List of UK top-ten singles in 1955

Last updated

Slim Whitman achieved the best-selling single of 1955 with his recording of "Rose Marie", which spent 11 consecutive weeks at number-one, a record which remained unbroken for 36 years. Whitman scored a second top 10 hit later in the year with "Indian Love Call", which peaked at number seven. Slim Whitman 1968.JPG
Slim Whitman achieved the best-selling single of 1955 with his recording of "Rose Marie", which spent 11 consecutive weeks at number-one, a record which remained unbroken for 36 years. Whitman scored a second top 10 hit later in the year with "Indian Love Call", which peaked at number seven.
Tennessee Ernie Ford spent seven weeks at number-one in the UK charts this year with "Give Me Your Word", which remained in the top 10 for 18 weeks. Tennessee Ernie Ford 1957.JPG
Tennessee Ernie Ford spent seven weeks at number-one in the UK charts this year with "Give Me Your Word", which remained in the top 10 for 18 weeks.
Bill Haley & His Comets (lead singer Bill Haley pictured) achieved two UK top 10 entries in 1955, including their signature song "Rock Around the Clock", which spent five non-consecutive weeks at number-one. As well as being the first single to sell one million copies in the UK alone, "Rock Around the Clock" went on to be ranked as the best-selling single of the 1950s. William Haley 1958.jpg
Bill Haley & His Comets (lead singer Bill Haley pictured) achieved two UK top 10 entries in 1955, including their signature song "Rock Around the Clock", which spent five non-consecutive weeks at number-one. As well as being the first single to sell one million copies in the UK alone, "Rock Around the Clock" went on to be ranked as the best-selling single of the 1950s.

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 1955, as well as singles which peaked in 1954 and 1956 but were in the top 10 in 1955. 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).

Contents

Eighty-one singles were in the top ten in 1955. Ten singles from 1954 remained in the top 10 for several weeks at the beginning of the year, while "Meet Me on the Corner" by Max Bygraves, "Never Do a Tango with an Eskimo" by Alma Cogan, "Suddenly There's a Valley" by Petula Clark and "Twenty Tiny Fingers" by The Stargazers were all released in 1955 but did not reach their peak until 1956. "No One But You" by Billy Eckstine, "The Finger of Suspicion" by Dickie Valentine with The Stargazers and "Heartbeat" by Ruby Murray were the songs from 1954 to reach their peak in 1955. Nineteen artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1955. Bill Haley & His Comets, Malcolm Vaughan, Slim Whitman, Teresa Brewer and Tony Martin were among the many artists who achieved their first UK charting top 10 single in 1955.

The 1954 Christmas number-one, "Let's Have Another Party" by Winifred Atwell, remained at number-one for the first week of 1955. The first new number-one single of the year was "The Finger of Suspicion" by Dickie Valentine with The Stargazers. Overall, fifteen different singles peaked at number-one in 1955, with Dickie Valentine and Jimmy Young (2) having the joint most singles hit that position.

Background

Multiple entries

Eighty-one singles charted in the top 10 in 1955, with seventy-one singles reaching their peak this year. Nine songs were recorded by several artists with each version reaching the top 10:

Nineteen artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1955. Ruby Murray secured the record for most top 10 hits in 1955 with seven hit singles.

The Stargazers were one of a number of artists with three top-ten entries, including the number-one single "The Finger of Suspicion". Dean Martin, The Four Aces, Johnnie Ray and The Mellomen were among the other artists who had multiple top 10 entries in 1955.

Chart debuts

Twenty-seven artists achieved their first top 10 single in 1955, either as a lead or featured artist. Bill Haley & His Comets and Slim Whitman both had two other entries in their 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
Bill Haley & His Comets 2"Shake, Rattle and Roll"4"(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock" (1)
Tennessee Ernie Ford 1"Give Me Your Word"1
The Ames Brothers 1"The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane"6
Teresa Brewer 1"Let Me Go, Lover!"9
The Lancers
Ray Burns 1"Mobile"4
Johnny Brandon 1"Tomorrow"8
The Phantoms
Anne Warren 1"If Anyone Finds This, I Love You"4
Pérez 'Prez' Prado and His Orchestra 1"Cherry Pink (and Apple Blossom White) (Cerisier rose et pommier blanc)"1
Tony Bennett 1"Stranger in Paradise"1
Eartha Kitt 1"Under the Bridges of Paris"7
The Crew-Cuts 1"Earth Angel"4
Tony Martin 1"Stranger in Paradise"6
The Ink Spots 1"Melody of Love"10
Al Hibbler 1"Unchained Melody"2
Les Baxter, His Chorus & Orchestra 1"Unchained Melody"1
Slim Whitman 2"Rose Marie"1"Indian Love Call" (7)
Malcolm Vaughan 1"Ev'ry Day of My Life"5
Caterina Valente 1"The Breeze and I"5
Sammy Davis Jr. 1"Love Me or Leave Me"8
Cyril Stapleton and His Orchestra 1"Blue Star"2
Julie Dawn
Mitch Miller with His Orchestra & Chorus 1"The Yellow Rose of Texas"2
The Johnston Brothers 1"Hernando's Hideaway"1
Pat Boone 1"Ain't That a Shame"7
The George Chisholm Sour-Note Six 1"Join In and Sing Again"9

