22

Frank Sinatra has a bunch of number ones (including apparently the first Billboard #1, I'll Never Smile Again); Nancy made it with These Boots Are Made for Walkin'.

Have any other parent and child both individually made it to number one?

Improve this question

8 Answers 8

Reset to default
17

Billy Ray Cyrus - "Achy Breaky Heart" (1992) #1 US Country

Miley Cyrus - "Wrecking Ball" (2013) #1 Billboard Top 100 "The Climb" (2009) #1 Adult Contemporary

Improve this answer
9
  • 2
    My sincere apologies for not +1 on this, valid though your answer is - it's just my internal 'taste filter' will simply not allow me ;-) [oh, I +1'd anyway, would be cruel otherwise]
    – Tetsujin
    Commented Mar 18, 2015 at 18:53
  • 3
    Lol...I totally get it...I had to take a shower after I posted ;)
    – Beach
    Commented Mar 18, 2015 at 19:03
  • And BRC actually made proper #1 on a couple of national charts too... not sure how I forgot this one!
    – user16
    Commented Mar 18, 2015 at 19:05
  • 1
    I once studied 'ABHeart' [as was all we could do to call it without people overhearing us] as en exercise in sound engineering. It really is a fabulously-recorded track, even if it makes your sensibilities bleed to have to listen to it. ;)
    – Tetsujin
    Commented Mar 18, 2015 at 19:06
  • Considered a one hit wonder by many, most only know BRC for ABHeart and nothing else. I think that a lot of those people, outside of country music fans, would be surprised at BRC's success. He has a song called "Wher'm I Gonna Live?" that I love. Funny and catchy...
    – Beach
    Commented Mar 18, 2015 at 19:16
17

Johnny Cash:

  • "I Walk the Line" (1956) #1 US Country
  • "There You Go" (1956) #1 US Country
  • "Ballad of a Teenage Queen" (1958) #1 US Country
  • "Guess Things Happen That Way" (1958) #1 US Country
  • "Don't Take Your Guns to Town" (1959) #1 US Country
  • "Ring of Fire" (1963) #1 US Country
  • "Understand Your Man" (1964) #1 US Country
  • "Rosanna's Going Wild" (1967) #1 Canadian Country, #2 US Country
  • "Folsom Prison Blues" (1968) #1 US Country, #1 US Canadian Country
  • "Daddy Sang Bass" (1968) #1 US Country, #1 US Canadian Country
  • "A Boy Named Sue" (1969) #1 US Country, #1 US Adult Contemporary, #1 US Canadian Country, #1 Canadian Adult Contemporary, #2 US Pop (Hot 100)
  • "Blistered" (1969) #1 Canadian Country, #4 US Country
  • "If I Were a Carpenter" w/June Carter Cash (1969) #1 Canadian Country, #2 US Country
  • "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" (1970) #1 US Country, #1 US Canadian Country
  • "Flesh and Blood" (1970) #1 US Country, #1 US Canadian Country
  • "A Thing Called Love" (1971) #1 Canadian Country, #2 US Country
  • "Kate" (1972) #1 Canadian Country, #2 US Country
  • "Oney" (1972) #1 Canadian Country, #2 US Country
  • "Any Old Wind That Blows" (1972) #1 Canadian Country, #3 US Country
  • "One Piece at a Time" (1976) #1 US Country, #1 US Canadian Country, #1 Canadian Adult Contemporary
  • "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky" (1979) #1 Canadian Country, #2 US Country

Rosanne Cash:

  • "Seven Year Ache" (1981) #1 US Country
  • "My Baby Thinks He's a Train" (1981) #1 US Country
  • "Blue Moon with Heartache" (1981) #1 US Country
  • "I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me" (1985) #1 US Country, #1 Canadian Country
  • "Never Be You" (1985) #1 US Country, #2 Canadian Country
  • "The Way We Make a Broken Heart" (1987) #1 US Country, #1 Canadian Country
  • "Tennessee Flat Top Box" (1987) #1 US Country, #1 Canadian Country
  • "If You Change Your Mind" (1988) #1 US Country, #1 Canadian Country
  • "Runaway Train" (1988) #1 US Country, #1 Canadian Country
  • "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" (1989) #1 US Country, #1 Canadian Country
Improve this answer
3
  • Must be a candidate for parent/child with the most individual #1s each!
    – DA.
    Commented Apr 22, 2015 at 3:43
  • This should be accepted as the answer, surely @topo_morto ;)
    – Tim Malone
    Commented Jun 10, 2016 at 7:33
  • 1
    @TimMalone these are all genre-specific charts, I think? I accepted the Cyruses as they've both made it to #1 in proper full national charts.
    – user16
    Commented Dec 3, 2016 at 14:04
16

Nat "King" Cole:

  • "Mona Lisa" (1950) #1 Seller in Stores, #1 Played by Jockeys, #1 Played in Jukeboxes
  • “Ramblin’ Rose” (1962) #1 Adult Contemporary, #2 Pop, #7 R&B

Natalie Cole:

  • "This Will Be" (1975) #1 US R&B
  • "Inseparable" (1975) #1 US R&B
  • "Sophisticated Lady (She's a Different Lady)" (1976) #1 US R&B
  • "I've Got Love on My Mind" (1977) #1 US R&B
  • "Our Love" (1977) #1 US R&B
  • "Miss You Like Crazy" (1989) #1 US R&B
Improve this answer
14

Hank Williams:

  • "Lovesick Blues" (1949) #1 US Country
  • "Long Gone Lonesome Blues" (1950) #1 US Country
  • "Why Don't You Love Me" (1950) #1 US Country
  • "Moanin' the Blues" (1950) #1 US Country
  • "Cold, Cold Heart" (1951) #1 US Country
  • "Hey Good Lookin'" (1951) #1 US Country
  • "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)" (1952) #1 US Country
  • "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" (1952) #1 US Country
  • "Kaw-Liga" (1953) #1 US Country
  • "Take These Chains from My Heart" (1953) #1 US Country

Hank Williams Jr.:

  • "Eleven Roses" (1972) #1 US Country, #1 Canadian Country
  • "Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound" (1979) #1 Canadian Country
  • "Texas Women" (1981) #1 US Country
  • "Dixie on My Mind" (1981) #1 US Country
  • "All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down)" (1981) #1 US Country, #1 Canadian Country
  • "Honky Tonkin'" (1982) #1 US Country
  • "I'm for Love" (1985) #1 US Country
  • "Ain't Misbehavin'" (1986) #1 US Country, #1 Canadian Country
  • "Mind Your Own Business" (1986) #1 US Country, #1 Canadian Country
  • "Born to Boogie" (1987) #1 US Country, #1 Canadian Country
Improve this answer
13

John Lennon

"(Just Like) Starting Over" (1980) #1 US, UK & several other countries (plus several other solo hits and quite a few with a band he was in)

Julian Lennon

"Too Late for Goodbyes" (1984) #1 US Adult Contemporary (plus 2 US Rock #1s)

Pat Boone

"Love Letters in the Sand" (1957) #1 US (plus other US & UK #1s but none that were #1 in both, oddly)

Debby Boone

"You Light Up My Life" (1977) #1 US, US AC, Canada & Canada AC

Improve this answer
2
  • Good find on the Boone one - that ticks all the boxes just like the Cyrus one I think!
    – user16
    Commented Apr 29, 2015 at 17:55
  • 1
    I have become somewhat obsessed by this question!
    – DaveP
    Commented Apr 29, 2015 at 17:56
12

The Mamas and Papas hit number 1 with Monday, Monday in 1966 on both Billboard and Cashbox.

One Mama, Michelle Phillips, and one Papa, John Phillips had a daughter, Chynna Phillips, who got together with two sisters, Carnie and Wendy Wilson to form the band Wilson Phillips. In the early 1990's, Wilson Phillips had 3 number one hits (Hold On, Release me and You're in Love)

...and oh yeah - Carnie and Wendy were given their surname by their dad Brian, who had a band with his brothers Dennis and Carl that had some commercial success too.

Improve this answer
1
  • I realize that none of these are solo acts, but since in all three cases there are multiple family members in the groups, it seems like it is worth mentioning. :-)
    – Adam
    Commented Apr 21, 2015 at 18:05
10

Late to the party, but I've found another parent-child combo with individual #1 singles.

Julio Iglesias

Enrique Iglesias

Enrique Iglesias also has 24 #1 singles on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart as a solo artist, and two additional #1 singles on that chart as a featured artist.

Improve this answer
8

My mind went immediately to Dylan, but, upon further digging, it turns out he never had a #1 song that he performed himself, even though his son, Jakob had. Even with the Traveling Wilburys, while they had several #2s, no #1s. However, since you didn't exclude writing a #1 song even if they didn't perform it, one could count Dylan's writing of a song that eventually became Wagon Wheel by Darius Rucker.

So, if that counts...

Bob Dylan

  • "Wagon Wheel" (written by Dylan ~1973, performed by Darius Rucker (2013) #1 on various charts including US Billboard Country Airplay
  • UPDATE...another 'written by' #1: "Mr. Tambourine Man" (1965, as performed by The Byrds in 1965) #1 on Billboard Hot 100

Jakob Dylan

  • "One Headlight" (1996) #1 on multiple charts including US Billboard Mainstream Rock

And though it only made it to #1 on one specific chart, I think Willow's song lets her be included on this list as well:

Will Smith

Willow Smith

Improve this answer
1
  • While Jakob is a fine musician, he doesn't have a Nobel Prize.
    – Chris Sunami
    Commented Jun 7, 2017 at 14:18

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.