The

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

is one of many music charts compiled by the

Official Charts Company The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. In the United Kingdom, its charts inc ...

that calculates the best-selling singles of the week in the United Kingdom. Since 2004 the chart has been based on the sales of both physical singles and digital downloads, with

airplay Airplay is how frequently a song is being played through broadcasting on radio stations. A song which is being played several times every day (spins) would have a significant amount of airplay. Music which became very popular on jukeboxes, in n ...

figures excluded from the official chart. Since 2014, the singles chart has been based on both sales and streaming, with the ratio altered in 2017 to 150:1 streams and only three singles by the same artist eligible for the chart. From July 2018, video streams from

YouTube Music YouTube Music is a music streaming service developed by YouTube, a subsidiary of Google. It provides a tailored interface for the service, oriented towards music streaming, allowing users to browse through songs and music videos on YouTube based ...

and

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...

among others began to be counted for the Official Charts. This list shows singles that peaked in the Top 10 of the

during

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

, as well as singles which peaked in

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

and

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

but were in the top 10 in 2020. The entry date is when the song appeared in the top 10 for the first time (week ending, as published by the Official Charts Company, which is six days after the chart is announced). One-hundred and four singles were in the top 10 this year. Eleven singles from 2019 remained in the top 10 for several weeks at the beginning of the year, while " Sweet Melody" by

Little Mix Little Mix are a British girl group, composed of group members Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall, and Perrie Edwards. Jesy Nelson was originally part of the group before she left in 2020. After becoming the first group to win the British ver ...

, "

34+35 "34+35" (pronounced "thirty-four thirty-five") is a song recorded by American singer Ariana Grande, included as the second track on her sixth studio album, '' Positions'' (2020). It was written by Grande, Albert Stanaj, Courageous Xavier Herrera, ...

" by

Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received ...

, " This Christmas" by

Jess Glynne Jessica Hannah Glynne (born 20 October 1989) is an English singer and songwriter. After signing with Atlantic Records, she rose to prominence in 2014 as a featured artist on the singles "Rather Be" by Clean Bandit and " My Love" by Route 94, bot ...

, "

Whoopty "Whoopty" is the debut single by American rapper CJ. The song was initially self-released on July 30, 2020, before being re-released by Warner Records following his signing to the label. The song reached number 10 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot ...

" by CJ and "

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" is a Christmas song written by Johnny Marks and recorded by Brenda Lee in 1958; it has since been recorded by numerous other music artists. By the song's 50th anniversary in 2008, Lee's original version had s ...

" by

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...

were all released in 2020 but did not reach their peak until 2021. " All I Want for Christmas is You" by

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...

, " Before You Go" by

Lewis Capaldi Lewis Marc Capaldi ( ; born 7 October 1996) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and musician. He was nominated for the Critics' Choice Award at the 2019 Brit Awards. In March 2019, his single "Someone You Loved" topped the UK Singles Chart where ...

Own It "Own It" is a song by English rapper Stormzy featuring English singer Ed Sheeran and Nigerian singer Burna Boy, released on 22 November 2019 through #Merky and Atlantic Records as the fourth single from Stormzy's second studio album, '' Heavy ...

Stormzy Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr. (born 26 July 1993), known professionally as Stormzy, is a British rapper, singer and songwriter. In 2014, he gained attention on the UK underground music scene through his ''Wicked Skengman'' series of f ...

featuring

Ed Sheeran Edward Christopher Sheeran (; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently r ...

and

Burna Boy Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu (born 2 July 1991), known professionally as Burna Boy, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. He rose to stardom in 2012 after releasing "Like to Party", the lead single from his debut studio album, '' L.I ...

, "

River A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...

