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How to Make a Number One Record

Film going in search of what it takes to get a number one hit single, meeting people who have achieved it to uncover how, and the effect reaching the top had on their lives.

Great pop records are the soundtrack to our lives, and that is why number one hits hold a totemic place in our culture. This film goes in search of what it takes to get a number one hit single, uncovering how people have done it and the effect it had on their lives. As the exploration moves through the decades, the goal is to trace the various routes that lead to the top of the singles chart and discover the role played by art, science, chance and manipulation in reaching the pinnacle of pop.

1 hour

Last on

Sat 12 Oct 2019 02:55
大象传媒 Four

Music Played

  • The Tremeloes

    Call Me Number One

  • The Lovin鈥� Spoonful

    Do You Believe in Magic

  • Al Martino

    Here in My Heart

  • Bill Haley and His Comets

    Rock Around The Clock

  • Elvis Presley

    Jailhouse Rock

  • Whitney Houston

    I Will Always Love You

  • Bryan Adams

    Everything I Do

  • Wet Wet Wet

    Love Is All Around

  • Gerry and the Pacemakers

    How Do You Do It

  • Sandie Shaw

    Puppet on a String

  • ABBA

    Dancing Queen

  • ABBA

    Waterloo

  • Slade

    Coz I Luv You

  • Slade

    Cum On Feel The Noize

  • 罢鈥橮补耻

    Heart and Soul

  • Slade

    My Friend Stan

  • The Righteous Brothers

    You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'

  • Will Young

    Leave Right Now

  • Procol Harum

    A Whiter Shade Of Pale

  • Duffy

    Mercy

  • Mark Ronson

    Uptown Funk (feat. Bruno Mars)

  • 罢鈥橮补耻

    China in Your Hand

  • Culture Club

    Do You Really Want to Hurt Me

  • Mark Ronson

    Uptown Funk (feat. Bruno Mars)

  • Culture Club

    Do You Really Want To Hurt Me

  • The Human League

    Don't You Want Me

  • Steve 鈥淪ilk鈥� Hurley

    Jack Your Body

  • Culture Club

    Karma Chameleon

  • The Human League

    Don't You Want Me

  • Steve 鈥淪ilk鈥� Hurley

    Jack Your Body

  • The England World Cup Squad

    Back Home

  • New Order

    World In Motion

  • The England World Cup Squad

    Back Home

  • New Order

    World In Motion

  • The Lightning Seeds, David Baddiel

    Three Lions

  • Darlene Love

    Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

  • Clive Dunn

    Grandad

  • Slade

    Merry Xmas Everybody

  • Wham!

    Last Christmas

  • Band Aid

    Do They Know It's Christmas?

  • Elton John

    Candle in the Wind

  • Joe McElderry

    The Climb

  • Rage Against the Machine

    Killing in the Name of

  • Elvis Presley

    Way Down

  • John Lennon & Yoko Ono

    (Just Like) Starting Over

  • Joe Dolce Music Theatre

    Shaddap You Face

  • The Who

    My Generation

  • Squeeze

    Cool for Cats

  • Gnarls Barkley

    Crazy

  • Matt Monro

    Born Free

  • Ed Sheeran

    Thinking Out Loud

  • Elton John

    Candle In The Wind (1997 Version)

Credits

Narrator Janice Long
Producer Bob Smeaton
Director Bob Smeaton
Executive Producer Nick Watts
Production Company Hole and Corner Limited
Participant Martin Talbot
Participant Don Black
Participant Bob Stanley
Participant Noddy Holder
Participant David Hepworth
Participant Bruno Brookes
Participant Eden Blackman
Participant John Ashley Burgoyne
Participant Gerry Marsden
Participant Bill Martin
Participant Judd Lander
Participant Eg White
Participant Chris Difford
Participant Gary Farrow
Participant Amy Wadge
Participant Bill Wilkins
Participant Steve Booker
Participant Ronnie Rogers
Participant Carol Decker
Participant Joe McElderry

Broadcasts

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