The first UK female artist to hit number one in US charts, Tuesday 26 August 2025
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Colin Howard
Aug 27, 2025, 3:45:36 PMAug 27
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Greetings,
Petula Clark has always been one of my favourite female singers, she
certainly started off extremely young during WW2, she appeared, if I recall
from programs heard over the years, at nine years old and was a hit from the
very start.
Unfortunately, we know all too well how hard it can be for women to truly
make their way in the music business, let alone cross the pond and start
storming the US charts.
But like many female artists who have forged paths in similar respects,
there's one woman we can thank for trailblazing a transatlantic status for
musicians like her to follow and worship ever since. Everyone is aware of
how tough it can be to break America, even when the odds, per gender or
otherwise, are in your favour. That's the reason why Petula Clark's
achievements are made all the more remarkable given this stark context.
But Clark was not an easy person to please. Indeed, she was extremely picky
when it came to her work, and only narrowly agreed to record what would
become her biggest hit, 'Downtown', if her later prolific composer, Tony
Hatch, could prove that he was able to turn his hand to songwriting. Clearly
with no pressure at all on his shoulders, Hatch set to work - but managed to
create one of the most defining hits of the 1960s in the process.
'Downtown' not only made Clark an international star and scored her first
hit atop the US charts, but it also made her the first female artist from
the UK to successfully achieve the accolade, making her a true visionary in
more ways than one. With the song becoming Clark's first in a line of 15
tunes which consecutively made the top 40 in the US, it's fair to say that
the singer became something of a sensation, almost overnight. But it didn't
mean the music industry quickly caught up to this wave of female power.
Did Petula Clark set a precedent for UK female artists reaching US number
one?
Quite unbelievably, in the six decades since Clark first made waves in the
US charts, less than ten other British female artists have been able to
follow suit with similar replicated success, with some of the most recent
being the likes of Dua Lipa and Adele. They join others such as Kim Wilde
and Sheena Easton in an exclusive group of UK female chart-toppers -
indisputably a major accolade, but also one that shines a light on the
rotten core of the industry.
In this sense, Clark's storming success is made even more of an astonishing
anomaly as she managed to cultivate a huge career from abroad during an era
so dominated by the big guns of male musical power, although the sweep of
the British invasion of the States most definitely proved to be a vital
weapon in her arsenal. Clearly the allure of a British woman stalking the
streets of New York proved to be the key ingredient in shifting the records,
and subsequently also cementing Clark's name in the history books.
When we think back to the sonic superpowers of the 1960s, it's easy to get
hung up on the likes of The Beatles or The Rolling Stones or The Kinks, all
of whom changed the scene and have deserved legacies as a result. But as the
guns continued to fire and the British invasion reached its peak, it's worth
remembering the vital importance of female artists like Clark, whose number
ones and top 40 hits certainly shouldn't go amiss in reminiscing on the
prolific heights of the swinging '60s.
Colin Howard, Southern England.
Petula Clark has always been one of my favourite female singers, she
certainly started off extremely young during WW2, she appeared, if I recall
from programs heard over the years, at nine years old and was a hit from the
very start.
Unfortunately, we know all too well how hard it can be for women to truly
make their way in the music business, let alone cross the pond and start
storming the US charts.
But like many female artists who have forged paths in similar respects,
there's one woman we can thank for trailblazing a transatlantic status for
musicians like her to follow and worship ever since. Everyone is aware of
how tough it can be to break America, even when the odds, per gender or
otherwise, are in your favour. That's the reason why Petula Clark's
achievements are made all the more remarkable given this stark context.
But Clark was not an easy person to please. Indeed, she was extremely picky
when it came to her work, and only narrowly agreed to record what would
become her biggest hit, 'Downtown', if her later prolific composer, Tony
Hatch, could prove that he was able to turn his hand to songwriting. Clearly
with no pressure at all on his shoulders, Hatch set to work - but managed to
create one of the most defining hits of the 1960s in the process.
'Downtown' not only made Clark an international star and scored her first
hit atop the US charts, but it also made her the first female artist from
the UK to successfully achieve the accolade, making her a true visionary in
more ways than one. With the song becoming Clark's first in a line of 15
tunes which consecutively made the top 40 in the US, it's fair to say that
the singer became something of a sensation, almost overnight. But it didn't
mean the music industry quickly caught up to this wave of female power.
