List of UK top-ten singles in 1953 explained

The UK Singles Chart is one of many music charts compiled by the Official Charts Company that calculates the best-selling singles of the week in the United Kingdom.[1] Before 2004, the chart was only based on the sales of physical singles.[2] [3] New Musical Express (NME) magazine had published the United Kingdom record charts for the first time in 1952.[4] [5] [6] NME originally published only a top 12 (although the first chart had a couple of singles that were tied so a top 15 was announced) but this was gradually extended to encompass a top 20 by October 1954.[7] [8] [9] This list shows singles that peaked in the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart during 1953, as well as singles which peaked in 1952 and 1954 but were in the top 10 in 1953. The entry date is when the single appeared in the top 10 for the first time (week ending, as published by the Official Charts Company, which is six days after the chart is announced).

Seventy-nine singles were in the top 10 in 1953. Sixteen singles from 1952 remained in the top 10 for several weeks at the beginning of the year, while "Oh Mein Papa" by Eddie Calvert, "Chicka Boom" by Guy Mitchell and "Let's Have a Party" by Winifred Atwell were all released in 1953 but did not reach their peak until 1954. "You Belong to Me" by Jo Stafford, "Comes A-Long A-Love" by Kay Starr, "Takes Two to Tango" by Louis Armstrong, "Cowpuncher's Cantata" by Max Bygraves, "Walkin' to Missouri" by Tony Brent and "Britannia Rag" by Winifred Atwell were the singles from 1952 to reach their peak in 1953. Seventeen artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1953. David Whitfield, Dean Martin, Eddie Fisher and Perry Como were among the many artists who achieved their first UK charting top 10 single in 1953.

The 1952 Christmas number-one, "Here in My Heart" by Al Martino, remained at number-one for the first three weeks of 1953. The first new number-one single of the year was "You Belong to Me" by Jo Stafford. Overall, thirteen different singles peaked at number-one in 1953, with Frankie Laine (3) having the most singles hit that position.

Background

Multiple entries

Eighty singles charted in the top 10 in 1953, with sixty-three singles reaching their peak this year. Eleven songs were recorded by several artists with each version reaching the top 10:

Seventeen artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1953. American Frankie Laine secured the record for most top 10 hits in 1953 with eight hit singles.

David Whitfield was one of a number of artists with two top 10 entries, including the number-one single "Answer Me". Al Martino, Dickie Valentine, Mantovani, Ted Heath & His Music and Tony Brent were among the other artists who had multiple top 10 entries in 1953.

Chart debuts

Thirty-eight artists achieved their first top 10 single in 1953, either as a lead or featured artist. Of these, three went on to record another hit single that year: Billy Cotton and His Band, Frank Chacksfield and Jimmy Boyd. David Whitfield, Dickie Valentine and Ted Heath & His Music all peaked in the top ten with two more songs. Eddie Fisher had four other entries in his breakthrough year.

The following table (collapsed on desktop site) does not include acts who had previously charted as part of a group and secured their first top 10 solo single.

ArtistNumber of top 10sFirst entryChart positionOther entries
Max Bygraves1"Cowpuncher's Cantata" 6
Eddie Fisher5"Outside of Heaven"1"Everything I Have Is Yours" (8), "Downhearted" (3), "I'm Walking Behind You" (1), "Wish You Were Here" (8)
Winifred Atwell1"Britannia Rag"5
The Mills Brothers1"The Glow-Worm"10
Perry Como1"Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes"1
Ted Heath & His Music2"Hot Toddy"6 "Dragnet" (9)
1"Broken Wings"1
Art and Dotty Todd1"Broken Wings"6
Dickie Valentine2"All the Time and Everywhere"9"In a Golden Coach (There's a Heart of Gold)" (7)
Danny Kaye1"Wonderful Copenhagen"5
Lita Roza1"(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?"1
Patti Page1"(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?"9
1"Oh Happy Day"4
Frank Chacksfield2"Little Red Monkey"10"Terry's Theme from Limelight" (2)
Billy Cotton & His Band1"In a Golden Coach (There's a Heart of Gold)"3
Jimmy Boyd2"Tell Me a Story"5"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" (3)
Muriel Smith1"Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me"3
Ron Goodwin1"Terry's Theme from Limelight"3
Sally Sweetland1"I'm Walking Behind You"1
Gisele MacKenzie1"Seven Lonely Days"6
June Hutton1"Say You're Mine Again"6
Axel Stordahl
Jimmy Young1"Eternally" 8
Dean Martin1"Kiss"5
David Whitfield2"The Bridge of Sighs"9"Answer Me" (1)
Diana Decker1"Poppa Piccolino (Papaveri e papere)"10
Les Paul1Vaya con Dios"7
Mary Ford
Lee Lawrence1"Crying in the Chapel"7
1"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"6
Ray Anthony and His Orchestra1"Dragnet"7
Joan Regan1"Ricochet"8
Eddie Calvert1"Oh Mein Papa" 1

