The UK Singles Chart is the official record chart in the United Kingdom. Prior to 1969 there was no official singles chart;[1][2][3] however, The Official Charts Company and Guinness' British Hit Singles & Albums regard the canonical sources as New Musical Express (NME) before 10 March 1960 and Record Retailer from then until 15 February 1969 when Retailer and the BBC jointly commissioned the British Market Research Bureau (BMRB) to compile the charts.[1][4] The choice to use Record Retailer as the canonical source for the 1960s has been contentious because NME (which continued compiling charts beyond March 1960) had the biggest circulation of periodicals in the decade and was more widely followed.[1][2] 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, The Beatles were the most successful group of the decade having seventeen singles reach the top spot.[5] The longest duration of a single at number-one was eight weeks and this was achieved on three occasions: "It's Now or Never" by Elvis Presley in 1960; "Wonderful Land" by The Shadows in 1962 and "Sugar, Sugar" by The Archies in 1969. The Beatles' song "She Loves You" became the best-selling single of all time in 1963, a record it held until 1977 when band member Paul McCartney's new band, Wings, surpassed it with "Mull of Kintyre".[6] "She Loves You" was the best-selling song of the decade and one of fourteen songs believed to have sold over one million copies in the 1960s.[7][8][9]

Number-one singles

The Beatles had seventeen number-one singles in the 1960s, more than any other artist. Their single "She Loves You" was the best-selling of the decade.
Elvis Presley had eleven number-ones throughout the decade. "It's Now or Never" was the best-selling single of 1960 and spent an unsurpassed (but equalled) eight weeks at number one during the 1960s.
Cliff Richard achieved seven of his number-one singles during the 1960s.
Tom Jones (pictured left with Janis Joplin) had two of his three number-one singles in the 1960s, the third was in 2009.[10]
Key
Best-selling single of the year[11]
Best-selling single of the decade[11]
Contents
No. Artist[nb 1] Single[nb 1] Record label[nb 2] Week starting date[nb 1][nb 3] Weeks at
number one[nb 1]
1960
95 Michael Holliday"Starry Eyed" Columbia29 January 19601
96 Anthony Newley"Why" Decca5 February 19604
97 Adam Faith"Poor Me" Parlophone3 March 19602
98 Johnny Preston"Running Bear" Mercury17 March 19602
99 Lonnie Donegan"My Old Man's a Dustman" Pye31 March 19604
100 Anthony Newley"Do You Mind?" Decca28 April 19601
101 The Everly Brothers"Cathy's Clown" Warner Bros.5 May 19607
102 Eddie Cochran"Three Steps to Heaven" London23 June 19602
103 Jimmy Jones"Good Timin'" MGM7 July 19603
104 Cliff Richard and the Shadows"Please Don't Tease" Columbia28 July 19601
105 Johnny Kidd and the Pirates"Shakin' All Over" HMV4 August 19601
re Cliff Richard and the Shadows"Please Don't Tease" Columbia11 August 19602
106 The Shadows"Apache" Columbia25 August 19605
107 Ricky Valance"Tell Laura I Love Her" Columbia29 September 19603
108 Roy Orbison"Only the Lonely" London20 October 19602
109 Elvis Presley"It's Now or Never" † RCA3 November 19608
110 Cliff Richard and the Shadows"I Love You" Columbia29 December 19602
1961
111 Johnny Tillotson"Poetry in Motion" London12 January 19612
112 Elvis Presley"Are You Lonesome Tonight?" RCA26 January 19614
113 Petula Clark"Sailor" Pye23 February 19611
114 The Everly Brothers"Walk Right Back" / "Ebony Eyes" Warner Bros.2 March 19613
115 Elvis Presley"Wooden Heart" † RCA23 March 19616
116 The Marcels"Blue Moon" Pye International4 May 19612
117 Floyd Cramer"On the Rebound" RCA18 May 19611
118 The Temperance Seven"You're Driving Me Crazy" Parlophone25 May 19611
119 Elvis Presley"Surrender" RCA1 June 19614
