Top 40 Hits Named After Actors

[Satchmo Distel]

OK, let's do it.

John Wayne Is Big Leggy - Haysi Fantayzee

[MsD]

Robert De Niro's Waiting. Bananarama.

[MsD]

Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carne

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

From the other thread:

Grace Kelly - Mika
Robert De Niro's Waiting - Bananarama

Also:

Michael Caine - Madness

But Not:

Bela Lugosi's Dead - Bauhaus (not a top 40 hit)

[MsD]

Clint Eastwood - Gorillaz

[Satchmo Distel]

Clint Eastwood* - Gorillaz

*who is also a one-off Top 40 chart act

[Satchmo Distel]

Snap

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Also not:

Uma Thurman - Fall Out Boy (only made No.71)

[Patrick Thistle]

James: Just Like Fred Astaire

[Patrick Thistle]

The Eagles barely troubled the US charts with "James Dean" and it wasn't released as a single in the UK.

[Satchmo Distel]

I thought 'Valentino' by Connie Francis was named after the 1920s actor but the lyrics suggest not.

[Various Artist]

I like how no-one waited to mention Robert De Niro's Waiting.

[Various Artist]

The Eagles barely troubled the US charts with "James Dean" and it wasn't released as a single in the UK.

But Daniel Bedingfield reached no.3 with James Dean (I Wanna Know) in 2002, I think it must've been. It was the follow-up to Gotta Get Thru This in the same garagey style, before he changed lanes dramatically with next single If You're Not The One, after which the earlier one(s) got rather forgotten about.


Edit: Reached No.4 in fact, just checked.

[ad hoc]

Barbra Streisand - Duck Sauce

[Hot Pepsi]

Also not:

Uma Thurman - Fall Out Boy (only made No.71)

It should count.

^{Hit 22 in the US. Debuted at #1 on iTunes. Won an MTV VMA}

[Satchmo Distel]

Yes, I'll include US hits

[Satchmo Distel]

Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin) by Scritti Politti counts because she has a genuine speaking part in The Blues Brothers

[elguapo4]

When Smokey sings ABC. According to IMDB Mr Robinson has 10 acting credits.

[Various Artist]

Marilyn Monroe – Pharrell Williams (direct followup to Happy, though instantly forgotten again)

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Just misses out:

Steve McQueen - Sheryl Crow (No.44 UK, No.88 US)

[Satchmo Distel]

I didn't learn for several years that Candle In The Win was not called "Goodbye Norma Jean".

[Satchmo Distel]

Just misses out:

Steve McQueen - Sheryl Crow (No.44 UK, No.88 US)

Deserves mention also as the title of a great album.

[Southport Zeb]

Let Robeson Sing - Manic Street Preachers

[Jah Womble]

Steve McQueen gave Prefab Sprout a Top 40 hit album in 1985, of course.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Warren Zevon's Werewolves of London isn't named after Lon Chaney Jr. but he's certainly named within it.