Posted February 12, 20223 yr An upfront warning this is an incomplete project I've been working on since the thread earlier this year about Top 40 hits and who has the most. If for some reason you're bored enough to go and work out future years update I'd appreciate you to refrain from discussing it until I post them as I'm actually quite enjoying working them out!! There was a thread here started by me some time back regarding who had the most UK Top 40 hits, obviously one of the issues with trying to quantify something like this is where lines are drawn but this is my attempt. Singles careers are separated from band careers if an artist has appeared in more than one, if a band member has appeared in more than one band the band is classed as the artist not the individual. Reissues of songs will be dealt with on an individual basis, but generally discounted. As such it’s possible and quite likely that an individual musician has accrued more than the number of hits that tops this list, one day I may try to work that out but given the sheer effort this is taking and the lack of available data to do such a thing I also might not. I’ve done a Top 25 up to the end of each year of the OCC records, however I rolled 1952 into 1953 because it’s only a few weeks of actual chart data for 1952 with it beginning in November and the new year stalemate. I’ve also provided a change log of the artist with the most hits for the entire duration of the chart. To be absolutely clear, I'll be adding the 1954 hits on top of the 1953 ones and the 1955 hits on top of the 53-54 ones etc etc until hopefully we have a completely log of who has the most Top 40 hits under the above parameters that can be updated as new charts come out. Change Log: 3 hits - Vera Lynn (14 November 1952) 3 hits - Vera Lynn, Bing Crosby (19 December 1952) 3 hits - Vera Lynn, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Tony Brent (23 January 1953) 3 hits - Vera Lynn, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Tony Brent, Al Martino (30 January 1953) 3 hits - Vera Lynn, BIng Crosby, Nat King Cole, Tony Brent, Al Martino, Frankie Laine, Johnnie Ray, Doris Day (3 April 1953) 4 hits - Johnnie Ray (10 April 1953) 5 hits - Johnnie Ray (17 April 1953) 6 hits - Johnnie Ray (24 July 1953) 6 hits - Johnnie Ray, Nat King Cole (18 September 1953) 6 hits - Johnnie Ray, Nat King Cole, Frankie Laine (16 October 1953) 7 hits - Frankie Laine (30 October 1953) 14 November 1952 - 31 December 1953 By the end of 1953 only 22 artists had achieved 2 or more Top 12 (as it was in those days) hits. By my calculations a further 35 artists are credited with a sole hit - and in joint 23rd place - I’ve not gone to the effort of listing them all. Frankie Laine - 7 hits High Noon [Do Not Forsake Me] (1952) / Sugarbush (1952) The Girl in the Wood (1953) I Believe (1953) Tell Me A Story (1953) Where the Wind Blows (1953) Hey Joe (1953) Answer Me (1953) Guy Mitchell - 6 hits Feet Up [Pat Him on the Po Po] (1952) She Wears Red Feathers (1953) Pretty Little Black Eyed Susie (1953) Look At That Girl (1953) Chick-A-Boom (1953) Cloud Lucky Seven (1953) Johnnie Ray - 6 hits Walkin My Baby Back Home (1952) Faith Can Move Mountains (1952) Ma Says Pa Says (1953) Somebody Stole My Gal (1953) Full Time Job (1953) Let's Walk That A-Way (1953) Nat King Cole - 6 hits Somewhere Along the Way (1952) Because You're Mine (1952) Faith Can Move Mountains (1953) Pretend (1953) Can't I? (1953) Mother Nature and Father Time (1953) Doris Day - 5 hits Sugarbush (1952) My Love and Devotion (1952) Ma Says Pa Says (1953) Full Time Job (1953) Lets Walk That A-Way (1953) Eddie Fisher - 5 hits Outside of Heaven (1953) Everything I Have Is Yours (1953) Downhearted (1953) I'm Walking Behind You (1953) Wish You Were Here (1953) Al Martino - 4 hits Here in My Heart (1952) Take My Heart (1952) Now (1953) Rachel (1953) Vera Lynn - 4 hits Forget Me Not (1952) The Homing Waltz (1952) Auf