Film Actors Who Had Just One Top 40 Chart Hit (in UK or US)

[ursus arctos]

Head has recorded songs in French (he went to the Lycee Francais in South Kensington), though I don't know if any of them charted in France.

[treibeis]

Frank Kelly - Christmas Countdown

[Hot Pepsi]

In case nobody mentioned it, Eddie Murphy’s “Party All The Time” got to #2 in the US but only #87 in the UK. It was produced by Rick James.

I guess he just wasn’t as big of a star in the UK and/or that kind of mediocre pop just wasn’t as popular.

[Satchmo Distel]

Steve Coogan almost made it with a #42 hit as Tony Ferrino

Rik Mayall had just the one hit as part of The Young Ones

Minnie Driver had one UK Top 40 hit at #34 (2004)

Jim Carrey had one Top 40 hit with a song from The Mask ('Cuban Pete', 1995)

[Various Artist]

Frank Kelly - Christmas Countdown

As far as I'm concerned nowadays, Christmas hasn't officially started until I've heard this. This means that officially I'm still waiting for last Christmas to start.

[Various Artist]

There's a general theme appearing of comedy actors standing a fair chance of having a hit of some size at some point, doesn't there? Certainly a higher ratio than purely 'straight' actors.

[Satchmo Distel]

Because the charts only started after the actors had passed their commercial peaks, George Formby and Judy Garland only had one Top 40 hit each, but would have had numerous hits if the charts had been around in the 30s and 40s (this fact can be inferred from sheet music sales). Formby just scrapes in with a chart run of 47-42-40-OUT. There are probably some other stars of the 40s who would fulfill this criterion.

[Stumpy Pepys]

Sadly Leonard Nimoy only reached 121 in the Billboard Chart with A Visit to a Sad Planet.

But bear in mind that Nimoy released FIVE albums in his musical 'career'. (None of them troubled the Top 40 mind.)

[Satchmo Distel]

There's a general theme appearing of comedy actors standing a fair chance of having a hit of some size at some point, doesn't there? Certainly a higher ratio than purely 'straight' actors.

Yes, and partly that's because they can record in character, and the UK has a history of films cashing in on sitcoms, which enables sitcom actors to qualify as film actors (OTOH there sitcom actors in this thread who were truly top class actors (Harry H. Corbett in particular).

The signature tune of the Army Game (1958) gave a #5 hit to Michael Medwin, Bernard Bresslaw and Alfie Bass.

[Amor de Cosmos]

And who can forget My Boomerang Won't Come Back (UK #8, US #14) by Charlie Drake. The legacy of Music Hall and Variety made novelty songs an expectation for British comedians I suspect.

[Benjm]

And who can forget My Boomerang Won't Come Back (UK #8, US #14) by Charlie Drake.

I had until you mentioned it. There was something really creepy about Charlie Drake.

[Amor de Cosmos]

La Signora has the same feeling.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Minnie Driver had one UK Top 40 hit at #34 (2004)

Juliette Lewis (& The Licks) also had a musical career which started around the same time (and endured) but without any chart action to speak of.

[treibeis]

And who can forget My Boomerang Won't Come Back (UK #8, US #14) by Charlie Drake. The legacy of Music Hall and Variety made novelty songs an expectation for British comedians I suspect.

What about "Splish Splash"?

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Yes, and partly that's because they can record in character, and the UK has a history of films cashing in on sitcoms, which enables sitcom actors to qualify as film actors (OTOH there sitcom actors in this thread who were truly top class actors (Harry H. Corbett in particular).

The signature tune of the Army Game (1958) gave a #5 hit to Michael Medwin, Bernard Bresslaw and Alfie Bass.

As mentioned upthread, there are also the Comic Relief abominations to take into account, but they aren't always credited. Hugh Laurie has had two charting albums, and a Billboard Hot 100 single (see one of the other Charts threads), but his sole appearance in the UK singles chart appears to be "Stick it Out" by Right Said Fred and Friends, of which he was one of the friends along with:

Peter Cook, Alan Freeman, Jools Holland, Steve Coogan, Clive Anderson, Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson, Basil Brush and Bernard Cribbins.

The last of which ruled himself out of this thread by having not one but three Top 40 hits.

[Amor de Cosmos]

What about "Splish Splash"?

Oh yeah! He covered that didn't he. Totally erased from my memory.

[Various Artist]

And who can forget My Boomerang Won't Come Back (UK #8, US #14) by Charlie Drake. The legacy of Music Hall and Variety made novelty songs an expectation for British comedians I suspect.

I had until you mentioned it.

You mean it's come back to you now?

[Stumpy Pepys]

Paris Hilton with Stars are Blind (#18 US, #5 UK).

[Benjm]

Does Michael Caine's appearance on the Madness single bearing his name count? He did record the "My name is..." bit specifically for it.

[Jah Womble]

Although obviously better known as a soap star, Stefan Dennis had parts in a couple of movies. He managed just one UK Top 40 hit with the hilariously-naff Don't It Make You Feel Good?

Wow, Bruce Willis had 2 top 40 UK singles.

Both Top 10, no less.

Occasional film actor Anita Dobson had a No.4 with 'Anyone Can Fall in Love' and follow up 'Talking of Love' stalled at No.43, so she's in.

The former has to be one of the worst records ever made. (Thankfully never heard the follow-up.)

[treibeis]

Does Michael Caine's appearance on the Madness single bearing his name count? He did record the "My name is..." bit specifically for it.

If Michael Caine has never sung in a successful version of "Alfie", then I'm a Dutchman (which I am, sort of; paternal grandmother).

[jwdd27]

Does Michael Caine's appearance on the Madness single bearing his name count? He did record the "My name is..." bit specifically for it.

I would think so. It's a recording of him on a record, it's in.


Mark Wahlberg, before his (Oscar nominated) acting was of course Marky Mark, which he hates being reminded of, but who cares, he's a bit of a prick.

They (Marky Mark and The Funky Bunch) were big in the states, but only had one Top 40 in the UK, with a song called Good Vibrations in 1991. I don't remember it, but as I understand it is not a Beach Boys cover. The follow up reached #42.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

They (Marky Mark and The Funky Bunch) were big in the states, but only had one Top 40 in the UK, with a song called Good Vibrations in 1991. I don't remember it, but as I understand it is not a Beach Boys cover. The follow up reached #42.

It featured Loleatta Holloway, so you can probably imagine what her contribution sounded like.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Does Michael Caine's appearance on the Madness single bearing his name count? He did record the "My name is..." bit specifically for it.

Or Stanley Unwin's participation on Ogden's Nut Gone Flake. Though I'm not sure there were any top 40 songs on that album.

[Mr Cogito]

I thought maybe Scarlet Johannson. She did an album of Tom Waits covers which someone gave me, knowing me to be a big Waits fan. Pretty forgettable. Wiki suggests one of them charted at 23 US Billboard but on closer inspection that was something called the "bubbling under" chart. Still; it's a chart! In the US!