Songs from films

Original songs from various films entered the top 10 throughout the year. These included "Terry's Theme" (from Limelight), "The Song from the Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart)" (Moulin Rouge), "Swedish Rhapsody" (The Stranger Left No Card) and "Chicka Boom" (Those Redheads from Seattle).

Best-selling singles

Until 1970 there was no universally recognised year-end best-sellers list. However, in 2011 the Official Charts Company released a list of the best-selling single of each year in chart history from 1952 to date. According to the list, "I Believe" by Frankie Laine is officially recorded as the biggest-selling single of 1953.

Top-ten singles

Key
SymbolMeaning
bgcolor=lightblueSingle peaked in 1952 but still in chart in 1953.
Single released in 1953 but peaked in 1954.
(#)Year-end best-selling single.
EnteredThe date that the single first appeared in the chart.
PeakHighest position that the single reached in the UK Singles Chart.
Entered
(week ending)
Weeks
in
top
10
SingleArtistPeakPeak reached
(week ending)
Weeks
at
peak
Singles in 1952
16"Here in My Heart" ‡ Al Martino19
16"You Belong to Me" Jo Stafford11
6"Somewhere Along the Way" ‡Nat King Cole31
11"Isle of Innisfree" ‡Bing Crosby33
10"Feet Up (Pat Him on the Po-Po)" ‡Guy Mitchell21
9"Half as Much" ‡Rosemary Clooney33
6 "Forget Me Not" ‡ Vera Lynn51
7"Sugar Bush" ‡ Doris Day & Frankie Laine83
22"Because You're Mine" ‡Mario Lanza33
14"Comes A-Long A-Love" Kay Starr11
3"White Christmas" ‡Mantovani62
3"Because You're Mine" ‡ Nat King Cole62
3"Faith Can Move Mountains" ‡ Johnnie Ray & The Four Lads72
2"Silent Night, Holy Night" ‡Bing Crosby82
10"Takes Two to Tango" Louis Armstrong61
4"Walkin' to Missouri" Tony Brent71
Singles in 1953
6"Cowpuncher's Cantata" Max Bygraves61
15"Outside of Heaven" Eddie Fisher11
3"Britannia Rag"Winifred Atwell51
1"The Glow-Worm"The Mills Brothers101
4"Make It Soon" Tony Brent93
15"Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes" Perry Como & The Ramblers15
12"Now"Al Martino32
3"Everything I Have Is Yours"Eddie Fisher81
1"Faith Can Move Mountains"Nat King Cole101
14"She Wears Red Feathers"Guy Mitchell14
5"Broken Wings"Art and Dotty Todd62
10"Wonderful Copenhagen"Danny Kaye51
9"Broken Wings" 11
11"(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?"Lita Roza11
2"All the Time and Everywhere"Dickie Valentine91
2"(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?"Patti Page92
8"Oh Happy Day"42
1"Little Red Monkey"Frank Chacksfield's Tunesmiths101
5"Somebody Stole My Gal" Johnnie Ray62
35"I Believe" (#1)Frankie Laine118
9"Pretty Little Black Eyed Susie"Guy Mitchell21
3"Side by Side"Kay Starr71
18"Pretend"Nat King Cole25
14"Downhearted"Eddie Fisher32
12"Tell Me a Story" Jimmy Boyd & Frankie Laine52
7"In a Golden Coach (There's a Heart of Gold)"Billy Cotton & His Band31
17"I'm Walking Behind You" Eddie Fisher with Sally Sweetland11
15"Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me"Muriel Smith34
23"Terry's Theme from Limelight"Frank Chacksfield28
22"The Song from the Moulin Rouge" Mantovani11
2"Coronation Rag"Winifred Atwell51
1"In a Golden Coach (There's a Heart of Gold)"Dickie Valentine71
18"Terry's Theme from Limelight"Ron Goodwin32
2"Rachel" Al Martino102
8"Hot Toddy"Ted Heath & His Music62
13"Let's Walk That-a-Way"Doris Day & Johnnie Ray47
5"Say You're Mine Again" June Hutton & Axel Stordahl with The Boys Next Door61
5"Can't I?" Nat King Cole62
3"Eternally"Jimmy Young81
3"Seven Lonely Days" Gisele MacKenzie61
14"Look at That Girl" Guy Mitchell16
10"Where the Winds Blow"Frankie Laine21
5"Mother Nature and Father Time"Nat King Cole71
7"Kiss"Dean Martin51
1"The Bridge of Sighs"David Whitfield91
1"Flirtation Waltz"Winifred Atwell101
8"Hey Joe!" Frankie Laine12
17"Swedish Rhapsody" Mantovani22
12"Answer Me" David Whitfield12
9"Poppa Piccolino" Diana Decker21
17"Answer Me"Frankie Laine18
14"Chicka Boom" ♦Guy Mitchell41
4"Vaya con Dios"Les Paul & Mary Ford71
2"Wish You Were Here"Eddie Fisher81
6"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" Jimmy Boyd31
1"Dragnet"Ted Heath & His Music91
1"Dragnet"Ray Anthony & His Orchestra71
9"Let's Have a Party" ♦Winifred Atwell21
4"Swedish Rhapsody" Ray Martin43
4"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"61
5"Crying in the Chapel"Lee Lawrence71
3"Ricochet"Joan Regan with The Squadronaires81
20"Oh Mein Papa" ♦Eddie Calvert19