" by

Ellie Goulding Elena Jane Goulding ( ; born 30 December 1986) is an English singer and songwriter. Her career began when she met record producers Starsmith and Frankmusik, and she was later spotted by Jamie Lillywhite, who became her manager and Artists and ...

and " Roxanne" by

Arizona Zervas Arizona Zervas, (born April 19, 1995) is an American rapper and singer. He is widely known for his song " Roxanne", which reached number four on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 2019, after being prominently featured in Spotify playlists.

were the singles from 2019 to reach their peak in 2020. "

Last Christmas "Last Christmas" is a song by British pop duo Wham!, originally released in December 1984 on CBS Records internationally and as a double A-side on Epic Records with "Everything She Wants" in the UK. Described as a "high watermark of mid-80s Br ...

" by

Wham! Wham! (briefly known in the US as Wham! U.K.) were an English pop duo formed in Bushey in 1981. The duo consisted of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. They became one of the most commercially successful pop acts of the 1980s, selling more ...

was released in 2019 and re-entered the top 10 in 2020, but did not reach its peak until 2021. Twenty-two artists have scored multiple entries in the top ten in 2020.

DaBaby Jonathan Lyndale Kirk (born December 22, 1991), known professionally as DaBaby (formerly known as Baby Jesus), is an American rapper. After releasing several mixtapes between 2014 and 2018, he rose to mainstream prominence with his debut albu ...

Doja Cat Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini (born October 21, 1995), known professionally as Doja Cat ( ), is an American rapper and singer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, she began making and releasing music on SoundCloud as a teenager. Her song ...

Future The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ...

Megan Thee Stallion Megan Jovon Ruth Pete (born February 15, 1995), known professionally as Megan Thee Stallion (pronounced "Megan the Stallion"), is an American rapper and songwriter. Originally from Houston, Texas, she first garnered attention when videos of her ...

and

Roddy Ricch Rodrick Wayne Moore Jr. (born October 22, 1998), known professionally as Roddy Ricch, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to fame in 2018 with his single, "Die Young", which peaked at number 98 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. R ...

were among the many artists who achieved their first top 10 single in 2020. The first number-one single of the year was "

" by

. Overall, eighteen different songs peaked at number-one in 2020, with

(2) having the most songs hit that position.

Background

Multiple entries

Sixty-one singles have charted in the top 10 in 2020 (as of 16 July 2020, week ending), with fifty-six singles reaching their peak this year (including the re-entries " All I Want for Christmas Is You", "

Do They Know It's Christmas? "Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a charity song written in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. It was first recorded by Band Aid, a supergroup assembled by Geldof and Ure consisting of pop ...

", "

Fairytale of New York "Fairytale of New York" is a song written by Jem Finer and Shane MacGowan and recorded by their London-based band the Pogues, featuring singer-songwriter Kirsty MacColl on vocals. The song is an Irish folk-style ballad and was written as a du ...

", "

Happy Xmas (War is Over) "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" is a Christmas song released in 1971 as a single by John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir. It was the seventh single release by John Lennon outside his work with the Beatles. The song reach ...

", "

I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" is a Christmas song recorded by British glam rock band Wizzard. It was first released in December 1973 and, as with most Wizzard songs, was written and produced by the band's frontman Roy Wood—formerly ...

", "

Merry Christmas Everyone "Merry Christmas Everyone" is a festive song recorded by Welsh singer-songwriter Shakin' Stevens. Written by Bob Heatlie and produced by Dave Edmunds, it is the fourth and to date last number one single for Shakin' Stevens on the UK Singles Char ...

" and "

Step into Christmas "Step into Christmas" is a Christmas song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was released as a stand-alone single in November 1973 with the song "Ho, Ho, Ho (Who'd Be a Turkey at Christm ...

", which charted in previous years but reached peaks on their latest chart run). Sixteen artists have scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 2020, with Dua Lipa and AJ Tracey sharing the record (as of 16 July 2020, week ending) for most hit singles this year with four, both including a feature on the charity single " Times Like These" with the Live Lounge Allstars.

Captain Tom Moore breaks records

The

COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom The COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom is a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In the United Kingdom, it has resulted in confir ...

led to several charity singles being released to raise money to support people fighting the disaster, among these

Matt Lucas Matthew Richard Lucas (born 5 March 1974) is an English actor, comedian, writer, and television presenter. He is best known for his work with David Walliams on the BBC sketch comedy series '' Little Britain'' (2003–2006, 2020) and '' Come Fly ...