Wiedersehn Sweetheart (1952) The Windsor Waltz (1953) Winifred Atwell - 4 hits Britannia Rag (1952) Coronation Rag (1953) Flirtation Waltz (1953) Lets Have A Party (1953) Bing Crosby - 3 hits The Isle of Innisfree (1952) Zing A Little Zong (1952) Silent Night, Holy Night (1952) David Whitfield - 3 hits The Bridge of Sighs (1953) Answer Me (1953) Rags to Riches (1953) Dickie Valentine - 3 hits Broken Wings (1953) All the Time and Everywhere (1953) In A Golden Coach (There's A Heart of Gold (1953) Mantovani and His Orchestra - 3 hits White Christmas (1952) The Song From Moulin Rouge (1953) Swedish Rhapsody (1953) Ted Heath and His Music - 3 hits Vanessa (1953) Hot Toddy (1953) Dragnet (1953) Tony Brent - 3 hits Walkin' to Missouri (1952) Make It Soon (1953) Got You On My Mind (1953) Billy Cotton and His Band - 2 hits In A Golden Coach (There's A Heart of Gold) (1953) I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (1953) Frank Chacksfields Tunesmiths - 2 hits Little Red Monkey (1953) Terry’s Theme From Limelight (1953) Jimmy Boyd - 2 hits Tell Me A Story (1953) I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (1953) Jimmy Young - 2 hits Faith Can Move Mountains (1953) Eternally (1953) Jo Stafford - 2 hits You Belong To Me (1952) Jambalaya (1952) Kay Starr - 2 hits Comes A Long A Love (1952) Side By Side (1953) Ray Martin - 2 hits Blue Tango (1952) Swedish Rhapsody (1953) Edited February 12, 20223 yr by Chartfridays
February 12, 20223 yr This should be fun! How are you planning to handle acts like The Supremes who became Diana Ross & The Supremes without changing their line-up, before going back to The Supremes when Diana Ross left?
February 12, 20223 yr Swedish Rhapsody (1953) What I will say is the springs and summers in Bohemia are much hotter than in Sweden (and England for that matter). The winters aren't far off though. :lol:
February 12, 20223 yr Author This should be fun! How are you planning to handle acts like The Supremes who became Diana Ross & The Supremes without changing their line-up, before going back to The Supremes when Diana Ross left? By tearing up pieces of paper and banging my head against brick walls. In all seriousness I'd likely split the credits to 'Diana Ross' and the 'Supremes' which is the precedent set by the earlier years I have done - for example - i.e supremes before the rename = supremes / during rename one credit to Diana Ross one to Supremes - afterwards credit to supremes. Rosemary Clooney and the Mellomen has been split to Rosemary Clooney as one credit for the same song, with the Mellomen getting a separate credit. Examples from 1952 are - June Hutton with Axel Stordahl and the Boys Next Door which has been split to June Hutton / Axel Stordahl / The Boys Next Door - Johnnie Ray and the Four Lads - which I've given the Four Lads a band credit for and Johnnie Ray a solo credit for. - husband and wife duo Les Paul and Mary Ford which has been treat as duet with a solo credit each despite them only releasing husband and wife music. That should give and idea of the credit structure. It's not ideal but the alternatively is line up scouring every single new entry which I'm not keen on for blatantly obvious reasons. Edited February 12, 20223 yr by Chartfridays
February 13, 20223 yr Author 14 November 1952 - 31st December 1954 The back end of 1954 sees the first major expansion of the chart to a Top 20 allowing a few artists to claw in a good number of hits for the year but nobody can match Frankie Laine - aka the 1950s Ed Sheeran - who manages to score a number of supplementary hits in the follow on year to his mammoth I Believe - though no number 1s, it gives him a total of 13 hits. Change Log 03 hits - Vera Lynn (14 November 1952) 03 hits - Vera Lynn, Bing Crosby (19 December 1953) 03 hits - Vera Lynn, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole (2 January 1953) 03 hits - Vera Lynn, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Tony