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[davetaylor]

Now everyone knows about there not being an Official chart in the 50s & 60s, but was there a more definitive list than the average BBC charts? (The BBC Averaged Chart was just Melody Maker/NME/Disc/Record Mirror/Retailer positions added together) Yes, there was another. EMI produced a chart from 1957 to 1978, which did pop up in various HMV outlets.

EMI produced their chart similar to the BBC, but also included a 10% sales quota & so did not have any tied positions. There was a downside though, EMI seperated all Double A sided singles until 1964.

I'm going to attempt a complete list of averaged number ones starting here & will be contrasting them to both EMI & the BBC. Before we start though, I must expain a mis-comprehension. Some people seem to think that charts in Music Papers/Mags were based on actual sales from 1952 - 69. This is nonsense. All the Music papers did was recieve a top 50, of what was selling in various stores. Like, (say) NME would get top 50s from 100 shops or so, & just add all the positions, of those 100 charts, together to make their own chart. Every single paper did it the same way, but with varying numbers of stores charts. The BBC took (the finished charts in the 4 papers) & added those together too. EMI did the same, & then added in their 50 shop sample. From that, we can variably work, as to what was really #1 in a given week.

Going to start in 1955, with a specially made averaged number one, based on Record Mirror & NME plus a combi from the Sheet Music chart. It is a fallacy that NME were the first to produce a Record Sales chart. Infact it was actually Melody Maker who first tried one, before the War, though we're not going back that far!

So starting in 1955, these were the averaged number ones week on:

8th Jan 1955 FINGER OF SUSPICION - DICKIE VALENTINE
22nd Jan 55 MAMBO ITLIANO - ROSEMARY CLOONEY
19th Feb 55 SOFTLY SOFTLY - RUBY MURRAY
19th Mar 55 GIVE ME YOUR WORD - TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD
7th May 55 STRANGER IN PARADISE - TONY BENNETT
11th Jun 55 CHERRY PINK & APPLE BLOSSOM WHITE - EDDIE CALVERT
25th June 55 UNCHAINED MELODY - AL HIBBLER
9th July 55 DREAMBOAT - ALMA COGAN
30th July 55 ROSEMARIE - SLIM WHITMAN
8th Oct 55 THE MAN FROM LARAMIE - JIMMY YOUNG
12th Nov 55 ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK - BILL HALEY
24th Dec 55 CHRISTMAS ALPHABET - DICKIE VALENTINE

Record Mirror printed it's first Record chart in January 1955, though some of it was open to question with one record on one week, at least being clumpt together with other versions as Various Artists...that record was Dickie Valentine's version of "A Blossom Fell". So, they were leaning to the Sheet Music Chart still. Another record that apparently got to the top in Record Mirror was "The Naughty Lady Of Shady Lane". Again it looks like Dean Martin's version was clump with at least some other versions, giving a false impression. The same could be said of "Happy Days & Lonely Nights" i.e. the Suzi Miller version!
So, we define 1955 with a dozen number ones, & find that Al Hiddler did really sell more with Unchained Melody than Jimmy Young...though it may have been close. The tune came from the film "The Unchained" with Les Baxter's version being in the film itself. Another film "The Pyjama Game" was also about in 1955, inspiring Double A sides by the Johnston Brothers & Johnny Ray. They were "Hernando's Hideaway & "Hey There". According to NME, the Johnston Brothers sold enough to make number one, although both sides were seperated on it's chart. The record did not even make the top 3 on Record Mirror, & so it couldn't possibly had made it. Jimmy Young finally scored with "The Man From Laramie" another film, & this time the Al Hibbler version missed in the UK. Dickie Valentine turn the year into a sandwich, by starting the year at the top & finishing it too. With Slim Whitman achieving 10 weeks at the top between July & October making it an early version of Bryan Adams...well almost!


1956
7th Jan 56 ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK - BILL HALEY
14th Jan 56 SIXTEEN TONS - TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD
18th Feb 56 MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS - DEAN MARTIN
17th Mar 56 IT'S ALMOST TOMORROW - THE DREAMWEAVERS
14th Apr 56 POOR PEOPLE OF PARIS - WINIFRED ATWELL
12th May 56 NO OTHER LOVE - RONNIE HILTON
9th June 56 I'LL BE HOME - PAT BOONE
21st July 56 WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE - FRANKIE LYMON & THE TEENAGERS
11th Aug 56 WHATEVER WILL BE WILL BE - DORIS DAY
22nd Sep 56 LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS - ANNE SHELTON
20th Oct 56 A WOMAN IN LOVE - FRANKIE LAINE
10th Nov 56 JUST WALKING IN THE RAIN - JOHNNY RAY

So 1956 came along & Bill Haley went back to the top. In April 56, the Melody Maker printed a top 20 singles chart & The British Forces Broadcasting Network started an averaged top 20, for use on their own Top 20 show. This was actually the very first time a UK list of best selling singles, was played on Radio. Radio Luxembourg were still broadcasting a Top 20 based on Sheet Music Sales & was introduced by Teddy Johnson from 1949, with Pete Murray taking over by 1956. The British Forces Network were 2 years ahead of the BBC's later copied style shows. The Melody Maker chart actually did something that no other did. They polled shops in Northern Ireland. No official chart did this, until Gallup from 1984 onwards.
The NME did try to tell us that Kay Starr made the top with "Rock N' Roll Waltz", though this was unlikely because when Record Mirror & Melody Makers polls are added together, the shops tally double that the amount of NME. So, Kay gets an overall number 2 for a few weeks. Johnny Ray gets the biggest number of weeks at the top, 8 in total & the Christmas number one too.

1957:
5th Jan 57 SINGING THE BLUES - GUY MITCHELL
2nd Feb 57 GARDEN OF EDEN - FRANKIE VAUGHAN
23rd Feb 57 YOUNG LOVE - TAB HUNTER
13th Apr 57 CUMBERLAND GAP - LONNIE DONEGAN
18th May 57 BUTTERFLY - ANDY WILLIAMS
8th June 57 YES TONIGHT JOSEPHINE - JOHNNY RAY
6th July 57 PUTTIN' ON THE STYLE - LONNIE DONEGAN
13th July 57 ALL SHOOK UP - ELVIS PRESLEY
31st Aug 57 DIANA - PAUL ANKA

Going to split 1957, because EMI started their chart on the week of the 28th September 1957. Strangely the same week that Alan Dell & Denys Jones introduced a current chart section on POTP. Actually POTP that week played 10 records in the same order that Record Mirror had them printed for the week of the 7th September...So, what they were really trying to do, I don't know!

The EMI chart though, was compiled in a strange way. Yes, they took the Average from Melody Maker, NME, & Record Mirror. Then did a sales sweep of up to 50 shops, with a big percentage from HMVs around the Country, & still managed to list all Double A sided singles separately. Considered rather difficult by now, because from July 1957, Record Mirror listed them as one!

So, we continue with 57 & Diana remain at the top until November:
2nd Nov 57 THAT'LL BE THE DAY - BUDDY HOLLY & THE CRICKETS
23rd Nov 57 MARY'S BOY CHILD - HARRY BELAFONTE

Only 11 number ones in 1957 then. We do note, that NME & Record Mirror listed Tommy Steele's "Singing The Blues" at the top, though on neither chart we're they together, as they were not listed on the same weeks! Melody Maker say Tommy didn't make it at all. Points suggest it didn't, though it may have surpassed Guy Mitchell on some days at least, though not full weeks. Paul Anka won the year, with a total of 9 weeks at the top, most noteably keeping Pat Boone's "Love Letters In The Sand" pinned to the number 2 spot for at least 6 weeks. Harry Belafonte rounding off the year, with an early Christmas present in November & 6 weeks at the top.

Jumping into 1958
4th Jan 58 MARY'S BOY CHILD - HARRY BELAFONTE
11th Jan 58 MA, HE'S MAKING EYES AT ME - JOHNNY OTIS SHOW
18th Jan 58 GREAT BALLS OF FIRE - JERRY LEE LEWIS
25th Jan 58 JAILHOUSE ROCK - ELVIS PRESLEY
15th Feb 58 STORY OF MY LIFE - MICHAEL HOLLIDAY
1st Mar 58 MAGIC MOMENTS - PERRY COMO

Drawing breath, to say POTP started their top 20 on 29th March 1958. Though only played new entries, climbers & the top 3 plus the usual new releases, as David Jacobs took over the show for a 2nd stint. Strange but true...the Jackie Dennis record "La Dee Dah" was never, ever played on the show during 1958. Despite going right up in the top 5!