' " Thank You Baked Potato" and a new version of "

We'll Meet Again "We'll Meet Again" is a 1939 song by English singer Vera Lynn with music and lyrics composed and written by English songwriters Ross Parker and Hughie Charles. The song is one of the most famous of the Second World War era, and resonated with ...

" by

Vera Lynn Dame Vera Margaret Lynn (; 20 March 191718 June 2020) was an English singer and entertainer whose musical recordings and performances were very popular during World War II. She is honorifically known as the " Forces' Sweetheart", having giv ...

and

Katherine Jenkins Katherine Maria Jenkins (born 29 June 1980) is a Welsh singer. She is a mezzo-soprano and performs operatic arias, popular songs, musical theatre, and hymns.Captain Tom Moore Captain Sir Thomas Moore (30 April 1920 – 2 February 2021), more popularly known as Captain Tom, was a British Army officer and fundraiser who made international headlines in 2020 when he raised money for charity in the run-up to his 100th bir ...

teamed up with

Michael Ball Michael Ashley Ball (born 27 June 1962) is an English singer, presenter and actor. He made his West End debut in 1985 playing Marius Pontmercy in the original London production of ''Les Misérables'', and went on to star in 1987 as Raoul in ...

and the NHS Voices of Hope Choir to cover "

You'll Never Walk Alone "You'll Never Walk Alone" is a show tune from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical ''Carousel''. In the second act of the musical, Nettie Fowler, the cousin of the protagonist Julie Jordan, sings "You'll Never Walk Alone" to comfort and enco ...

", the single reaching the top spot on 25 March 2020. Captain Tom had already become a national hero, on top of his time serving the country in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, after raising more than £28 million for

NHS Charities Together The Association of NHS Charities, operating as NHS Charities Together, is a federation of over 250 charitable organisations that support the devolved National Health Service (NHS), their staff, volunteers and patients, in the United Kingdom. ...

through walking 100 laps of his garden during the nationwide lockdown, ahead of his 100th birthday on 30 April. He was also awarded a Pride of Britain Award the day before he reached number-one. The single led the Official Chart Update but by 23 April, the day before the chart was revealed, its closest competitor - "

Blinding Lights "Blinding Lights" is a song by Canadian singer the Weeknd. It was released on November 29, 2019, through XO and Republic Records, as the second single from his fourth studio album, '' After Hours'' (2020). The song was written and produced by ...

" by

The Weeknd Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. Known for his sonic versatility and dark lyricism, his music explores escapism, Romance (love), ...

- was catching up. However The Weeknd publicly backed "You'll Never Walk Alone" for number-one, encouraging the public to buy and stream it instead of "Blinding Lights" to give the single a final boost. Captain Tom became the oldest person to have a number-one single on the UK Singles Chart in the sixty-eight years since it launched in 1952, at the age of 99 years and 11 months, while his co-performer Michael Ball also entered the record books as the eighth oldest (57 years and 9 months). Moore also became the first

centenarian A centenarian is a person who has reached the age of 100 years. Because life expectancies worldwide are below 100 years, the term is invariably associated with longevity. In 2012, the United Nations estimated that there were 316,600 living cente ...

to celebrate a chart-topping single, as he was still at number-one on the day of his 100th birthday. The song itself was the fastest selling single since

LadBaby Mark Ian Hoyle (born 12 April 1987), better known by his online pseudonym LadBaby, is an English YouTuber, musician, and blogger. His content focuses on his experiences as a father and is usually filmed in collaboration with his wife, Roxanne. T ...

's " I Love Sausage Rolls" in 2019, scoring 80,000 downloads in a week. "You'll Never Walk Alone" also joined a list of only two other songs which have reached number-one with four different versions - "

Unchained Melody "Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. North wrote the music as a theme for the prison film '' Unchained'' (1955), hence the song title. Todd Duncan sang the vocals for the film soundtrack.Robert Rodri ...