120 Del Shannon"Runaway" London29 June 19613
121 The Everly Brothers"Temptation" Warner Bros.20 July 19612
122 Eden Kane"Well I Ask You" Decca3 August 19611
123 Helen Shapiro"You Don't Know" Columbia10 August 19613
124 John Leyton"Johnny Remember Me" Top Rank31 August 19613
125 Shirley Bassey"Reach for the Stars" / "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" Columbia21 September 19611
re John Leyton"Johnny Remember Me" Top Rank28 September 19611
126 The Shadows"Kon-Tiki" Columbia5 October 19611
127 The Highwaymen"Michael" HMV12 October 19611
128 Helen Shapiro"Walkin' Back to Happiness" Columbia19 October 19613
129 Elvis Presley"(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame" / "Little Sister" RCA9 November 19614
130 Frankie Vaughan"Tower of Strength" Philips7 December 19613
131 Danny Williams"Moon River" HMV28 December 19612
1962
132 Cliff Richard and the Shadows "The Young Ones" Columbia11 January 19626
133 Elvis Presley"Can't Help Falling in Love" / "Rock-A-Hula Baby" RCA22 February 19624
134 The Shadows"Wonderful Land" Columbia22 March 19628
135 B. Bumble and the Stingers"Nut Rocker" Top Rank17 May 19621
136 Elvis Presley"Good Luck Charm" RCA24 May 19625
137 Mike Sarne with Wendy Richard"Come Outside" Parlophone28 June 19622
138 Ray Charles"I Can't Stop Loving You" HMV12 July 19622
139 Frank Ifield"I Remember You" † Columbia26 July 19627
140 Elvis Presley"She's Not You" RCA13 September 19623
141 The Tornados"Telstar" Decca4 October 19625
142 Frank Ifield"Lovesick Blues" Columbia8 November 19625
143 Elvis Presley"Return to Sender" RCA13 December 19623
1963
144 Cliff Richard and the Shadows"The Next Time" / "Bachelor Boy" Columbia3 January 19633
145 The Shadows"Dance On!" Columbia24 January 19631
146 Jet Harris and Tony Meehan"Diamonds" Decca31 January 19633
147 Frank Ifield"The Wayward Wind" Columbia21 February 19633
148 Cliff Richard and the Shadows"Summer Holiday" Columbia14 March 19632
149 The Shadows"Foot Tapper" Columbia28 March 19631
re Cliff Richard and the Shadows"Summer Holiday" Columbia4 April 19631
150 Gerry and the Pacemakers"How Do You Do It?" Columbia11 April 19633
151 The Beatles"From Me to You" Parlophone2 May 19637
152 Gerry and the Pacemakers"I Like It" Columbia20 June 19634
153 Frank Ifield"Confessin'" Columbia18 July 19632
154 Elvis Presley"(You're the) Devil in Disguise" RCA1 August 19631
155 The Searchers"Sweets for My Sweet" Pye8 August 19632
156 Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas"Bad to Me" Parlophone22 August 19633
157 The Beatles"She Loves You" ‡ Parlophone12 September 19634
158 Brian Poole and the Tremeloes"Do You Love Me" Decca10 October 19633
159 Gerry and the Pacemakers"You'll Never Walk Alone" Columbia31 October 19634
re The Beatles"She Loves You" ‡ Parlophone28 November 19632
160 The Beatles"I Want to Hold Your Hand" Parlophone12 December 19635
1964
161 The Dave Clark Five"Glad All Over" Columbia16 January 19642
162 The Searchers"Needles and Pins" Pye30 January 19643
163 The Bachelors"Diane" Decca20 February 19641
164 Cilla Black"Anyone Who Had a Heart" Parlophone27 February 19643
165 Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas"Little Children" Parlophone19 March 19642
166 The Beatles"Can't Buy Me Love" † Parlophone2 April 19643
167 Peter and Gordon"A World Without Love" Columbia23 April 19642
168 The Searchers"Don't Throw Your Love Away" Pye7 May 19642
169 The Four Pennies"Juliet" Philips21 May 19641
170 Cilla Black"You're My World" Parlophone28 May 19644
171 Roy Orbison"It's Over" London25 June 19642
172 The Animals"The House of the Rising Sun" Columbia9 July 19641
173 The Rolling Stones"It's All Over Now" Decca16 July 19641
174 The Beatles"A Hard Day's Night" Parlophone23 July 19643
