| 1950s in music in the UK |
| Events |
|---|
See also: Lists of UK top 10 singles and Lists of UK top 40 singles
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] Until 2004 the chart was only based on the sales of both physical singles with airplay figures excluded from the official chart.[2][3]
This list shows singles that peaked in the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart during 1953, as well as songs which peaked in 1952 and 1954 but were in the top 40 in 1953. The entry date is when the song appeared in the top 40 for the first time (week ending, as published by the Official Charts Company, which is six days after the chart is announced).
Ninety-six singles were in the top forty this year. Twenty singles from 1952 remained in the top 40 for several weeks at the beginning of the year, or re-entered during the year."Britannia Rag" by Winifred Atwell, "Comes A-Long A-Love" by Kay Starr,"Cowpuncher's Cantata" by Max Bygraves, "Takes Two to Tango" by Louis Armstrong, "Walkin' to Missouri" by Tony Brent and "You Belong to Me" by Jo Stafford first charted in 1952 but did not reach their peak until 1953. "Chicka Boom" and "Cloud Lucky Seven" by Guy Mitchell, "Let's Have a Party" by Winifred Atwell, "Oh Mein Papa" by Eddie Calvert and "Rags to Riches" by David Whitfield first charted in 1953 but did not reach their peak until 1954.
Twenty-two artists had multiple entries in the top forty in 1953, with Frankie Laine having the most entries (8). Songs that reached the top ten this year are featured here but also included in their own article.
Top-forty singles
edit- Key
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ‡ | Single peaked in 1952 but still in chart in 1953. |
| ♦ | Single released in 1953 but peaked in 1954. |
| Single peaked at number-one in 1953. | |
| Entered | The date that the song first appeared in the chart. |
| Peak | Highest position that the song reached in the UK Singles Chart. |
| Entered (week ending) |
Weeks in top 40 |
Single | Artist | Peak | Peak reached (week ending) |
Weeks at peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singles in 1952 | ||||||
| 20 November 1952 | 18 | "Here in My Heart" ‡ | Al Martino | 1 | 20 November 1952 | 9 |
| 19 | "You Belong to Me" | Jo Stafford | 1 | 22 January 1953 | 1 | |
| 7 | "Somewhere Along the Way" ‡ | Nat King Cole | 3 | 20 November 1952 | 1 | |
| 12 | "Isle of Innisfree" ‡ | Bing Crosby | 3 | 18 December 1952 | 3 | |
| 10 | "Feet Up (Pat Him on the Po-Po)" ‡ | Guy Mitchell | 2 | 27 November 1952 | 1 | |
| 9 | "Half as Much" ‡ | Rosemary Clooney with Percy Faith & His Orchestra | 3 | 27 November 1952 | 3 | |
| 6 | "Forget Me Not" ‡ | Vera Lynn | 5 | 18 December 1952 | 1 | |
| 7 | "High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me)" ‡ | Frankie Laine | 7 | 20 November 1952 | 2 | |
| 8 | "Sugar Bush" ‡ | Doris Day & Frankie Laine | 8 | 20 November 1952 | 3 | |
| 24 | "Because You're Mine" ‡ | Mario Lanza | 3 | 11 December 1952 | 3 | |
| 8 | "Cowpuncher's Cantata" | Max Bygraves | 6 | 29 January 1953 | 1 | |
| 11 December 1952 | 16 | "Comes A-Long A-Love" | Kay Starr | 1 | 29 January 1953 | 1 |
| 18 December 1952 | 6 | "Britannia Rag" | Winifred Atwell | 5 | 29 January 1953 | 1 |
| 25 December 1952 | 3 | "White Christmas" ‡ | Mantovani and His Orchestra | 6 | 25 December 1952 | 2 |
| 4 | "Because You're Mine" ‡ | Nat King Cole | 6 | 25 December 1952 | 2 | |
| 3 | "Faith Can Move Mountains" ‡ | Johnnie Ray and The Four Lads | 7 | 25 December 1952 | 2 | |
| 2 | "Silent Night, Holy Night" ‡ | Bing Crosby | 8 | 25 December 1952 | 2 | |
| 10 | "Takes Two to Tango" | Louis Armstrong | 6 | 29 January 1953 | 1 | |
