The UK Singles Chart is the official record chart in the United Kingdom. Record charts in the UK began life in 1952 when Percy Dickins from New Musical Express (NME) imitated an idea started in American Billboard magazine and began compiling a hit parade. Prior to this, a song's popularity was measured by the sales of sheet music.[1] [2] Initially, Dickins telephoned a sample of around 20 shops asking for a list of the 10 best-selling songs. These results were then aggregated to give a Top 12 chart published in NME on 14 November 1952.[1] [2] The number-one single was "Here in My Heart" by Al Martino.
According to The Official Charts Company and Guinness' British Hit Singles & Albums, the NME is considered the official British singles chart before 10 March 1960.[3] However, until 15 February 1969, when the British Market Research Bureau chart was established, there was no universally accepted chart. Other charts existed and different artists may have placed at number one in charts by Record Mirror, Disc or Melody Maker. Alternatively, some considered the BBC's Pick of the Pops, which averaged all these charts, to be a better indicator of the number-one single.[2]
In terms of number-one singles, Frankie Laine, Guy Mitchell and Elvis Presley were the most successful artists of the 1950s, having four singles reach the top spot. The longest duration of a single at number one was eighteen weeks, achieved by Frankie Laine's "I Believe". "I Believe" still holds the record for the most non-consecutive weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart.[4] It is believed that the three best-selling records of the decade – Bill Haley & His Comets' "Rock Around the Clock", Paul Anka's "Diana" and Harry Belafonte's "Mary's Boy Child" – all sold over one million copies.[5] [6]
| scope=row style="background-color:#FFFF99" | † | Best-selling single of the year[7] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| scope=row style="background-color:lightblue" | ‡ | Best-selling single of the decade | |
| scope=row style="background-color:lightgreen; white-space:nowrap" | [nb #] | The song spent a week at number one where it shared the top spot with another song. |
| scope=col | scope=col | Artist | scope=col | Single | scope=col | Record label | scope=col | Week starting date | scope=col | Weeks at number one | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6 | |||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | "Here in My Heart" | 9 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6 | |||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | "You Belong to Me" | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | "Comes A-Long A-Love" | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | "Outside of Heaven" | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Perry Como | "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes" | 5 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | "She Wears Red Feathers" | 4 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | "Broken Wings" | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 1 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | "I Believe" † | 9 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 10 | with Sally Sweetland | "I'm Walking Behind You" | 1 | |||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | "I Believe" † | 6 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 11 | "" | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | "I Believe" † | 3 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 12 | "Look at That Girl" | 6 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 13 | "Hey Joe" | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 14 | "Answer Me" | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 15 | "Answer Me" | 8 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | "Answer Me" | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6 | |||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 16 | "Oh Mein Papa" | 9 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 17 | "I See the Moon" | 5 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 18 | "Secret Love" † | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | "I See the Moon" | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 19 | "Such a Night" | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | "Secret Love" † | 8 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 20 | with Mantovani and his Orchestra | "Cara Mia" | 10 | |||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 21 | "Little Things Mean a Lot" | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 22 | "Three Coins in the Fountain" | 3 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 23 | "Hold My Hand" | 4 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 24 | "My Son, My Son" | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | "Hold My Hand" | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 25 | "This Ole House" | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 26 | "Let's Have Another Party" | 5 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6 | |||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 27 | with the Stargazers | "" | 1 | |||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 28 | "Mambo Italiano" | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | with the Stargazers | "" | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | "Mambo Italiano" | 2 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 29 | "Softly, Softly" | 3 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 30 | "Give Me Your Word" | 7 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 31 | Pérez Prado and his Orchestra | "Cherry Pink (and Apple Blossom White)" | 2 | |||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 32 | "Stranger in Paradise" | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 33 | "Cherry Pink (and Apple Blossom White)" | 4 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 34 | "Unchained Melody" | 3 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 35 | "Dreamboat" | HMV | 2 | |||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 36 | "Rose Marie" † | 11 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 37 | "" | 4 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 38 | "Hernando's Hideaway" | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 