List of NME number-one singles of the 1960s

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The Beatles had eighteen number-one singles on the NME chart, only one of which never topped the Record Retailer chart. The Beatles members at New York City in 1964.jpg
The Beatles had eighteen number-one singles on the NME chart, only one of which never topped the Record Retailer chart.

The NME (or New Musical Express) was a British weekly popular music newspaper. Record charts in the United Kingdom began on 14 November 1952 when NME imitated an idea started in American Billboard magazine compiled their own hit parade. Until 15 February 1969, when the British Market Research Bureau (BMRB) chart was established, many periodicals compiled their own charts. [1] During this time the BBC used aggregated results of the prominent NME, Melody Maker , Disc , Record Mirror and, later, Record Retailer charts to compile their Pick of the Pops chart. Prior to 1969 there was no universally accepted source or "official" singles chart; [2] [3] [4] however, the Official Charts Company and Guinness' British Hit Singles & Albums regard the canonical sources for this period as NME before 10 March 1960 and Record Retailer from then until the BMRB took over in 1969. [5] Although Record Retailer is now the most predominantly used source for charting music in the 1960s, NME had the biggest circulation of charts in the decade and was more widely followed. [2] [3] After the BMRB was formed, the NME continued compiling its own chart up until 14 May 1988. [1]

Contents

The Allisons' entry for the Eurovision Song Contest, entitled "Are You Sure?", was the first single to be number one on the NME chart but not to reach the top spot on Record Retailer's chart. [3] In total, sixteen songs failed to reach number one with Record Retailer but topped the NME chart. [3] [6] [7] In 1969, after the BMRB chart was introduced, four songs topped the NME but not the BMRB chart. Notable discrepancies include "19th Nervous Breakdown", which reached number one for the Rolling Stones on the NME, Disc, and Melody Maker charts, topped the BBC's Pick of the Pops aggregated chart and was announced as number one on Top of the Pops ; however, because it did not reach number one on the Record Retailer chart, it is omitted from the Official Charts Company's canon. [2] The Beatles' "Please Please Me" suffered the same fate so, arguably, should be considered the Beatles' first number-one single. [3] Conversely, Elvis Presley's double A-side, "Rock-A-Hula Baby"/"Can't Help Falling in Love", reached number one on all charts except NME because the entries were split by NME according to which song was requested when the shop returned its figures. [2] [3]