| 7 | "Walkin' to Missouri" | Tony Brent | 7 | 15 January 1953 | 1 | |
| 2 | "Jambalaya" ‡ | Jo Stafford | 11 | 25 December 1952 | 2 | |
| Singles in 1953 | ||||||
| 8 January 1953 | 4 | "Faith Can Move Mountains" | Nat King Cole | 10 | 12 February 1953 | 1 |
| 7 | "Make It Soon" | Tony Brent | 9 | 22 January 1953 | 3 | |
| 17 | "Outside of Heaven" | Eddie Fisher | 1 | 5 February 1953 | 1 | |
| 15 January 1953 | 1 | "The Glow-Worm" | Mills Brothers | 10 | 15 January 1953 | 1 |
| 1 | "Faith Can Move Mountains" | Jimmy Young | 11 | 15 January 1953 | 1 | |
| 22 January 1953 | 15 | "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes" | Perry Como and The Ramblers | 1 | 12 February 1953 | 5 |
| 1 | "Vanessa" | Ted Heath and His Music | 11 | 22 January 1953 | 1 | |
| 29 January 1953 | 1 | "Got You On My Mind" | Tony Brent | 12 | 29 January 1953 | 1 |
| 5 | "Everything I Have Is Yours" | Eddie Fisher | 8 | 12 February 1953 | 1 | |
| 5 February 1953 | 12 | "Now" | Al Martino | 3 | 26 March 1953 | 2 |
| 19 February 1953 | 16 | "She Wears Red Feathers" | Guy Mitchell | 1 | 19 March 1953 | 4 |
| 12 | "Broken Wings" | The Stargazers | 1 | 16 April 1953 | 1 | |
| 7 | "Broken Wings" | Art and Dotty Todd | 6 | 5 March 1953 | 2 | |
| 26 February 1953 | 1 | "Broken Wings" | Dickie Valentine | 12 | 26 February 1953 | 1 |
| 5 March 1953 | 10 | "Wonderful Copenhagen" | Danny Kaye | 5 | 16 April 1953 | 1 |
| 12 March 1953 | 1 | "Why Don't You Believe Me?" | Joni James | 11 | 12 March 1953 | 1 |
| 19 March 1953 | 11 | "(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?" | Lita Roza | 1 | 23 April 1953 | 1 |
| 3 | "All the Time and Everywhere" | Dickie Valentine | 9 | 26 March 1953 | 1 | |
| 26 March 1953 | 1 | "The Girl in the Wood" | Frankie Laine | 11 | 26 March 1953 | 1 |
| 1 | "Night Train" | Buddy Morrow | 12 | 26 March 1953 | 1 | |
| 2 April 1953 | 5 | "(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?" | Patti Page | 9 | 2 April 1953 | 2 |
| 9 April 1953 | 8 | "Oh Happy Day" | The Johnston Brothers | 4 | 7 May 1953 | 2 |
| 3 | "Little Red Monkey" | Frank Chacksfield's Tunesmiths | 10 | 9 April 1953 | 1 | |
| 36 | "I Believe" | Frankie Laine | 1 | 30 April 1953 | 18 | |
| 1 | "Ma Says, Pa Says" | Doris Day & Johnnie Ray | 12 | 9 April 1953 | 1 | |
| 16 April 1953 | 7 | "Somebody Stole My Gal" | Johnnie Ray | 6 | 16 April 1953 | 2 |
| 23 April 1953 | 1 | "A Full Time Job" | Doris Day & Johnnie Ray | 11 | 23 April 1953 | 1 |
| 30 April 1953 | 11 | "Pretty Little Black Eyed Susie" | Guy Mitchell | 2 | 7 May 1953 | 1 |
| 4 | "Side by Side" | Kay Starr | 7 | 7 May 1953 | 1 | |
| 18 | "Pretend" | Nat King Cole | 2 | 14 May 1953 | 5 | |
| 7 May 1953 | 15 | "Downhearted" | Eddie Fisher | 3 | 28 May 1953 | 2 |
| 10 | "In a Golden Coach (There's a Heart of Gold)" | Billy Cotton and His Band with Doreen Stephens & Chorus | 3 | 11 June 1953 | 1 | |
| 14 May 1953 | 16 | "Tell Me a Story" | Jimmy Boyd & Frankie Laine | 5 | 21 May 1953 | 2 |
| 21 May 1953 | 17 | "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" | Muriel Smith | 3 | 25 June 1953 | 4 |
| 23 | "Terry's Theme (from Limelight)" | Ron Goodwin & His Orchestra | 3 | 13 August 1953 | 2 | |
| 6 | "Coronation Rag" | Winifred Atwell | 5 | 11 June 1953 | 1 | |
| 28 May 1953 | 18 | "I'm Walking Behind You" | Eddie Fisher with Sally Sweetland | 1 | 2 July 1953 | 1 |
| 24 | "Terry's Theme (from Limelight)" | Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra | 2 | 11 June 1953 | 8 | |
| 4 June 1953 | 23 | "The Song from the Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart)" | Mantovani and His Orchestra | 1 | 20 August 1953 | 1 |