" and "

" are the other songs which have topped the chart on 4 occasions under four separate iterations.

Gerry and the Pacemakers Gerry and the Pacemakers were a British beat group prominent in the 1960s Merseybeat scene. In common with the Beatles, they came from Liverpool, were managed by Brian Epstein, and were recorded by George Martin. Their early successes alongsid ...

" (1963), The Crowd (1985) and

Robson & Jerome Robson & Jerome are an English pop duo who were active in the mid-1990s, consisting of actors Robson Green and Jerome Flynn. They rose to prominence via the English television series ''Soldier Soldier''. The duo's musical catalogue was compose ...

(1996) were the previous artists to reach number-one with this song. In a sad twist of fate, Captain Tom would himself die from COVID-19 on 2 February 2021.

Taylor Swift makes chart history

American singer

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...

made chart history this year by becoming the first female artist to have three singles debut in the top 10 of the

in the same week (6 August 2020, week ending); " Cardigan" (6), "

Exile Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...

" (8) and "

The 1 "The 1" (stylized in Letter case#All lowercase, all lowercase) is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her eighth studio album, ''Folklore (Taylor Swift album), Folklore'' (2020). Republic Records released the song for Music ...

" (10). All three songs were taken from her album ''

Folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

'', which topped the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...

. Swift went on to achieve another top 10 single, "

Willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist s ...

" (3) in December 2020 following the surprise release of her ninth studio album '' Evermore''.

"All I Want for Christmas Is You" finally reaches number-one

26 years after its initial release, Mariah Carey's festive classic " All I Want for Christmas Is You" finally reached number-one in the

on 17 December 2020 (week ending). Upon its initial release in December 1994, the song spent three weeks at number 2, held off the top spot by

East 17 East 17 are an English pop boy band started by Tony Mortimer, Brian Harvey, John Hendy, and Terry Coldwell in 1991. As of 2020, the group consists of Coldwell, Robbie Craig, and Joe Livermore. East 17 have undergone multiple lineup changes, ...

's " Stay Another Day". The song returned to the runner-up spot three more times; in 2017, in 2018 and in 2019. The song also set a new UK chart record, reaching number-one in its seventieth week in the top 40; no other song in UK chart history has spent more weeks in the top 40 before reaching number-one. It held the top spot for a second week before being denied the UK's Christmas number-one single for 2020 by

's "

Don't Stop Me Eatin' "Don't Stop Believin' is a song by American rock band Journey (band), Journey. It was released in October 1981 as the second single from the group's seventh studio album, ''Escape (Journey album), Escape'' (1981), released through Columbia Reco ...

LadBaby gets third Christmas number-one

returned for a third time with a parody song about sausage rolls, once again raising money for the

Trussell Trust The Trussell Trust is an Non-governmental organization, NGO and charity that works to end the need for food banks in the United Kingdom. It supports a network of over 1,200 food bank centres to provide emergency food and compassionate, practical su ...

foodbank charity. His song "

- a take on "Don't Stop Believin'" by

Journey Journey or journeying may refer to: * Travel, the movement of people between distant geographical locations ** Day's journey, a measurement of distance ** Road trip, a long-distance journey on the road Animals * Journey (horse), a thoroughbred ra ...

- hit the top spot at Christmas, giving him a third successive Christmas number-one. The single was a follow-up to his chart toppers "

We Built This City "We Built This City" is a 1985 song by American rock band Starship. It was released as their debut single on their album ''Knee Deep in the Hoopla''. It was written by English musicians Martin Page and Bernie Taupin, who were both living in Los ...

" (2018) and " I Love Sausage Rolls" (2019) and also saw the duo (real name Mark and Roxanne Hoyle) match the record of the

Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...

and

Spice Girls The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and Vict ...

as the only acts with three Christmas number-one singles.