Brent (23 January 1953) 03 hits - Vera Lynn, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Tony Brent, Al Martino (30 January 1953) 03 hits - Vera Lynn, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Tony Brent, Al Martino, Frankie Laine, Doris Day, Johnnie Ray (3 April 1953) 04 hits - Johnnie Ray (10 April 1953) 05 hits - Johnnie Ray (17 April 1953) 06 hits - Johnnie Ray (24 July 1953) 06 hits - Johnnie Ray, Nat King Cole (18 September 1953) 06 hits - Johnnie Ray, Nat King Cole, Frankie Laine (16 October 1953) 07 hits - Frankie Laine (30 October 1953) 08 hits - Frankie Laine (8 January 1954) 08 hits - Frankie Laine, Guy Mitchell (26 February 1954) 09 hits - Frankie Laine (26 March 1954) 10 hits - Frankie Laine (16 April 1954) 11 hits - Frankie Laine (13 August 1954) 12 hits - Frankie Laine (8 October 1954) 13 hits - Frankie Laine (22 October 1954) Frankie Laine (13 hits) High Noon [Do Not Forsake Me] (1952) / Sugarbush (1952) The Girl in the Wood (1953) I Believe (1953) Tell Me A Story (1953) Where the Wind Blows (1953) Hey Joe (1953) Answer Me (1953) Blowing Wild (1954) Granada (1954) The Kids Last Fight (1954) My Friend (1954) There Must Be A Reason (1954) Rain Rain Rain (1954) Guy Mitchell (9 hits) Feet Up [Pat Him on the Po Po] (1952) She Wears Red Feathers (1953) Pretty Little Black Eyed Susie (1953) Look At That Girl (1953) Chick-A-Boom (1953) Cloud Lucky Seven (1953) The Cuff of My Shirt (1954) Sippin Soda (1954) A Dime and A Dollar (1954) Nat King Cole (9 hits) Somewhere Along the Way (1952) Because You're Mine (1952) Faith Can Move Mountains (1953) Pretend (1953) Can't I? (1953) Mother Nature and Father Time (1953) Tenderley (1954) Smile (1954) Make Her Mine (1954) Doris Day (8 hits) Sugarbush (1952) My Love and Devotion (1952) Ma Says Pa Says (1953) Full Time Job (1953) Lets Walk That A-Way (1953) Secret Love (1954) The Black Hills of Dakota (1954) If I Give My Heart to You (1954) Eddie Fisher (7 hits) Outside of Heaven (1953) Everything I Have Is Yours (1953) Downhearted (1953) I'm Walking Behind You (1953) Wish You Were Here (1953) Oh! My Papa (1954) I Need You Now (1954) Johnnie Ray (7 hits) Walkin My Baby Back Home (1952) Faith Can Move Mountains (1952) Ma Says Pa Says (1953) Somebody Stole My Gal (1953) Full Time Job (1953) Let's Walk That A-Way (1953) Such A Night (1954) Al Martino (6 hits) Here in My Heart (1952) Take My Heart (1952) Now (1953) Rachel (1953) Wanted (1954) The Story of Tina (1954) David Whitfield (6 hits) The Bridge of Sighs (1953) Answer Me (1953) Rags to Riches (1953) The Book (1954) Cara Mia (1954) Santo Natale (1954) Dickie Valentine (6 hits) Broken Wings (1953) All the Time and Everywhere (1953) In A Golden Coach (There's A Heart of Gold (1953) Endless (1954) The Finger of Suspicion (1954) Mr Sandman (1954) Winifred Atwell (6 hits) Britannia Rag (1952) Coronation Rag (1953) Flirtation Waltz (1953) Lets Have A Party (1953) Rachmmaninoff's 18th Variation on a Theme by Pagannini (The Story of Three Loves) (1954) Let's Have Another Party (1954) Vera Lynn (5 hits) Forget Me Not (1952) The Homing Waltz (1952) Auf Wiedersehn Sweetheart (1952) The Windsor Waltz (1953) My Son My Son (1954) Bing Crosby (4 hits) The Isle of Innisfree (1952) Zing A Little Zong (1952) Silent Night, Holy Night (1952) Changing Partners (1954) Dean Martin (4 hits) Kiss (1953) That's Amore (1954) Sway (1954) How Do You Speak to An Angel (1954) Joan Regan (4 hits) Ricochet (1953) Someone Elses Roses (1954) If I Give My Heart to You (1954) Wait for Me Darling (1954) Kay Starr (4 hits) Comes A Long A Love (1952) Side By Side (1953) Changing Partners (1954) Am I A Toy or A Treasure (1954) Mantovani and his Orchestra White Christmas (1952) The Song From Moulin Rouge (1953) Swedish Rhapsody (1953) Cara Mia (1954 Perry Como (4 hits) Don't Let the Stars Get In Your Eyes (1953) Wanted (1954) Idle Gossip (1954) Papa Loves Mambo (1954) Rosemary Clooney (4 hits) Half As