List of UK singles chart number ones of the 1960s
UK singles chart number ones |
---|
UK singles chart |
Other charts |
Related |
The
As well as the chart compilers mentioned previously, Melody Maker, Disc and Record Mirror all compiled their own charts during the decade. Due to the lack of any official chart the BBC aggregated results from all these charts to announce its own Pick of the Pops chart.[1] One source explains that the reason for using the Record Retailer chart for the 1960s was that it was "the only chart to have as many as 50 positions for almost the entire decade".[3] The sample size of Record Retailer in the early 1960s was around 30 stores whereas NME and Melody Maker were sampling over 100 stores.[1] In 1969, the first BMRB chart was compiled using postal returns of sales logs from 250 record shops.[4]
In terms of number-one singles,
Number-one singles
† | Best-selling single of the year[11]
|
---|---|
‡ | Best-selling single of the decade[11] |
Contents |
---|
|
Contents |
---|
|
By artist
The following artists achieved three or more number-one hits during the 1960s.
Artist | Number ones | Weeks at number one |
---|---|---|
The Beatles | 17 | 69 |
Elvis Presley | 11 | 44 |
The Rolling Stones | 8 | 18 |
Cliff Richard | 7 | 20 |
The Shadows | 5 | 16 |
Frank Ifield | 4 | 17 |
The Everly Brothers | 3 | 12 |
Gerry and the Pacemakers | 3 | 11 |
Sandie Shaw | 3 | 9 |
Manfred Mann | 3 | 7 |
Roy Orbison | 3 | 7 |
The Searchers | 3 | 7 |
The Kinks | 3 | 5 |
Georgie Fame | 3 | 4 |
By record label
The following record labels had five or more number ones on the
Record label | Number ones |
---|---|
Columbia | 35 |
Parlophone | 23 |
Decca | 22 |
Pye/Pye International | 19 |
RCA | 17 |
CBS | 7 |
London | 7 |
HMV | 7 |
Philips | 7 |
Fontana | 5 |
Million-selling and gold records
The Shadows instrumental, "Apache", is the oldest 1960s release to be awarded a gold record but not the first to actually receive the award.[14] The awarding of seventeen[according to whom?] gold records to records released in the 1960s is documented and, notably, five were awarded to releases by The Beatles. Although The Righteous Brothers first released "Unchained Melody" in August 1965 it had more success after being re-released in the 1990s reaching number one and selling over one million copies.[15]
Artist | Song | Year of millionth sale[7][8][16] |
---|---|---|
The Shadows | "Apache" | 1963 |
Elvis Presley | "It's Now or Never" | 1960 |
Acker Bilk | "Stranger on the Shore" | 1962 |
Cliff Richard and The Shadows | "The Young Ones" | 1962 |
Frank Ifield | "I Remember You" | 1962 |
The Beatles | "She Loves You" | 1963 |
The Beatles | "I Want to Hold Your Hand" | 1963 |
The Beatles | "Can't Buy Me Love" | 1964 |
The Beatles | "I Feel Fine" | 1964 |
Ken Dodd | " Tears " |
1965 |
The Seekers | "The Carnival Is Over" | 1965 |
The Beatles | "Day Tripper" / "We Can Work It Out" | 1965–66 |
Tom Jones | "Green, Green Grass of Home" | 1966 |
Engelbert Humperdinck | " Release Me " |
1967 |
Engelbert Humperdinck | "The Last Waltz" | 1967 |
Cliff Richard | "Congratulations" | 1968[17] |
The Archies | "Sugar, Sugar" | 1970.[18] |
Notes
- ^ a b c d The artist, song name, dates and duration are those given by the Official Charts Company.[12]
- ^ The record labels are those given by the OCC.[13]
- ^ Due to different charts being used, the weekday varies prior to August 1969: Chart week starting Friday before 10 March 1960 (NME), Thursday before July 1967 (Record Retailer), Wednesday before August 1969, and chart week ending Saturday after that (BMRB). These are the dates by which the charts are usually referred to and so are the dates used in this table.
References
- ^ a b c d e Smith, Alan. "50s & 60s UK Charts – The Truth!". Dave McAleer's website. Archived from the original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ a b Leigh, Spencer (20 February 1998). "Music: Charting the number ones that somehow got away". The Independent. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
- ^ ISBN 1-84449-058-0.
Until 15th February 1969, there was no officially compiled chart.
- ^ The Official Charts Company. Archived from the originalon 10 January 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
- The Official Charts Company. Archived from the originalon 3 November 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2010.
- ^ Leadbetter, Russell (17 May 2010). "Macca proves he's no sellout". The Herald. Retrieved 31 May 2010.
- ^ The Official Charts Company. Archived from the originalon 16 April 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
- ^ a b "Million-Selling Singles". everyHit. Retrieved 12 June 2010.
- ^ "BPI – Charts – 3. Top Twenty Chart Facts". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 4 June 2004. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
- The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 October 2010.
- ^ a b "The biggest song of every year revealed". Official Charts Company. 9 January 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
- ^ "All The Number 1 Singles". Official Charts Company. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
- ^ "Artist Chart History". London: Official Charts Company. 2010. Archived from the original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
- ISBN 0668064595.
This disc was a chart topping disc for six weeks and a million seller by 1963 in Britain
- The Official Charts Company. Archived from the originalon 15 June 2011. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
- ^ Smith, Alan. "UK First Charts & Silver Discs". Dave McAleer's website. Archived from the original on 2 September 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ "Disc News In Brief" (PDF). DISC and MUSIC ECHO. 6 July 1968. p. 6. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ISBN 0668064595.
In Britain the disc (RCA label) was No 1 for eight weeks and sold over a million there
Further reading
- Davis, Sharon. Every Chart-Topper Tells a Story: The Sixties. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing, 1997 ISBN 1-85158-836-1, 288p.
External links