Chart debuts

Forty-seven artists achieved their first charting top 10 single in 2020, either as a lead or featured artist. Of these, three went on to record another hit single that year: 24kGoldn,

BTS BTS (), also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010 and debuting in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment. The septet—consisting of members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook—co-writes and co-produ ...

and

. Pop Smoke and

both achieved two more chart hits in their breakthrough year. The following table (collapsed on desktop site) does not include acts who had previously charted as part of a group and secured their first top 10 solo single. ;Notes The line-up of

Live Lounge Allstars "Times Like These" is a song by American rock band Foo Fighters. It is the fourth track from their fourth album '' One by One'', and was released as its second single on January 14, 2003. Composition The lyrics discuss how Dave Grohl felt "li ...

featured a selection of artists who had previously had a top-ten single as part of a group but did not have a solo credit to their name. This includes Ben Johnston, James Johnston and

Simon Neil Simon Alexander Neil (born 31 August 1979) is a Scottish vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter. He is known for his work in the bands Biffy Clyro and Marmaduke Dukeand also new band with Mike Vennart, Empire state bastard. Career Biffy Clyro ...

(

Biffy Clyro Biffy Clyro are a Scottish rock band that formed in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, composed of Simon Neil (guitar, lead vocals), James Johnston (bass, vocals), and Ben Johnston (drums, vocals). Currently signed to 14th Floor Records, they have r ...

Dave Grohl David Eric Grohl (born January 14, 1969) is an American musician. He is the founder of the rock band Foo Fighters, in which he is the lead singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter. Prior to forming Foo Fighters, he was the drummer of gru ...

(

Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...

and

Foo Fighters Foo Fighters are an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Foo Fighters was initially formed as a one-man project by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl. Following the success of the eponymous debut album, Grohl (lead vocals, guitar) re ...

Taylor Hawkins Oliver Taylor Hawkins (February 17, 1972 – March 25, 2022) was an American musician, best known as the drummer of the rock band Foo Fighters, with whom he recorded eight studio albums between 1999 and 2021. Before joining the band in 1997, he ...

(Foo Fighters) and

Luke Hemmings Luke Robert Hemmings (born 16 July 1996) is an Australian singer and musician, best known for being the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the pop rock band 5 Seconds of Summer. Since 2014, 5 Seconds of Summer have sold more than 10 million ...

( 5 Seconds of Summer). Ben Thatcher and Mike Kerr, who make up the band

Royal Blood A royal descent is a genealogy, genealogical Kinship and descent, line of descent from a past or present monarch. Both geneticists and genealogists have attempted to estimate the percentage of living people with royal descent. From a genetic ...

, were also debutants to the upper-reaches of the chart, as Royal Blood's highest placing to date was "

Figure It Out ''Figure It Out'' is an American children's panel game show that aired on Nickelodeon. The original series, hosted by Summer Sanders, ran for four seasons from July 7, 1997, to December 12, 1999. The show was revived in 2012, with Jeff Sutphen ...

" which reached number 43 in 2014.

Fraser T. Smith Fraser Thorneycroft-Smith (born 8 February 1971), known professionally as Fraser T. Smith, is an English record producer, songwriter and musician. Some of the singles he collaborated on include Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain", James Morrison (sin ...

had also worked on numerous top 10 singles for different artists, including " Broken Strings" by James Morrison and

Nelly Furtado Nelly Kim Furtado (; ; born December 2, 1978) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Furtado has sold over 40 million records worldwide making her one of the most successful Canadian artists. She first gained fame with her trip hop-inspired deb ...

(2008), but this is the first single where he is individually credited.

Songs from films

The only song from a film which entered the top 10 this year was "

No Time to Die ''No Time to Die'' is a 2021 spy film and the twenty-fifth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions, starring Daniel Craig in his fifth and final portrayal of fictional British MI6 agent James Bond. It was directed by Cary Jo ...