Now continuing with those EMI number ones, & the first difference with the BBC:
19th Apr 58 WHOLE LOTTA WOMAN - MARVIN RAINWATER the BBC say there was a tie this week with Perry Como. EMI say no!
17th May 58 WHO'S SORRY NOW - CONNIE FRANCIS
28th June 58 ALL I HAVE TO DO IS DREAM - EVERLY BROTHERS
23rd Aug 58 WHEN - KALIN TWINS
27th Sept 58 STUPID CUPID - CONNIE FRANCIS
1st Nov 58 BIRD DOG - EVERLY BROTHERS
22nd Nov 58 HOOT'S MON - LORD ROCKINGHAM'S XI
20th Dec 58 IT'S ONLY MAKE BELIEVE - CONWAY TWITTY

So, 14 number ones in 1958. Now if you own a copy of the Tony Jasper Top 20 Book series...I'll note that all the charts from the 9th Aug 58 onwards are all a week behind. This is because (for some strange reason) Tony Jasper says that there wasn't a chart in Record Mirror on the 2nd August. This is nonsense & it was not a repeat of the week before, as he states. This goes all the way up to December 1958, when actually the 27th December dated chart, is actually the 20th Dec. Tony then, misses the actual 27th Dec chart totally. There by missing a top 20 entry by Martinas & His Orchestra with "Cha Cha Momma Brown", which was a cha cha number based on "Knees Up Mother Brown".
Again, I note that NME had both Vic Damone with "On The Street Where You Live" at the top, & also Tommy Edwards & "It's All In The Game". Neither of those topped any other chart, & so says the EMI poll as well. Neither of them made it to the top.

1959
3rd Jan 59 IT'S ONLY MAKE BELIEVE - CONWAY TWITTY
31st Jan 59 ONE NIGHT - ELVIS PRESLEY
21st Feb 59 AS I LOVE YOU - SHIRLEY BASSEY
7th Mar 59 SMOKE GETS IN YOU EYES - PLATTERS another EMI chart differing with the BBC. BBC listed Shirley Bassey & the Platters as a joint number one this week
14th Mar 59 SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES - PLATTERS
28th Mar 59 SIDESADDLE - RUSS CONWAY again BBC listed a joint number one with Russ & the Platters
4th Apr 59 SIDESADDLE - RUSS CONWAY
25th Apr 59 IT DOESN'T MATTER ANYMORE - BUDDY HOLLY
16th May 59 A FOOL SUCH AS I - ELVIS PRESLEY again a differ, BBC listed Elvis & Buddy Holly in a tie
23rd May 59 A FOOL SUCH AS I - ELVIS PRESLEY
20th June 59 ROULETTE - RUSS CONWAY
27th June 59 DREAM LOVER - BOBBY DARIN again a differ, BBC listed Bobby in a tie with Russ
4th July 59 DREAM LOVER - BOBBY DARIN
1st Aug 59 LIVIN' DOLL - CLIFF RICHARD
5th Sept 59 ONLY SIXTEEN - CRAIG DOUGLAS
10th Oct 59 HERE COMES SUMMER - JERRY KELLER another differ, BBC listed Craig & Jerry in a tie
17th Oct 59 HERE COMES SUMMER - JERRY KELLER
24th Oct 59 TRAVELLIN' LIGHT - CLIFF RICHARD
5th Dec 59 WHAT DO YOU WANT TO MAKE THOSE EYES AT ME FOR - EMILE FORD
12th Dec 59 WHAT DO YOU WANT - ADAM FAITH

15 number ones in 1959. Note that NME had Jane Morgan's "Day That The Rains Came" & Bobby Darin's "Mack The Knife" at the top, but no other chart did, as the poll of EMI confirms, they were not #1s! Cliff got 6 weeks at the top with "Travellin' Light" giving him 2 number ones in 1959. Other points to note: A huge Newspaper strike put Record Mirror, Melody Maker, & Disc out of action from June to August. Though all the papers still managed to get charts out on a special sheet. So, both EMI & the BBC still managed to compile a chart.

1960
2nd Jan 60 WHAT DO YOU WANT TO MAKE THOSE EYES AT ME FOR - EMILE FORD
30th Jan 60 STARRY EYED - MICHAEL HOLLIDAY
6th Feb 60 WHY - ANTHONY NEWLEY
5th Mar 60 POOR ME - ADAM FAITH
19th Mar 60 RUNNING BEAR - JOHNNY PRESTON
2nd Apr 60 MY OLD MAN'S A DUSTMAN - LONNIE DONEGAN
30th Apr 60 DO YOU MIND - ANTHONY NEWLEY
7th May 60 CATHY'S CLOWN - EVERLY BROTHERS
2nd July 60 GOOD TIMIN' - JIMMY JONES
23rd July 60 PLEASE DON'T TEASE - CLIFF RICHARD
20th Aug 60 APACHE - THE SHADOWS
1st Oct 60 TELL LAURA I LOVE HER - RICKY VALENCE
22nd Oct 60 ONLY THE LONELY - ROY ORBISON
5th Nov 60 IT'S NOW OR NEVER - ELVIS PRESLEY

So, no differs from EMI to BBC in 1960. 14 number ones & we find that Eddie Cochran didn't get there with "Three Steps To Heaven" (he only made number 3 in some charts, with a #2 on EMI & the BBC). The same with Johnny Kidd's "Shakin All Over" (again number 3 on some charts, & #2 on EMI & BBC). Then at the end of the year Cliff's "I Love You" also missed #1 & got stuck at #2. Elvis getting the biggest seller in years, with "It's Now Or Never". Jimmy Savile's first played record on Luxembourg, was "Cathy's Clown" & 1960 was the year, when Radio Luxembourg began to use NME for it's Sunday top 20 show. They used that until 1966. Record Retailer's weekly chart started in March, with a miserly 30 shop poll. 23rd July 1960 saw Melody Maker increase it's shop poll to 110, from 60 with NME on 80 shops, Record Mirror changed their date of compilation...making it ahead, though they only polled 60 shops & it couldn't be used in an averaged chart anymore, because it didn't hit the stands until Fridays. Though in the 1950s, Record Mirror had had the biggest amount of polls at 60plus, & NME was around 50. Disc was polling 50 shops by mid 1960. So, overall an averaged chart was now based on 240 shops, plus for EMI a further 10% putting it at 264, again beating the BBC averaged chart. Though 9 times that of Record Retailer's very ignored dull, out of date top 50 where they ironed out lots of ties each week, by comparing falling sales figures, for the previous week! Yep, Record Retailer's early years were that bad, & it didn't improve much either. To make matters worse, if you saw the way that they used to deal with tied positions, then you'd immediately reach for the waste paper basket. It even happened with many number ones, along the way. Record Retailer's tie separation, involved looking at the previous week's positions i.e. "Stranger On The Shore" missed the number one in RR, although it was involved with Cliff Richard's "The Young Ones" in a tie on the 13th Jan 62! They gave Cliff, the edge because he was a new entry.

1961
7th Jan 61 POETRY IN MOTION - JOHNNY TILLOTSON
4th Feb 61 ARE YOU LONESOME TONIGHT - ELVIS PRESLEY
4th Mar 61 WALK RIGHT BACK - EVERLY BROTHERS
25th Mar 61 WOODEN HEART - ELVIS PRESLEY
22nd Apr 61 ARE YOU SURE - THE ALLISONS
29th Apr 61 WOODEN HEART - ELVIS PRESLEY
6th May 61 YOU'RE DRIVING ME CRAZY - TEMPERENCE SEVEN EMI differing to BBC here, because BBC had a tie with the Temperence Seven & the Marcels
13th May 61 BLUE MOON - MARCELS
27th May 61 RUNAWAY - DEL SHANNON
3rd June 61 SURRENDER - ELVIS PRESLEY
24th June 61 RUNAWAY - DEL SHANNON
15th July 61 TEMPTATION - EVERLY BROTHERS
29th July 61 WELL I ASK YOU - EDEN KANE
5th Aug 61 YOU DON'T KNOW - HELEN SHAPIRO
26th Aug 61 JOHNNY REMEMBER ME - JOHN LEYTON
7th Oct 61 MICHAEL ROW THE BOAT - HIGHWAYMEN
21st Oct 61 WALKIN' BACK TO HAPPINESS - HELEN SHAPIRO
11th Nov 61 HIS LATEST FLAME - ELVIS PRESLEY
2nd Dec 61 TAKE GOOD CARE OF MY BABY - BOBBY VEE
9th Dec 61 TOWER OF STRENGTH - FRANKIE VAUGHAN
30th Dec 61 MOON RIVER - DANNY WILLIAMS

19 number ones in 1961! Some record & we find that Petula Clark's "Sailor" & the Shadows "Kon Tiki" never made it, along with "Reach For The Stars" & Shirley Bassey. The Shadows & Shirley both struggled to make the top 3 on some charts plus the EMI polls, so none of them could of possibly made it to the top. Jimmy Savile persuaded the record companies to switch the Everly Brothers A side. Originally "Ebony Eyes" got the A side, but he managed to get "Walk Right Back" promoted. Then in November, Jimmy went to the States to give Colonel Parker the Gold disc, for Elvis & "His Latest Flame" Frankie Vaughan got the Christmas number one, with Danny Williams "Breakfast At Tiffany's" blockbuster taking him out of 1961, into the New Year. Do I need to mention Alan Freeman's takeover of POTP in Trad Tavern on 23rd Sept 1961? David Jacobs stepped down on his own accord, after 3 & a half years continous editions. Though, he already fronted the show in new release form, from Sept 1956 to Sept 1957.

