One Direction Joins List Of Bands With Multiple No. 1 Records From Members
One Direction Joins List Of Bands With Multiple No. 1 Records From Members
With Harry Styles' first No. 1 on the Billboard pop charts, One Direction has become one of just a handful of bands to ever produce multiple members with No. 1 solo records.
NOEL KING, HOST:
This is the No. 1 pop song in the country right now.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WATERMELON SUGAR")
HARRY STYLES: (Singing) Watermelon sugar high, watermelon sugar high...
KING: "Watermelon Sugar" is the first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 for Harry Styles, formerly of the band One Direction. Four years ago, his old band mate, Zayn Malik, also hit No. 1.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Which got the folks at Billboard magazine thinking - how many bands have had two or more members with No. 1 solo records?
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "LET'S GET IT STARTED")
BLACK EYED PEAS: (Singing) Let's get it started. Ha. Let's get it started in here.
INSKEEP: The list includes the Black Eyed Peas. Fergie had her own No. 1 hits, and will.i.am was featured on a chart-topper by Usher.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "READY OR NOT")
FUGEES: (Singing) Ready or not, here I come. You can't hide.
KING: (Singing) I'm going to find...
Sorry. The Fugees gave us Lauryn Hill. She hit the top in 1998 with "Doo Wop (That Thing)." And her band mate Wyclef Jean was featured on Shakira's hit "Hips Don't Lie."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SURVIVOR")
DESTINY'S CHILD: (Singing) I'm a survivor. What? I'm not going to give up. What? I'm not going to stop. What? I'm going to work harder. What?
INSKEEP: Noel, now I'm tempted to try to sing. But I won't for the moment.
KING: (Laughter).
INSKEEP: Of course, we all know how Beyonce took over the music world after Destiny's Child broke up. But her band mate Kelly Rowland also went to No. 1 as the featured singer on Nelly's "Dilemma."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "INVISIBLE TOUCH")
GENESIS: (Singing) She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah. She reaches in and grabs right hold of your heart.
KING: In the beginning, Genesis included Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel. Both hit No. 1 as solo acts. And Mike Rutherford hit No. 1 in a different band, Mike + the Mechanics.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SHE LOVES YOU")
THE BEATLES: (Singing) She loves you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. She loves you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. With a love like that, you know you should be glad.
INSKEEP: And of course, all four Beatles hit the top of the charts as solo artists throughout the '70s and '80s. All four - yes, even Ringo.
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