Much (1952) Man/Woman (1954) This Ole House (1954) Mambo Italiano (1954) Stargazers (4 hits) Broken Wings (1953) I See The Moon (1954) Happy Wanderer (1954) The Finger of Suspicion (1954) Ted Heath and His Music (4 hits) Vanessa (1953) Hot Toddy (1953) Dragnet (1953) Skin Deep (1954) Alma Cogan (3 hits) Bell Bottom Blues (1954) Little Things Mean a Lot (1954) I Can't Tell A Waltz from A Tango (1954) Billy Cotton and His Band (3 hits) In A Golden Coach (There's A Heart of Gold) (1953) I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (1953) Friends and Neighbours (1954) Frank Chacksfield (3 hits) Little Red Monkey (1953) Terrys Theme From Limelight (1953) Ebb Tide (1954) Jo Stafford (3 hits) You Belong To Me (1952) Jambalaya (1952) Make Love to Me (1954) Max Bygraves (3 hits) Cowpunchers Cantata (1952) The Gang That Sang Heart of My Heart (1954) Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellan Bogen by the Sea (1954) *Tony Brent (3 hits) Walkin' to Missouri (1952) Make It Soon (1953) Got You On My Mind (1953)
February 19, 20223 yr Author And on to another years data added in. Frankie Laine continues his mid-50s dominance and comfortably extends his lead having now racked up 17 top 40 hits in just over 3 chart years. *The number of hits required to make the list rises from 3 to 5, which means 1955 breakout stars Bill Haley and His Comets and Sammy Davis Jr will have to wait a bit longer to get into the list. Johnnie Ray returns after a short hiatus and Doris Day continues. I've also re-formated the list so that the joint positions are shown as such. *of course it not actually being a T40 at this point. Change Log 03 hits - Vera Lynn (14 November 1952) 03 hits - Vera Lynn, Bing Crosby (19 December 1953) 03 hits - Vera Lynn, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole (2 January 1953) 03 hits - Vera Lynn, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Tony Brent (23 January 1953) 03 hits - Vera Lynn, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Tony Brent, Al Martino (30 January 1953) 03 hits - Vera Lynn, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Tony Brent, Al Martino, Frankie Laine, Doris Day, Johnnie Ray (3 April 1953) 04 hits - Johnnie Ray (10 April 1953) 05 hits - Johnnie Ray (17 April 1953) 06 hits - Johnnie Ray (24 July 1953) 06 hits - Johnnie Ray, Nat King Cole (18 September 1953) 06 hits - Johnnie Ray, Nat King Cole, Frankie Laine (16 October 1953) 07 hits - Frankie Laine (30 October 1953) 08 hits - Frankie Laine (8 January 1954) 08 hits - Frankie Laine, Guy Mitchell (26 February 1954) 09 hits - Frankie Laine (26 March 1954) 10 hits - Frankie Laine (16 April 1954) 11 hits - Frankie Laine (13 August 1954) 12 hits - Frankie Laine (8 October 1954) 13 hits - Frankie Laine (22 October 1954) 14 hits - Frankie Laine (11 March 1955) 15 hits - Frankie Laine (24 June 1955) 16 hits - Frankie Laine (15 July 1955) 17 hits - Frankie Laine (11 November 1955) Top 25 - 14 Novembe 1952 - 31st December 1955 1. Frankie Laine - 17 hits High Noon [Do Not Forsake Me] (1952) / Sugarbush (1952) The Girl in the Wood (1953) I Believe (1953) Tell Me A Story (1953) Where the Wind Blows (1953) Hey Joe (1953) Answer Me (1953) Blowing Wild (1954) Granada (1954) The Kids Last Fight (1954) My Friend (1954) There Must Be A Reason (1954) Rain Rain Rain (1954) In the Beginning (1955) Cool Water (1955) Strange Lady in Town (1955) Hummingbird (1955) 2. Johnnie Ray - 13 hits Walkin My Baby Back Home (1952) Faith Can Move Mountains (1952) Ma Says Pa Says (1953) Somebody Stole My Gal (1953) Full Time Job (1953) Let's Walk That A-Way (1953) Such A Night (1954) If You Believe (1955) Paths of Paradise (1955) Hernandos Hideaway (1955) Hey There (1955) Song of the Dreamer (1955) 3. (=) Doris Day - 11 hits Sugarbush (1952) My Love and Devotion (1952) Ma Says Pa Says (1953) Full Time Job (1953) Lets Walk That A-Way (1953) Secret Love (1954) The Black Hills of Dakota (1954) If I