Inevitable Number One Hit Singles Quiz

Answer: Adele

Adele returned in 2015 after a four-year break with 'Hello', the lead single from her album '25'. The song became the first track to sell more than a million digital copies in a single week in the United States.

​It reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and spent three weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart. The accompanying music video, in which Adele answers an old flip phone, racked up millions of views within its first day online, and the song went on to win Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Record of the Year.

Answer: Oasis

​'Wonderwall' was released at the height of Oasis's fame in 1995 and became the band's best-known song almost overnight, helped along by heavy radio and MTV play.

​The song reached number two on the UK Singles Chart, and a year after release, it rose to number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100, eventually outselling several of the band's bigger UK chart-toppers there. As of 2026, it remains Oasis's only US Top Ten single.

Answer: Ed Sheeran

​'Shape of You' was so successful that it sometimes overshadowed the rest of Ed Sheeran's singles. Released in early 2017, it blended pop, dancehall and tropical influences. Radio stations and streaming services both latched onto it immediately.

​The song topped charts in over 30 countries, including the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100, and became one of the highest-streamed songs on Spotify with over three billion plays.

Answer: Michael Jackson

​'Billie Jean' was one of several songs from 'Thriller' to become a major hit for Michael Jackson. It's built around a distinctive bassline, and the lyrics are about a woman claiming Jackson fathered her child. He always denied it was based on anyone real.

​The song's popularity increased after Michael performed it on the TV special 'Motown 25' in 1983, introducing the moonwalk to a watching audience of millions. It was a number one hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart.

Answer: The Beatles

​'Hey Jude', at more than seven minutes long, was unusually lengthy for a hit single of its era. Despite this, audiences loved the song, particularly its extended sing-along finale.

​When it was released in 1968, it spent nine weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, longer than any other Beatles single. It also spent two weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart. The song is still regularly played as a closer at tribute concerts and cover sets.

Answer: Whitney Houston

Originally written and recorded by Dolly Parton, 'I Will Always Love You' found a new audience when Whitney Houston recorded it for 'The Bodyguard' film. Whitney's vocal performance reached listeners who'd likely never have come across the original country song.

The single spent fourteen weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, the longest run by a female artist at the time, and sold over 20 million copies worldwide. It also spent ten weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart.

Answer: Mariah Carey

​'All I Want for Christmas Is You' is one of the rare songs to find a second life decades after its release. It came out in 1994 on Mariah Carey's holiday album 'Merry Christmas', but didn't reach number one in the US until 2019, 25 years later.

​It reached number one on the UK Singles Chart for the first time in December 2020, driven by streaming, and has gone on to return to number one in subsequent Christmas seasons too.

Answer: Drake

Drake's 'God's Plan' was released in early 2018, during a run of major commercial success for him on streaming platforms. Its hook and a widely shared music video, in which he gave away the entire $996,631 budget to people in Miami, kept it in the spotlight for months.

​It spent eleven weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and broke Spotify's single-day streaming record at the time. It also reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in 2018 and remained there for nine weeks.

Answer: Beyoncé

​Beyoncé's 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)' became almost as well known for its music video as for the song itself. The choreography, performed in a plain black leotard with two backup dancers, inspired countless imitations and parodies, including one by Justin Timberlake on 'Saturday Night Live'.

​Released in 2008 from 'I Am... Sasha Fierce', the song won Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Best R&B Song. It reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number seven on the UK Singles Chart.

Answer: Taylor Swift

​'Anti-Hero' was released in 2022 as the lead single from 'Midnights', Taylor Swift's tenth studio album. The song's lyrics see her poke fun at her own insecurities and public image, and it became one of her most successful singles.

​It reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and spent several weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, earning her a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year. The accompanying music video, which Taylor also directed, tackled themes like ageing and self-image through surreal visuals.