List of UK hit singles by footballers
Introduction Professional association football players have released records in the United Kingdom since at least the 1930s, when the Arsenal team issued a now-collectible gramophone disc. The first such record to achieve commercial success was "Back Home", released by the England national team as part of their build-up to the 1970 FIFA World Cup, at which they would defend the trophy they had won four years earlier. The single, written by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter, spent 17 weeks in the UK Singles Chart and reached number one on the chart dated 16 May. England did not qualify for the World Cup again until 1982, but the Scotland national team had hits in 1974 and 1978 with singles released ahead of the World Cup, on the latter occasion teaming up with celebrity fan Rod Stewart. England topped the charts again in 1990 with the single "World in Motion", recorded in collaboration with the band New Order and remembered for the rap performed by player John Barnes.From the 1970s onwards, it became a tradition for the two teams which had reached the final of the FA Cup to each release a single as part of the build-up to the match, and several of these reached the top 10.The songs were often adapted from existing well-known recordings, such as Middlesbrough's 1997 hit "Let's Dance", which added new lyrics to a 1987 song by Chris Rea, and were characterised by their "rowdy, altogether-now" style. Several different teams recorded songs written by Ivor Novello Award-winning songwriter Tony Hiller. The first FA Cup final single to reach number one was "Come on You Reds", released in 1994 by Manchester United. The single, adapted from the song "Burning Bridges" by Status Quo, who also performed on the recording, topped the charts on the weekend of United's victory over Chelsea in the final, but has been described as "so bad it's good". Although cup final singles have fallen out of fashion in recent years, Cardiff City collaborated with singer James Fox on a single to mark their appearance in the FA Cup final in 2008.Other clubs, such as Lincoln City, have released singles to raise money in times of financial difficulties.In addition to the hits scored by teams singing ''en masse'', individual professional players have also made appearances in the charts. Paul Gascoigne, then of Tottenham Hotspur, achieved the biggest hit by an individual player when he reached Number 2 with the single "Fog on the Tyne (Revisited)" in 1990.Two other Tottenham players, Glenn Hoddle and Chris Waddle, reached Number 12 in 1987 with the song "Diamond Lights", although the single is now mostly remembered for the dated fashions sported by the duo when they performed the song on ''Top of the Pops''. Only a very small number of UK hit singles have been recorded by sportsmen other than footballers, including top 20 hits for the England national rugby union team in 1991 and the England national cricket team in 2005.
Hits The list contains every single recorded by a professional football team or individual player which spent at least one week in the UK top 75.It does not contain singles recorded in tribute to football teams by existing bands or groups of fans such as the 1975 hit "Viva El Fulham" by Tony Rees and the Cottagers, or other hits with a general football theme such as the four-time number one hit "Three Lions" by David Baddiel, Frank Skinner and The Lightning Seeds. Where two titles are shown for the same single, this represents a double A-side.===Hits recorded by teams===YearTeamCo-credited performer(s)SingleChart peakWeeks in top 75Notes1970England national team—"Back Home"1171971Arsenal—"Good Old Arsenal"1671972Leeds United—"Leeds United"10101972Chelsea—"Blue is the Colour"5121974Scotland national team—"Easy Easy"2041975West Ham United—"I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles"3121976Manchester United—"Manchester United"5011977Liverpool—"We Can Do It"1541978Nottingham ForestPaper Lace"We've Got the Whole World in Our Hands"2461978Scotland national teamRod Stewart"Ole Ola (Mulher Brasileira)"461981Tottenham Hotspur—"Ossie's Dream (Spurs Are On Their Way To Wembley)"581982Tottenham Hotspur—"Tottenham, Tottenham"1971982Scotland national team—"We Have A Dream"591982England national team—"This Time (We'll Get It Right)" / "England We'll Fly The Flag"2131983Liverpool—"Liverpool (We're Never Gonna...)" / "Liverpool Anthem"5441983Manchester United—"Glory Glory Man United"651983Brighton & Hove Albion—"The Boys in the Old Brighton Blue"6521985Manchester United—"We All Follow Man United"1051985Everton—"Here We Go"1451986England national team—"We've Got The Whole World At Our Feet"6611986Liverpool—"Sitting on Top of the World"5021987Tottenham HotspurChas & Dave"Hot Shot Tottenham! "1851987Coventry City—"Go For It"6121988England national teamThe "sound" of Stock Aitken & Waterman"All The Way"6421988Liverpool—"Anfield Rap (Red Machine In Full Effect)"361990Crystal PalaceThe Fab Four"Glad All Over" / "Where Eagles Fly"5021990England national teamNew Order"World in Motion"1121990Scotland national team—"Say It With Pride"4531991Tottenham Hotspur—"When the Year Ends in One"4431992Leeds United—"Leeds Leeds Leeds"5431993Manchester UnitedThe Champions"United (We Love You)"3721993ArsenalTippa Irie and Peter Hunnigale"Shouting for the Gunners"3431994Manchester United—"Come On You Reds"1151994Chelsea—"No One Can Stop Us Now"2331995Manchester UnitedStryker"We're Gonna Do It Again"1561995Everton—"All Together Now"2431996Manchester United—"Move Move Move (The Red Tribe)"6151996LiverpoolBoot Room Boyz"Pass & Move (It's the Liverpool Groove)"441996Scotland national teamRod Stewart"Purple Heather"1651997Rangers—"Glasgow Rangers (Nine in a Row)"5421997ChelseaSuggs & Co."Blue Day"2251997MiddlesbroughBob Mortimer and Chris Rea"Let's Dance"4411998Arsenal—"Hot Stuff"951999Manchester United—"Lift it High (All About Belief)"1152000Arsenal—"Arsenal Number One" / "Our Goal"4612000Chelsea—"Blue Tomorrow"2222002Lincoln CityMichael Courtney"Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" / "Jagged End"6412002England national teamNew Order"World in Motion" (re-issue)22112004Yeovil Town—"Yeovil True"3612004Millwall—"Oh Millwall"4112007Bristol CityThe Wurzels"One for the Bristol City"6612008Cardiff CityJames Fox"Bluebirds Flying High"1522010Leeds UnitedSupporters"Leeds Leeds Leeds"1012020Everton—"Spirit of the Blues"651A. Chas & Dave performed on this single but were not credited.B. Status Quo performed on this single but were not credited.===Hits recorded by individual players===YearTeamCo-credited performer(s)SingleChart peakWeeks in top 75Notes1979—"Head over Heels in Love"3161987 and Chris Waddle(billed as "Glenn & Chris")—"Diamond Lights"1281990(billed as "Gazza")Lindisfarne"Fog on the Tyne (Revisited)"291990(billed as "Gazza")—"Geordie Boys (Gazza Rap)"3151993—"Do the Right Thing"4321999—"Outstanding"681
References ;General*;Specific