View source for The Housemartins

{{Short description|English indie rock group}}
{{redirect|Housemartins|the bird|House martin}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{More citations needed|date=March 2009}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name             = The Housemartins
| image            = The Housemartins.jpg
| caption          = From left: Dave Hemingway, Paul Heaton, Norman Cook, Stan Cullimore
| alt              = The band looking down toward the camera
| alias            = The Fish City Five
| origin           = [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]], England
| genre            = {{hlist|[[Indie pop]]<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[Hull Daily Mail]]|title=Where iconic '80s Hull band The Housemartins are now|url=https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/celebs-tv/iconic-80s-hull-band-housemartins-5077128|last=Marshall|first=Lucy|date=3 April 2021}}</ref>|[[indie rock]]|[[jangle pop]]}}
| years_active     = 1983–1988
| label            = [[Go! Discs]], [[Elektra Records|Elektra]]
| associated_acts  = {{ubl|[[The Beautiful South]]|[[Fatboy Slim]]|[[Freak Power]]}}
| past_members     = {{ubl|[[Paul Heaton]]|[[Stan Cullimore]]|[[Dave Hemingway]]|[[Fatboy Slim|Norman Cook]]|[[Ted Key (musician)|Ted Key]]|[[Hugh Whitaker]]}}
}}

'''The Housemartins''' were an English [[indie rock]] group formed in [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]] who were active in the 1980s<ref name="The Great Rock Discography">{{cite book
| first= Martin&nbsp;C.
| last= Strong
| year= 2000
| title= The Great Rock Discography
| edition= 5th
| publisher= Mojo Books
| location= Edinburgh
| pages= 460–461
| isbn= 1-84195-017-3}}</ref> and charted three top-ten albums and six top-twenty singles in the UK.<ref name=uk/> Many of their lyrics conveyed a mixture of [[socialist]] politics and [[Christianity]], reflecting the beliefs of the band<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Musical Messages|magazine=Marxism Today|date=March 1987|pages=45–47|type=Interview}}</ref> (the back cover of their debut album, ''[[London 0 Hull 4]]'', contained the message, "Take [[Jesus]] – Take [[Marx]] – Take Hope"). The group's [[a cappella]] cover version of "[[Caravan of Love]]" (originally by [[Isley-Jasper-Isley]]) was a UK number one single in December 1986.

After breaking up in 1988, [[Paul Heaton]] and [[Dave Hemingway]] formed [[the Beautiful South]], while bassist [[Fatboy Slim|Norman Cook]] became an [[electronic dance music]] DJ and producer, founding the groups [[Beats International]], [[Pizzaman (band)|Pizzaman]], and [[Freak Power]], before rebranding himself as [[Fatboy Slim]].

==Career==
=== Formation ===
The band was formed in late 1983 by [[Paul Heaton]] (vocals, billed as "P.d. Heaton".<!-- Capitalisation "P.d." is correct, do not change this without discussion. -->) and [[Stan Cullimore]] (guitar), initially as a [[busking]] duo. The pair recorded a demo tape with Ingo Dewsnap and Sharon Green of Les Zeiga Fleurs which brought them to the attention of [[Go! Discs]]. The band often referred to themselves as "the fourth best band in Hull" - various candidates have been cited for the three better bands, including [[Red Guitars]], [[Everything but the Girl]], and the Gargoyles.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/>

With the start of the [[1984–1985 United Kingdom miners' strike|UK miners' strike]] in 1984, Heaton felt the angrier political songwriting that resulted from this required a full band lineup.<ref name=heatongrad>{{cite AV media|title=Paul Heaton: From Hull To Heatongrad|people=Claire Faragher (director)|date=2018|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHFLV9s34Ws|access-date=21 August 2024|publisher=Channel 4 Television}}</ref> The band recruited the rhythm section from fellow Hull band The Gargoyles, initially recruiting guitarist [[Ted Key (musician)|Ted Key]] on bass, who then persuaded his bandmate [[Hugh Whitaker]] to join on drums.<ref name=mojo /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://sheffieldtapearchive.bandcamp.com/album/the-gargoyles-hull-adelphi-club-1986 |title=The Gargoyles – Hull Adelphi Club 1986 |publisher=Sheffield Tape Archive |access-date=28 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/><ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnjJDYzqouI|title=Sally Bibb interviews Stan Cullimore|first=Sally|last=Bibb|date=15 Oct 2020|access-date=30 Aug 2024}}</ref> The band's first live performance as a four-piece was at [[Hull University]] in October 1984.<ref>{{cite book|last=Frame |first=Pete |year=1999 |title=Pete Frame's Rockin' Around Britain: Rock'n'roll Landmarks of the UK and Ireland |publisher= Omnibus Press |isbn=978-0711969735 |page= 204}}</ref>

