List of UK top-ten singles in 1960

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Elvis Presley achieved three top 10 entries in 1960, including the year's best-selling single, "It's Now or Never", which topped the chart for eight consecutive weeks, becoming his longest-running UK number-one hit. Elvis Presley - Modern Screen, June 1958.jpg
Elvis Presley achieved three top 10 entries in 1960, including the year's best-selling single, "It's Now or Never", which topped the chart for eight consecutive weeks, becoming his longest-running UK number-one hit.
All of Cliff Richard's six top 10 entries this year gave credit to The Shadows, while the group had two top 10 hits in their own right during the year, including the number-one single "Apache". In total, The Shadows had eight entries in the top 10 in 1960, more than any other artist. Cliff Richard aankomst met zijn Shadows, Bestanddeelnr 913-7397.jpg
All of Cliff Richard's six top 10 entries this year gave credit to The Shadows, while the group had two top 10 hits in their own right during the year, including the number-one single "Apache". In total, The Shadows had eight entries in the top 10 in 1960, more than any other artist.
Anthony Newley secured four UK top 10 singles in 1960, including the number-one hits "Why" and "Do You Mind". Anthony Newley in Amsterdam, hoofrol in Doctor Doolittl hier op de Westertoren, Bestanddeelnr 920-9270.jpg
Anthony Newley secured four UK top 10 singles in 1960, including the number-one hits "Why" and "Do You Mind".

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 1960, as well as singles which peaked in 1959 and 1961 but were in the top 10 in 1960. 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

Ninety-five singles were in the top ten in 1960. Ten singles from 1959 remained in the top 10 for several weeks at the beginning of the year, while "Poetry in Motion" by Johnny Tillotson was both released in 1960 but did not reach its peak until 1961. "Little White Bull" by Tommy Steele, "Rawhide" by Frankie Laine, "Seven Little Girls Sitting in the Backseat" by The Avons and "Staccato's Theme" by Elmer Bernstein, were the singles from 1959 to reach their peak in 1960. Twenty artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1960. Billy Fury, The Drifters, Ken Dodd, Rolf Harris, Roy Orbison and Sam Cooke were among the many artists who achieved their first UK charting top 10 single in 1960.

The 1959 Christmas number-one, "What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?" by Emile Ford & The Checkmates, remained at number-one for the first four weeks of 1960. The first new number-one single of the year was "Starry Eyed" by Michael Holliday. Overall, seventeen different singles peaked at number-one in 1960, with The Shadows (3, including two entries with Cliff Richard) having the most singles hit that position.

Background

Multiple entries

Ninety-five singles charted in the top 10 in 1960, with eighty-seven singles reaching their peak this year.

Twenty artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1960. The Shadows secured the record for most top 10 hits in 1960 with eight hit singles.

Jimmy Jones was one of a number of artists with two top-ten entries, including the number-one single "Good Timin'". Bobby Darin, Duane Eddy, Max Bygraves, Neil Sedaka and Tommy Steele were among the other artists who had multiple top 10 entries in 1960.

Chart debuts

Thirty artists achieved their first top 10 single in 1960, either as a lead or featured artist. Jimmy Jones and Johnny Preston both had one other entry 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
Freddy Cannon 1"Way Down Yonder in New Orleans"3
Johnny Preston 2"Running Bear"1"Cradle of Love" (2)
Acker Bilk 1"Summer Set"5
Marv Johnson 1"You Got What It Takes"7
Lance Fortune 1"Be Mine (Alle Mädchen wollen küssen)"4
Percy Faith 1"Theme from A Summer Place"2
Bobby Rydell 1"Wild One"7
Billy Fury 1"Colette"9
Jimmy Jones 2"Handy Man"3"Good Timin'" (1)
The John Barry Seven 1"Hit and Miss"10
Brenda Lee 1"Sweet Nothin's"4
Steve Lawrence 1"Footsteps"4
Tommy Bruce and the Bruisers 1"Ain't Misbehavin'"3
Michael Cox 1"Angela Jones"7
Johnny Kidd & the Pirates 1"Shakin' All Over"1
Connie Stevens 1"Sixteen Reasons"9
Gary Mills 1"Look for a Star"7
Brian Hyland 1"Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini"8
Rolf Harris 1"Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport"9
Ken Dodd 1"Love is Like a Violin"8
Ricky Valance 1"Tell Laura I Love Her"1
Roy Orbison 1"Only the Lonely"1
The Ventures 1"Walk, Don't Run"8
Sam Cooke 1"Chain Gang"9
Hank Locklin 1"Please Help Me, I'm Falling"9
Bob Luman 1"Let's Think About Living"6
Johnny Burnette 1"Dreamin'"5
The Drifters 1"Save the Last Dance for Me"2
Sophia Loren 1"Goodness Gracious Me"1
Peter Sellers
Nina & Frederik 1"Little Donkey"3
Johnny Tillotson 1"Poetry in Motion" [A] 1
Notes