1962
6th Jan 62 STRANGER ON THE SHORE - MR ACKER BILK
13th Jan 62 THE YOUNG ONES - CLIFF RICHARD
24th Feb 62 ROCK-HULA-BABY - ELVIS PRESLEY
3rd Mar 62 THE YOUNG ONES - CLIFF RICHARD
10th Mar 62 MARCH OF THE SIAMESE CHILDREN - KENNY BALL
17th Mar 62 WONDERFUL LAND - THE SHADOWS slight difference with EMI, & the BBC, as BBC had a tie with Kenny Ball & the Shadows
24th Mar 62 WONDERFUL LAND - THE SHADOWS
12th May 62 NUTROCKER - B. BUMBLE & THE STINGERS
19th May 62 GOOD LUCK CHARM - ELVIS PRESLEY
30th June 62 COME OUTSIDE - MIKE SARNE
7th July 62 A PICTURE OF YOU - JOE BROWN
14th July 62 I CAN'T STOP LOVIN' YOU - RAY CHARLES
28th July 62 I REMEMBER YOU - FRANK IFIELD
15th Sept 62 SHE'S NOT YOU - ELVIS PRESLEY on this week the BBC had Frank Ifield & Elvis in a tie, where as EMI did not
22nd Sept 62 SHE'S NOT YOU - ELVIS PRESLEY
6th Oct 62 TELSTAR - TORNADOES
10th Nov 62 LOVESICK BLUES - FRANK IFIELD
15th Dec 62 RETURN TO SENDER - ELVIS PRESLEY
29th Dec 62 THE NEXT TIME - CLIFF RICHARD EMI differing this week, as the BBC had Elvis at the top for a 3rd week

16 number ones in 1962, with 8 weeks at the top for the Shadows. Acker Bilk took the best seller of the year, with Stranger On The Shore being used for a kids tv show, & Acker himself being Eamonn Andrews victim on "This Is Your Life" during May. POTP got it's first Sunday teatime show. Record Mirror started to use a version of the IPC Record Retailer chart because of cost cutting measures. A downward fall for them, because Record Mirror used to poll 60 shops, & Record Retailer were still only using 30 for their top 50. By the end of 1962, not only were EMI, & the BBC using an averaged based chart...so was a newly launched magazine called Pop Weekly, & also Cashbox Magazine (the US Based one) for a weekly published UK Top 30. Up in Merseyside, a paper called "Mersey Beat" launched & it was the first paper to publish a UK Top 100. This changed it's name to "Music Echo" in 1963 & was taken over by Disc in April 1966. Mersey Beat/Music Echo polled 50 shops each week. From Sept - Dec 62, David Jacobs returned to POTP, with Alan returning in January 1963.

1963
5th Jan 63 THE NEXT TIME - CLIFF RICHARD
12th Jan 63 BACHELOR BOY - CLIFF RICHARD EMI had all double A sides listed separately, so Cliff knocked himself off the top. Though the BBC listed all double A's together...
26th Jan 63 DANCE ON - THE SHADOWS EMI differed to the BBC again, as the BBC had a tie at the top with both Cliff & the Shadows!
2nd Feb 63 DIAMONDS - JET HARRIS & TONY MEEHAN
23rd Feb 63 PLEASE PLEASE ME - THE BEATLES
9th Mar 63 SUMMER HOLIDAY - CLIFF RICHARD EMI again differed to the BBC, as BBC had a joint number one with Cliff & the Beatles
16th Mar 63 SUMMER HOLIDAY - CLIFF RICHARD
30th Mar 63 FOOT TAPPER - THE SHADOWS
6th Apr 63 HOW DO YOU DO IT - GERRY & THE PACEMAKERS
4th May 63 FROM ME TO YOU - THE BEATLES
8th June 63 DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A SECRET - BILLY J. KRAMER EMI differing to the BBC again. BBC had a tie with the Beatles & Billy
15th June 63 I LIKE IT - GERRY & THE PACEMAKERS
20th July 63 CONFESSIN' - FRANK IFIELD
10th Aug 63 SWEETS FOR MY SWEET - THE SEARCHERS
24th Aug 63 BAD TO ME - BILLY J. KRAMER
7th Sept 63 SHE LOVES YOU - THE BEATLES
5th Oct 63 DO YOU LOVE ME - BRIAN POOLE & THE TREMOLOES differing again here, as the BBC had Brian in a tie with the Beatles
12th Oct 63 DO YOU LOVE ME - BRIAN POOLE & THE TREMOLOES
26th Oct 63 YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE - GERRY & THE PACEMAKERS
23rd Nov 63 SHE LOVES YOU - THE BEATLES differing again for EMI, because BBC had a tie with both Gerry & the Beatles
30th Nov 63 SHE LOVES YOU - THE BEATLES
7th Dec 63 I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND - THE BEATLES EMI again differing here, because BBC still had "She Loves You" at the top with "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" at number 2
14th Dec 63 I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND - THE BEATLES

17 number ones in 1963. I note that both Frank Ifield's "Wayward Wind" & Elvis's "Devil In Disguise" missed the number one slots. No way could Elvis had been number one, because he only made #3 on some charts. Frank Ifield did make it in NME & RR, but not on the same weeks in total. NME had Frank in a tie on one week with the Beatles. He didn't make it at all in Disc or Melody Maker. By now NME polled 100 shops, MM also polled 100, Disc were on 70, & RR was still only on 30...hence the difference in number one positions! In August 1963, a new pop show begun on ITV. It was "Ready Steady Go" on a Friday evening. Then Don Moss took over POTP from Sept - Dec.

1964
4th Jan 64 I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND - THE BEATLES
11th Jan 64 GLAD ALL OVER - DAVE CLARK FIVE EMI differed, as BBC had a tie with Dave & the Beatles
18th Jan 64 GLAD ALL OVER - DAVE CLARK FIVE
1st Feb 64 NEEDLES & PINS - THE SEARCHERS
22nd Feb 64 ANYONE WHO HAD A HEART - CILLA BLACK
21st Mar 64 LITTLE CHILDREN - BILLY J. KRAMER
28th Mar 64 CAN'T BUY ME LOVE - THE BEATLES
18th Apr 64 A WORLD WITHOUT LOVE - PETER & GORDON
2nd May 64 DON'T THROW YOUR LOVE AWAY - THE SEARCHERS
16th May 64 JULIET - THE FOUR PENNIES
30th May 64 YOU'RE MY WORLD - CILLA BLACK
19th June 64 IT'S OVER - ROY ORBISON
4th July 64 HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN - THE ANIMALS
18th July 64 A HARD DAY'S NIGHT - THE BEATLES
15th Aug 64 DO WAH DIDDY DIDDY - MANFRED MANN
29th Aug 64 HAVE I THE RIGHT - THE HONEYCOMBS
12th Sept 64 YOU REALLY GOT ME - THE KINKS BBC differed, as they had a tie with the Honeycombs
19th Sept 64 YOU REALLY GOT ME - THE KINKS
26th Sept 64 I'M INTO SOMETHING GOOD - HERMAN'S HERMITS
10th Oct 64 OH PRETTY WOMAN - ROY ORBISON
31st Oct 64 ALWAYS SOMETHING THERE TO REMIND ME - SANDIE SHAW
14th Nov 64 BABY LOVE - THE SUPREMES
5th Dec 64 I FEEL FINE - THE BEATLES

21 number ones, & we found out that the Beatles were far popular than the Rolling Stones, because twice they beat them as "It's All Over Now" & "Little Red Rooster" only actually made #2! The Bachelors with "Diane" only made number 3 in some charts, so they were not number one either. Radio Caroline began at Easter 1964 & started to countdown the Melody Maker Top 50 on Saturday lunchtimes with Tom Lodge. It was only Roy Orbison, who prevented another year of complete British number ones...Roy being the only Yankee, of course! Record Retailer suddenly decided that it would poll 85 shops, instead of 30...had they done it before the Spring of 64, then maybe "Please Please Me" would have top their chart in 63! Though 85 shops still was feeble for a top 50 chart. Melody Maker polled 150 for it's top 50 now, NME were also doing 150 for their top 30, & even Disc beat RR, with 100 shops. Probably the biggest TV event of 1964, was of course the start of Top Of The Pops on Wednesday 1st January, as the BBC drafted in Radio Luxembourg presenter Jimmy Savile...a strange feat, because he didn't actually work for BBC radio, until 1968!

