Unit Shifters: Fifteen Unlikely UK-Top-40 Radio Chart Artists

The UK singles chart was compiled purely on sales.

The removal of airplay from the equation, plus the compact nature of our island nation making it easy to tour and build a fanbase led to Top 40 careers that may seem unlikely to Americans. 

This was particularly prevalent for alternative and rap acts through the late 80s to mid 00s.

To describe them as pop stars is pushing it – but some of these gained mainstream exposure through Top Of The Tops and daytime radio. 

Hey ho, lets go…

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Ramones: 1977 to 1980

The Ramones were pioneers in this arena. They never got higher than #66 on the Hot 100, but they were accepted here as US punk ambassadors. 

If “Sheena Is A Punk Rocker” was exactly what you’d expect of them, their biggest hit was not. 

Its surprising to learn that Phil Spector had a Ramones infatuation and ended up producing the End Of The Century album. What is not surprising are the wealth of stories of unhinged behaviour and prevalence of guns. The finished product is generally well received though disdain is reserved for their cover of “Baby, I Love You.”

To credit it to ‘they’ is incorrect, given that Joey is the only one that appears on it. Dee Dee claimed that Spector pointed a gun at him and then forced the band to spend the night at his house listening to Phil sing it over and over. The rest of the band might have felt they got lucky in leaving Joey to the recording. 

As punk petered out and evolved into new wave the British public gave the song their seal of approval. Even if the band and the critics didn’t. 

Sure, it’s no “Blitzkrieg Bop.” But I’m with those 1980 record buyers. I like it. 

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Sonic Youth: 1992 to 1994

No one’s idea of radio friendly unit shifters. “100%” is one of my favourite songs ever but I’ll accept that it is not standard top 30 material. 

After this brief period of brazen commercialism they headed back to the underground and critical acclaim. 

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Flaming Lips: 1999 to 2006

Mercury Rev: 1999 to 2005

The point at which the weirdoes reined in their wilder excesses, and set their imaginations for the heart of the charts. Coinciding with a time when over here, guitar bands were the norm on daytime playlists as the alternative became the mainstream. 

Paired together as they mirror each other. The Soft Bulletin and Deserter’s Songs were released nine months apart, but in my mind they come as a package. Perhaps helped by Dave Fridmann on production duties for both. 

The albums topped year end polls and although they got more acclaim as album acts their new found success also carried them into the top 40 and onto daytime radio playlists. 

In both cases: the initial chart breaches set them up to have their #16 chart peak later on. 

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The Strokes: 2001 to 2006

A case of “do believe the hype.” The British music press have long had a penchant for proclaiming all manner of new bands as the saviours of rock and roll. 

Parochialism usually decrees they’re British but occasionally a US act gets the honour. Before Strokes even had a recording contract they were being touted as the next big thing and a UK tour was selling out. 

NME gave Is This It a 10 and called it ‘One of the best debut LPs by a guitar band in 20 years.’

It’s perhaps more of a surprise that the singles didn’t chart higher. Is This It was Double Platinum with its three singles charting between #14 and #27. Though “Last Nite” would eventually go Platinum despite that high of #14. 

The lead singles from the next two albums did give them top 10 placings with Juicebox also doing the business as their highest (only) Hot 100 entry at the depths of #98. 

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Soundgarden: 1991 to 1996

The grunge hierarchy here was: Nirvana –> followed by Pearl Jam –> followed by Soundgarden.  

They couldn’t match Nirvana for the instant shock of their success and records sold or Pearl Jam for their consistency and number of hits. They did still achieve a respectable run of chart entries, making the top 20 on three occasions.

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De La Soul: 1989 to 2000

For those first two albums De La Soul were bonafide pop stars. 3 Feet High And Rising hit the sweet spot of critical and commercial success and saw them become regulars of top 40 radio in amongst the Stock Aitken Waterman production line of Kylie, Jason Donovan and many more.  

Even when they killed off the Daisy Age with De La Soul is Dead, the momentum carried them through to another top 10 hit with “Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey).” 

Although top 40 radio play died off after that album, they still scored chart entries up to 2000. They had one more charting single yet to come though they aren’t officially credited on the sleeve.