The Shadows scored two singles independent of Cliff Richard for the first time in 1960, starting with "Apache" reaching number one in August. They followed it up with the double single "Man of Mystery"/"The Stranger" peaking at number 5 in December. Peter Sellers had previously achieved two top 10 singles as a member of The Goons.

Songs from films

Original songs from various films entered the top 10 throughout the year. These included "A Voice in the Wilderness" (from Expresso Bongo ), "Theme from "A Summer Place"" ( A Summer Place ), Do You Mind ( Let's Get Married ), "Because They're Young" ( Because They're Young ), "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini" ( One, Two, Three ) and "As Long as He Needs Me" ( Oliver! ).

Additionally, earlier versions of "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" had appeared in several films prior to 1960, namely Is Everybody Happy? (1943), Somebody Loves Me (1952), The Benny Goodman Story (1955) and The Gene Krupa Story (1959). "Clementine" featured as background music in The Grapes of Wrath (under the title "Oh My Darling, Clementine") before it was recorded by Bobby Darin. Fats Waller produced an instrumental version of "Ain't Misbehavin'" in 1929 and this was re-recorded with vocals for the 1943 film Stormy Weather . "Apache" was inspired by the film of the same name, originally recorded in instrumental version by composer Jerry Lordan before famously being released by The Shadows. The comedy song "Goodness Gracious Me" was due to be included on the soundtrack of The Millionairess but it was rejected by the producers. The stand-alone single was eventually used to promote the film.

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 song of each year in chart history from 1952 to date. According to the list, "It's Now or Never" by Elvis Presley is officially recorded as the biggest-selling single of 1960. "It's Now or Never" (9) also ranked in the top 10 best-selling singles of the decade.