Entries by artist

The following table shows artists who achieved two or more top 10 entries in 1953, including singles that reached their peak in 1952 or 1954. The figures include both main artists and featured artists, while appearances on ensemble charity records are also counted for each artist. The total number of weeks an artist spent in the top 10 in 1953 is also shown.

EntriesArtistWeeksSingles
681"Answer Me", "Hey Joe!", "I Believe", "Sugar Bush", "Tell Me a Story", "Where the Winds Blow"
55"Chicka Boom", "Cloud Lucky Seven", "Feet Up", "Look at That Girl", "Pretty Little Black Eyed Susie", "She Wears Red Feathers"
41"Because You're Mine", "Can't I?", "Faith Can Move Mountains", "Mother Nature and Father Time", "Pretend", "Somewhere Along the Way"
5Eddie Fisher45"Downhearted", "Everything I Have Is Yours", "I'm Walking Behind You", "Outside of Heaven", "Wish You Were Here"
418"Britannia Rag", "Coronation Rag", "Flirtation Waltz", "Let's Have a Party"
329"Here in My Heart", "Now", "Rachel"
23"Faith Can Move Mountains", "Let's Walk That-a-Way", "Somebody Stole My Gal"
35"Swedish Rhapsody", "The Song from the Moulin Rouge", "White Christmas"
27"Isle of Innisfree", "Silent Night, Holy Night"
13"Answer Me", "The Bridge of Sighs"
Dickie Valentine5"All the Time and Everywhere", "In a Golden Coach (There's a Heart of Gold)"
Doris Day16"Let's Walk That-a-Way", "Sugar Bush"
Frank Chacksfield27"Little Red Monkey", "Terry's Theme from Limelight"
Jimmy Boyd21"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", "Tell Me a Story"
17"Comes A-Long A-Love", "Side by Side"
Ted Heath & His Music17"Dragnet", "Hot Toddy"
14"Make It Soon", "Walkin' to Missouri"

Notes

See also

References

General

Specific

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Official UK Charts Company . . 1 January 2012.
  2. Book: Roberts, David. Guinness World Records: British Hit Singles and Albums (18th edition). 2005. 1-904994-00-8. 14. Guinness World Records Limited.
  3. Web site: New singles formats to save the charts. BBC News. 16 October 2003 . 21 February 2010.
  4. Web site: The Story of the Single . . 23 March 2001 . 19 May 2010.
  5. Web site: 'The Godfather' singer Al Martino dies . . 14 October 2009 . 22 May 2010.
  6. Web site: Key dates in the history of the Official UK Charts . Official Charts Company. 22 May 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080110032725/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/company_history.php . 10 January 2008 . unfit .
  7. Web site: Top 10 chart starts to sound a little off-key . . 17 January 2005 . 19 May 2010.
  8. Web site: [//www.theofficialcharts.com/history_first-chart.php First ever top 12: 14 November 1952 ]. Official Charts Company. 22 May 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080110144452/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/history_first-chart.php . 10 January 2008 . dead .
  9. Web site: [//www.theofficialcharts.com/history_first-top20.php First ever top 20: 01 October 1954 ]. Official Charts Company. 22 May 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080110144457/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/history_first-top20.php . 10 January 2008 . dead .