Number-one singles

Elvis Presley had eleven number-one singles on the NME chart, including two not recognised by The Official Charts Company. Elvis Presley promoting Jailhouse Rock.jpg
Elvis Presley had eleven number-one singles on the NME chart, including two not recognised by The Official Charts Company.
Kenny Rogers' first number-one single on the NME chart came over seven years before he reached the top of Record Retailer's chart. KennyRogers0042-rededit.jpg
Kenny Rogers' first number-one single on the NME chart came over seven years before he reached the top of Record Retailer's chart.
Joe Brown said the decision to favour the Record Retailer chart "has deprived [him] of [his] only number one". Joe Brown On Stage.jpg
Joe Brown said the decision to favour the Record Retailer chart "has deprived [him] of [his] only number one".
Len Barry's only number-one single was on the NME chart with "1-2-3". Len Barry.jpg
Len Barry's only number-one single was on the NME chart with "1-2-3".
Adam Faith's "Poor Me" was the last number-one single for which NME is considered the canonical source. Adam Faith headshot.jpg
Adam Faith's "Poor Me" was the last number-one single for which NME is considered the canonical source.
Key
ItalicsPrior to 10 March 1960 the NME is considered by the Official Charts Company as the canonical source.
The song did not reach number one on the Record Retailer chart which is considered by the Official Charts Company as the canonical source until 15 February 1969.
The song did not reach number one on the BMRB chart which is considered as the official chart after 15 February 1969.
[nb #] The song spent a week at number one, where it shared the top spot with another song.
Contents
No.Artist [nb 1] Single [nb 1] Reached
number one [nb 1]
Weeks at
number one [nb 1]
1960
94 Emile Ford and the Checkmates"What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?"18 December 19596
95 Michael Holliday "Starry Eyed"29 January 19601
96 Anthony Newley "Why"5 February 19604
97 Adam Faith "Poor Me"4 March 19602
98 Johnny Preston "Running Bear"18 March 19601
99 Lonnie Donegan "My Old Man's a Dustman"25 March 19604
100 Anthony Newley "Do You Mind?"22 April 19601
101 The Everly Brothers "Cathy's Clown"29 April 19609
102 Jimmy Jones "Good Timin'"1 July 19603
103 Cliff Richard and The Shadows "Please Don't Tease"22 July 19604
104 The Shadows "Apache"19 August 19606
105 Ricky Valance "Tell Laura I Love Her"30 September 19602
106 Roy Orbison "Only the Lonely (Know How I Feel)"14 October 19603
107 Elvis Presley "It's Now or Never"4 November 19609
1961
108 Johnny Tillotson "Poetry in Motion"6 January 19613
109 Elvis Presley "Are You Lonesome Tonight?"27 January 19615
110 The Everly Brothers "Walk Right Back"3 March 19613
111 Elvis Presley "Wooden Heart"24 March 19612
112 The Allisons "Are You Sure?" †7 April 19611
re Elvis Presley "Wooden Heart"14 April 19611
re The Allisons "Are You Sure?" †21 April 19611
113 The Temperance Seven "You're Driving Me Crazy"28 April 19611
114 The Marcels "Blue Moon"5 May 19612
115 Del Shannon "Runaway"19 May 19611
116 Elvis Presley "Surrender"26 May 19614
re Del Shannon "Runaway"23 June 19613
117 The Everly Brothers "Temptation"14 July 19611
118 Eden Kane "Well I Ask You"21 July 19612
119 Helen Shapiro "You Don't Know"4 August 19613
120 John Leyton "Johnny Remember Me"25 August 19614 [nb 2]
re Helen Shapiro "You Don't Know"1 September 19611 [nb 2]
121 Elvis Presley "Wild in the Country" †22 September 19611
re John Leyton "Johnny Remember Me"29 September 19611
122 The Highwaymen "Michael (Row the Boat)"6 October 19611
123 Helen Shapiro "Walkin' Back to Happiness"13 October 19614
124 Elvis Presley "His Latest Flame"10 November 19613
125 Frankie Vaughan "Tower of Strength"1 December 19614 [nb 3]
126 Bobby Vee "Take Good Care of My Baby" †1 December 19611 [nb 3]
127 Danny Williams "Moon River"29 December 19611
1962
128 Acker Bilk "Stranger on the Shore" †6 January 19621
129 Cliff Richard " The Young Ones "13 January 19626
130 Chubby Checker "Let's Twist Again" †24 February 19622
131 Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen"March of the Siamese Children" †10 March 19621
132 The Shadows "Wonderful Land"17 March 19629 [nb 4]
133 B. Bumble and the Stingers "Nut Rocker"12 May 19621 [nb 4]
134 Elvis Presley "Good Luck Charm"19 May 19625
135 Mike Sarne with Wendy Richard "Come Outside"23 June 19622
136 Joe Brown and the Bruvvers" A Picture of You " †7 July 19621
137 Ray Charles "I Can't Stop Loving You"14 July 19621
138 Frank Ifield "I Remember You"21 July 19628
139 Elvis Presley "She's Not You"15 September 19623
140 The Tornados "Telstar"6 October 19625
141 Frank Ifield "Lovesick Blues"10 November 19625
142 Elvis Presley "Return to Sender"15 December 19622
143 Cliff Richard and The Shadows " The Next Time " / "Bachelor Boy"29 December 19621
1963
144 The Shadows "Dance On!"5 January 19633
145 Jet Harris and Tony Meehan "Diamonds"26 January 19634
146 Frank Ifield " The Wayward Wind "23 February 19631 [nb 5]
147 The Beatles "Please Please Me" †23 February 19632 [nb 5]
148 Cliff Richard and The Shadows "Summer Holiday"9 March 19633
149 The Shadows "Foot Tapper"30 March 19631
150 Gerry & The Pacemakers "How Do You Do It?"6 April 19633
151 The Beatles "From Me to You"27 April 19636 [nb 6]
152 Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas "Do You Want to Know a Secret" †1 June 19632 [nb 6]
153 Gerry & The Pacemakers "I Like It"15 June 19634
154 Frank Ifield "Confessin' (That I Love You)"13 July 19633
155 The Searchers "Sweets for My Sweet"3 August 19633
156 Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas "Bad to Me"24 August 19632
157 The Beatles "She Loves You"7 September 19634
158 Brian Poole and The Tremeloes "Do You Love Me"5 October 19633
159 Gerry & The Pacemakers "You'll Never Walk Alone"26 October 19634
re The Beatles "She Loves You"23 November 19632
160 The Beatles "I Want to Hold Your Hand"7 December 19636
1964
161 The Dave Clark Five "Glad All Over"18 January 19642
162 The Searchers "Needles and Pins"1 February 19643
163 Cilla Black "Anyone Who Had a Heart"22 February 19644
164 Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas "Little Children"21 March 19641
165 The Beatles "Can't Buy Me Love"28 March 19644
166 Peter & Gordon " A World Without Love "25 April 19642
167 The Searchers "Don't Throw Your Love Away"9 May 19641
168 The Four Pennies "Juliet"16 May 19642
169 Cilla Black "You're My World (Il Mio Mondo)"30 May 19643
170 Roy Orbison "It's Over"20 June 19642