=== John Peel sessions, ''London 0 Hull 4'' and "Caravan of Love" ===
Key left at the end of 1985, after recording the band's first [[John Peel]] session and the band's first single "[[Flag Day (song)|Flag Day]]", saying he felt isolated in the writing process for the band's first album.<ref name=rc /> Heaton invited Norman Cook (later known as [[Fatboy Slim]]), who had been a member of Heaton's teenage band the Stomping Pond Frogs and had played on some early Housemartins demos, to replace Key.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.prsformusic.com/m-magazine/features/norman-cook---hes-come-a-long-way-baby|title=Norman Cook – He's Come A Long Way Baby|website=PRS for Music|date=9 May 2011|first=Paul|last=Nichols|access-date=30 August 2024}}</ref><ref name=heatongrad />

In 1986, having recorded a second John Peel session, the band broke through with their third single "[[Happy Hour (The Housemartins song)|Happy Hour]]", which reached No. 3 in the [[UK Singles Chart]].<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book |first= David |last= Roberts |year= 2006 |title= British Hit Singles & Albums |edition= 19th| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited |location= London |isbn= 1-904994-10-5 |page= 261}}</ref> The single's success was helped by a [[claymation]] animated pop promo of a type that was in vogue at the time, featuring a [[Cameo appearance|cameo]] by comedian [[Phill Jupitus]], who toured with the band under his stage name of "Porky the Poet". Their debut album, ''[[London 0 Hull 4]]'', was released later in 1986 and contained their previous two singles as well as alternative versions of first single "[[Flag Day (song)|Flag Day]]" and follow-up to ''Happy Hour'', "[[Think for a Minute]]". 

At the end of 1986 they had their only UK No.&nbsp;1 single on 16 December with a cover version of [[Isley-Jasper-Isley]]'s "[[Caravan of Love]]".<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> The single was pipped to the Christmas number 1 by [[Jackie Wilson]]'s "[[Reet Petite]]", which the band later attributed to the track being pulled from the [[BBC Radio 1]] playlist following a sexual reference to the then prime minister, [[Margaret Thatcher]], and her husband [[Denis Thatcher|Denis]], made by one of the band in a radio interview.<ref name=mojo>{{cite news|title=A Casual Revolution|first=David|last=Hutcheon|date=2009|newspaper=Mojo}}</ref><ref name=rc>{{cite news|url=https://recordcollectormag.com/articles/high-flying-birds|title=High-Flying Birds|first=Jim|last=Keoghan|newspaper=Record Collector|date=6 October 2012|access-date=18 October 2024}}</ref>

"Caravan of Love" was first performed by the Housemartins in their second [[List of Peel sessions|Peel session]] in April 1986, before their initial chart success.{{cn|date=October 2023}}

=== ''The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death'' ===
Drummer [[Hugh Whitaker]] left in 1987 on amicable terms, and suggested his school friend [[Dave Hemingway]] as replacement.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/><ref name="Beautiful South Fans Housemartins Page">{{cite web |url=http://www.beautifulsouthfans.co.uk/the-housemartins.html |title=The Housemartins |work=Beautiful South and Paul Heaton Fans |access-date=28 October 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226232247/http://www.beautifulsouthfans.co.uk/the-housemartins.html |archive-date=26 December 2016 }}</ref><ref name=heatongrad /> 

The Housemartins' second album ''[[The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death]]'' was released in September 1987, and included their two previous singles "[[Five Get Over Excited]]" and "[[Me and the Farmer]]". A third single from the album, "[[Build (song)|Build]]", was released in November, and a final Peel Session from the same month provided a recording used for their final single.