1965
2nd Jan 65 I FEEL FINE - THE BEATLES
16th Jan 65 YEH YEH - GEORGIE FAME
23rd Jan 65 GO NOW - MOODY BLUES
6th Feb 65 YOU'VE LOST THAT LOVIN FEELIN' - RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS
13th Feb 65 TIRED OF WAITING FOR YOU - THE KINKS
20th Feb 65 I'LL NEVER FIND ANOTHER YOU - THE SEEKERS
6th Mar 65 IT'S NOT UNUSUAL - TOM JONES
13th Mar 65 THE LAST TIME - ROLLING STONES
10th Apr 65 CONCRETE & CLAY - UNIT 4 PLUS 2
17th Apr 65 TICKET TO RIDE - THE BEATLES
22nd May 65 WHERE ARE YOU NOW MY LOVE - JACKIE TRENT
29th May 65 LONG LIVE LOVE - SANDIE SHAW
19th June 65 CRYING IN THE CHAPEL - ELVIS PRESLEY
3rd July 65 I'M ALIVE - THE HOLLIES
17th July 65 MR TAMBOURINE MAN - THE BYRDS
31st July 65 HELP - THE BEATLES
28th Aug 65 I GOT YOU BABE - SONNY AND CHER
11th Sept 65 SATISFACTION - ROLLING STONES
25th Sept 65 MAKE IT EASY ON YOURSELF - WALKER BROTHERS
2nd Oct 65 TEARS - KEN DODD
6th Nov 65 GET OFF MY CLOUD - ROLLING STONES
27th Nov 65 THE CARNIVAL IS OVER - THE SEEKERS
11th Dec 65 DAYTRIPPER/WE CAN WORK IT OUT - THE BEATLES an EMI difference here, because BBC had The Seekers at the top for a 3rd week & the Beatles at #2

The Rolling Stones finally got their records before the Beatles new releases, & so got 3 their first real #1s! Cliff Richard missed out with "The Minute Your Gone". As, it got stuck at #2 for weeks. As did Roger Miller's "King Of The Road". Where as, Ken Dodd proved he was the king of the easy listening sound, much too Alan Freeman's annoyance! It gave 1965, a total of 23 number 1s. The NME chart was cited for hype, with Bob Dylan records entering their chart much higher up, than in other charts. The pirate Radio flag began for Radio London as BigL started.

1966
1st Jan 66 WE CAN WORK IT OUT/DAYTRIPPER - THE BEATLES
15th Jan 66 KEEP ON RUNNING - SPENCER DAVIS GROUP
29th Jan 66 MICHELLE - THE OVERLANDERS
12th Feb 66 THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKIN' - NANCY SINATRA
19th Feb 66 NINETEENTH NERVOUS BREAKDOWN - ROLLING STONES
12th Mar 66 I CAN'T LET GO - THE HOLLIES EMI differ to BBC, as BBC have SHA LA LA LA LA LA LEE - SMALL FACES at #1. This is probably the closest ever top 3 of the 60s. 200 Shops say it was the Hollies, & on the hand it's the same equation for the Small Faces. Though Melody Maker & Disc agree it was indeed the Small Faces...the average say Small Faces, but the 50 shops of EMI when added make it The Hollies. I took it a step further to iron it out totally by looking at Music Echo. That only makes it worse, because the Small Faces were number one on their chart, & as they also polled 50 shops, the whole business ends in a tie anyway! Suppose you could got to Record Retailer to settle it, but they only list Small Faces at #6, & Hollies at #7. So taking that in the Small Faces get the edge.

NOTE: Since I put this list together, likely evidence has come to light that Record Retailer mixed up Nancy Sinatra & the Small Faces sales on this week of 12th March, & it so works out, that the Small Faces should have been #1 on that week, & Nancy Sinatra should have been #6. This explains, how EMI had the Hollies at the top. A fault of Record Retailer & there were many others too, it seems. So, it means that the Small Faces should definately have come off top at EMI.

19th Mar 66 SUN AIN'T GONNA SHINE ANYMORE - WALKER BROTHERS
16th Apr 66 SOMEBODY HELP ME - SPENCER DAVIS GROUP
23rd Apr 66 YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY YOU LOVE ME - DUSTY SPRINGFIELD
7th May 66 PRETTY FLAMINGO - MANFRED MANN
28th May 66 PAINT IT BLACK - ROLLING STONES
4th June 66 STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT - FRANK SINATRA
25th June 66 PAPERBACK WRITER - THE BEATLES
9th July 66 SUNNY AFTERNOON - THE KINKS
23rd July 66 GET AWAY - GEORGIE FAME
30th July 66 OUT OF TIME - CHRIS FARLOWE
6th Aug 66 WITH A GIRL LIKE YOU - THE TROGGS
20th Aug 66 YELLOW SUBMARINE/ELEANOR RIGBY - THE BEATLES
10th Sept 66 ALL OR NOTHING - SMALL FACES EMI disagree with the BBC, as BBC had a tie with the Small Faces & the Beatles
17th Sept 66 ALL OR NOTHING - SMALL FACES
24th Sept 66 DISTANT DRUMS - JIM REEVES
22nd Oct 66 REACH OUT I'LL BE THERE - FOUR TOPS
19th Nov 66 GOOD VIBRATIONS - BEACH BOYS
3rd Dec 66 GREEN GREEN GRASS OF HOME - TOM JONES

Another 23 number ones in 1966. A year when it was a close week, when "Sha La La La La La Lee" took the top for the BBC, Melody Maker & Disc, because NME had "I Can't Let Go" & the Hollies at the top that week & in many HMV stores, "A Groovy Kind Of Love" & the Mindbenders took the helm & we've already discussed the EMI switcheroo! What was it with Record Retailer & the keeping Nancy Sinatra at the top for so long? The Rolling Stones, most certainly had one over her! 450 shops, over Record Retailer's small 85...Yep the Stones must have been #1. Also in 1966, Disc swallowed the Merseybeat paper "Music Echo" in April. Meaning Disc increased their chart to a top 50, though "Music Echo" had printed a top 100. Disc also started to print a top 10 album chart, & from that point no albums featured in the singles chart. Though NME still included them in it's listings. Radio Luxembourg got together with NME, to broadcast a new Saturday chart...this was slightly different to the one appearing in NME itself. Though the lists for it, did appear in Monday & Tuesdays local press, up & down the Country. Barry Alldis was the host on Luxembourg for that. Radio Caroline started their own averaged Top 40 (which ran until the end of 1968), & on TV "Ready Steady Go" was axed in December.

1967
7th Jan 67 GREEN GREEN GRASS OF HOME - TOM JONES
21st Jan 67 I'M A BELIEVER - THE MONKEES
18th Feb 67 THIS IS MY SONG - PETULA CLARK
4th Mar 67 RELEASE ME - ENGLEBERT HUMPERDINCK
15th Apr 67 SOMETHING STUPID - FRANK & NANCY SINATRA
22nd Apr 67 PUPPET ON A STRING - SANDIE SHAW EMI disagree with BBC, as BBC have a tie with Frank & Nancy & Sandie
29th Apr 67 PUPPET ON A STRING - SANDIE SHAW
20th May 67 SILENCE IS GOLDEN - THE TREMOLOES
10th June 67 A WHITER SHADE OF PALE - PROCOL HARUM
22nd July 67 ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE - THE BEATLES
12th Aug 67 SAN FRANCISCO - SCOTT MCKENZIE
9th Sept 67 THE LAST WALTZ - ENGLEBERT HUMPERDINCK
21st Oct 67 MASSACHUSETTES - BEE GEES
11th Nov 67 BABY NOW THAT I'VE FOUND YOU - THE FOUNDATIONS
25th Nov 67 LET THE HEARTACHES BEGIN - LONG JOHN BALDRY
9th Dec 67 HELLO GOODBYE - THE BEATLES

Just 15 number ones in 1967. Including, Englebert twice & the first being when he managed to put a stop to the Beatles....Some feat! Though some weeks were that close. As 1967, became a very easy listening year. Radio Luxembourg changed their chart, to something that was more Airplay related with new host, Paul Burnett during the Spring. Hype hit Melody Maker & Disc, with Jimi Hendrix records & others, so both papers shrank their charts to a top 30 only. Both papers were owned by Spotlight publications (who were later responsible for Music Week) & from 2nd Sept 67, both papers began to use the same top 30. Melody Maker & Disc increasing their shop poll to 280 shops. NME will now on 200 shops, & cor blimey Record Retailer way behind & still on just 85! With EMI's own poll of 50 shops, it meant that their sweep cover over 600 shops in total....Wow! Oh, yeah & the Pirate Radio Stations were shutdown, apart from Radio Caroline who went into new waters. Then this thing called "Radio One" started.