" (from ''

''). The film was initially scheduled to be released in November 2019, but, due to the departure of

Danny Boyle Daniel Francis Boyle (born 20 October 1956) is an English director and producer. He is known for his work on films including ''Shallow Grave'', '' Trainspotting'' and its sequel ''T2 Trainspotting'', '' The Beach'', '' 28 Days Later'', '' Su ...

as director and because of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, its release date was delayed several times. The film was eventually released in the UK on 30 September 2021.

Charity singles

A number of singles recorded for charity reached the top ten in the charts in 2020.

Captain Tom Moore Captain Sir Thomas Moore (30 April 1920 – 2 February 2021), more popularly known as Captain Tom, was a British Army officer and fundraiser who made international headlines in 2020 when he raised money for charity in the run-up to his 100th bir ...

joined forces with

and the NHS Voices of Care Choir to raise funds to support the

NHS The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...

during the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

crisis. Their cover of "

" reached the top of the charts on the week ending 30 April 2020.

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...

Live Lounge The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio stations BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra. It was originally hosted by Simon Mayo, and later by Jo Whiley on her weekday mid-morning, and later weekend lunchtime radio shows, then by Fearne Cotton ...

organised a

supergroup Supergroup or super group may refer to: * Supergroup (music), a music group formed by artists who are already notable or respected in their fields * Supergroup (physics), a generalization of groups, used in the study of supersymmetry * Supergroup ...

named

to record " Times Like These" during the Coronavirus crisis, with the contributors including

Rita Ora Rita Sahatçiu Ora (born Rita Sahatçiu; 26 November 1990) is a British singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence in February 2012 when she featured on DJ Fresh's single, "Hot Right Now", which reached number one in the UK. Her debut studi ...

Chris Martin Christopher Anthony John Martin (born 2 March 1977) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist, pianist, rhythm guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Coldplay. Born in Exeter, Devon, he went to Univ ...

Dua Lipa Dua Lipa ( , ; born ) is an English and Albanian singer and songwriter. Possessing a mezzo-soprano vocal range, she is known for her signature disco- pop sound. Lipa has received numerous accolades, including six Brit Awards, three Gramm ...

and

Rag'n'Bone Man Rory Charles Graham (born 29 January 1985), better known as Rag'n'Bone Man, is an English singer and songwriter. He is known for his deep baritone voice. His first hit single, "Human", was released in 2016, and his debut album of the same nam ...

all singing their own parts from their homes due to

social distancing In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.) is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious disea ...

. The single entered the chart at number 5 on the 24 April 2020 (week ending 30 April 2020), less than 12 hours after release. The following week, it reached number-one, becoming the first song produced by

to top the chart, and the first BBC release to peak at number-one since " Perfect Day" in 1997. Following the success of "Times Like These",

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...

organised its own supergroup, BBC Radio 2 Allstars to record "

Stop Crying Your Heart Out "Stop Crying Your Heart Out" is a song by the English rock band Oasis. The song was written by Noel Gallagher and produced by Oasis. It was released in the United Kingdom on 17 June 2002 as the second single from the band's fifth studio album, ...

" as the official single for that year's Children in Need appeal, with the contributors including

Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...

Bryan Adams Bryan Guy Adams (born 5 November 1959) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, composer, and photographer. He has been cited as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, and is estimated to have sold between 75 million and mor ...

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...

and

Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...

all singing their parts from their own homes due to social distancing. The single entered the chart at number 7 on 20 November 2020 (week ending 26 November 2020).

Best-selling singles

had the best-selling single of the year with "

". The song spent 22 weeks in the top 10 (including eight weeks at number-one), sold over 1,800,000 copies and was certified 3× platinum by the BPI. "

Dance Monkey "Dance Monkey" is a song by Australian singer Tones and I, released on 10 May 2019 as the second single (first in the US) from Tones and I's debut EP '' The Kids Are Coming''. The song was produced and mixed by Konstantin Kersting. "Dance Monk ...