=== Breakup and post-breakup activities ===
Following the release of their last single "[[There Is Always Something There to Remind Me]]" in April 1988, the Housemartins announced that the band was splitting up. A farewell compilation album, ''[[Now That's What I Call Quite Good]]'' was released later that year. 
 
The members of the band have remained in contact and have worked on each other's projects. Norman Cook has enjoyed significant success with [[Beats International]] and then as [[Fatboy Slim]], while Heaton, Hemingway and roadie [[Sean Welch]] formed [[The Beautiful South]]. 

A 2003 single called "Change the World" was credited to [[Dino Lenny]] vs The Housemartins.  It was a radically remixed dance version of the band's first single, "Flag Day", and peaked at UK #51.  The remix was done without the band's involvement.

In August 2009, ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'' magazine arranged for The Housemartins' debut album line-up (Heaton, Cullimore, Cook and Whitaker) to get together for a photo-shoot and interview, for the first time in many years, but in the interview all the members maintained that the band would not re-form.<ref name=mojo />

Cullimore became a children's author,<ref name=mojo /> and in December 2009 co-wrote songs for (and appeared in) a pre-school music series called ''[[The Bopps]]'', which first showed on [[Nick Jr. (UK & Ireland)|Nick Jr.]] in the UK in April 2010. Cullimore and Whitaker joined Heaton on stage during a show by Heaton and [[Jacqui Abbott]] in 2014 at Hull's [[The New Adelphi Club]], on the stage where the band had signed their Go-Discs record contract. The trio performed the Housemartins hit "Me and the Farmer", and Cullimore and Heaton closed the show with a performance of "Caravan of Love".<ref>{{cite news |last=Longhorn |first=Danny |url=http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Housemartins-reunite-Adelphi-Caravan-Love-Paul/story-23049884-detail/story.html |title=Housemartins reunite for Adelphi Caravan of Love as Paul Heaton joined on stage by Stan Cullimore and Hugh Whitaker |newspaper=[[Hull Daily Mail]] |date=6 October 2014 |access-date=4 November 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141010043514/http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Housemartins-reunite-Adelphi-Caravan-Love-Paul/story-23049884-detail/story.html |archive-date=10 October 2014 }}</ref>

In June 2024, Heaton performed on the [[Pyramid Stage]] at the [[Glastonbury Festival]], and was joined by Cook on bass for a performance of "Happy Hour".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mojo4music.com/articles/stories/paul-heaton-at-glastonbury-review/|title=Paul Heaton At Glastonbury Review: Norman Cook joins Housemartins bandmate for heart-stirring set|work=[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]|first=Andy|last=Fyfe|date=29 June 2024|access-date=9 August 2024}}</ref>

==Musical style and lyrics==
The band's early releases saw them described as [[jangle pop]], which brought comparisons with bands such as [[The Smirks]], [[The Smiths]] and [[Aztec Camera]].<ref name="Cooper">{{cite book|last1=Cooper |first1=Kim |last2=Smay|first2= David |year=2004 |title=Lost in the Grooves: Scram's Capricious Guide to the Music You Missed |publisher=Routledge  |isbn=978-0415969987}}</ref><ref name="Fletcher">{{cite book|last=Fletcher |first=Tony |year=2012 |title=A Light that Never Goes Out: The Enduring Saga of The Smiths |publisher=William Heinemann Ltd |isbn=978-0434022182 |page=548}}</ref> [[David Quantick]], writing for ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'', described them in 1986 as playing "traditional '60s-style guitar pop overlaid with soul vocals".<ref name="Quantick">{{cite magazine|last=Quantick |first=David |title= Blinded by Gospel |magazine=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] |date= December 1986 |page= [https://books.google.com/books?id=FL-rqqrDxb8C&dq=%22the+housemartins%22&pg=PA16 16] <!--|accessdate= 15 July 2013-->}}</ref> Cook described the band as "religious, but not Christians", and the band's repertoire included gospel songs.<ref name="Cooper" /><ref name="Quantick" />