Did Petula Clark set a precedent for UK female artists reaching US number
one?
Quite unbelievably, in the six decades since Clark first made waves in the
US charts, less than ten other British female artists have been able to
follow suit with similar replicated success, with some of the most recent
being the likes of Dua Lipa and Adele. They join others such as Kim Wilde
and Sheena Easton in an exclusive group of UK female chart-toppers -
indisputably a major accolade, but also one that shines a light on the
rotten core of the industry.
In this sense, Clark's storming success is made even more of an astonishing
anomaly as she managed to cultivate a huge career from abroad during an era
so dominated by the big guns of male musical power, although the sweep of
the British invasion of the States most definitely proved to be a vital
weapon in her arsenal. Clearly the allure of a British woman stalking the
streets of New York proved to be the key ingredient in shifting the records,
and subsequently also cementing Clark's name in the history books.
When we think back to the sonic superpowers of the 1960s, it's easy to get
hung up on the likes of The Beatles or The Rolling Stones or The Kinks, all
of whom changed the scene and have deserved legacies as a result. But as the
guns continued to fire and the British invasion reached its peak, it's worth
remembering the vital importance of female artists like Clark, whose number
ones and top 40 hits certainly shouldn't go amiss in reminiscing on the
prolific heights of the swinging '60s.
Colin Howard, Southern England.
Chris Biles
Aug 27, 2025, 4:18:25 PMAug 27
to colinho...@gmail.com, avip...@googlegroups.com
Well I'm astonished that Dusty Springfield didn't get a mention here as being a British female trailblazer for making an impact on the American music scene back in the day.
Thanks, CB.
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From: Colin Howard <colinho...@gmail.com>
Sent: 2025-08-27 19:45:41
Subject: [avip] The first UK female artist to hit number one in US charts, Tuesday 26 August 2025
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harring...@gmail.com
Aug 29, 2025, 10:45:32 AMAug 29
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Hi All,
As far back as I can remember, Dusty Springfield did not reach number 1 in the US charts during the 1960s, but in the late 1980s with the Petshop Boys. No mention was made of Lulu who had at least two hits in the US charts towards the end of the 60s.
I was not really an avid fan of Petula Clark at the time.
Richard H.
-----Original Message-----
From: avip...@googlegroups.com <avip...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Colin Howard
Sent: 27 August 2025 20:46
To: post AVIP list <avip...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [avip] The first UK female artist to hit number one in US charts, Tuesday 26 August 2025
As far back as I can remember, Dusty Springfield did not reach number 1 in the US charts during the 1960s, but in the late 1980s with the Petshop Boys. No mention was made of Lulu who had at least two hits in the US charts towards the end of the 60s.
I was not really an avid fan of Petula Clark at the time.
Richard H.
-----Original Message-----
From: avip...@googlegroups.com <avip...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Colin Howard
Sent: 27 August 2025 20:46
To: post AVIP list <avip...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [avip] The first UK female artist to hit number one in US charts, Tuesday 26 August 2025
Colin Howard
Aug 29, 2025, 3:27:06 PMAug 29
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Richard,
I also thought of LuLu, I knew she had a couple of hits in the States, I
used to enjoy most of her offerings.
Incidentally, nice to receive a post from you, hope you are keeping ok,
let's hear more from you and, of course, Martyn!
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/avipworld/000f01dc18f3%249640c920%24c2c25b60%24%40gmail.com.
I also thought of LuLu, I knew she had a couple of hits in the States, I
used to enjoy most of her offerings.
Incidentally, nice to receive a post from you, hope you are keeping ok,
let's hear more from you and, of course, Martyn!
ano...@ntlworld.com
Sep 7, 2025, 5:17:45 PM (12 days ago) Sep 7
to avip...@googlegroups.com
Hi all,
That Dusty track wstiht he Pet Shop Boys only got to NO. 2.
Paul.
To view this discussion, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/avipworld/000f01dc18f3%249640c920%24c2c25b60%24%40gmail.com.
That Dusty track wstiht he Pet Shop Boys only got to NO. 2.
Paul.
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