10) Peter Andre – Mysterious Girl
Released in August 1995, initially, the song peaked at number 53; however, a remix released in 1996 caused the song to skyrocket to number one. The cheesy one-hit wonder made Peter Andre a staple of British TV and now the West End as he stares in Grease.
9) Gracious K – Migraine Skank
The East London artist released this song in 2009 to little fanfare, only reaching number 53 in the charts for one week. However, the music found an audience underground, creating a viral dance trend in London that is now a club staple.
8) B*Witched – C’est La Vie
The 90’s Irish girl group certified their place in pop culture with this take childlike dance tune. The song’s unique Irish dance break, matched with the youthful but innuendo-filled lyrics, created a cultural touchstone that reached number one.
7) The Prodigy – Firestarter
The Essex-formed electronic dance group arguably invented the genre in the 1990s by incorporating many different sounds and genres. This song was a smash hit peaking at number one and staying in the charts for 62 weeks—nearly a whole year.
6) Sweet Female Attitude – Flowers
One-hit wonder Manchester duo Sweet Female Attitude created a UK Garage, RnB classic with Flowers. The song peaked at number 2 and spent 14 weeks on the charts. You may already be familiar with this song because of its recent sample from PinkPatheress in her song Pain; however, something else comes close to the original.
5) Sugababes – Freak Like Me
Formed in 1998 by Rom Tom, Sugababes didn’t have the worldwide fame as the Spice Girls. However, in the 2000s, they were British icons. They are one of the only British groups to survive a line-up change. Their first number one but not their last as they reached new heights. The illegal sample of Tubeway army’s Are Friends Electric? adds to the dirty underground sound.
4) Pulp – Common People
This Britpop Band from Sheffield created a classic in 1995 with their song Common People. The song achieved critical and commercial acclaim peaking at number 2 and winning NME’s best music video award. From its odd music video to the social commentary about class warfare, it cements itself as a timeless classic.
3) Stormyz – Shut Up
The Croydon-raised rapper is a must-know if you are studying in South London. Stormyz is the biggest rapper and one of the most prominent artists in the UK, holding three platinum-selling albums. Shut Up was the song that made him a household name. The freestyle rap video was filmed in a South London car park and captured the nation selling over a million copies.
2) Lily Allen – Smile
The Hammersmith songstress wrote this song about her ex-boyfriend in 2006; despite the spite in her lyrics, that song’s bubbly flow and vibe hit just the right chord to be a summer classic. This song was instant number one and the first for the singer. It spent 37 weeks on the charts and established the artist, nominated for the best breakthrough artist by MTV.
1) Arctic Monkeys – When the Sun Goes Down
Sheffield is home to great music, as the Arctic Monkeys also hail from there. In 2006 they released ‘When the Sun Goes Down’, which went straight to number one and spent 17 weeks in the charts. To prove just how much of a smash hit this song is, all you must do is watch their Glastonbury performance of the song in June 2007.