List of posthumous number ones on the UK singles chart

In the 1960s Eddie Cochran and Jim Reeves achieved their first and only UK number ones after their deaths, as did Jimi Hendrix in 1970.

[10] In August 1977 the "King of Rock'n Roll",[11] Elvis Presley, died of a heart attack and his song "Way Down", which was already in the charts at the time, quickly climbed to number one.

In 2002 his song "A Little Less Conversation", a little-known former B-side, topped the charts after being remixed by Dutch dance music producer Junkie XL for a television advertisement for Nike, which broke Presley's long-standing tie with The Beatles for the most UK number ones.

[13] In late 1980 and early 1981 three singles by John Lennon reached number one in quick succession following his murder on 8 December 1980.

Singles featuring deceased artists who did not receive an explicit credit (e.g. as a member of a band), such as the 1991 re-release of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" following the death of lead singer Freddie Mercury and the 2021 chart performance of Wham!

A man with long dark hair and a beard, wearing glasses and a white jacket, playing a guitar
John Lennon achieved three number ones within two months of his murder in December 1980.
A dark-haired young man, wearing a dark jacket and trousers and a striped top, dancing
Elvis Presley has achieved five posthumous number-one hits, one shortly after his death in 1977 and four in the 2000s with re-releases of older songs.
In 2002 George Harrison knocked Aaliyah off the top spot, the first time that one deceased artist had replaced another at number one.