Top-ten singles

Key
SymbolMeaning
Single peaked in 1959 but still in chart in 1960.
Single released in 1960 but peaked in 1961.
(#)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 1959
16 October 195913"Travellin' Light" ‡ Cliff Richard & The Shadows 130 October 19595
30 October 195910"Red River Rock" ‡ [B] Johnny and the Hurricanes 313 November 19591
6 November 195915"What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?" ‡ Emile Ford & The Checkmates 118 December 19596
20 November 195912"Oh! Carol" ‡ Neil Sedaka 318 December 19594
27 November 195911"What Do You Want?" ‡ Adam Faith 14 December 19593
4 December 19598"Seven Little Girls Sitting in the Backseat" [C] The Avons 31 January 19601
11 December 19594"Snow Coach" ‡ Russ Conway 725 December 19591
18 December 19594"Rawhide" [D] Frankie Laine 61 January 19601
25 December 19597"Staccato's Theme" Elmer Bernstein 415 January 19601
6"Little White Bull" [E] Tommy Steele 68 January 19601
Singles in 1960
1 January 19601"Jingle Bell Rock" Max Bygraves 71 January 19601
8 January 19602"Bad Boy" Marty Wilde 78 January 19601
15 January 19607"Starry Eyed" Michael Holliday 129 January 19601
8"Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" Freddy Cannon 312 February 19602
22 January 196011"Why" Anthony Newley 15 February 19604
5"Heartaches by the Number" Guy Mitchell 55 February 19601
9"A Voice in the Wilderness" Cliff Richard & The Shadows 25 February 19603
5 February 19609"Poor Me" Adam Faith 14 March 19602
12 February 19606"Pretty Blue Eyes" Craig Douglas 426 February 19601
6"On a Slow Boat to China" [F] Emile Ford & The Checkmates 310 March 19601
5"Beyond the Sea" Bobby Darin 812 February 19602
19 February 196010"Running Bear" Johnny Preston 117 March 19602
26 February 19604"Summer Set" Mr. Acker Bilk & His Paramount Jazz Band 510 March 19601
4 March 19606"Delaware" Perry Como 317 March 19602
10 March 19605"You Got What It Takes" [G] Marv Johnson 710 March 19601
17 March 19601"Be Mine" Lance Fortune 417 March 19601
7"Theme from A Summer Place" Percy Faith 224 March 19601
24 March 19609"My Old Man's a Dustman" Lonnie Donegan 131 March 19604
10"Fall in Love with You" Cliff Richard & The Shadows 214 April 19601
2"Wild One" [H] Bobby Rydell 724 March 19601
6"Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be" Max Bygraves 514 April 19602
1"Colette" Billy Fury 924 March 19601
7 April 196010"Do You Mind" Anthony Newley 128 April 19601
6"Stuck on You" Elvis Presley 321 April 19601
14 April 196013"Handy Man" Jimmy Jones 314 April 19605
1"Beatnik Fly" Johnny and the Hurricanes 814 April 19601
21 April 19601"Clementine" Bobby Darin 821 April 19601
1"Hit and Miss" The John Barry Seven 1021 April 19601
28 April 19606"Someone Else's Baby" Adam Faith 219 May 19601
11"Cathy's Clown" [I] The Everly Brothers 15 May 19607
8"Sweet Nothin's" [J] Brenda Lee 42 June 19601
5 May 19601"Standing on the Corner" The King Brothers 45 May 19601
7"Footsteps" Steve Lawrence 426 May 19601
12 May 19607"Shazam!" Duane Eddy 49 June 19601
19 May 19607"Cradle of Love" Johnny Preston 226 May 19603
26 May 19602"The Heart of a Teenage Girl" Craig Douglas 1026 May 19602
2 June 19608"Three Steps to Heaven" Eddie Cochran 123 June 19602
9 June 19606"I Wanna Go Home" [K] Lonnie Donegan 523 June 19601
8"Mama"/"Robot Man" [L] Connie Francis 223 June 19601
2"Stairway to Heaven" Neil Sedaka 816 June 19601
23 June 19608"Ain't Misbehavin'" Tommy Bruce & the Bruisers 321 July 19601
1"That's You" Nat King Cole 1023 June 19601
30 June 19609"Good Timin'" Jimmy Jones 17 July 19603
5"When Johnny Comes Marching Home"/"Made You" [M] Adam Faith 521 July 19601
3"Angela Jones" [N] Michael Cox 714 July 19601
7 July 19604"What a Mouth (What a North and South)" Tommy Steele 57 July 19601
13"Please Don't Tease" Cliff Richard & The Shadows 128 July 19603
1"Down Yonder" Johnny and the Hurricanes 87 July 19601
10"Shakin' All Over" Johnny Kidd & the Pirates 14 August 19601
14 July 19601"Sixteen Reasons" Connie Stevens 914 July 19601
28 July 19604"If She Should Come to You" [O] Anthony Newley 428 July 19601
9"When Will I Be Loved" The Everly Brothers 425 August 19601
2"Look for a Star" [P] Gary Mills 728 July 19601
4 August 196012"Because They're Young" Duane Eddy 28 September 19601
13"A Mess of Blues" Elvis Presley 215 September 19602
3"Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini" Brian Hyland 811 August 19602
11 August 196011"Apache" The Shadows 125 August 19605
18 August 19603"Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" Rolf Harris 918 August 19601
25 August 19603"Love Is Like a Violin" [Q] Ken Dodd 825 August 19603
1 September 196014"As Long as He Needs Me" [R] Shirley Bassey 226 October 19605
8 September 19603"Paper Roses" The Kaye Sisters 78 September 19601
4"Everybody's Somebody's Fool" Connie Francis 515 September 19601
1"Lorelei" Lonnie Donegan 108 September 19601
15 September 19608"Tell Laura I Love Her" Ricky Valance 129 September 19603
22 September 196010"Only the Lonely" Roy Orbison 120 October 19602
29 September 19606"Nine Times Out of Ten" Cliff Richard & The Shadows 36 October 19602
7"How About That" Adam Faith 413 October 19602
6 October 19608"Lucille"/"So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)" The Everly Brothers 420 October 19601
1"Walk, Don't Run" The Ventures 86 October 19601
2"Chain Gang" [S] Sam Cooke 927 October 19601
13 October 19602"Please Help Me, I'm Falling" [T] Hank Locklin 913 October 19601
20 October 19606"Let's Think About Living" [U] Bob Luman 627 October 19602
3 November 196012"It's Now or Never" (#1) [I] Elvis Presley 13 November 19608
11"Rocking Goose" Johnny and the Hurricanes 317 November 19602
5"Dreamin'" Johnny Burnette 510 November 19603
10 November 19603"My Love for You" Johnny Mathis 910 November 19601
17 November 19605"My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" Connie Francis 324 November 19601
9"Man of Mystery"/"The Stranger" [V] The Shadows 51 December 19602
11"Save the Last Dance for Me" The Drifters 21 December 19604
24 November 19608"Goodness Gracious Me" [W] Peter Sellers & Sophia Loren 41 December 19601
1 December 19606"Little Donkey" Nina & Frederik 38 December 19601
8 December 19609"I Love You" Cliff Richard & The Shadows 129 December 19602
6"Strawberry Fair" Anthony Newley 315 December 19602
15 December 196010"Poetry in Motion" ♦ Johnny Tillotson 112 January 19612
4"Lonely Pup (In a Christmas Shop)" Adam Faith 422 December 19602