By 1968, this was the percentage of shops polled, by each Music paper/magazine:
Melody Maker 48%
NME 40%
Disc & Music Echo 6%
Record Retailer 6%

This rather outlines, the daftness of books, like Guiness Hit Singles et al in using Record Retailer charts, for the 1960 - 69 period. A 6% poll, that really didn't mean much at all, & a rather naff way of seperating tied positions, for them

1968
6th Jan 68 HELLO GOODBYE - THE BEATLES
20th Jan 68 BALLAD OF BONNIE & CLYDE - GEORGIE FAME
27th Jan 68 EVERLASTING LOVE - LOVE AFFAIR
17th Feb 68 THE MIGHTY QUINN - MANFRED MANN
2nd Mar 68 CINDERELLA ROCKEFELLA - ESTHER & ABI OFARIM
30th Mar 68 LADY MADONNA - THE BEATLES
13th Apr 68 CONGRATULATIONS - CLIFF RICHARD
20th Apr 68 WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD/CABARET - LOUIS ARMSTRONG
18th May 68 YOUNG GIRL - UNION GAP
22nd June 68 JUMPING JACK FLASH - ROLLING STONES
6th July 68 BABY COME BACK - THE EQUALS
27th July 68 MONY MONY - TOMMY JAMES & THE SHONDELLS during the run at the top in NME...NME compilers put "Help Yourself" & Tom Jones at the top, for 2 weeks. Likely evidence, suggests that Tom Jones, was mixed up with Tommy James....same initials, see! The same kind of thing, that probably happened with Nancy Sinatra & the Small Faces for Record Retailer in 1966. This was because the list was in alphabetical order, with figures entered into different columns. Put them in the wrong column (by human error) & you get a totally different outcome.

31st Aug 68 THIS GUY'S IN LOVE WITH YOU - HERB ALPERT this is the big one & settles the BBC joint number one, where BBC had Herb in a tie, with the Bee Gees "I've Gotta Get A Message To You" & the Beach Boys "Do It Again". The Beach Boys were a Record Retailer #1, so 85 shops to over 600 couldn't be right. Another chart mag of the time "Top Pops" Magazine had the Bee Gees at the top this week. "Top Pops" itself was teen mag that made a chart from 12 branches of WH Smith. It lasted from 1968 to March 1971
NOTE: Since I put this list together, evidence seems to suggest that Record Retailer actually had a unlisted joint number one on 31st Aug 68, with both the Beach Boys & the Bee Gees. Which changes things a bit, because it means that the BBC average, should of showed the Bee Gees as sole number one, with Herb & the Beach Boys at joint #2. With EMI, a change to the Bee Gees at the top also, but Herb at #2 & the Beach Boys at #3.

7th Sept 68 I'VE GOTTA GET A MESSAGE TO YOU - BEE GEES
14th Sept 68 HEY JUDE - THE BEATLES
5th Oct 68 THOSE WERE THE DAYS - MARY HOPKIN
9th Nov 68 WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS - JOE COCKER
16th Nov 68 THE GOOD THE BAD & THE UGLY - HUGO MONTENEGRO
14th Dec 68 LILY THE PINK - THE SCAFFOLD

19 number ones in 1968. I note that Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick, & Tich & "The Legend Of Xanadu" never did overtake Esther & Abi Ofarim. Then neither did Des O' Connor "Pretend" that he hit the top, or that the Crazy World Of Arthur Brown & "Fire" overtook Tommy James & the Shondells, because they just couldn't of. We've discussed the non happening tie at the top, & it's sorted. The Bee Gees never hit the top of Melody Maker/Disc's chart at all, as the Beatles "Hey Jude" went straight in at #1 with them...I put that down to a case of advanced orders being included, if not a touch of the hype. On the last 2 weeks of September 68, Pete Murray hosted POTP, with Alan in the States (who told us about the U.S. scene)

1969
4th Jan 69 LILY THE PINK - THE SCAFFOLD
11th Jan 69 OB-LA-DI OB-LA-DA - MARMALADE
1st Feb 69 ALBATROSS - FLEETWOOD MAC

That's about it for comparing EMI to BBC, because the British Market Research Bureau began the first computerised chart for the BBC on the w/k of the 15th Feb 69. Though the media did not fully except that chart until 1971.
You can some up the previous years to the beginning of the Computerised charts, by saying that quite easily Record Retailer could never be taken seriously, as it polled so few shops from the start of the 60s right to the end, when they rubbished their own charts to publish the BBC/BMRB charts instead.

EMI did continue to produce a chart until April 1978. I'm going to continue with it's number ones, but I've got to say that as Melody Maker & NME both cut down their polls to 100 shops by the end of 1969, & were compiled on Thursdays/Fridays & the new BMRB chart was Saturday chart, it pushes the EMI charts into a Midweek type of thing. BMRB were supposed to collate info from 300 stores each week, but didn't it was actually no more than 200 on some weeks. So in actual fact, you were getting less shops info, than you did for the BBC charts of before! EMI then got 400 shops in an average poll, with 50 more in their own poll but the compilation dates of Melody Maker & NME meant you lost Friday & Saturday sales by over 50%.

15th Feb 69 BLACKBERRY WAY - THE MOVE this one just missed number one for the BBC in the quick change to the BMRB chart, so fore didn't make it, though did for EMI & the rest
22nd Feb 69 HALF AS NICE - AMEN CORNER
1st Mar 69 WHERE DO YOU GO TO MY LOVELY - PETER SARSTEDT
29th Mar 69 I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE - MARVIN GAYE
19th Apr 69 THE ISRAELITES - DESMOND DEKKER
3rd May 69 GET BACK - BEATLES it hit #1 the week before for BMRB
7th June 69 DIZZY - TOMMY ROE
21st June 69 BALLAD OF JOHN & YOKO - BEATLES it hit #1 the week before for BMRB
5th July 69 SOMETHING IN THE AIR - THUNDERCLAP NEWMAN
19th July 69 IN THE GHETTO - ELVIS certainly must've been a close call on this one & definately a midweek charttopper that did not make it for BMRB
26th July 69 HONKY TONK WOMEN - ROLLING STONES
30th Aug 69 IN THE YEAR 2525 - ZAGER & EVANS
20th Sept 69 BAD MOON RISING - CREEDANCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL
11th Oct 69 I'LL NEVER FALL IN LOVE AGAIN - BOBBIE GENTRY Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg for #1 for BMRB this week, so another close one
1st Nov 69 SUGAR SUGAR - ARCHIES it hit #1 the week before for BMRB
13th Dec 69 RUBY DON'T TAKE YOUR LOVE TO TOWN - KENNY ROGERS another BMRB miss, they had "Sugar Sugar" for an 8th week. It may have been a close one, because NME had Kenny at the top & MM had Stevie Wonder.
20th Dec 69 TWO LITTLE BOYS - ROLF HARRIS

3 extra's for EMI in 1969 then...though with those couple of days missing, they were surely Midweek number ones.

1970
31st Jan 70 REFLECTIONS OF MY LIFE - MARMALADE another almost certain Midweek number one, with it being pipped by Edison Lighthouse
7th Feb 70 LOVE GROWS (WHERE MY ROSEMARY GOES) - EDISON LIGHTHOUSE
28th Feb 70 I WANT YOU BACK - JACKSON FIVE another one to miss BMRB, they had Love Grows again, but strangely that was only #3 on NME, MM, & EMI. It tells us that the whole top 4 for BMRB was very tight that week
7th Mar 70 WANDERIN' STAR - LEE MARVIN
28th Mar 70 BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER - SIMON & GARFUNKEL
25th Apr 70 SPIRIT IN THE SKY - NORMAN GREENBAUM number one a week early for EMI, NME, & MM. Dana did not make #1 for any of them, only BMRB...very strange because MM polled Northern Ireland
9th May 70 BACK HOME - ENGLAND WORLD CUP SQUAD this one a week early for EMI, MM, NME & now I'm starting to doubt BMRB's sales...
30th May 70 QUESTION - MOODY BLUES not #1 for BMRB
6th June 70 YELLOW RIVER - CHRISTIE
13th June 70 IN THE SUMMERTIME - MUNGO JERRY
18th July 70 ALL RIGHT NOW - FREE another miss for BMRB
1st Aug 70 LOLA - KINKS another miss for BMRB because Elvis took the honours
8th Aug 70 WONDER OF YOU - ELVIS
29th Aug 70 TEARS OF A CLOWN - SMOKEY ROBINSON #1 2 weeks before BMRB. Now I really doubt BMRB at this point
26th Sept 70 BAND OF GOLD - FREDA PAYNE BMRB beat them, as they had it on the 19th Sept
31st Oct 70 BLACK NIGHT - DEEP PURPLE only #5 that week on BMRB...was it a tight top 5 that week? Who knows! BMRB had "Woodsock"
7th Nov 70 WOODSTOCK - MATTHEWS SOUTHERN COMFORT
28th Nov 70 VOODOO CHILE - JIMI HENDRIX this must of been quite tight. Dave Edmunds topped BMRB, Jimi on NME, Don Fardon on MM
5th Dec 70 I HEAR YOU KNOCKING - DAVE EDMUNDS
19th Dec 70 WHEN I'M DEAD & GONE - MCGUINESS FLINT this ones bugged me for years & was definately the closest Christmas of all & for 2 weeks, as Dave Edmunds held on for BMRB