175 Manfred Mann"Do Wah Diddy Diddy" HMV13 August 19642
176 The Honeycombs"Have I the Right?" Pye27 August 19642
177 The Kinks"You Really Got Me" Pye10 September 19642
178 Herman's Hermits"I'm Into Something Good" Columbia24 September 19642
179 Roy Orbison"Oh, Pretty Woman" London8 October 19642
180 Sandie Shaw"(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me" Pye22 October 19643
re Roy Orbison"Oh, Pretty Woman" London12 November 19641
181 The Supremes"Baby Love" Stateside19 November 19642
182 The Rolling Stones"Little Red Rooster" Decca3 December 19641
183 The Beatles"I Feel Fine" Parlophone10 December 19645
1965
184 Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames"Yeh, Yeh" Columbia14 January 19652
185 The Moody Blues"Go Now" Decca28 January 19651
186 The Righteous Brothers"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" London4 February 19652
187 The Kinks"Tired of Waiting for You" Pye18 February 19651
188 The Seekers"I'll Never Find Another You" Columbia25 February 19652
189 Tom Jones"It's Not Unusual" Decca11 March 19651
190 The Rolling Stones"The Last Time" Decca18 March 19653
191 Unit 4 + 2"Concrete and Clay" Decca8 April 19651
192 Cliff Richard"The Minute You're Gone" Columbia15 April 19651
193 The Beatles"Ticket to Ride" Parlophone22 April 19653
194 Roger Miller"King of the Road" Philips13 May 19651
195 Jackie Trent"Where Are You Now" Pye20 May 19651
196 Sandie Shaw"Long Live Love" Pye27 May 19653
197 Elvis Presley"Crying in the Chapel" RCA17 June 19651
198 The Hollies"I'm Alive" Parlophone24 June 19651
re Elvis Presley"Crying in the Chapel" RCA1 July 19651
re The Hollies"I'm Alive" Parlophone8 July 19652
199 The Byrds"Mr. Tambourine Man" CBS22 July 19652
200 The Beatles"Help!" Parlophone5 August 19653
201 Sonny & Cher"I Got You Babe" Atlantic26 August 19652
202 The Rolling Stones"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" Decca9 September 19652
203 The Walker Brothers"Make It Easy on Yourself" Philips23 September 19651
204 Ken Dodd"Tears" † Columbia30 September 19655
205 The Rolling Stones"Get Off of My Cloud" Decca4 November 19653
206 The Seekers"The Carnival Is Over" Columbia25 November 19653
207 The Beatles"Day Tripper" / "We Can Work It Out" Parlophone16 December 19655
1966
208 The Spencer Davis Group"Keep On Running" Fontana20 January 19661
209 The Overlanders"Michelle" Pye27 January 19663
210 Nancy Sinatra"These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" Reprise17 February 19664
211 The Walker Brothers"The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" Philips17 March 19664
212 The Spencer Davis Group"Somebody Help Me" Fontana14 April 19662
213 Dusty Springfield"You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" Philips28 April 19661
214 Manfred Mann"Pretty Flamingo" HMV5 May 19663
215 The Rolling Stones"Paint It Black" Decca26 May 19661
216 Frank Sinatra"Strangers in the Night" Reprise2 June 19663
217 The Beatles"Paperback Writer" Parlophone23 June 19662
218 The Kinks"Sunny Afternoon" Pye7 July 19662
219 Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames"Get Away" Columbia21 July 19661
220 Chris Farlowe"Out of Time" Immediate28 July 19661
221 The Troggs"With a Girl Like You" Fontana4 August 19662
222 The Beatles"Yellow Submarine" / "Eleanor Rigby" Parlophone18 August 19664
223 Small Faces"All or Nothing" Decca15 September 19661
224 Jim Reeves"Distant Drums" RCA22 September 19665
225 Four Tops"Reach Out I'll Be There" Tamla Motown27 October 19663
226 The Beach Boys"Good Vibrations" Capitol17 November 19662
227 Tom Jones"Green, Green Grass of Home" † Decca1 December 19667
1967
228 The Monkees"I'm a Believer" RCA19 January 19674
229 Petula Clark"This Is My Song" Pye16 February 19672