| 11 June 1953 | 1 | "In a Golden Coach (There's a Heart of Gold)" | Dickie Valentine | 7 | 11 June 1953 | 1 |
| 1 | "The Windsor Waltz" | Vera Lynn | 11 | 11 June 1953 | 1 | |
| 1 | "I'm Walking Behind You" | Dorothy Squires | 12 | 11 June 1953 | 1 | |
| 9 July 1953 | 11 | "Hot Toddy" | Ted Heath and His Music | 6 | 20 August 1953 | 2 |
| 16 July 1953 | 5 | "Rachel" | Al Martino | 10 | 16 July 1953 | 2 |
| 1 | "A Bushel and a Peck" | Vivian Blaine | 12 | 16 July 1953 | 1 | |
| 23 July 1953 | 6 | "Seven Lonely Days" | Gisele Mackenzie | 6 | 3 September 1953 | 1 |
| 30 July 1953 | 14 | "Let's Walk That-a-Way" | Doris Day & Johnnie Ray | 4 | 3 September 1953 | 7 |
| 13 August 1953 | 7 | "Say You're Mine Again" | June Hutton & Axel Stordahl with The Boys Next Door | 6 | 24 September 1953 | 1 |
| 20 August 1953 | 8 | "Can't I?" | Nat King Cole | 6 | 1 October 1953 | 2 |
| 27 August 1953 | 9 | "Eternally" | Jimmy Young | 8 | 10 September 1953 | 1 |
| 3 September 1953 | 14 | "Look at That Girl" | Guy Mitchell | 1 | 17 September 1953 | 6 |
| 10 September 1953 | 12 | "Where the Winds Blow" | Frankie Laine | 2 | 8 October 1953 | 1 |
| 24 September 1953 | 7 | "Mother Nature and Father Time" | Nat King Cole | 7 | 22 October 1953 | 1 |
| 8 | "Kiss" | Dean Martin | 5 | 29 October 1953 | 1 | |
| 1 October 1953 | 3 | "Flirtation Waltz" | Winifred Atwell | 10 | 15 October 1953 | 1 |
| 8 October 1953 | 1 | "The Bridge of Sighs" | David Whitfield | 9 | 8 October 1953 | 1 |
| 22 October 1953 | 8 | "Hey Joe" | Frankie Laine | 1 | 29 October 1953 | 2 |
| 14 | "Answer Me (Mutterlein)" | David Whitfield | 1 | 12 November 1953 | 2 | |
| 29 October 1953 | 18 | "Swedish Rhapsody" | Mantovani and His Orchestra | 2 | 10 December 1953 | 2 |
| 10 | "Poppa Piccolino (Papaveri e papere)" | Diana Decker | 2 | 17 December 1953 | 1 | |
| 5 | "Dragnet" | Ted Heath and His Music | 9 | 3 December 1953 | 1 | |
| 5 November 1953 | 17 | "Answer Me (Mutterlein)" | Frankie Laine | 1 | 19 November 1953 | 8 |
| 12 November 1953 | 15 | "Chicka Boom" ♦ | Guy Mitchell | 4 | 4 February 1954 | 1 |
| 9 | "Wish You Were Here" | Eddie Fisher | 8 | 26 November 1953 | 1 | |
| 26 November 1953 | 4 | "Vaya con Dios (May Be God with You)" | Les Paul & Mary Ford | 7 | 26 November 1953 | 1 |
| 6 | "Crying in the Chapel" | Lee Lawrence | 7 | 17 December 1953 | 1 | |
| 3 December 1953 | 6 | "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" | Jimmy Boyd | 3 | 10 December 1953 | 1 |
| 5 | "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" | The Beverley Sisters | 6 | 17 December 1953 | 1 | |
| 10 December 1953 | 2 | "Dragnet" | Ray Anthony and His Orchestra | 7 | 10 December 1953 | 1 |
| 15 | "Let's Have a Party" ♦ | Winifred Atwell | 2 | 21 January 1954 | 1 | |
| 4 | "Swedish Rhapsody" | Ray Martin and His Concert Orchestra | 4 | 24 December 1953 | 3 | |
| 17 December 1953 | 5 | "Ricochet" | Joan Regan with The Squadronaires | 8 | 17 December 1953 | 1 |
| 11 | "Rags to Riches" ♦ | David Whitfield | 3 | 14 January 1954 | 3 | |
| 24 December 1953 | 21 | "Oh Mein Papa" ♦ | Eddie Calvert | 1 | 14 January 1954 | 9 |
| 3 | "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" | Billy Cotton and His Band | 11 | 24 December 1953 | 3 | |
| 16 | "Cloud Lucky Seven" ♦ | Guy Mitchell | 2 | 18 February 1954 | 1 | |
Entries by artist
editThe following table shows artists who achieved or more top 40 entries in 1953, including songs that reached their peak in 1952 or 1954. The figures include both main artists and featured artists, while appearances on ensemble charity records are also counted for each artist.
