Songs Which Hit #1 More Than Once

In the history of the Billboard charts, 81 songs have reached number one in the hands of more than one artist. It was a common practice in the pre-rock era for multiple artists to record a song and for those versions to chart simultaneously. In the rock era, the occasional remake of a former #1 would find its way to the top. The most recent example is Christina Aguilera and company’s 2001 remake of LaBelle’s “Lady Marmalade.”

Also worthy of note: a handful of songs have hit #1 more than twice. “In the Good Old Summertime,” “The Glow-Worm,” and “To Each His Own” each topped the chart with three versions. Four different acts took “Peg O’ My Heart,” “Over There,” and “Till We Meet Again” to the top.

What follows is a ranking of the 81 songs to top the chart by more than one act. The list is ordered by total weeks spent at #1. After a song title, each chart-topping version is listed with the act, year it first charted, and weeks each version topped the chart.

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25 weeks:

1. Peg O’ My Heart (Charles Harrison, 1913, 7 wks; The Harmonicats, 1947, 8 wks; Buddy Clark, 1947, 6 wks; The Three Suns, 1947, 4 wks)

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   22 weeks:

2. The Third Man Theme (Anton Karas, 1950, 11 wks; Guy Lombardo, 1950, 11 wks)

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   21 weeks:

3. The Gypsy (The Ink Spots, 1946, 13 wks; Dinah Shore, 1946, 8 wks)
4. Oh What It Seemed to Be (Frankie Carle & Marjorie Hughes, 1946, 11 wks; Frank Sinatra, 1946, 8 wks)

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   17 weeks:

5. Over There (American Quarter, 1917, 9 wks; Nora Bayes, 1917, 3 wks; Peerless Quartet, 1917, 2 wks; Enrico Caruso, 1918, 3 wks)
6. In the Good Old Summertime (J.W. Myers, 1902, 7 wks; Haydn Quartet, 1903, 6 wks; Sousa’s Band, 1903, 4 wks)

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   15 weeks:

7. It’s a Long, Long Way to Tipperary (American Quartet, 1914, 7 wks; John McCormack, 1915, 8 wks)

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   14 weeks:

8. Cruising Down the River on a Sunday Afternoon (Blue Barron & His Orchestra, 1949, 7 wks; Rus Morgan & the Skylarks, 1949, 7 wks)
9. My Blue Heaven (Gene Austin, 1927, 13 wks; Paul Whiteman, 1927, 1 wk)
10. On the Banks of the Wabash (George J. Gaskin, 1897, 10 wks; Steve Porter, 1898, 4 wks)
11. Shine on, Harvest Moon (Harry MacDonough & Elise Stevenson, 1909, 9 wks; Ada Jones & Billy Murray, 1909, 5 wks)

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    13 weeks:

12. Till We Meet Again (Henry Burr & Albert Campbell, 1919, 9 wks; Nicholas Orlando’s Orcestra with Harry MacDonough, 1919; 2 wks; Charles Hart with Lewis James, 1919, 1 wk; Lewis James & Charles Hart, 1919, 1 wk)
13. The Glow-Worm (Victor Orchestra, 1908, 5 wks; Lucy Isabelle Marsh, 1908, 5 wks; The Mills Brothers, 1952, 3 wks)
14. The Sidewalks of New York (Dan Quinn, 1895, 9 wks; J.W. Myers, 1895, 4 wks)
15. Sweet Adeline (You’re the Flower of My Heart) (Haydn Quartet, 1904, 10 wks; Columbia Male Quartet, 1904, 3 wks)
16. When You Were Sweet Sixteen (George J. Gaskin, 1900, 8 wks; Jere Mahoney, 1900, 5 wks)

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    12 weeks:

17. Alexander’s Ragtime Band (Arthur Collins & Byron Harlan, 1911, 10 wks; Bing Crosby & Connee Boswell, 1938, 2 wks)
18. The Last Round-Up (George Olsen, 1933, 9 wks; Guy Lombardo & Carmen Lombardo, 1933, 3 wks)

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    11 weeks:

19. To Each His Own (Eddy Howard, 1946, 8 wks; Freddy Martin & Stuart Wade, 1946, 2 wks; The Ink Spots, 1946, 1 wk)
20. A Bird in a Gilded Cage (Steve Porter, 1900, 6 wks; Jere Mahoney, 1900, 5 wks)
21. Ramona (Gene Austin, 1928, 8 wks; Paul Whiteman, 1928, 3 wks)
22. The Stars and Stripes Forever (John Philip Sousa, 1897, 8 wks; Sousa’s Band, 1901, 3 wks)
23. Stormy Weather (Keeps Raining All the Time) (Leo Reisman, 1933, 8 wks; Ethel Waters, 1933, 3 wks)

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    10 weeks:

24. Beautiful Ohio (Henry Burr, 1919, 9 wks; Waldorf-Astoria Dance Orchestra, 1919, 1 wk)
25. Bedelia (Haydn Quartet, 1904, 7 wks; Billy Muray, 1904, 3 wks)
26. Deep Purple (Larry Clinton & Bea Wain, 1939, 9 wks; Nino Tempo & April Stevens, 1963, 1 wk)
27. Hello Ma Baby (Len Spencer, 1899, 6 wks; Arthur Collins, 1899, 4 wks)
28. A Hot Time in the Old Town (Dan Quinn, 1896, 7 wks; Len Spencer, 1897, 3 wks)
29. Love Me and the World Is Mine (Henry Burr, 1906, 7 wks; Albert Campbell, 1906, 3 wks)
30. Tell Me Pretty Maiden (Harry MacDonough & Grace Spencer, 1901, 7 wks; Byron Harlan with Frank Stanley, Joe Belmont, & Florodora Girls, 1901, 3 wks)
31. There! I’ve Said It Again (Vaughn Monroe, 1945, 6 wks; Bobby Vinton, 1963, 4 wks)
32. Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie (Byron Harlan, 1906, 9 wks; Harry Tally, 1906, 1 wk)

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    9 weeks:

33. Come Down Ma Evening Star (Mina Hickman, 1903, 5 wks; Henry Burr, 1903, 4 wks)
34. Goodnight Sweetheart (Wayne King, 1931, 7 wks; Guy Lombardo & Carmen Lombardo, 1931, 2 wks)
35. My Wild Irish Rose (Albert Campbell, 1899, 6 wks; George J. Gaskin, 1899, 3 wks)
36. Scatter-Brain (Frankie Masters, 1939, 8 wks; Freddy Martin & Glenn Hughes, 1939, 1 wk)
37. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (Paul Whieman, 1933, 6 wks; The Platters, 1959, 3 wks)
38. The Washington Post March (U.S. Marin Band, 1890, 6 wks; Sousa’s Band, 1895, 3 wks)

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    8 weeks:

39. By the Beautiful Sea (Heidelberg Quintet, 1914, 6 wks; Ada Jones & Billy Watkins, 1914, 2 wks)
40. Down by the Old Mill Stream (Harry MacDonough, 1911, 7 wks; Arthur Clough & the Brunswick Quartet, 1911, 1 wk)
41. Mr. Gallagher & Mr. Shean (Ed Gallagher & Al Shean, 1922, 6 wks; Ernest Hare & Billy Jones, 1922, 2 wks)
42. The Music Goes ‘Round and ‘Round (Tommy Dorsey, 1935, 5 wks; Riley-Farley Orchestra, 1935, 3 wks)

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    7 weeks:

43. Blue Bell (Byron Harlan & Frank Stanley, 1904, 4 wks; Haydn Quartet & Harry MacDonough, 1904, 3 wks)
44. I Didn’t Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier (Peerless Quartet, 1915, 4 wks; Morton Harvey, 1915, 3 wks)
45. I’ll Be There (The Jackson 5, 1970, 5 wks; Mariah Carey, 1992, 2 wks)
46. The Mansion of Aching Hearts (Harry MacDonough, 1902, 4 wks; Byron Harlan, 1902, 3 wks)
47. Mother Machree (John McCormack, 1911, 5 wks; Will Oakland, 1911, 2 wks)
48. This Year’s Kisses (Hal Kemp with Skinnay Ennis, 1937, 4 wks; Benny Goodman, 1937, 3 wks)
49. Yes! We Have No Bananas (Billy Jones, 1923, 5 wks; Ben Selvin with Irving Kaufman, 1923, 2 wks)
50. Young Love (Tab Hunter, 1956, 6 wks; Sonny James, 1956, 1 wk)