230 Engelbert Humperdinck"Release Me" † Decca2 March 19676
231 Frank and Nancy Sinatra"Somethin' Stupid" Reprise13 April 19672
232 Sandie Shaw"Puppet on a String" Pye27 April 19673
233 The Tremeloes"Silence Is Golden" CBS18 May 19673
234 Procol Harum"A Whiter Shade of Pale" Deram8 June 19676
235 The Beatles"All You Need Is Love" Parlophone19 July 19673
236 Scott McKenzie"San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)" CBS9 August 19674
237 Engelbert Humperdinck"The Last Waltz" Decca6 September 19675
238 Bee Gees"Massachusetts" Polydor11 October 19674
239 The Foundations"Baby Now That I've Found You" Pye8 November 19672
240 Long John Baldry"Let the Heartaches Begin" Pye22 November 19672
241 The Beatles"Hello, Goodbye" Parlophone6 December 19677
1968
242 Georgie Fame"The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde" CBS24 January 19681
243 Love Affair"Everlasting Love" CBS31 January 19682
244 Manfred Mann"Mighty Quinn" Fontana14 February 19682
245 Esther and Abi Ofarim"Cinderella Rockefella" Philips28 February 19683
246 Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich"The Legend of Xanadu" Fontana20 March 19681
247 The Beatles"Lady Madonna" Parlophone27 March 19682
248 Cliff Richard"Congratulations" Columbia10 April 19682
249 Louis Armstrong"What a Wonderful World" HMV24 April 19684
250 Gary Puckett and the Union Gap"Young Girl" CBS22 May 19684
251 The Rolling Stones"Jumpin' Jack Flash" Decca19 June 19682
252 The Equals"Baby, Come Back" President3 July 19683
253 Des O'Connor"I Pretend" Columbia24 July 19681
254 Tommy James and the Shondells"Mony Mony" Major Minor31 July 19682
255 The Crazy World of Arthur Brown"Fire" Track14 August 19681
re Tommy James and the Shondells"Mony Mony" Major Minor21 August 19681
256 The Beach Boys"Do It Again" Capitol28 August 19681
257 Bee Gees"I've Gotta Get a Message to You" Polydor4 September 19681
258 The Beatles"Hey Jude" † Apple11 September 19682
259 Mary Hopkin"Those Were the Days" Apple25 September 19686
260 Joe Cocker"With a Little Help from My Friends" Regal Zonophone6 November 19681
261 Hugo Montenegro"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" RCA13 November 19684
262 The Scaffold"Lily the Pink" Parlophone11 December 19683
1969
263 Marmalade"Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" CBS1 January 19691
re The Scaffold"Lily the Pink" Parlophone8 January 19691
re Marmalade"Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" CBS15 January 19692
264 Fleetwood Mac"Albatross" Blue Horizon29 January 19691
265 The Move"Blackberry Way" Regal Zonophone5 February 19691
266 Amen Corner"(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice" Immediate12 February 19692
267 Peter Sarstedt"Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?" United Artists26 February 19694
268 Marvin Gaye"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" Tamla Motown26 March 19693
269 Desmond Dekker and the Aces"Israelites" Pyramid16 April 19691
270 The Beatles with Billy Preston"Get Back" Apple23 April 19696
271 Tommy Roe"Dizzy" Stateside4 June 19691
272 The Beatles"The Ballad of John and Yoko" Apple11 June 19693
273 Thunderclap Newman"Something in the Air" Track2 July 19693
274 The Rolling Stones"Honky Tonk Women" Decca23 July 19695
275 Zager and Evans"In the Year 2525" RCA24 August 19693
276 Creedence Clearwater Revival"Bad Moon Rising" Liberty14 September 19693
277 Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg"Je t'aime... moi non plus" Major Minor5 October 19691
278 Bobbie Gentry"I'll Never Fall in Love Again" Capitol12 October 19691
279 The Archies"Sugar, Sugar" † RCA19 October 19698
280 Rolf Harris"Two Little Boys" Columbia14 December 19696
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 UK Singles Chart during the 1960s.