171 The Animals "House of the Rising Sun"4 July 19642
172 The Beatles " A Hard Day's Night "18 July 19644
173 Manfred Mann "Do Wah Diddy Diddy"15 August 19642
174 The Honeycombs "Have I the Right?"29 August 19642
175 The Kinks "You Really Got Me"12 September 19641
176 Herman's Hermits "I'm Into Something Good"19 September 19643
177 Roy Orbison "Oh, Pretty Woman"10 October 19643
178 Sandie Shaw " (There's) Always Something There to Remind Me "31 October 19642
179 The Supremes "Baby Love"14 November 19641
180 The Rolling Stones "Little Red Rooster"21 November 19642
181 The Beatles "I Feel Fine"5 December 19646
1965
182 Georgie Fame "Yeh Yeh"16 January 19651
183 The Moody Blues "Go Now"23 January 19652
184 The Righteous Brothers "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"6 February 19651
185 The Kinks "Tired of Waiting for You"13 February 19651
186 The Seekers "I'll Never Find Another You"20 February 19652
187 Tom Jones "It's Not Unusual"6 March 19651
188 The Rolling Stones " The Last Time "13 March 19654
189 The Yardbirds "For Your Love" †10 April 19651 [nb 7]
190 Cliff Richard " The Minute You're Gone "10 April 19651 [nb 7]
191 The Beatles "Ticket to Ride"17 April 19655
192 Jackie Trent "Where Are You Now (My Love)"22 May 19651
193 Sandie Shaw "Long Live Love"29 May 19652
194 The Everly Brothers " The Price of Love " †12 June 19651
195 Elvis Presley "Crying in the Chapel"19 June 19652
196 The Hollies "I'm Alive"3 July 19652
197 The Byrds "Mr. Tambourine Man"17 July 19652
198 The Beatles "Help!"31 July 19654
199 Sonny & Cher "I Got You Babe"28 August 19651
200 The Rolling Stones " (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction "4 September 19653
201 Ken Dodd "Tears"25 September 19656
202 The Rolling Stones "Get Off of My Cloud"6 November 19653
203 Len Barry "1-2-3" †27 November 19651
204 The Seekers " The Carnival Is Over "4 December 19651
205 The Beatles "Day Tripper" / "We Can Work It Out"11 December 19655
1966
206 The Spencer Davis Group "Keep On Running"15 January 19663
207 The Overlanders "Michelle"5 February 19661
208 Nancy Sinatra "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"12 February 19661
209 The Rolling Stones "19th Nervous Breakdown" †19 February 19663
210 The Hollies "I Can't Let Go" †12 March 19662 [nb 8]
211 The Walker Brothers " The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore "19 March 19664 [nb 8]
212 The Spencer Davis Group "Somebody Help Me"16 April 19661
213 Dusty Springfield "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me"23 April 19662
214 Manfred Mann "Pretty Flamingo"7 May 19663
215 The Rolling Stones "Paint It, Black"28 May 19661
216 Frank Sinatra "Strangers in the Night"4 June 19663
217 The Beatles "Paperback Writer"25 June 19662
218 The Kinks "Sunny Afternoon"9 July 19662
219 Chris Farlowe "Out of Time"23 July 19662
220 The Troggs "With a Girl Like You"6 August 19662
221 The Beatles "Yellow Submarine" / "Eleanor Rigby"20 August 19664
222 Small Faces "All or Nothing"17 September 19661
223 Jim Reeves "Distant Drums"24 September 19665
224 Four Tops "Reach Out I'll Be There"29 October 19663
225 The Beach Boys "Good Vibrations"19 November 19662
226 Tom Jones "Green, Green Grass of Home"3 December 19667
1967
227 The Monkees "I'm a Believer"21 January 19674
228 Petula Clark "This Is My Song"18 February 19672
229 Engelbert Humperdinck "Release Me"4 March 19676
230 Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra "Somethin' Stupid"15 April 19671
231 Sandie Shaw "Puppet on a String"22 April 19674
232 The Tremeloes "Silence Is Golden"20 May 19673
233 Procol Harum " A Whiter Shade of Pale "10 June 19675
234 The Beatles "All You Need Is Love"15 July 19674
235 Scott McKenzie "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)"12 August 19674
236 Engelbert Humperdinck " The Last Waltz "9 September 19676
237 Bee Gees "Massachusetts"21 October 19673
238 The Foundations "Baby Now That I've Found You"11 November 19673
239 Long John Baldry "Let the Heartaches Begin"2 December 19671
240 The Beatles "Hello, Goodbye"9 December 19676
1968
241 Georgie Fame " The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde "20 January 19681
242 Love Affair "Everlasting Love"27 January 19683
243 Manfred Mann "Mighty Quinn"17 February 19682
244 Esther and Abi Ofarim "Cinderella Rockefella"2 March 19684
245 The Beatles "Lady Madonna"30 March 19682
246 Cliff Richard "Congratulations"13 April 19681
247 Louis Armstrong "What a Wonderful World"20 April 19684
248 Gary Puckett & The Union Gap "Young Girl"18 May 19685
249 The Rolling Stones "Jumpin' Jack Flash"22 June 19682
250 The Equals "Baby Come Back"6 July 19683
251 Tommy James and the Shondells "Mony Mony"27 July 19684
252 Tom Jones "Help Yourself" †24 August 19682
253 Bee Gees "I've Gotta Get a Message to You"7 September 19681
254 The Beatles "Hey Jude"14 September 19683
255 Mary Hopkin "Those Were the Days"5 October 19685
256 Joe Cocker "With a Little Help from My Friends"9 November 19681
257 Hugo Montenegro " The Good, the Bad and the Ugly "16 November 19681
258 Barry Ryan "Eloise" †23 November 19682
259 The Scaffold "Lily the Pink"7 December 19685
1969
260 Marmalade "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"11 January 19692
261 Fleetwood Mac "Albatross"25 January 19693
262 The Move "Blackberry Way"15 February 19691
263 Amen Corner " (If Paradise Is) Half as Nice "22 February 19691
264 Peter Sarstedt "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?"1 March 19694
265 Marvin Gaye "I Heard It Through the Grapevine"29 March 19693
266 Desmond Dekker & The Aces "Israelites"19 April 19692
267 The Beatles with Billy Preston "Get Back"3 May 19695
268 Tommy Roe "Dizzy"7 June 19692
269 The Beatles " The Ballad of John and Yoko "21 June 19692
270 Thunderclap Newman "Something in the Air"5 July 19692
271 Elvis Presley "In the Ghetto" ‡19 July 19691
272 The Rolling Stones "Honky Tonk Women"26 July 19695
273 Zager and Evans "In The Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus)"30 August 19693
274 Creedence Clearwater Revival "Bad Moon Rising"20 September 19693
275 Bobbie Gentry "I'll Never Fall in Love Again"11 October 19693
276 The Archies "Sugar, Sugar"1 November 19692
277 Fleetwood Mac "Oh Well" ‡15 November 19691
re The Archies "Sugar, Sugar"22 November 19692
278 Stevie Wonder "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday" ‡6 December 19691
279 Kenny Rogers and The First Edition "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" ‡13 December 19691
280 Rolf Harris "Two Little Boys"20 December 19696
Contents

