Record fanatic's obsessive plan to own every number one single fails after U.S. rapper Macklemore only releases song as download

Mr Wratten's collection includes the Beatles, Mr Blobby and the Teletubbies

Macklemore's recent hit Thrift Shop only made available as a download

He has spent his life collecting every number one record released over the past 61 years.

But, following huge changes in technology, record fanatic Simon Wratten has had to give up his obsession.

The company director had wanted to own every number one in the singles chart. However, that became impossible after Macklemore's recent hit Thrift Shop was only made available as a download.

Super fan: Simon Wratten from the Isle of Wight and his dog Woody surrounded by his collection of every UK number one single since the charts came into existence in 1952

Disappointed Mr Wratten , 47, who had collected more than 1,200 records, said: 'I have been beaten by technology, I am afraid. That is the way records are sold these days and my obsession is over.'

While many download singles have previously reached number one, starting with Crazy by Gnarls Barkley in 2006, they have either been released in physical form subsequently or been available as promotional or import CDs.

Mr Wratten , from Ryde, Isle of Wight, added: 'It has been getting harder and harder to get hold of physical copies of number one hits.

'Luckily I had friends who were DJs or who worked in radio stations and gave me promo copies but I could see this day approaching some way off.

Dedicated: Here in my Heart, by Al Martino, the earliest single held by Mr Wratten and right The Wonderful Land by The Shadows - Mr Wratten's favorite single in his collection

Diverse: Mr Wratten's collection includes the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Mr Blobby and the Teletubbies

'I started in 1998, the year my son was born and I thought it would be interesting to collect every number one of that year as a memento.

Thwarted: Macklemore's recent hit Thrift Shop was only made available as a download

'When that was over I thought I would try to get every chart-topper ever made and it was great fun filling the gaps.

'Hunting them all down was an obsession of sorts.

'I have to decide now if I should carry on with that missing record as a gap. I am finding it hard to let my addiction go.'

Mr Wratten's collection includes the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Mr Blobby and the Teletubbies.

His favourite is The Shadows' 1962 hit 'Wonderful Land' and the one he hates most is Westlife's 'The Rose' produced in 2006.

'I feel sorry for kids today because they will have no physical records, no chance to create a collection like mine.

'I think people like hard copies to remind them of key moments in their life, something to look back on in the years ahead.

'All those vinyl albums and their wonderful sleeves will be a thing of the past. This is all very sad for us record collectors.'

David Bowie's comeback single, Where Are We Now?, was released as a download earlier this year and quickly topped the iTunes chart.