Number One with a Bullet

Posted by Bruce Kahl on April 17, 2005

In Reply to: Number One with a Bullet posted by Aaron on April 17, 2005

: I'm curious as to what the phrase "Number One with a Bullet" means.

: I know that it is the title of a movie and maybe others? I seem to encounter this phrase often now in music - as "I'll be your Number One with a Bullet", I have no idea what that means, just curious. Help me out please.

Just a guess.

At one time ( and maybe still to this day ) there would be a listing in Billboard Magazine of the top 500 singles of music.

If a particular song was quickly becoming a hit and was selling a good quantity of product the editors of Billboard would put a bullet icon in front of the listing to indicate a soon-to-be hit.

Once a song hit #1 then it lost it's bullet having achieved the top position.

A number one with a bullet really did not exist but it seems to mean the super best of the best.