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 The names, singles, week-ending dates and duration at number one are from NME. [1] [8]
  2. 1 2 John Leyton's "Johnny Remember Me" and Helen Shapiro's "You Don't Know" were classified jointly as number one on 1 September 1961. The following week "Johnny Remember Me" reclaimed the number-one spot outright. [9]
  3. 1 2 Frankie Vaughan's "Tower of Strength" and Bobby Vee's "Take Good Care of My Baby" were classified jointly as number one on 1 December 1961. For the following three weeks "Tower of Strength" claimed the number-one spot outright. [10]
  4. 1 2 The Shadows's "Wonderful Land" and B. Bumble and the Stingers's "Nut Rocker" were classified jointly as number one on 12 May 1962. The following week neither reclaimed the number-one spot. [11]
  5. 1 2 Frank Ifield's "The Wayward Wind" and The Beatles' "Please Please Me" were classified jointly as number one on 23 February 1963. The following week The Beatles claimed the number-one spot outright. [12]
  6. 1 2 The Beatles' "From Me to You" and Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas' "Do You Want to Know a Secret" were classified jointly as number one on 1 June 1963. The previous week "From Me to You" had been the number-one spot outright, and the following week "Do You Want to Know a Secret" claimed the number-one spot individually. [13]
  7. 1 2 The Yardbirds' "For Your Love" and Cliff Richard's "The Minute You're Gone" were classified jointly as number one on 10 April 1965. The next week neither song reclaimed the number-one spot. [14]
  8. 1 2 The Hollies' "I Can't Let Go" and The Walker Brothers' "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" were classified jointly as number one on 19 March 1966. The previous week The Hollies had been number one outright and The Walker Brothers held the number-one spot individually for the following three weeks. [15]