" by

Tones & I Toni Watson, known professionally as Tones and I, is an Australian singer, songwriter, and record producer. Her breakout single, "Dance Monkey" (May 2019), reached number one in over 30 countries, including Australia. In November 2019, it ...

came in second place, while

Saint Jhn Carlos St. John Phillips (born August 26, 1986), known professionally as Saint Jhn (stylized as SAINt JHN; pronounced "Saint John"), is a Guyanese-American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for the 2019 remix to ...

's "

Roses A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be e ...

", " Before You Go" by

and "

Head & Heart "Head & Heart" is a song by English DJ and producer Joel Corry and English singer MNEK. It was released as a single on 3 July 2020. The song reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in July 2020, becoming the first chart-topper for both Corry ...

" by

Joel Corry Joel Corry (born 10 June 1989) is an English DJ, producer and television personality. He came to prominence in 2019 with the release of his single " Sorry", featuring vocals from Hayley May (who was not credited in the official music video), whi ...

featuring

MNEK Uzoechi Osisioma "Uzo" Emenike (born 9 November 1994), professionally known by his stage name MNEK (, ), is a British singer, songwriter and record producer. He has been nominated for a Grammy and a Brit Awards, Brit Award, and has received the ...

made up the top five. Songs by

featuring

, Lewis Capaldi ("

Someone You Loved "Someone You Loved" is a song recorded by Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi. It was released as a download on 8 November 2018 through Vertigo Records and Universal Music as the third single from his second extended play, ''Breach'' (2018), ...

"),

featuring

and

Harry Styles Harry Edward Styles (born 1 February 1994) is an English singer, songwriter, and actor. His musical career began in 2010 as a solo contestant on the British music competition series ''The X Factor (UK TV series), The X Factor''. Following hi ...

were also in the top ten best-selling singles of the year.

Top-ten singles

;Key

Entries by artist

The following table shows artists who have achieved two or more top 10 entries in 2020, including singles that reached their peak in 2019. The figures include both main artists and featured artists, while appearances on ensemble charity records are also counted for each artist. The total number of weeks an artist spent in the top ten in 2020 is also shown.

Notes

* "All I Want for Christmas" re-entered the top 10 on 12 December 2019 (week ending), having originally peaked at number 2 upon release in 1994. * "River" re-entered the top 10 at number 1 on 2 January 2020 (week ending). * "Last Christmas" re-entered the top 10 on 19 December 2019 (week ending), having originally peaked at number 2 upon release in 1984. * "Fairytale of New York" re-entered the top 10 on 2 January 2020 (week ending), having originally peaked at number 2 upon release in 1987. * "Merry Christmas Everyone" re-entered the top 10 on 2 January 2020 (week ending), having originally peaked at number 1 upon release in 1985. * Released as a charity single by Band Aid in 1984 to aid famine relief in

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

. * "Do They Know It's Christmas?" re-entered the top 10 on 2 January 2020 (week ending), having originally peaked at number 1 upon release in 1984. * "Step into Christmas" re-entered the top 10 at its new peak of number 8 on 2 January 2020 (week ending). It originally peaked at number 24 on its initial release in 1973. It reached the top 10 for the first time on 3 January 2019 (week ending), originally peaking at number 10. * "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" re-entered the top 10 on 2 January 2020 (week ending), having originally peaked at number 4 upon release in 1973. * Figure includes a top-ten hit as a member of the group Wham! * Figure includes an appearance on the "Do They Know It's Christmas?" charity single by Band Aid. * "Dance Monkey" re-entered the top 10 at number 5 on 9 January 2020 (week ending). * "Lose You to Love Me" re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 9 January 2020 (week ending). * "Don't Start Now" re-entered the top 10 at number 3 on 9 January 2020 (week ending). * "Everything I Wanted" re-entered the top 10 at number 6 on 9 January 2020 (week ending). * "Roxanne" re-entered the top 10 at number 4 on 9 January 2020 (week ending). * "Before You Go" re-entered the top 10 at number 2 on 9 January 2020 (week ending). * "Someone You Loved" re-entered the top 10 at number 7 on 16 January 2020 (week ending). * "Everything I Wanted" re-entered the top 10 at number 8 on 6 February 2020 (week ending). * "Adore You" re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 13 February 2020 (week ending). * "Adore You" re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 5 March 2020 (week ending). * "Godzilla" re-entered the top 10 at number 9 on 26 March 2020 (week ending). * "Intentions" re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 26 March 2020 (week ending). * "Times Like These" entered the top 5 within 12 hours of the song's initial release (23 April 2020). * Figure includes a feature in the Live Lounge Allstars. * "Say So" reached a new peak of number 2 following the subsequent release of the remix featuring