Many of the band's lyrics have [[socialism|socialist]] themes, with Cook stating that "Paul realised that he hated writing about love...and that writing politically came easier to him", describing some of their songs as "angrily political".<ref name="Quantick" /><ref name="Lamie">{{cite book|last=Lamie |first=Maria |title=The Rough Guide to Rock – The Housemartins |editor-last=Buckley |editor-first=Peter  |year=2003 |series=Rough Guides |isbn=978-1843531050 |pages= 509–510}}</ref>

==Band members==
===Final lineup===
* [[Paul Heaton]] – vocals, harmonica, guitar, trombone (1983–1988)
* [[Stan Cullimore]] – guitar, vocals (1983–1988)
* [[Fatboy Slim|Norman Cook]] – bass, vocals (1985–1988)
* [[Dave Hemingway]] – drums, vocals (1987–1988)

===Former members===
* [[Ted Key (musician)|Ted Key]] – bass, vocals (1984–1985)
* [[Hugh Whitaker]] – drums, vocals (1985–1987)

===Timeline===
{{#tag:timeline|
ImageSize  = width:750 height:auto barincrement:18
PlotArea   = left:100 bottom:100 top:10 right:60
Alignbars  = justify
DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
Period     = from:01/01/1983 till:01/05/1988
TimeAxis   = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1983
ScaleMajor = increment:1 start:1983
Legend     = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4

Colors =
 id:vocal1    value:red           legend:Vocals
 id:vocal2    value:pink          legend:Backing_vocals
 id:guitar     value:green         legend:Guitar
 id:bass       value:blue          legend:Bass
 id:drums      value:orange        legend:Drums
 id:bars       value:gray(0.95)
 id:studio     value:black         legend:Studio_album

BackgroundColors = bars:bars

LineData =
 at:01/06/1986 color:black layer:back
 at:01/09/1987 color:black layer:back

BarData =
 bar:Paul    text:"Paul Heaton"
 bar:Stan          text:"Stan Cullimore"
 bar:Ted          text:"Ted Key"
 bar:Norman    text:"Norman Cook"
 bar:Hugh   text:"Hugh Whitaker"
 bar:Dave    text:"Dave Hemingway"

PlotData =
 width:11
 bar:Paul    from:start till:end  color:vocal1
 bar:Stan    from:start till:end  color:guitar
 bar:Stan    from:start till:end  color:vocal2 width:3
 bar:Ted    from:01/10/1984 till:01/12/1985  color:bass
 bar:Ted    from:01/10/1984 till:01/12/1985  color:vocal2 width:3
 bar:Norman    from:01/12/1985 till:end  color:bass
 bar:Norman    from:01/12/1985 till:end  color:vocal2 width:3
 bar:Hugh    from:01/10/1984 till:01/01/1987  color:drums
 bar:Hugh    from:01/10/1984 till:01/01/1987  color:vocal2 width:3
 bar:Dave    from:01/01/1987 till:end  color:drums
 bar:Dave    from:01/01/1987 till:end  color:vocal2 width:3
 }}

==Discography==
===Albums===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left;"
|-
!rowspan="2"| Year
!rowspan="2" style="width:210px;"| Album details
!colspan="6"| Peak chart positions
!rowspan="2"| [[Music recording sales certification|Certifications]]

