Most singles to debut at No.1 in the UK

All 14 of the UK No.1s for Westlife (Ireland) debuted at the top of the UK Official Singles Chart, from “Swear It Again” on 1 May 1999 to “The Rose” on 18 November 2006. The group’s first seven singles went straight to No.1 – the most consecutive No.1 singles in the UK from debut, which also matched The Beatles’ record for the most consecutive No.1 singles in the UK.

As of 18 September 2025, 10 of Take That’s 12 UK No.1s had debuted at the top, while Eminem had gone straight to No.1 with nine tracks. Spice Girls, Oasis and Ed Sheeran have taken eight singles to the summit in the first week of release.

Elvis Presley (21) and The Beatles (18) have scored more UK No.1s than anyone else. Cliff Richard had matched Westlife and Ed Sheeran’s tally of 14 chart-toppers, as of 18 September 2025.

Westlife have spent a combined 20 weeks at No.1 on the UK Official Singles Chart; their longest-running No.1, the double A-side “I Have a Dream”/“Seasons in the Sun”, logged four consecutive weeks at the summit from 25 December 1999 – making the ABBA/Terry Jacks cover versions that year’s Christmas No.1 and the first chart-topper of the new millennium.