Number-one singles
| † | Best-selling single of the year [6] |
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| ‡ | Best-selling single of the decade |
| [nb #] | The song spent a week at number one where it shared the top spot with another song. |
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| UK singles chart number ones |
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| UK singles chart |
| Other charts |
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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. [nb 1] 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. [5] 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. [6] [7] [8]
| † | Best-selling single of the year [6] |
|---|---|
| ‡ | Best-selling single of the decade |
| [nb #] | The song spent a week at number one where it shared the top spot with another song. |
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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. [nb 1] 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.
| Artist | Number ones | Weeks at number one |
|---|---|---|
| Frankie Laine | 4 | 32 |
| Elvis Presley | 4 | 18 |
| Guy Mitchell | 4 | 14 |
| Johnnie Ray | 3 | 11 |
| 3 | 10 |
The following record labels had five or more number ones on the UK Singles Chart during the 1950s.
| Record label | Number ones |
|---|---|
| Philips | 19 |
| Decca | 15 |
| Columbia | 13 |
| London | 10 |
| HMV | 7 |
| Capitol | 6 |
| RCA | 6 |
| MGM | 5 |
The UK Singles Chart is a weekly record chart which for most of its history was based on single sales from Sunday to Saturday in the United Kingdom. Since July 2014 it has also incorporated streaming data, and from 10 July 2015 has been based on a Friday to Thursday week. As of 28 December 2023, 1420 singles have reached number one. The chart was founded in 1952 by Percy Dickins of New Musical Express (NME), who telephoned 20 record stores to ask what their top 10 highest-selling singles were. Dickins aggregated the results into a top 12 hit parade, which was topped by "Here in My Heart" by Al Martino. NME's chart was published each week in its eponymous magazine.
The UK singles chart was first compiled in 1969. However, the records and statistics listed here date back to 1952 because the Official Charts Company counts a selected period of the New Musical Express chart and the Record Retailer chart from 1960 to 1969 as predecessors for the period prior to 11 February 1969, where multiples of competing charts coexisted side by side. For example, the BBC compiled its own chart based on an average of the music papers of the time; many songs announced as having reached number one on BBC Radio and Top of the Pops prior to 1969 may not be listed here as chart-toppers since they do not meet the legacy criteria of the Charts Company.
"Answer Me" is a popular song, originally titled "Mütterlein", with German lyrics by Gerhard Winkler and Fred Rauch. "Mütterlein" was published on 19 April 1952. English lyrics were written by Carl Sigman, and the song was published as "Answer Me" in New York on 13 October 1953. Contemporary recordings of the English lyric by Frankie Laine and David Whitfield both topped the UK Singles Chart in 1953.
"Here in My Heart" is a popular song written by Pat Genaro, Lou Levinson, and Bill Borrelli, first published in 1952.
"I Believe" is a popular song written by Ervin Drake, Irvin Abraham, Jack Mendelsohn and Al Stillman in 1953. The most popular version was recorded by Italian-American singer Frankie Laine, and spent eighteen weeks at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart.
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