Here’s a list of the songs that I performed in public for the first time during February 2026. Each month I aim to play at least one new song from each of the following repertoires:

• Songs that reached #1 in the UK.
• Songs that reached #1 somewhere else.
• Songs that have not reached #1 anywhere.

Songs that reached #1 in the UK

 

Date	Song (Artist, Year it reached #1)	Notes
Sun 8-Feb-26	Mack the Knife (Bobby Darin, 1959)	Played in C: C Dm G Am Dm G
Sun 22-Feb-26	Heart of Glass (Blondie, 1979)	Played in E, same key as the original: E C# C#m / A E A F# B // 47 years after it was #1, and there were still words that I didn’t know: “Lost inside, adorable illusion and I cannot hide” and “Yeah, riding high on love’s true bluish light”

Songs that reached #1 somewhere else

Date	Song (Artist, Year it reached #1)	Notes
Sun 8-Feb-26	Let’s Twist Again (Chubby Checker, 1963)	#1 in Belgium in 1963 and 1976. It’s those good old Sam Cooke chords again, played in C: C Am F G. Memories of hearing a band playing this outdoors in Spain, when I was 18. The kids in the band were all about my age, and were very inventive with most of the lyrics
Sun 22-Feb-26	Song Sung Blue (Neil Diamond, 1972)	#1 in the America. It seems simple enough, but I still mucked up the lyrics. Played in C

Songs that have not reached #1 anywhere

 

Date	Song (Artist, Year it reached #1)	Notes
Sun 8-Feb-26	God Gave Rock & Roll To You (Argent, n/a)	A great song that I hadn’t heard for a while, stumbled across it on a 5-CD set called “Driving Anthems” which we picked up for a about £3 many years ago. Just the two verses and choruses, using the original lyrics, no lengthy solos or key changes. #18 for Argent in 1973. The version by Kiss (modified lyrics) reached #4 in 1992. Chords: C G/B Am Am/G F Ab Bb C / F Bb F Bb Ab Eb G
Sun 22-Feb-26	Cosmic Dancer (T Rex, n/a)	Prompted by listening to “Electric Warrior” with my daughter, who has dug out a few of my old CDs. Like many younger people she originally became familiar with this one thanks to “Billy “”.

Running Total of all songs played at least once, without referring to chord charts or lyric sheets:

UK #1s: 222 / Non-UK #1s: 110 / Not #1 anywhere: 117 / Grand Total: 449