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References

Footnotes
  1. 1 2 3 Smith, Alan. "Every No.1 in the 1960s is listed from all the nine different magazine charts!". Dave McAleer's website. Archived from the original on 10 May 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Smith, Alan. "50s & 60s UK Charts – The Truth!". Dave McAleer's website. Archived from the original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Leigh, Spencer (20 February 1998). "Music: Charting the number ones that somehow got away". The Independent . Archived from the original on 1 February 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  4. Warwick, Neil; Kutner, Jon; Brown, Tony (2004). The Complete Book Of The British Charts: Singles and Albums (3rd ed.). London: Omnibus Press. p. v. ISBN   1-84449-058-0. Until 15th February 1969, there was no officially compiled chart.
  5. "Key Dates in the History of the Official UK Charts". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 10 January 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  6. "Featured Artists: Elvis Presley". The Official Charts Company . Archived from the original on 26 September 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  7. "Artist Chart History: Bobby Vee". The Official Charts Company . Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  8. Rees, Lazell & Osborne 1995, pp. 82–217.
  9. Rees, Lazell & Osborne 1995, p. 104.
  10. Rees, Lazell & Osborne 1995, pp. 107–108.
  11. Rees, Lazell & Osborne 1995, p. 113.
  12. Rees, Lazell & Osborne 1995, pp. 123–124.
  13. Rees, Lazell & Osborne 1995, p. 127.
  14. Rees, Lazell & Osborne 1995, p. 152.
  15. Rees, Lazell & Osborne 1995, p. 165166.
Sources

Rees, Dafydd; Lazell, Barry; Osborne, Roger (1995). Forty Years of "NME" Charts (2nd ed.). Pan Macmillan. ISBN   0-7522-0829-2.