Songs from films

Original songs from various films entered the top 10 throughout the year. These included "Cherry Pink (and Apple Blossom White)" (from Underwater! ), "Ready, Willing and Able" ( Young at Heart ), "Rose Marie" & "Indian Love Call" ( Rose Marie ), "John and Julie" (John and Juliet), "The Man from Laramie" ( The Man from Laramie ), "The Yellow Rose of Texas" ( Giant ) and "Rock Around the Clock" ( Blackboard Jungle ).

Additionally, "Stranger in Paradise" (from the film Kismet ) was covered by several artists who took it into the top 10 (The Four Aces, Tony Bennett and Tony Martin) and "Unchained Melody - nominated for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards for the original version by Todd Duncan - was recorded by Al Hibbler, Jimmy Young and Les Baxter, His Chorus & Orchestra, while "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing" from the film of the same name entered the charts in a version by The Four Aces featuring Al Alberts. "Hernando's Hideaway" from The Pajama Game reached the top 10 after being released by The Johnston Brothers, and Fats Domino's version of "Ain't That a Shame" - covered by Pat Boone - was used in "Shake, Rattle & Rock!".

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, "Rose Marie" by Slim Whitman is officially recorded as the biggest-selling single of 1955. "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets (1) was ranked as the best-selling single of the decade.