Entries by artist

In June 1960, two months after his death in a car accident while on tour in the UK, Eddie Cochran achieved a posthumous number-one hit with "Three Steps to Heaven", which spent two weeks at the top spot. Eddie Cochran.jpg
In June 1960, two months after his death in a car accident while on tour in the UK, Eddie Cochran achieved a posthumous number-one hit with "Three Steps to Heaven", which spent two weeks at the top spot.

The following table shows artists who achieved two or more top 10 entries in 1960, including singles that reached their peak in 1959 or 1961. The figures include both main artists and featured artists. The total number of weeks an artist spent in the top ten in 1960 is also shown.

EntriesArtistWeeksSingles
8 The Shadows [X] [Y] 65"Apache", "A Voice in the Wilderness", "Fall in Love with You", "I Love You", "Man of Mystery"/"The Stranger", "Nine Times Out of Ten", "Please Don't Tease", "Travellin' Light"
6 Adam Faith [X] 35"How About That", "Lonely Pup (In a Christmas Shop)", "Poor Me", "Someone Else's Baby", "What Do You Want?", "When Johnny Comes Marching Home"/"Made You"
Cliff Richard [X] [Y] 48"A Voice in the Wilderness", "Fall in Love with You", "I Love You", "Nine Times Out of Ten", "Please Don't Tease", "Travellin' Light"
4 Anthony Newley 28"Do You Mind", "If She Should Come to You", "Strawberry Fair", "Why"
Johnny and the Hurricanes [X] 11"Beatnik Fly", "Down Yonder", "Red River Rock", "Rocking Goose"
3 Connie Francis 16"Everybody's Somebody's Fool", "Mama"/"Robot Man", "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own"
Elvis Presley 27"A Mess of Blues", "It's Now or Never", "Stuck on You"
The Everly Brothers 26"Cathy's Clown", "Lucille"/"So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)", "When Will I Be Loved"
Lonnie Donegan 16"I Wanna Go Home", "Lorelei", "My Old Man's a Dustman"
2 Bobby Darin 6"Clementine", "Beyond the Sea"
Craig Douglas 8"Pretty Blue Eyes", "The Heart of a Teenage Girl"
Duane Eddy 19"Because They're Young", "Shazam!"
Emile Ford & The Checkmates [X] 13"On a Slow Boat to China", "What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?"
Jimmy Jones 22"Good Timin'", "Handy Man"
Johnny Preston 17"Cradle of Love", "Running Bear"
Max Bygraves 7"Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be", "Jingle Bell Rock"
Neil Sedaka [X] 8"Oh! Carol", "Stairway to Heaven"
Tommy Steele [Z] 9"Little White Bull", "What a Mouth (What a North and South)"

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.