| Entries | Artist | Country of origin | Songs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Frankie Laine |  United States
|
Answer Me (Mutterlein), Hey Joe, High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me), I Believe, Sugar Bush, Tell Me a Story, The Girl in the Wood, Where the Winds Blow |
| 6 | Guy Mitchell | Chicka Boom, Cloud Lucky Seven, Feet Up (Pat Him on the Po-Po), Look at That Girl, Pretty Little Black Eyed Susie, She Wears Red Feathers | |
| 5 | Johnnie Ray | A Full Time Job, Faith Can Move Mountains, Let's Walk That-a-Way, Ma Says Pa Says, Somebody Stole My Gal | |
| Nat King Cole | Because You're Mine, Can't I?, Faith Can Move Mountains, Mother Nature and Father Time, Pretend, Somewhere Along the Way | ||
| 4 | Doris Day | A Full Time Job, Let's Walk That-a-Way, Ma Says Pa Says, Sugar Bush | |
| Eddie Fisher | Downhearted, Everything I Have Is Yours, I'm Walking Behind You, Outside of Heaven, Wish You Were Here | ||
| Winifred Atwell |  Trinidad and Tobago
|
Britannia Rag, Coronation Rag, Flirtation Waltz, Let's Have a Party | |
| 3 | Al Martino | United States
|
Here in My Heart, Now, Rachel |
| David Whitfield |  United Kingdom
|
Answer Me (Mutterlein), Rags to Riches, The Bridge of Sighs | |
| Dickie Valentine | All the Time and Everywhere, Broken Wings, In a Golden Coach (There's a Heart of Gold) | ||
| Mantovani and His Orchestra |  Italy
|
Swedish Rhapsody, The Song from Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart), White Christmas | |
| Ted Heath and His Music | United Kingdom
|
Dragnet, Hot Toddy, Vanessa | |
| Tony Brent | Got You on My Mind, Make It Soon, Walkin' to Missouri | ||
| 2 | Billy Cotton | Got You on My Mind, Make It Soon, Walkin' to Missouri | |
| Bing Crosby | United States
|
Isle of Innisfree, Silent Night Holy Night | |
| Frank Chacksfield | United Kingdom
|
Little Red Monkey, Terry's Theme from Limelight | |
| Jimmy Boyd | United States
|
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, Tell Me a Story | |
| Jimmy Young | United Kingdom
|
Eternally, Faith Can Move Mountains | |
| Jo Stafford | United Kingdom
|
Jambalaya, You Belong to Me | |
| Kay Starr | Comes A-Long A-Love, Side by Side | ||
| Ray Martin | United Kingdom
|
Swedish Rhapsody, Terry's Theme from Limelight | |
| Vera Lynn | Forget Me Not, The Windsor Waltz |
Notes
editSee also
editReferences
editGeneral
- "Six decades of singles charts". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
Specific
- ^ "The Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- ^ Roberts, David (2005). Guinness World Records: British Hit Singles and Albums (18th edition). Guinness World Records Limited. p. 14. ISBN 1-904994-00-8.
- ^ "New singles formats to save the charts". BBC News. 16 October 2003. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
External links
edit- 1953 singles chart archive at the Official Charts Company (click on relevant week)
- [1]
| UK singles | |||||
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| UK albums | |||||
| Genre charts |
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| Other charts |
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| Related | |||||