Top-ten singles

Key
SymbolMeaning
Single peaked in 1954 but still in chart in 1955.
Single released in 1955 but peaked in 1956.
(#)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 1954
3 September 195416"Hold My Hand" ‡ [A] Don Cornell 18 October 19545
15 October 195413"This Ole House" ‡ [B] Rosemary Clooney 126 November 19541
12"My Son, My Son" ‡ Vera Lynn 15 November 19542
29 October 195410"Rain Rain Rain" ‡ [C] Frankie Laine & The Four Lads 829 October 19543
19 November 195414"No One But You" Billy Eckstine 314 January 19552
26 November 19547"Let's Have Another Party" ‡ Winifred Atwell 13 December 19545
7"Santo Natale (Merry Christmas)" ‡ David Whitfield 23 December 19545
3 December 19549"I Still Believe" ‡ Ronnie Hilton 317 December 19543
23 December 195414"The Finger of Suspicion" Dickie Valentine with The Stargazers 17 January 19553
13"Heartbeat" Ruby Murray 328 January 19551
Singles in 1955
7 January 195511"Mambo Italiano" Rosemary Clooney & The Mellomen 114 January 19553
6"Mr. Sandman" Dickie Valentine 54 February 19551
8"Shake, Rattle and Roll" Bill Haley & His Comets 421 January 19552
14 January 19553"I Can't Tell a Waltz from a Tango" Alma Cogan 621 January 19551
1"Mr. Sandman" The Four Aces 914 January 19551
28 January 195517"Softly, Softly" Ruby Murray 118 February 19553
18"Give Me Your Word" [D] Tennessee Ernie Ford 111 March 19557
4 February 19554"The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane" The Ames Brothers 611 February 19551
6"The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane" [E] Dean Martin 54 March 19551
18 February 19554"Let Me Go, Lover!" [F] Teresa Brewer with The Lancers918 February 19552
25 February 19553"Happy Days and Lonely Nights" Ruby Murray 625 February 19551
4 March 19552"Beyond the Stars" David Whitfield with Mantovani & His Orchestra 84 March 19551
5"Let Me Go, Lover!" Dean Martin 325 March 19551
11 March 19555"A Blossom Fell" Nat King Cole 318 March 19551
5"Mobile" Ray Burns 418 March 19551
18 March 19552"Let Me Go, Lover!" Ruby Murray 518 March 19551
25 March 19558"(I'm Always Hearing) Wedding Bells" Eddie Fisher 51 April 19551
2"Tomorrow" Johnny Brandon & The Phantoms 825 March 19551
1"A Blossom Fell" Dickie Valentine 925 March 19551
7"If Anyone Finds This, I Love You" Ruby Murray & Anne Warren 48 April 19552
1 April 195514"Cherry Pink (and Apple Blossom White)" Pérez 'Prez' Prado & His Orchestra 129 April 19552
3"Prize of Gold" Joan Regan 68 April 19551
8 April 19553"Under the Bridges of Paris" Dean Martin 615 April 19552
1"A Blossom Fell" Ronnie Hilton 108 April 19551
15 April 195517"Cherry Pink (and Apple Blossom White)" Eddie Calvert 127 May 19554
3"Ready, Willing and Able" [G] Doris Day 715 April 19551
13"Stranger in Paradise" Tony Bennett 113 May 19552
22 April 19552"Under the Bridges of Paris" Eartha Kitt 722 April 19551
14"Earth Angel" The Crew-Cuts 413 May 19553
29 April 195510"Stranger in Paradise" Tony Martin 629 April 19551
6 May 19551"Melody of Love" The Ink Spots 106 May 19551
13 May 19555"If You Believe" [H] Johnnie Ray 720 May 19552
20 May 195511"Unchained Melody" Al Hibbler 210 June 19554
27 May 195513"Unchained Melody" Jimmy Young 124 June 19553
3"Stranger in Paradise" The Four Aces 63 June 19551
2"Unchained Melody" [I] Les Baxter 1027 May 19552
3 June 195513"Dreamboat" Alma Cogan 115 July 19552
17 June 19556"Where Will the Dimple Be?" Rosemary Clooney & The Mellomen 624 June 19551
1 July 19558"I Wonder" Dickie Valentine 415 July 19551
8 July 195513"Evermore" Ruby Murray 322 July 19553
17"Cool Water" Frankie Laine with The Mellomen 25 August 19555
15 July 195517"Rose Marie" (#1) [D] Slim Whitman 129 July 195511
29 July 19558"Ev'ry Day of My Life" Malcolm Vaughan 52 September 19551
16"Ev'rywhere" David Whitfield 323 September 19551
5 August 19559"Strange Lady in Town" Frankie Laine 612 August 19552
12 August 195510"Learnin' the Blues" Frank Sinatra 226 August 19555
26 August 19554"Indian Love Call" [J] Slim Whitman 726 August 19551
9"The Breeze and I" Caterina Valente 59 September 19552
2 September 19553"John and Julie" Eddie Calvert 62 September 19552
9 September 19555"Close the Door" The Stargazers 630 September 19551
23 September 195511"The Man from Laramie" Jimmy Young 114 October 19554
1"Love Me or Leave Me" Sammy Davis Jr. 823 September 19551
30 September 19558"Blue Star" [K] Cyril Stapleton Orchestra with Julie Dawn 221 October 19552
7 October 195512"The Yellow Rose of Texas" Mitch Miller 228 October 19551
14 October 19557"Hey There" Rosemary Clooney 418 November 19551
21 October 195520"Rock Around the Clock" [L] Bill Haley & His Comets 125 November 19555
6"Hey There" Johnnie Ray 511 November 19552
9"Hernando's Hideaway" The Johnston Brothers 111 November 19552
4 November 19553"I'll Come When You Call" Ruby Murray 611 November 19551
11 November 19559"Let's Have a Ding Dong" Winifred Atwell 32 December 19551
18 November 19551"Song of the Dreamer" Johnnie Ray 1018 November 19551
25 November 195511"Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing" The Four Aces 225 November 19552
4"Ain't That a Shame" Pat Boone 79 December 19551
8"Twenty Tiny Fingers" ♦ The Stargazers 46 January 19561
2 December 19556"Christmas Alphabet" Dickie Valentine 116 December 19553
8"Meet Me on the Corner" ♦ Max Bygraves 26 January 19561
9 December 19555"Suddenly There's a Valley" ♦ [M] Petula Clark 76 January 19561
16 December 19552"When You Lose the One You Love" David Whitfield with Mantovani & His Orchestra 716 December 19551
23 December 19553"Hawkeye" Frankie Laine 723 December 19552
30 December 19551"Join In and Sing Again" The Johnston Brothers & The George Chisholm Sour-Note Six 930 December 19551
3"Never Do a Tango with an Eskimo" ♦ Alma Cogan 66 January 19562