|-
!style="width:2.5em;font-size:85%"| [[UK Album Chart|UK]]<br /><ref name=uk>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/23094/housemartins/|title=Official Charts > Housemartins|publisher=[[Official Charts Company|The Official UK Charts Company]]|access-date=1 April 2016}}</ref>
!style="width:2.5em;font-size:85%"| [[Kent Music Report|AUS]]<br /><ref name=aus/>
!style="width:2.5em;font-size:85%"| [[Recording Industry Association of New Zealand|NZL]]<br />
!style="width:2.5em;font-size:85%"| [[Sverigetopplistan|SWE]]<br />
!style="width:2.5em;font-size:85%"| [[VG-lista|NOR]]<br />
!style="width:2.5em;font-size:85%"| [[Billboard 200|US]]<br /><ref name="stephenthomaserlewine">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-housemartins-mn0000078886/awards|title=The Housemartins|first=Stephen Thomas |last=Erlewine|work=AllMusic|access-date=22 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120621053800/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-housemartins-mn0000078886/awards|archive-date=21 June 2012}}</ref>
|-
| 1986
| ''[[London 0 Hull 4]]''
* Released: October 1986
* Label: [[Go! Discs]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 35
| style="text-align:center;"| 21
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 9
| style="text-align:center;"| 124
|
* [[British Phonographic Industry|BPI]]: Platinum<ref name=bpi>{{cite certification|region=United Kingdom|artist=Housemartins|access-date=8 June 2024}}</ref>
|-
| 1987
| ''[[The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death]]''
* Released: September 1987
* Label: Go! Discs
| style="text-align:center;"| 9
| style="text-align:center;"| 56
| style="text-align:center;"| 34
| style="text-align:center;"| 25
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| 177
|
* BPI: Gold<ref name=bpi/>
|-
| colspan="9" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart.
|}

===Compilation albums===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! style="width:2.5em;font-size:85%"| [[UK Album Charts|UK]]<br /><ref name=uk/>
! Certifications
! Record label
|-
| 1986
| ''The Housemartins Christmas Box Set''
| align=center | 84
|
| 
|-
| 1988
| ''[[Now That's What I Call Quite Good]]''
| align=center | 8
|
* BPI: Gold<ref name=bpi/>
| [[Go! Discs]]
|-
| 2004
| ''The Best of the Housemartins''
| align=center | 29
|
* BPI: Silver<ref name=bpi/>
| Go! Discs/[[Mercury Records|Mercury]]
|-
| 2006
| ''[[Live at the BBC (The Housemartins album)|Live at the BBC]]''
| align=center | ―
|
| [[Universal Music Group|Universal]]
|-
| 2007
| ''[[Soup (The Housemartins and The Beautiful South album)|Soup]]''
| align=center | 15
|
* BPI: 2× Platinum<ref name=bpi/>
| Mercury
|-
| colspan="5" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart.
|}