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

Although official music recording sales certifications were not introduced until the British Phonographic Industry was formed in 1973, Disc introduced an initiative in 1959 to present a gold record to singles that sold over one million units.[14] Information about when a record was classified gold by Disc is "not well documented".[14] The awards relied on record companies correctly compiling and supplying sales information. Such inaccuracies led to the instigation of official classifications by the BPI.[14]

The Shadows instrumental, "Apache", is the first known song to being awarded Disc's gold record but it is disputed whether one million copies had been sold at the time of presentation.[15] The awarding of fifteen gold records (one erroneously) is documented and, notably, five were awarded to releases by The Beatles. No song is believed to have sold one million copies after 1967 – "The Last Waltz" by Engelbert Humperdinck – and before BPI instigated its platinum record (still one million units) in 1973.[7][8][16][nb 4] 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.[19]

Artist Song Year of millionth
sale[7][8][14]
The Shadows"Apache"N/A[nb 5]
Elvis Presley"It's Now or Never"1960
Acker Bilk"Stranger on the Shore"1961–62
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
The Archies"Sugar, Sugar"1970.[20]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 The artist, song name, dates and duration are those given by the Official Charts Company.[12]
  2. The record labels are those given by the OCC.[13]
  3. 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.
  4. The number of sales required to qualify for a platinum record was later dropped in 1989 to the current thresholds of 600,000 units.[16][17][18]
  5. Despite being awarded a gold record (for selling one million units) by Disc,[14] other sources suggest the record did not sell one million copies.[7][8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Smith, Alan. "50s & 60s UK Charts – The Truth!". Dave McAleer's website. Archived from the original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
  2. 1 2 Leigh, Spencer (20 February 1998). "Music: Charting the number ones that somehow got away". The Independent. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  3. 1 2 Warwick, Neil; Kutner, Jon; Brown, Tony (2004). The Complete Book Of The British Charts: Singles and Albums (3rd ed.). London: Omnibus Press. p. v. ISBN 1-84449-058-0. Until 15th February 1969, there was no officially compiled chart.
  4. 1 2 "Key Dates in the History of the Official UK Charts". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 10 January 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  5. "Featured Artists: The Beatles". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2010.
  6. Leadbetter, Russell (17 May 2010). "Macca proves he's no sellout". The Herald. Retrieved 31 May 2010.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Stats and Facts: Million Sellers". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 16 April 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Million-Selling Singles". everyHit. Retrieved 12 June 2010.
  9. "BPI – Charts – 3. Top Twenty Chart Facts". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 4 June 2004. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  10. "Artist Chart History: Tom Jones". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 October 2010.
  11. 1 2 "The biggest song of every year revealed". Official Charts Company. 9 January 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  12. "All The Number 1 Singles". Official Charts Company. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  13. "Artist Chart History". London: Official Charts Company. 2010. Archived from the original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 Smith, Alan. "UK First Charts & Silver Discs". Dave McAleer's website. Archived from the original on 2 September 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
  15. Murrells, Joseph (1985). Million selling records from the 1900s to the 1980s : an illustrated directory. Arco Pub. p. 146. ISBN 0668064595. This disc was a chart topping disc for six weeks and a million seller by 1963 in Britian
  16. 1 2 Gallup (4 February 1989). "The Top of the Pops Chart" (PDF). Record Mirror: 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 October 2010. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
  17. "Certified Awards". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 1 May 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
  18. "International Certification Award levels" (PDF). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. March 2010. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
  19. "Artist Chart History: Righteous Brothers". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
  20. Murrells, Joseph (1985). Million selling records from the 1900s to the 1980s : an illustrated directory. Arco Pub. p. 276. 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.

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