Entries by artist

Tony Bennett (pictured in 1995) scored his first and only UK top 10 single this year with his version of "Stranger in Paradise", which spent two weeks at number-one in May. Two other versions of the song by Tony Martin and The Four Aces made the top 10, both peaking at number six. Tony Bennett 4 (49491947211).jpg
Tony Bennett (pictured in 1995) scored his first and only UK top 10 single this year with his version of "Stranger in Paradise", which spent two weeks at number-one in May. Two other versions of the song by Tony Martin and The Four Aces made the top 10, both peaking at number six.
Alma Cogan (pictured in 1963) had three songs in the UK top 10 in 1955, including her biggest hit and only number-one single, "Dreamboat", which spent two weeks at the top of the charts in July. Alma Cogan (1963).jpg
Alma Cogan (pictured in 1963) had three songs in the UK top 10 in 1955, including her biggest hit and only number-one single, "Dreamboat", which spent two weeks at the top of the charts in July.

The following table shows artists who achieved two or more top 10 entries in 1955, including singles that reached their peak in 1954 or 1956. The figures include both main artists and featured artists. The total number of weeks an artist spent in the top ten in 1955 is also shown.

EntriesArtistWeeksSingles
7 Ruby Murray [N] 56"Evermore", "Happy Days and Lonely Nights", "Heartbeat", "If Anyone Finds This, I Love You", "I'll Come When You Call", "Let Me Go, Lover!", "Softly, Softly"
5 Dickie Valentine [N] 31"A Blossom Fell", "Christmas Alphabet", "The Finger of Suspicion", "I Wonder", "Mr. Sandman"
4 David Whitfield [O] 22"Beyond the Stars", "Ev'rywhere", "Santo Natale (Merry Christmas)", "When You Lose the One You Love"
Frankie Laine [O] 31"Cool Water", "Hawkeye", "Rain Rain Rain", "Strange Lady in Town"
Rosemary Clooney [O] 29"Hey There", "Mambo Italiano", "This Ole House", "Where Will The Dimple Be?"
3 Alma Cogan 16"Dreamboat", "I Can't Tell a Waltz from a Tango", "Never Do a Tango with an Eskimo"
Dean Martin 14"Let Me Go, Lover!", "The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane", "Under the Bridges of Paris"
The Four Aces 9"Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing", "Mr. Sandman", "Stranger in Paradise"
Johnnie Ray 12"Hey There," "If You Believe", "Song of the Dreamer"
The Mellomen 34"Cool Water", "Mambo Italiano", "Where Will the Dimple Be?"
The Stargazers [P] 22"Close the Door", "The Finger of Suspicion", "Twenty Tiny Fingers"
2 Bill Haley & His Comets 18"Rock Around the Clock", "Shake, Rattle and Roll"
Eddie Calvert 20"Cherry Pink (and Apple Blossom White)", "John and Julie"
Jimmy Young 24"The Man from Laramie", "Unchained Melody"
Mantovani 4"Beyond the Stars", "When You Lose the One You Love"
Ronnie Hilton [O] 6"A Blossom Fell", "I Still Believe"
Slim Whitman 21"Indian Love Call", "Rose Marie"
Winifred Atwell [O] 9"Let's Have Another Party", "Let's Have a Ding Dong"

Notes

See also

References

General

Specific

  1. "The Official UK Charts Company". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  2. Roberts, David (2005). Guinness World Records: British Hit Singles and Albums (18th edition). Guinness World Records Limited. p. 14. ISBN   1-904994-00-8.
  3. "New singles formats to save the charts". BBC News . 16 October 2003. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  4. "The Story of the Single". BBC News . 23 March 2001. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  5. "'The Godfather' singer Al Martino dies". New Musical Express . 14 October 2009. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  6. "Key dates in the history of the Official UK Charts". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 10 January 2008. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  7. "Top 10 chart starts to sound a little off-key". Yorkshire Post . 17 January 2005. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  8. "First ever top 12: 14 November 1952". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 10 January 2008. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  9. "First ever top 20: 01 October 1954". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 10 January 2008. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  10. "1950s Singles Chart Archive". everyHit.com. Retrieved 9 February 2018.