===Singles===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! rowspan="2" style="width:1em;" | Year
! rowspan="2" | Title
! colspan="9" | Peak chart positions
! rowspan="2" | Certifications
! rowspan="2" | Album
|-
!style="width:2.5em;font-size:85%"| [[UK Singles Chart|UK]]<br /><ref name=uk/>
!style="width:2.5em;font-size:85%"| [[Official New Zealand Music Chart|NZL]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|title=THE HOUSEMARTINS IN NEW ZEALAND CHARTS|url=https://charts.nz/showinterpret.asp?interpret=The+Housemartins|work=charts.nz|publisher=Hung Medien|access-date=25 December 2013}}</ref> 
!style="width:2.5em;font-size:85%"| [[Dutch Top 40|NLD]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|title=THE HOUSEMARTINS IN DUTCH CHARTS|url=http://dutchcharts.nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=The+Housemartins|work=Dutchcharts.nl|publisher=Hung Medien|access-date=25 December 2013}}</ref> 
!style="width:2.5em;font-size:85%"| [[Ultratop|BEL]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|title=DISCOGRAFIE THE HOUSEMARTINS|url=http://www.ultratop.be/nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=The+Housemartins|work=Ultratop|publisher=Hung Medien|access-date=25 December 2013}}</ref> 
!style="width:2.5em;font-size:85%"| [[Swiss Music Charts|SWI]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|title=THE HOUSEMARTINS IN DER SCHWEIZER HITPARADE|url=http://hitparade.ch/showinterpret.asp?interpret=The+Housemartins|work=Hitparade.ch|publisher=Hung Medien|access-date=25 December 2013}}</ref> 
!style="width:2.5em;font-size:85%"| [[Ö3 Austria Top 40|AUT]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|title=THE HOUSEMARTINS IN DER ÖSTERREICHISCHEN HITPARADE|url=http://austriancharts.at/showinterpret.asp?interpret=The+Housemartins|work=Austriancharts.at|publisher=Hung Medien|access-date=25 December 2013}}</ref> 
!style="width:2.5em;font-size:85%"| [[Sverigetopplistan|SWE]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|title=THE HOUSEMARTINS IN SWEDISH CHARTS|url=http://swedishcharts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=The+Housemartins|work=Swedishcharts.com|publisher=Hung Medien|access-date=25 December 2013}}</ref> 
!style="width:2.5em;font-size:85%"| [[VG-lista|NOR]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|title=THE HOUSEMARTINS IN NORWEGIAN CHARTS|url=http://norwegiancharts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=The+Housemartins|work=Norwegiancharts.com|publisher=Hung Medien|access-date=25 December 2013}}</ref> 
!style="width:2.5em;font-size:85%"| [[Kent Music Report|AUS]]<br /><ref name=aus>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St. Ives, New South Wales|year=1993|edition=Illustrated|page=142|isbn=0-646-11917-6}} N.B. the Kent Report chart was licensed by [[Australian Recording Industry Association|ARIA]] between mid 1983 and 19 June 1988.</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Australian chart positions pre 1989|url=http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=34759|website=Australian-charts.com|access-date=18 March 2014}}</ref>
|-
| 1985
| "[[Flag Day (The Housemartins song)|Flag Day]]"
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|
| rowspan="4" | ''London 0 Hull 4''
|-
| rowspan="4" | 1986
| "[[Sheep (The Housemartins song)|Sheep]]"
| style="text-align:center;"| 56
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| 97
|
|-
| "[[Happy Hour (The Housemartins song)|Happy Hour]]"
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 38
| style="text-align:center;"| 25
| style="text-align:center;"| 23
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|
* BPI: Gold<ref name=bpi/>
|-
| "[[Think for a Minute]]"
| style="text-align:center;"| 18
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|
|-
| "[[Caravan of Love (Single)#The Housemartins version|Caravan of Love]]"
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 5
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 7
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 24
|
* BPI: Gold<ref name=bpi/>
| Non-album single
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1987
| "[[Five Get Over Excited]]"
| style="text-align:center;"| 11
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| 96
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|
| rowspan="3" | ''The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death''
|-
| "[[Me and the Farmer]]"
| style="text-align:center;"| 15
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|
|-
| "[[Build (song)|Build]]"
| style="text-align:center;"| 15
| style="text-align:center;"| 41
| style="text-align:center;"| 65
| style="text-align:center;"| 27
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|
|-
| 1988
| "[[There Is Always Something There to Remind Me]]"
| style="text-align:center;"| 35
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|
| ''Now That's What I Call Quite Good''
|-
| 2003
| "Change the World" <small>(as [[Dino Lenny]] vs The Housemartins)</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| 51
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|
| Non-album single
|-
| colspan="13" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
|}

==Videography==
''(does not include "live" appearances on TV programmes)''
* "Sheep"
* "Happy Hour"
* "Think for a Minute"
* "Caravan of Love"
* "Five Get Over Excited"
* "Me and the Farmer"
* "Build"
* "There Is Always Something There to Remind Me"
* "We're Not Deep"

==Biography==
* {{cite book|title=The Housemartins: Now That's What I Call Quite Good |first= Nick |last=Swift |year=1988 |publisher= Tales from Humberside |isbn=0-7119-1517-2}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{YouTube|u=GoDiscsRecords|{{PAGENAMEBASE}}|suffix='}}

{{The Housemartins|state=expanded}}
{{Paul Heaton}}
{{Fatboy Slim}}
{{Brit British Breakthrough}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Housemartins, The}}
[[Category:Brit Award winners]]
[[Category:Chrysalis Records artists]]
[[Category:Go! Discs Records artists]]
[[Category:Elektra Records artists]]
[[Category:English indie rock groups]]
[[Category:English indie pop groups]]
[[Category:English jangle pop groups]]
[[Category:English Christian socialists]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1988]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1983]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Kingston upon Hull]]
[[Category:British political music groups]]