it the longest musical piece in history. It features extremely long note durations, with chord changes happening over years or even decades, designed to stretch the piece out for 639 years.
It's a question that has rung out across dancefloors for more than 20 years. The answer, for The Killers' Mr Brightside, lies in breaking chart records... if not actually topping the charts.
Brenda Lee Is The Oldest Artist To Hit No. 1 On The Hot 100.
There's no single "catchiest song ever," as it's subjective, but scientific studies often point to Spice Girls' "Wannabe" for quick memorability, while other research highlights anthems like Queen's "We Are the Champions" and novelty hits like Village People's "YMCA", all featuring strong hooks, vocal effort, and memorable melodies that stick in your head. Pop, rock, and even children's songs like "Baby Shark" frequently appear on lists, showing catchiness crosses genres.
Captain Tom Moore, the war veteran who walked laps of his garden to raise money for the NHS, has become the oldest person ever to score a number one single in the UK. At the age of 99, his duet with Michael Ball has knocked Canadian superstar The Weeknd from the top of the charts.