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] This list shows singles that peaked in the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart during 1956, as well as singles which peaked in 1955 and 1957 but were in the top 10 in 1956. 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).
Eighty-four singles were in the top ten in 1956. Eight singles from 1955 remained in the top 10 for several weeks at the beginning of the year, while "Singing the Blues" by Guy Mitchell and "True Love" by Bing Crosby & Grace Kelly were both released in 1956 but did not reach their peak until 1957. "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 the singles from 1955 to reach their peak in 1956. Eighteen artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1956. Elvis Presley, Frankie Vaughan and Lonnie Donegan were among the many artists who achieved their first UK charting top 10 single in 1956.
"Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets, which had spent three weeks at number-one in 1955, returned to number-one in the first week of 1956 for another two weeks. The first new number-one single of the year was "Sixteen Tons" by Tennessee Ernie Ford. Overall, eleven different singles peaked at number-one in 1956, with eleven unique artists having the most singles hit that position.
Background
Multiple entries
Eighty-four singles charted in the top 10 in 1956, with seventy-nine singles reaching their peak this year. The EP All Star Hit Parade consisted of six songs by different artists who are all credited for the individual songs but only counts as one entry in the table. Fourteen songs were recorded by several artists with each version reaching the top 10:
Eighteen artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1956. Bill Haley & His Comets secured the record for most top 10 hits in 1956 with six hit singles.
Thirty-four artists achieved their first top 10 single in 1956, either as a lead or featured artist. Of these, three went on to record another hit single that year: Dave King, The Goons and The Platters. Lonnie Donegan achieved two more chart hits in 1956. Elvis Presley had three 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.
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'll Be Home" by Pat Boone is officially recorded as the biggest-selling single of 1956.
Top-ten singles
Key
Symbol
Meaning
‡
Single peaked in 1955 but still in chart in 1956.
♦
Single released in 1956 but peaked in 1957.
(#)
Year-end best-selling single.
Entered
The date that the single first appeared in the chart.
Peak
Highest position that the single reached in the UK Singles Chart.
Frankie Lymon and his group The Teenagers spent three weeks at number-one in 1956 with their biggest hit and signature song "Why Do Fools Fall in Love". Lymon, who was aged 13 years and 10 months old when the song topped the charts, became, at the time, the youngest person to have a UK number-one single.Tennessee Ernie Ford scored two UK top 10 entries this year, including "Sixteen Tons", which spent four weeks at the top of the chart and became his second and final number-one hit.
The following table shows artists who achieved two or more top 10 entries in 1956, including singles that reached their peak in 1955 or 1957. The figures include both main artists and featured artists. The total number of weeks an artist spent in the top ten in 1956 is also shown.
a "True Love" reached its peak of number four on 14 February 1957 (week ending).
b "(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock" re-entered the top 10 at number 8 on 18 October 1956 (week ending) for 5 weeks.
c "Rock Island Line" re-entered the top 10 at number 9 on 8 March 1956 (week ending) and at number 9 on 22 March 1956 (week ending).
d "See You Later Alligator" re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 10 May 1956 (week ending).
e "The Great Pretender" (Jimmy Parkinson version) re-entered the top 10 at number 9 on 12 April 1956 (week ending) for 2 weeks.
f "Theme from The Threepenny Opera" (Dick Hyman Trio version) re-entered the top 10 at number 9 on 19 April 1956 (week ending) for 2 weeks.
g "The Saints Rock 'N' Roll" re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 23 August 1956 week ending) and at number 10 on 6 September 1956 (week ending) for 2 weeks.
h"All Star Hit Parade (EP)" re-entered the top 10 at number 8 on 16 August 1956 (week ending).
i "Hound Dog" re-entered the top 10 at number 8 on 10 January 1957 (week ending) for 4 weeks and at number 10 on 14 February 1957 (week ending).
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