1971
2nd Jan 71 GRANDAD - CLIVE DUNN BMRB certainly lost out this week, because a chart was never published
30th Jan 71 MY SWEET LORD - GEORGE HARRISON
13th Mar 71 BABY JUMP - MUNGO JERRY it reached #1 the week before for BMRB, & it was about this point that BMRB were now really excepted as the #1 chart, which had followed a Postal Strike...So we were finally there & WHSmiths axed their "Top Pops" Magazine (which had been renamed "Music Now" in 1970). So, now Smiths, provided information, to the British Market Research Bureau, for the first time.
20th Mar 71 ANOTHER DAY - PAUL MCCARTNEY not a BMRB #1. That was T.REX
27th Mar 71 HOT LOVE - T.REX
1st May 71 DOUBLE BARREL - DAVE & ANSELL COLLINS
15th May 71 BROWN SUGAR - ROLLING STONES not #1 for BMRB. It was Dawn
22nd May 71 KNOCK THREE TIMES - DAWN
19th June 71 I DID WHAT I DID FOR MARIA - TONY CHRISTIE not #1 for BMRB
26th June 71 CHIRPY CHIRPY CHEEP CHEEP - MIDDLE OF THE ROAD
31st July 71 GET IT ON - T.REX
21st Aug 71 NEVER ENDING SONG OF LOVE - NEW SEEKERS not a BMRB #1, & MM had it as a tie with Diana Ross
28th Aug 71 I'M STILL WAITING - DIANA ROSS
18th Sept 71 HEY GIRL DON'T BOTHER ME - TAMS
2nd Oct 71 MAGGIE MAY - ROD STEWART beating BMRB by a week
13th Nov 71 COZ I LUV YOU - SLADE
4th Dec 71 ERNIE - BENNY HILL beating BMRB by a week

1972
8th Jan 72 I'D LIKE TO TEACH THE WORLD TO SING - NEW SEEKERS
5th Feb 72 TELEGRAM SAM - T.REX
19th Feb 72 SON OF MY FATHER - CHICORY TIP
11th Mar 72 AMERICAN PIE - DON MCLEAN this was another close one topping MM & EMI, with Nilsson topping BMRB & on POTP that week, Ed Stewart did his one & only show
18th Mar 72 WITHOUT YOU - NILSSON
22nd Apr 72 AMAZING GRACE - ROYAL SCOTS DRAGOON GUARDS
20th May 72 METAL GURU - T.REX
17th June 72 VINCENT - DON MACLEAN
8th July 72 TAKE ME BACK 'OME - SLADE another close call here. Donny Osmond topped BMRB, Slade topped NME, & Gary Glitter on MM
15th July 72 PUPPY LOVE - DONNY OSMOND
12th Aug 72 SCHOOL'S OUT - ALICE COOPER
2nd Sept 72 YOU WEAR IT WELL - ROD STEWART
16th Sept 72 MAMA WEER ALL CRAZEE NOW - SLADE
30th Sept 72 CHILDREN OF THE REVOLUTION - T.REX not a BMRB #1, though close
7th Oct 72 HOW CAN I BE SURE - DAVID CASSIDY
14th Oct 72 MOULDY OLD DOUGH - LIEUTENANT PIGEON
11th Nov 72 CLAIR - GILBERT O' SULLIVAN
25th Nov 72 MY DING-A-LING - CHUCK BERRY
23rd Dec 72 LONG HAIRED LOVER FROM LIVERPOLL - LITTLE JIMMY OSMOND

1973
20th Jan 73 THE JEAN GENIE - DAVID BOWIE not a BMRB #1, though close with Jimmy Osmond. David at number one in NME, MM, & EMI
27th Jan 73 BLOCKBUSTER - THE SWEET
24th Feb 73 PART OF THE UNION - STRAWBS not a BMRB #1, but NME, MM, & EMI
10th Mar 73 CUM ON FEEL THE NOIZE - SLADE
31st Mar 73 THE TWELTH OF NEVER - DONNY OSMOND
14th Apr 73 GET DOWN - GILBERT O' SULLIVAN
21st Apr 73 TIE A YELLOW RIBBON - DAWN
26th May 73 SEE MY BABY JIVE - WIZZARD
9th June 73 CAN THE CAN - SUZI QUATRO beating BMRB, by a week
30th June 73 RUBBER BULLETS - 10CC
7th July 73 SKWEEZE ME PLEEZE ME - SLADE
21st July 73 WELCOME HOME - PETERS AND LEE
4th Aug 73 I'M THE LEADER OF THE GANG - GARY GLITTER
1st Sept 73 YOUNG LOVE - DONNY OSMOND over in MM at this time, The Carpenters spent 3 weeks at #1 with "Yesterday Once More" starting from 18th Aug.
15th Sept 73 ANGEL FINGERS - WIZZARD a difference of opinion here. BMRB had Donny still at the top, but MM preffered Barry Blue...Possibly a close top 4
29th Sept 73 BALLROOM BLITZ - SWEET not #1 for BMRB, but NME, MM, & EMI
6th Oct 73 EYE LEVEL - SIMON PARK ORCHESTRA
3rd Nov 73 DAYDREAMER - DAVID CASSIDY
24th Nov 73 I LOVE YOU LOVE ME LOVE - GARY GLITTER
22nd Dec 73 MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY - SLADE

1974
5th Jan 74 YOU WON'T FIND ANOTHER FOOL LIKE ME - NEW SEEKERS in these early weeks of 1974, the Country was knocked back by about a million strikes, the 3 day week & Edward Heath! So, BMRB chart returns were definately affected. So, it's quite easy to say that Slade didn't really manage to stay at #1 through January!
19th Jan 74 THE SHOW MUST GO ON - LEO SAYER not a BMRB #1, only NME, MM, & EMI
26th Jan 74 TEENAGE RAMPAGE - SWEET not a BMRB #1, just NME, & EMI
2nd Feb 74 TIGER FEET - MUD
23rd Feb 74 DEVIL GATE DRIVE - SUZI QUATRO
9th Mar 74 JEALOUS MIND - ALVIN STARDUST
23rd Mar 74 BILLY DON'T BE A HERO - PAPER LACE
13th Apr 74 SEASONS IN THE SUN - TERRY JACKS
27th Apr 74 THE CAT CREPT IN - MUD not a BMRB #1, it was NME, MM, & EMI
4th May 74 WATERLOO - ABBA
18th May 74 SUGAR BABY LOVE - RUBETTES
15th June 74 THE STREAK - RAY STEVENS MM, had Showaddywaddy at the top this week with "Hey Rock N" Roll" & on the 8th June, they had R. Dean Taylor!
29th June 74 ALWAYS YOURS - GARY GLITTER
6th July 74 SHE - CHARLES AZNAVOUR
27th July 74 ROCK YOUR BABY - GEORGE MCCRAE
17th Aug 74 WHEN WILL I SEE YOU AGAIN - THREE DEGREES
7th Sept 74 LOVE ME FOR A REASON - OSMONDS
21st Sept 74 KUNG FU FIGHTING - CARL DOUGLAS
19th Oct 74 SAD SWEET DREAMER - SWEET SENSATION NME had Peter Shelley at the top with "Gee Baby"
26th Oct 74 EVERYTHING I OWN - KEN BOOTHE
9th Nov 74 GONNA MAKE YOU A STAR - DAVID ESSEX on MM from the 16th Nov, "Killer Queen" went to the top for 2 weeks & on 7th Dec, Gary Glitter with "Oh Yes You're Beautiful"
14th Dec 74 YOU'RE THE FIRST THE LAST MY EVERYTHING - BARRY WHITE
21st Dec 74 LONELY THIS CHRISTMAS - MUD

We note that John Denver's "Annie's Song" never made #1 apart from BMRB. In all the rest it was a #2.

1975
11th Jan 75 STREETS OF LONDON - RALPH MCTELL not a BMRB #1, it went to #1 in MM on the 18th Jan. This was the first week, that Woolworths, provided information to BMRB. Though, were never used by EMI. If you like percentages. Here was the scale of Record sales, through various Record shops towards the end of the 70s (According to Brian Hankin at Haven Forums on the "Lost Number Ones thread:
Woolworths 35%
Our Price 30%
HMV 25%
Others 10%
25th Jan 75 DOWN DOWN - STATUS QUO
1st Feb 75 MS GRACE - THE TYMES
8th Feb 75 JANUARY - PILOT
22nd Feb 75 MAKE ME SMILE - STEVE HARLEY & COCKNEY REBEL
8th Mar 75 IF - TELLY SAVALAS
22nd Mar 75 BYE BYE BABY - BAY CITY ROLLERS
3rd May 75 HONEY - BOBBY GOLDSBORO not #1 on BMRB, only NME, MM, & EMI
10th May 75 LOVING YOU - MINNIE RIPERTON not #1 on BRB, only NME, MM & EMI
17th May 75 STAND BY YOUR MAN - TAMMY WYNETTE on MM, Minnie Riperton stayed at the top for a 2nd & final week. Mud's "Oh Boy" did not go to #1 on NME, MM or EMI
7th June 75 WHISPERING GRASS - WINDSOR DAVIES & DON ESTELLE on NME, Showaddywaddy's "Three Steps To Heaven" went to the top for one week on the 14th June
28th June 75 I'M NOT IN LOVE - 10CC
12th July 75 TEARS ON MY PILLOW - JOHNNY NASH on MM, 10cc remained at the top for a 3rd & final week
26th July 75 GIVE A LITTLE LOVE - BAY CITY ROLLERS
2nd Aug 75 BARBADOS - TYPICALLY TROPICAL it went to the top before BMRB, on NME, MM & EMI
16th Aug 75 I CAN'T GIVE YOU ANYTHING BUT MY LOVE - STYLISTICS
6th Sept 75 SAILING - ROD STEWART it went to the top on NME on the 30th Aug
4th Oct 75 HOLD ME CLOSE - DAVID ESSEX on the 27th Sept on NME, Leo Sayer's "Moonlighting" went to the top for a week
25th Oct 75 I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU - ART GARFUNKEL
8th Nov 75 SPACE ODDITY - DAVID BOWIE it went to the top on the 1st Nov, on MM
22nd Nov 75 D.I.V.O.R.C.E - BILLY CONNOLLY on MM, David Bowie had a 4th week at the top
29th Nov 75 YOU SEXY THING - HOT CHOCOLATE not #1 on BMRB, only NME, MM & EMI
6th Dec 1975 BOHEIMIAN RHAPSODY - QUEEN