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...

. * "Savage" entered the top 10 at number 3 following the subsequent release of the remix featuring

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

. * "Blinding Lights" re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 18 June 2020 (week ending). * Figure includes a feature on "Rockstar". * Figure includes a feature on "I Dunno". * Figure includes a feature on "Houdini". * Figure includes a feature on "The Woo". * Figure includes a feature on "Godzilla". * Figure includes a feature on "Lighter". * "Secrets" re-entered the top 10 at number 6 on 13 August (week ending). * "Greece" re-entered the top 10 at number 9 on 13 August (week ending). * Figure includes a feature on "WAP". * "Midnight Sky" re-entered the top 10 at number 7 on 8 October (week ending). * "Holy" re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 22 October (week ending). * "Sweet Melody" re-entered the top 10 at number 3 on 19 November (week ending) following the release of the album ''

Confetti Confetti are small pieces or streamers of paper, mylar, or metallic material which are usually thrown at celebrations, especially parades and weddings. The origins are from the Latin ''confectum'', with ''confetti'' the plural of Italian ''con ...

''. * Released as the official single for BBC Children in Need. * Figure includes a feature in the BBC Radio 2 Allstars for BBC Children In Need. * Figure includes a feature on "Prisoner". * "All I Want for Christmas is You" re-entered the top 10 at number 2 on 10 December 2020 (week ending). * "Last Christmas" re-entered the top 10 at number 3 on 10 December 2020 (week ending). * "Fairytale of New York" re-entered the top 10 at number 8 on 10 December 2020 (week ending). * "34+35" re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 10 December 2020 (week ending). * "All I Want for Christmas is You" reached number-one in the UK Singles Chart for the first time ever on 17 December 2020 (week ending). * "Merry Christmas Everyone" re-entered the top 10 at number 6 on 17 December 2020 (week ending). * "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" re-entered the top 10 at number 7 on 17 December 2020 (week ending). It first peaked at number 7 on 3 January 2019 (week ending). * "Do They Know It's Christmas?" re-entered the top 10 at number 8 on 17 December 2020 (week ending). * "Step into Christmas" re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 17 December 2020 (week ending). * "Step into Christmas" re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 31 December 2020 (week ending). * "Last Christmas" reached number-one in the UK Singles Chart for the first time ever on 7 January 2021 (week ending). * "Sweet Melody" re-entered the top 10 at number 9 on 7 January 2021 (week ending). * "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 7 January 2021 (week ending). * "Whoopty" re-entered the top 10 at number 3 on 14 January 2021 (week ending). * "Levitating" re-entered the top 10 at number 5 on 14 January 2021 (week ending). * "34+35" re-entered the top 10 at number 8 on 14 January 2021 (week ending). * "You Broke Me First" re-entered the top 10 at number 9 on 14 January 2021 (week ending). * "34+35" re-entered the top 10 at number 3 on 28 January 2021 (week ending).

References

General * Specific

External links

2020 singles chart archive
at the

(click on relevant week) {{UK Music Charts United Kingdom top 10 singles Top 10 singles

Background

Multiple entries

Captain Tom Moore breaks records

Taylor Swift makes chart history

"All I Want for Christmas Is You" finally reaches number-one

LadBaby gets third Christmas number-one

Chart debuts

Songs from films

Charity singles

Best-selling singles

Top-ten singles

Entries by artist

Notes

See also

References

External links