Providing rap duties on Gorillaz’ “Feel Good Inc” took them all the way to #2 in 2005.

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They Might Be Giants: 1990 to 2001

In a land that venerated the novelty hit and the eccentric, the nerdy playfulness and exuberance of “Birdhouse In Your Soul” was a shoo in. 

For a long time it seemed they would stick to being a one hit wonder. The power of TV rid of them of that. 

Malcolm In The Middle wasn’t the biggest show. Tucked away on BBC2 just outside a primetime slot it still generated enough exposure for TMBG’s theme tune Boss Of Me to make it to #21. From whence they returned back to cult status. 

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Ben Folds Five: 1996 to 1999

Nerdy white guy piano players got in on the act as well. The mathematically challenged trio broke through at the time of Britpop despite the absence of guitars. 

Without the other two – (or is it four?) – the Ben Folds one only troubled the singles chart once and that was down at #53 with “Rockin’ The Suburbs.” 

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Marilyn Manson: 1996 to 2007

No Billboard. Not a single Hot 100 entry. But the wraith-like controversy magnet had a respectable top 40 career here.

That’s respectable in terms of chart placings rather than image, sound or being an actual decent human. 

His biggest hit may have had more to do with the novelty of desecrating “Tainted Love.” But in a country where goth has always had a frigid welcome, it’s not really a surprise that his industrial rock take on it found a welcome. 

He was practically a regular on Top of The Pops with 4 appearances. Kind of weakens the dark lord image when you become Mr, Dependable for not particularly edgy performances. 

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The Offspring: 1994 to 2003

Punk isn’t dead. Out of nowhere and going all the way to the top. They’d breached the lower reaches of the top 40 twice but “Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)” blew up and entered the chart at #1.

The cartoonist image set them on a run of high charting singles that outpaced any of the other new wave of US punk bands. They even outperformed Green Day here – until American Idiot, anyway.  

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NWA: 1989 to 1990

Although we didn’t have the PMRC we weren’t averse to importing moral outrage. Gangsta rap is one that filtered through with particular ire reserved for “Cop Killer” from Ice T’s metal offshoot Body Count. 

It didn’t stop NWA and Ice T finding their way into the top 40. If there’s one thing that will fuel record sales (or anything for that matter,) it’s being told that it’s not good for you, or will be the downfall of modern civilisation.

Particularly to British white middle class teenagers who couldn’t be further from the experiences of Ice T and NWA but want to rebel against their parents. 

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The Jesus Lizard: 1993

OK, so approximately 99.99% of consumers weren’t buying this to hear “Puss.” But the records still show that The Jesus Lizard had a #12 hit single. 

This was a split single with a little band called Nirvana who took the other side with “Oh, The Guilt. Coming” out as a limited edition in the period between Nevermind and In Utero. It couldn’t fail. 

The Jesus Lizard failed to return to the singles chart but did achieve their only charting album the following year with “Down” (#64). Perhaps a few Nirvana fans flipped the black disc and weren’t horrified by what they heard. 

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Buffalo Tom: 1999

Last up and nearly as unlikely: Buffalo Tom’s one and only singles chart appearance was inside the top 10. It was also years after their moment had passed, having reached the top 20 of the album in 1993 with Big Red Letter Day. 

Again, approximately 99.99% of consumers weren’t here for Buffalo Tom. This was another split single with Liam Gallagher on the other side. Or to give them their due it was credited to Liam Gallagher & Steve Cradock (lead guitarist with fellow Britpoppers Ocean Colour Scene). 

The occasion was the compilation; Fire And Skill: The Songs Of The Jam. 

It was touted as Liam’s first solo single. Despite Liam (& Steve) going with deepcut “Carnation,” and Buffalo Tom the iconic “Going Underground,” it was still Liam getting all the coverage. 

Which is also due to the fact that the Buffalo Tom version is a slowed down dirge that removes all the intensity of the original. In my humble opinion. 

It didn’t do anything to reverse their commercial fortunes either. There were no more singles or album chart entries. 

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Honourable mentions also go to Dinosaur Jr, Eric B & Rakim and Public Enemy (10 top 40 hits and a peak of #4). 

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