39 | "Rock Around the Clock" ‡ | 3 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 40 | "Christmas Alphabet" | 3 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6 | |||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | "Rock Around the Clock" ‡ | 2 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 41 | "Sixteen Tons" | 4 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 42 | "Memories Are Made of This" | 4 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 43 | "It's Almost Tomorrow" | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 44 | "Rock and Roll Waltz" | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | "It's Almost Tomorrow" | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 45 | "" | 3 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 46 | "No Other Love" | 6 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 47 | "I'll Be Home" † | 5 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 48 | The Teenagers | "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" | 3 | |||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 49 | "Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)" | 6 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 50 | "Lay Down Your Arms" | 4 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 51 | "" | 4 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 52 | "Just Walking in the Rain" | 7 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6 | |||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 53 | "Singing the Blues" | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 54 | Tommy Steele | "Singing the Blues" | 1 | |||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | "Singing the Blues" | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 55 | "" | 4 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | "Singing the Blues" | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 56 | "Young Love" | 7 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 57 | "Cumberland Gap" | 5 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 58 | "Rock-a-Billy" | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 59 | "Butterfly" | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 60 | "Yes Tonight Josephine" | 3 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 61 | "Gamblin' Man" / "Puttin' On the Style" | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 62 | "All Shook Up" | 7 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 63 | "Diana" † | 9 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 64 | "That'll Be the Day" | 3 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 65 | "Mary's Boy Child" | 7 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6 | |||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 66 | "Great Balls of Fire" | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 67 | "Jailhouse Rock" † | 3 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 68 | "" | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 69 | "Magic Moments" | 8 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 70 | "Whole Lotta Woman" | 3 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 71 | "Who's Sorry Now" | 6 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 72 | "On the Street Where You Live" | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 73 | "All I Have to Do Is Dream" / "Claudette" | 7 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 74 | "When" | 5 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 75 | "Stupid Cupid" / "Carolina Moon" | 6 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 76 | "It's All in the Game" | 3 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 77 | "Hoots Mon" | 3 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 78 | "It's Only Make Believe" | 5 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6 | |||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 79 | "" | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 80 | "One Night" / "I Got Stung" | 3 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 81 | Shirley Bassey | "As I Love You" | 4 | |||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 82 | "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 83 | "Side Saddle" | 4 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 84 | "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" | 3 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 85 | "A Fool Such as I" / "I Need Your Love Tonight" | 5 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 86 | "Roulette" | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 87 | "Dream Lover" | 4 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 88 | Cliff Richard and the Drifters | "Living Doll" † | 6 | |||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 89 | "Only Sixteen" | 4 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 90 | "Here Comes Summer" | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 91 | "Mack the Knife" | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 92 | Cliff Richard and the Shadows | "Travellin' Light" | 5 | |||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 93 | "What Do You Want?" | 3 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 94 | "What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?" | 6 |
The following artists achieved three or more number-one hits during the 1950s. Artists Frankie Laine, Guy Mitchell and Elvis Presley were the most successful acts of the decade in terms of number-one singles, each having four singles reach the top of the chart. In total, Laine spent 32 weeks occupying the top of chart in the 1950s; the next highest was Presley who spent a total of 18 weeks at number one.
| scope=col | Artist | scope=col | Number ones | scope=col | Weeks at number one |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| scope=row | 4 | 32 | |||
| scope=row | 4 | 18 | |||
| scope=row | 4 | 14 | |||
| scope=row | 3 | 11 | |||
| scope=row | The Stargazers | 3 | 10 |
The following record labels had five or more number ones on the UK Singles Chart during the 1950s.
| scope=col | Record label | scope=col | Number ones |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philips | 19 | ||
| Decca | 15 | ||
| Columbia | 13 | ||
| London | 10 | ||
| HMV | 7 | ||
| Capitol | 6 | ||
| RCA | 6 | ||
| MGM | 5 | ||