(Credits: Alamy)
Fri 29 August 2025 0:00, UK
There was a time in the early 1970s when T Rex were almost a nailed-on certainty to hit the top of the charts in the UK, or at least reach the upper levels, and the band could almost do no wrong with any of their single releases.
When they changed their name from the elongated Tyrannosaurus Rex in 1970, their first ten singles all reached the top five in the charts in their home country. While their performance outside of Europe was considerably more modest, with barely any charting hits in the US by comparison, they were a tour de force in Britain, with frontman Marc Bolan being seen as one of the most formidable presences behind the microphone and on guitar.
To illustrate their success in the UK, ‘Hot Love’, ‘Get It On’, ‘Telegram Sam’ and ‘Metal Guru’ all made it to number one in the space of just over a year, but coming after this incredible run, which was only interrupted by ‘Jeepster’ coming in at number two, was a song that seemed destined to reach the top of the charts. The fact that it didn’t is perhaps the most shocking statistic to have come from their career.
‘Children of the Revolution’ was T Rex at their glam rock best, but clearly wasn’t good enough in the eyes of the British public, who only took it to a peak position of number two in the UK charts. There were two songs that managed to hold down the top spot while T Rex were remarkably languishing in the silver medal spot, but only one of them feels like an appropriate song to have been battling it out with.
What kept ‘Children of the Revolution’ from the peak in the UK?
Upon its release in September 1972, ‘Children of the Revolution’ debuted at number 14 in the charts, and at the time, they were topped by Slade for a second consecutive week with ‘Mama Weer All Crazee Now’. While T Rex were arguably the bigger of the two bands at the time, Slade had emerged as something of a competitor in late 1971, and scored their third number one hit with ‘Mama’, following success with ‘Cuz I Luv You’ and ‘Take Me Back ‘Ome’.
The Black Country glam rockers and spelling enthusiasts managed to make it a third week at the top as ‘Children of the Revolution’ climbed up to number two in its second week, and it was seemingly inevitable that it would make it to the top the following week, that is, if it wasn’t for some sort of miraculous steal.
‘Children of the Revolution’ remained at number two the following week, while Slade dropped to number three, with the number three single from the previous week proving to be the best performer for the next two weeks, while T Rex remained in second place. It was David Cassidy who topped the charts over Bolan and co with ‘How Can I Be Sure’; his first chart-topping success as a solo artist, which remarkably he never achieved as a member of The Partridge Family.
It’s a breezy, easy-listening pop hit, and it’s hard to say that it wasn’t deserving of taking top spot, but you have to feel as though T Rex were hard done by in this instance. However, it didn’t suffer the ignominy of being beaten by the next number one after that, which was Lieutenant Pigeon’s ‘Mouldy Old Dough’, a song which, against the odds, stayed there for four weeks in one of the most unjust placements in British chart history.
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