1976
24th Jan 1976 GLASS OF CHAMPAGNE - SAILOR not #1 on BMRB or MM, only NME & EMI. MM had Abba at the top, a week early. So, a close top 3 that week
31st Jan 76 MAMMA MIA - ABBA
14th Feb 76 FOREVER & EVER - SLIK
21st Feb 76 DECEMBER 63 - FOUR SEASONS on MM, Abba returned to the top & on the 28th Feb, "Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto" went to the top
6th Mar 76 I LOVE TO LOVE - TINA CHARLES
27th Mar 76 SAVE YOUR KISSES FOR ME - BROTHERHOOD OF MAN on MM, Tina stayed at the top for a 4th & final week
1st May 76 FERNANDO - ABBA It has to be said, that during the Spring & Summer of 1976, BMRB were cutting costs of shipping chart panel diaries to their offices, & so switched to a Saturday to Friday chart, which answers some of the questions, as to why certain records did not top, other charts, or went to the top earlier. It also made BMRB's chart erratic, with some singles, bombing up & down the chart inconsistently. Another fault in the reliability of it. This also occured again around March 1982, for a while, which atcually cost BMRB to lose the chart to GALLUP in 1983.

5th June 76 NO CHARGE - J.J. BARRIE on NME, Abba had a 7th & final week at the top & on the 12th over on MM, The Wurzels went to the top
19th June 76 YOU TO ME ARE EVERYTHING - REAL THING on NME, "Silly Love Songs" & Wings went to the top & The Wurzels never made it on NME or EMI
10th July 76 YOUNG HEARTS RUN FREE - CANDI STATON not a BMRB #1, only NME, MM & EMI. Could've been a close week
17th July 76 FOREVER & EVER - DEMIS ROUSSOS on MM, Candi Staton stayed at the top for a 2nd & final week
24th July 76 DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART - ELTON JOHN & KIKI DEE
11th Sept 76 DANCING QUEEN - ABBA on the 4th Sept on MM, "Let 'Em In" & Wings went to the top for a week
16th Oct 76 MISSISIPPI - PUSSYCAT
6th Nov 76 IF YOU LEAVE ME NOW - CHICAGO on MM, it went to the top on the 30th Oct
4th Dec 76 UNDER THE MOON OF LOVE - SHOWADDYWADDY
25th Dec 76 WHEN A CHILD I S BORN - JOHNNY MATHIS

1977
15th Jan 77 DON'T GIVE UP ON US - DAVID SOUL on MM, Showaddywaddy returned to the top for a week
29th Jan 77 DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA - JULIE COVINGTON getting to the top a couple of weeks early on NME, MM & EMI in what was definately a very close top 3
5th Feb 77 DON'T GIVE UP ON US - DAVID SOUL on MM, Julie stayed at the top for a 2nd & final week
12th Feb 77 DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA - JULIE COVINGTON on MM, Leo Sayer went to the top
19th Feb 77 WHEN I NEED YOU - LEO SAYER on NME, Julie staye at the top for another week
12th Mar 77 CHANSON D'AMOUR - MANHATTAN TRANSFER on MM, Heatwave's "Boogie Nights" went to the top for a week
2nd Apr 77 KNOWING ME KNOWING YOU - ABBA on NME, it went to the top on the 26th March & on MM, David Soul's "Going In With My Eyes Open" went to the top for a week on the 9th April
7th May 77 FREE - DENIECE WILLIAMS on the 14th May, MM had Rod Stewart at the top early
21st May 77 I DON'T WANNA TALK ABOUT IT/FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST - ROD STEWART on NME, Deniece had a 3rd & final week at the top & on MM, "Ain't Gonna Bump No More" & Joe Tex went to the top on the 4th June for a week
25th June 77 SHOW YOU THE WAY TO GO - THE JACKSONS in NME on the 18th June, the Sex Pistols went to the top when it was down to #9 on MM, & down to #4 on BMRB. "Lucille" & Kenny Rogers never topped NME, MM or EMI
9th July 77 SO YOU WIN AGAIN - HOT CHOCOLATE on NME, Boney M's "Ma Baker" went to the top on the 16th July
23rd July 77 I FEEL LOVE - DONNA SUMMER
27th Aug 77 FLOAT ON - THE FLOATERS on NME, Brotherhood Of Man's "Angleo" went to the top, but it never made #1 on MM or EMI
3rd Sept 77 WAY DOWN - ELVIS PRESLEY
10th Sept 77 MAGIC FLY - SPACE not a BMRB #1, only NME, MM & EMI in a couple of close weeks
24th Sept 77 WAY DOWN - ELVIS PRESLEY on NME, Space remained at the top for a 3rd & final week & MM had Jean Michel Jarre's "Oxygene" at the top for a week, with Space going back to the top on the 1st Oct for another week
15th Oct 77 SILVER LADY - DAVID SOUL on MM, La Belle Epoque's "Black Is Black" went to the top for 2 weeks
22nd Oct 77 YES SIR I CAN BOOGIE - BACCARA
29th Oct 77 YOU'RE IN MY HEART - ROD STEWART not a BMRB #1, only NME, MM & EMI
5th Nov 77 YES SIR I CAN BOOGIE - BACCARA on MM, Rod Stewart remained at the top for a 2nd & final week
12th Nov 77 NAME OF THE GAME - ABBA
26th Nov 77 ROCKIN' ALL OVER THE WORLD - STATUS QUO not a BMRB #1, only NME, MM & EMI
3rd Dec 77 MULL OF KINTYRE - WINGS

1978
4th Feb 78 UPTOWN TOP RANKING - ALTHIA & DONNA it went to the top on MM, on the 28th Jan & during these week's Brotherhood Of Man's "Figaro" never made the top on NME, MM or EMI
18th Feb 78 TAKE A CHANCE ON ME - ABBA
11th Mar 78 WUTHERING HEIGHTS - KATE BUSH on MM, Rose Royce's "Wishing On A Star" went to the top for a week
1st Apr 78 DENIS - BLONDIE not a BMRB #1 & it went to the top on MM, starting from the 25th March. These must have been close weeks

That's it for the EMI number ones. At the start of April 1978, some of the people responsible for EMI & another old paper "Music Business" that ran between 1969 & 1971, started a new trade paper "Record Business Magazine". They compiled charts for Independant Radio. Actually they compiled a top 120, which was a top 30 sales chart & the 31-120 included airplay too, with sales on a sliding scale. I'll list the Record Business number ones in another thread. Many of the EMI & Record Business number ones, were heard on Alan Freeman's Pick Of The Pops-Take Two during the 1982-89 run on Capital FM.

