This article relies largely or entirely on a single source .(April 2020) |
Billboard Hot 100 & Best Sellers in Stores number-one singles by decade |
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Before August 1958 |
After August 1958 |
Billboard number-one singles chart (which preceded the Billboard Hot 100 chart), which was updated weekly by the Billboard magazine, was the main singles chart of the American music industry since 1940 and until the Billboard Hot 100 chart was established in 1958.
Before the Billboard Hot 100 chart was established in August 1958, which was based on a formula combining sales data of commercially available singles and airplay on American radio stations, the Billboard used to publish several song popularity charts weekly. Throughout most of the 1940s the magazine published the following three charts:
The list below includes the Best Selling Singles chart only.
Contents |
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The following artists achieved three or more number-one hits from 1940 to 1949. A number of artists had number-one singles on their own, as well as part of a collaboration.
Artist | Number-one hits |
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Bing Crosby | 9 |
Jimmy Dorsey | 7 |
Glenn Miller | 7 |
Harry James | 5 |
Perry Como | 5 |
Sammy Kaye | 4 |
Freddy Martin | 4 |
Vaughn Monroe | 3 |
Tommy Dorsey | 3 |
Ink Spots | 3 |
The following artists were featured at the top of the chart for the highest total number of weeks from 1940 to 1949.
Artist | Weeks at number-one |
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Bing Crosby | 55 |
Jimmy Dorsey | 32 |
Glenn Miller | 31 |
Harry James and Vaughn Monroe | 26 |
Perry Como | 21 |
Tommy Dorsey | 20 |
Sammy Kaye | 19 |
Mills Brothers | 17 |
The following singles were featured at the top of the chart for the highest total number of weeks from 1940 to 1949.
Weeks at number one | Song | Artist(s) |
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13 | "Frenesi" | Artie Shaw |
13 | "I've Heard That Song Before" | Harry James |
12 | "Heartaches" | Ted Weems |
12 | "Near You" | Francis Craig |
12 | "Paper Doll" | Mills Brothers |
12 | "I'll Never Smile Again" | Tommy Dorsey |
11 | "Riders In The Sky" | Vaughn Monroe |
11 | "White Christmas" | Bing Crosby |
10 | "Amapola" | Jimmy Dorsey |
10 | "Moonlight Cocktail" | Glenn Miller |
10 | "The Gypsy" | The Ink Spots |
10 | "Ballerina" | Vaughn Monroe |
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