Here’s a list of the songs that I performed in public for the first time during September 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.
Until March 2026 I played most Sundays at an afternoon session, an ideal place to try out new stuff. Since then I have been playing less often, and only learning a few new songs per month. I am keeping my “streaks” going, but during September 2026 (as in the two previous months) I only managed one song from each of these repertoires. That’s the lowest number since November 2023, the last month when I did not play any new songs in public.
Songs that reached #1 in the UK
| Date | Song (Artist, Year it reached #1) | Notes |
| Wed 16-Sep-2026 | We Can Work It Out (Beatles, 1965) | At an event earlier this month, playing only #1s, someone asked for “something by the Beatles”. I hadn’t played any of their UK #1s recently and nothing straightforward came to mind. I decided to add this one to my repertoire, partly because Stevie Wonder covered it (#27 in 1971). The day I learnt it (Sat 12-Sep-2026) it was featured in “Chaka Khan at the BBC”, a performance from 1975. The show is available on the BBC iPlayer until Mon 14-Oct-2026. Played in the original key: D D4 D C / G D G A / Bridge: Bm Bm7 G F# |
Songs that reached #1 somewhere else
| Date | Song (Artist, Year it reached #1) | Notes |
| Wed 16-Sep-2026 | Bobby’s Girl [Bobby’s Guy] (Marcie Blane, 1962) | #1 in Sweden / Sung as “Bobby’s Guy”, in C / I wrote about why I like the song here, in January 2018 |
Songs that have not reached #1 anywhere
| Date | Song (Artist, Year it reached #1) | Notes |
| Wed 16-Sep-2026 | Coat of Many Colours (Dolly Parton, n/a) | In honour of the late Dolly Parton, who left the scene on 25 August / Played in C (with a key change to D after the first chorus) and without blubbing |
Running Total of all songs played at least once, without referring to chord charts or lyric sheets:
UK #1s: 229 / Non-UK #1s: 119 / Not #1 anywhere: 125 / Grand Total: 473