For interests sake here are the other records that made number one on either NME or Melody Maker from April 1978 to May 1988 but didn't make it on the "Official Chart":
8th Apr 78 DENIS - BLONDIE both NME & MM
15th Apr 78 I WONDER WHY - SHOWADDYWADDY NME & MM. MM had it there another week, but NME got in early with "Night Fever"

11th Nov 78 SANDY - JOHN TRAVOLTA was a MM #1

17th Feb 79 CHIQUITITA - ABBA was a NME #1

10th Mar 79 OLIVER'S ARMY - ELVIS COSTELLO was a MM #1 & went there on the 17th on NME

7th Apr 79 IN THE NAVY - VILLAGE PEOPLE was a NME #1

19th May 79 POP MUSIK - M was a NME & MM #1
26th May 79 DANCE AWAY - ROXY MUSIC was a MM #1 & went there on the 9th June on NME

21st June 79 SILLY GAMES - JANET KAY was a NME & MM #1

24th Nov 79 ETON RIFLES - JAM was a MM #1 for 2 weeks

2nd Feb 80 MY GIRL - MADNESS was a NME & MM #1

12th Apr 80 DANCE YOURSELF DIZZY - LIQUID GOLD was a NME #1 for 2 weeks

31st May 80 NO DOUBT ABOUT IT - HOT CHOCOLATE was a NME & MM #1

21st June 80 FUNKY TOWN - LIPPS INC was a NME #1

5th July 80 SIMON TEMPLAR/TWO PINTS OF LAGER - SPLOGDENESSABOUNDS was a MM #1

9th Aug 80 UPSIDE DOWN - DIANA ROSS was a NME & MM #1

20th Sept 80 ONE DAY I'LL FLY AWAY was a NME & MM #1 for 2 weeks

20th Dec 80 STOP THE CAVALRY - JONA LEWIE was a NME & MM #1. Staying at the top for 2 weeks on MM

The 3rd Jan 1981 threw up a few surprises. Now, the BMRB chart was never made public that week (with the usual New Year chart, a repeat of Christmas). It is said that John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over" did actually out sell "St Winifred's School Choir" that week. Funny thing was, NME claim that "Starting Over" was at #2 on 10th Jan 1981, with "Happy Christmas (War Is Over" at #6. With MM saying that "Starting Over" went back to the top on 10th Jan. Did both papers mix up "Starting Over" with "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"? All is that the latter didn't really make it to the top, as people think it probably did? I've seen sales for the missing w/k ending 3rd Jan 1981 chart, & they seem to be very close with St Winifred's, Happy Xmas, Jona Lewie, & Starting Over. Those sales would of only covered 22nd/23rd/24th/27th Dec 1980, with the Christmas chart being sales of 15th/16th/17th/18th/19th/20th Dec & announced on Radio One on Tuesday 23rd Dec. So, you've got a missing chart covering 4 days only. I personally think that Starting Over, Grandma, & Stop The Calvary were very closely placed, but I don't reckon that "Happy Xmas" did really make it, as some reckon it did & so did only go to #2 on 10th Jan 1981. That missing chart (of my opinion) would have still had Grandma at the top, followed by Starting Over & Stop The Calvary in the 2nd & 3rd spots, with "Imagine" up to #4 & "Happy Xmas" slipping to 5, only to go back up to #2 the following week. "Imagine" sold over 300,000 in total over those first 3 weeks of re-entry.

24th Jan 81 ANT MUSIC - ADAM & THE ANTS was a MM #1
31st Jan 81 IN THE AIR TONIGHT - PHIL COLLINS was a MM #1 for 2 weeks. It went there on NME on the 7th Feb for 2 weeks
14th Feb 81 VIENNA - ULTRAVOX was a MM #1. It went there on the 21st Feb on NME

7th Mar 81 VIENNA - ULTRAVOX returning to the top on MM for a week

28th Mar 81 KIDS IN AMERICA - KIM WILDE was a MM #1

2nd May 81 CHI MAI - ENNIO MORRICONE was a #1 on NME & MM
9th May 81 STARS ON 45 - STARSOUND was a #1 on NME & MM

1st Aug 81 CHANT NO.1 - SPANDAU BALLET was an NME #1
1st Aug 81 HAPPY BIRTHDAY - STEVIE WONDER was a MM #1

15th Aug 81 HAPPY BIRTHDAY - STEVIE WONDER was a NME #1
22nd Aug 81 HOOKED ON CLASSICS - ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA was a MM #1

10th Oct 81 INVISIBLE SUN - POLICE was a MM #1

7th Nov 81 HAPPY BIRTHDAY - ALTERED IMAGES was a NME & MM #1

2nd Jan 82 ONE OF US - ABBA was a NME #1

6th Feb 82 GOLDEN BROWN was a MM #1

10th Apr 82 JUST AN ILLUSION - IMAGINATION was a MM #1
17th Apr 82 AIN'T NO PLEASING YOU - CHAS N' DAVE was a MM #1

15th May 82 I WON'T LET YOU DOWN - PHD was a NME #1

29th May 82 ONLY YOU - YAZOO was a MM #1

26th June 82 TORCH - SOFT CELL was a MM #1

17th July 82 ABRACADABRA - STEVE MILLER BAND was a NME #1

18th Sept 82 PRIVATE INVESTIGATIONS - DIRE STRAITS was a MM #1
25th Sept 82 PRIVATE INVESTIGATIONS - DIRE STRAITS was a NME & MM #1
2nd Oct 82 THE BITTEREST PILL - JAM was a NME & MM #1

27th Nov 82 HEARTBREAKER - DIONNE WARWICK was an NME #1
4th Dec 82 MIRROR MAN - HUMAN LEAUGE was a NME #1

25th Dec 82 TIME - CULTURE CLUB was a NME & MM #1

19th Feb 83 CHANGE - TEARS FOR FEARS was a MM #1

26th Mar 83 SPEAK LIKE A CHILD - STYLE COUNCIL was a MM #1

25th June 83 CHINA GIRL - DAVID BOWIE was a NME & MM #1

13th Aug 83 I.O.U - FREEEZ was a MM #1

27th Aug 83 GOLD - SPANDAU BALLET was a NME & MM #1 for 2 weeks

5th Nov 83 ALL NIGHT LONG - LIONEL RICHIE was a MM #1

26th Nov 83 SAY SAY SAY - PAUL MCCARTNEY & MICHAEL JACKSON was a MM #1
3rd Dec 83 NEVER NEVER - ASSEMBLY was a NME & MM #1
10th Dec 83 LOVE OF THE COMMON PEOPLE - PAUL YOUNG was a NME #1

18th Feb 84 RADIO GAGA - QUEEN was a NME & MM #1

28th Apr 84 AGAINST ALL ODDS - PHIL COLLINS was a MM #1
5th May 84 AGAINST ALL ODDS - PHIL COLLINS was a NME & MM #1
12th May 84 AGAINST ALL ODDS - PHIL COLLINS was a MM #1 for 2 weeks
26th May 84 AUTOMATIC - POINTER SISTERS was a NME & MM #1
2nd June 84 AUTOMATIC - POINTER SISTERS was a NME #1

13th Oct 84 THE WAR SONG - CULTURE CLUB was a MM #1
20th Oct 84 THE WAR SONG - CULTURE CLUB was a NME #1

19th Jan 85 EVERYTHING SHE WANTS - WHAM! was a NME & MM #1

2nd Feb 85 1999/LITTLE RED CORVETTE - PRINCE was a MM #1
9th Feb 85 LOVE & PRIDE - KING was a MM #1
16th Feb 85 LOVE & PRIDE - KING was a NME & MM #1

13th Apr 85 WELCOME TO THE PLEASUREDOME - FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD was a NME #1
20th Apr 85 EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD - TEARS FOR FEARS was a NME & MM #1 for 2 weeks
4th May 85 EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD - TEARS FOR FEARS stayed at the top on NME for a 3rd & final week

29th June 85 CRAZY FOR YOU - MADONNA was a NME & MM #1

13th July 85 AXEL F - HAROLD FALTERMEYER was a MM #1

2nd Nov 85 TAKE ON ME - A-HA was a NME & MM #1
9th Nov 85 TAKE ON ME - A-HA stayed at the top on MM for a 2nd & final week
16th Nov 85 NIKITA - ELTON JOHN was a NME #1

8th Feb 86 ONLY LOVE - NANA MOUSKOURI was a MM #1 for 2 weeks

29th Mar 86 ABSOULTE BEGINNERS - DAVID BOWIE was a NME #1

10th May 86 WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY - JANET JACKSON was a MM #1
17th May 86 ON MY OWN - PATTI LABELLE & MICHAEL MCDONALD was a MM #1

7th June 86 SLEDGEHAMMER - PETER GABRIEL was a MM #1
14th June 86 HOLDING BACK THE YEARS - SIMPLY RED was a MM #1
21st June 86 I CAN'T WAIT - NU SHOOZ was a MM #1

13th Dec 86 SOMETIMES - ERASURE was a MM #1

31st Jan 87 C'EST LA VIE - ROBBIE NEVIL was a NME #1

25th Apr 87 LEAN ON ME - CLUB NOUVEAU was a MM #1

17th Oct 87 FULL METAL JACKET - ABIGAL MEAD & NIGEL GOULDING was a NME #1

7th Nov 87 FAITH - GEORGE MICHAEL was a NME & MM #1
14th Nov 87 FAITH - GEORGE MICHAEL stayed at the top on MM for a 2nd & final week

19th Dec 87 WHEN I FALL IN LOVE - RICK ASTLEY was a NME #1

5th Mar 88 BEAT DIS - BOMB THE BASS was a NME & MM #1
12th Mar 88 BEAT DIS - BOMB THE BASS stayed at the top on NME for a 2nd & final week
19th Mar 88 TOGETHER FOREVER - RICK ASTLEY was a NME #1

From 21st May 1988, both NME & MM began to use the MRIB Top 50 (The Network Chart). Which has been covered before, but we might do it again, on this thread...
To sum up, this bit: By 1983, Melody Maker was slightly in front of NME because their chart was a Thursday chart & NME was a Wednesday chart. MM's chart was closer to the MRIB chart, than NME was...though both differed much of the time.

This post has been edited by davetaylor: 18th March 2012, 01:50 PM