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    6 weeks:

51. Blue Moon (Glen Gray with Kenny Sargent, 1935, 3 wks; The Marcels, 1961, 3 wks)
52. I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles (Ben Selvin, 1919, 4 wks; Henry Burr & Albert Campbell, 1919, 2 wks)
53. I’ve Got a Pocketful of Dreams (Bing Crosby, 1938, 4 wks; Russ Morgan, 1938, 2 wks)
54. I’ve Got Rings on My Fingers (Ada Jones, 1909, 4 wks; Blanche Ring, 1909, 2 wks)
55. Lady Marmalade (LaBelle, 1974, 1 wk; Christina Aguilera with Lil’ Kim, Mya, & Pink, 2001, 5 wks)
56. The Love Nest (John Steel, 1920, 4 wks; Art Hickman, 1920, 2 wks)
57. Red Sails in the Sunset (Guy Lombardo & Carmen Lombardo, 1935, 4 wks; Bing Crosby, 1935, 2 wks)
58. Tiger Rag (The Original Dixieland Jazz Band, 1918, 2 wks; The Mills Brothers, 1931, 4 wks)

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    5 weeks:

59. All Alone (Paul Whiteman, 1925, 3 wks; John McCormack, 1925, 2 wks)
60. All of Me (Paul Whiteman, 1932, 3 wks; Louis Armstrong, 1932, 2 wks)
61. Always (George Olsen, 1926, 3 wks; Vincent Lopez, 1926, 2 wks)
62. Butterfly (Andy Williams, 1957, 3 wks; Charlie Gracie, 1957, 2 wks)
63. Come Josephine in My Flying Machine (Ada Jones with Billy Murray & the American Quartet, 1911, 3 wks; Blanche Ring, 1911, 2 wks)
64. Go Away Little Girl (Steve Lawrence, 1962, 2 wks; Donny Osmond, 1971, 3 wks)
65. Happy Days Are Here Again (Benny Meroff with Dusty Rhodes, 1930, 3 wks; Ben Selvin, 1930, 2 wks)
66. It’s Been a Long, Long Time (Harry James with Kitty Kallen, 1945, 3 wks; Bing Crosby with the Les Brown Trio, 1945, 2 wks)
67. Lean on Me (Bill Withers, 1972, 3 wks; Club Nouveau, 1987, 2 wks)
68. The Star-Spangled Banner (Prince’s Orchestra, 1916, 2 wks; John McCormack, 1917, 3 wks)
69. When a Man Loves a Woman (Percy Sledge, 1966, 2 wks; Michael Bolton, 1991, 3 wks)
70. When It’s Springtime in the Rockies (Ben Selvin, 1930, 3 wks; Hilo Hawaiian Orchestra, 1930, 2 wks)

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    4 weeks:

71. Change Partners (Fred Astair, 1938, 2 wks; Jimmy Dorsey, 1938, 2 wks)
72. Managua, Nicaraga (Freddy Martin, 1947, 3 wks; Guy Lomardo, 1947, 1 wk)
73. The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down (Russ Morgan, 1937, 2 wks; Shep Fields, 1937, 2 wks)
74. Mr. Five by Five (Freddie Slack, 1942, 2 wks; Harry James, 1942, 2 wks)
75. The Object of My Affection (Jimmy Grier, 1934, 2 wks: Boswell Sisters, 1935, 2 wks)

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    3 weeks:

76. The Loco-Motion (Grand Funk Railroad, 1974, 2 wks; Little Eva, 1962, 1 wk)
77. Mam’selle (Art Lund, 1947, 2 wks; Frank Sinatra, 1947, 1 wk)
78. You Keep Me Hangin’ On (The Supremes, 1966, 2 wks; Kim Wilde, 1986, 1 wk)

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    2 weeks:

79. Open the Door, Richard (Count Basie, 1947, 1 wk; The Three Flames, 1947, 1 wk)
80. Please Mr. Postman (The Marvelettes, 1961, 1 wk; Carpenters, 1974, 1 wk)
81. Venus (Shocking Blue, 1969, 1 wk; Bananarama, 1986, 1 wk)

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