What song held the number one spot for the longest in 1989?

(Credits: Far Out / Billboard Charts / Immo Wegmann)

Tue 10 February 2026 21:00, UK

David Bowie was never one for great shows of chart success, even at the height of his fame in a year like 1977.

That particular time marked the start of his prolific Berlin trilogy with the release of Low, but it also symbolised a period of much calmer waters for Bowie as the grip of his drug addiction started to loosen on account of his German retreat. His clearer artistic head allowed him to branch into styles he never thought imaginable, from electronic to art rock to ambient.

It goes without saying that this was all part of the reason why Low, in time, became part of Bowie’s most iconic roster, but in doing so, its novel approach also cultivated a chance at the charts that no one could ignore. That bolt from the blue began with the release of the album’s very first single, ‘Sound and Vision’. 

Peaking at the number three position in the UK upon its release in February 1977, the song spent a total of six weeks in the top ten and 11 weeks in the chart as a whole, making it one of the definitive hits over that specific span of 12 months – even though no one needed to be told that, anyway.

The point was that everything Bowie did came with an element of risk: it was simply part of his fun. Following on from the release of Station to Station the previous year, where, despite its cinematic allure, obvious choices of singles emerged from the fray, Low had a less immediate successor to the likes of ‘Golden Years’. 

What turned ‘Sound and Vision’ into the big hit of 1977?

The label were apprehensive when Bowie rocked up to showcase his new material, to put it mildly. They had initially planned to release whatever follow-up record he produced in November 1976, but put it on the back burner for a few months as they feared the overly artistic style of Low was a guarantee for a commercial flop.

In many ways, they couldn’t have been more wrong. Using ‘Sound and Vision’ as the prime example, its romping style was the ultimate sonic elixir to the ‘70s fever that was sweeping the globe. It was Bowie in his prime, and nothing was going to stop his newfound freedom of marching to the beat of his own drum.

It was hilariously telling, however, that ‘Sound and Vision’ was selected as the single from Low due to it bearing the closest resemblance to a pop song. Sure, as if you’ve ever heard a conventional pop song with a 46-second introduction and a full minute and a half before Bowie’s vocals actually appear in the track. 

But that was the mark of the man: always keep them guessing, never let them know what’s coming next. It was obviously an approach that carried a great many dangers for other artists, but for Bowie, it was all part of the charm. He made one of the greatest hits of 1977 out of ‘Sound and Vision’, all because he knew he was right.