Give My Heart to You (1954) Ready, Willing and Able (1955) Love Me Or Leave Me (1955) I'll Never Stop Loving You (1955) 3. (=) Nat King Cole - 11 hits Somewhere Along the Way (1952) Because You're Mine (1952) Faith Can Move Mountains (1953) Pretend (1953) Can't I? (1953) Mother Nature and Father Time (1953) Tenderley (1954) Smile (1954) Make Her Mine (1954) A Blossom Fell (1955) My One Sin (1955) 5. (=) David Whitfield - 10 hits. The Bridge of Sighs (1953) Answer Me (1953) Rags to Riches (1953) The Book (1954) Cara Mia (1954) Santo Natale (1954) Beyond the Stars (1955) Mama (1955) Ev'rywhere (1955) When You Lose the One You Love (1955) 5. (=) Dickie Valentine - 10 hits Broken Wings (1953) All the Time and Everywhere (1953) In A Golden Coach (There's A Heart of Gold (1953) Endless (1954) The Finger of Suspicion (1954) Mr Sandman (1954) A Blossom Fell (1955) I Wonder (1955) Christmas Alphabet (1955) The Old Piano Rag (1955) 7. Guy Mitchell - 9 hits. Feet Up [Pat Him on the Po Po] (1952) She Wears Red Feathers (1953) Pretty Little Black Eyed Susie (1953) Look At That Girl (1953) Chick-A-Boom (1953) Cloud Lucky Seven (1953) The Cuff of My Shirt (1954) Sippin Soda (1954) A Dime and A Dollar (1954) 8. (=) Alma Cogan - 8 hits Bell Bottom Blues (1954) Little Things Mean a Lot (1954) I Can't Tell A Waltz from A Tango (1954) Dreamboat (1955) The Banjos Back in Town (1955) Go On By (1955) Twenty Tiny Fingers (1955) Never Do A Tango With An Eskimo (1955) 8. (=) Dean Martin - 8 hits. Kiss (1953) That's Amore (1954) Sway (1954) How Do You Speak to An Angel (1954) The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane (1955) Mambo Italiano (1955) Let Me Go Lover (1955) Under the Bridges of Paris (1955) 8. (=) Eddie Fisher - 8 hits Outside of Heaven (1953) Everything I Have Is Yours (1953) Downhearted (1953) I'm Walking Behind You (1953) Wish You Were Here (1953) Oh! My Papa (1954) I Need You Now (1954) Wedding Bells (1955) 8. (=) The Stargazers - 8 hits Broken Wings (1953) I See The Moon (1954) Happy Wanderer (1954) The Finger of Suspicion (1954) Somebody (1955) The Crazy Otto Rag (1955) Close the Door (1955) Twenty Tiny Fingers (1955) 12. (=) Al Martino - 7 hits. Here in My Heart (1952) Take My Heart (1952) Now (1953) Rachel (1953) Wanted (1954) The Story of Tina (1954) The Man From Laramie (1955) 12. (=) Mantovani and his Orchestra White Christmas (1952) The Song From Moulin Rouge (1953) Swedish Rhapsody (1953) Cara Mia (1954) Beyond the Stars (1955) Lonely Ballerina (1955) When You Lose the One You Love (1955) 12. (=) Ruby Murray - 7 hits Heartbeat (1954) Softly Softly (1955) Happy Days and Lonely Nights (1955) Let Me Go Lover (1955) If Anyone Finds This I Love (1955) Evermore (1955) I''ll Come When You Call (1955) 12 (=) Winifred Atwell - 7 hits Britannia Rag (1952) Coronation Rag (1953) Flirtation Waltz (1953) Lets Have A Party (1953) Rachmmaninoff's 18th Variation on a Theme by Pagannini (The Story of Three Loves) (1954) Lets Have Another Party (1954) Lets Have A Ding Dong (1955) 16. (=) Bing Crosby - 6 hits The Isle of Innisfree (1952) Zing A Little Zong (1952) Silent Night, Holy Night (1952) Changing Partners (1954) Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep (1955) Stranger in Paradise (1955) 16. (=) Joan Regan - 6 hits Ricochet (1953) Someone Elses Roses (1954) If I Give My Heart to You (1954) Wait for Me Darling (1954) Prize of Gold (1955) Open Up Your Heart (1955) 16 (=) Rosemary Clooney - 6 hits. Half As Much (1952) Man/Woman (1954) This Ole House (1954) Mambo Italiano (1954) Where Will the Dimple Be? (1955) Hey There (1955) 19. (=) Frank Sinatra - 5 hits Young At Heart (1954) Three Coins in the Fountain (1954) You My Love (1955) Learning The Blues (1955) Not As A Stranger (1955) 19. (=) Jimmy Young - 5 hits Faith Can Move Mountains (1953) Eternally (1953) Unchained Melody (1955) The Man From Laramie (1955) Someone on Your Mind (1955) 19. (=) Johnston Brothers - 5 hits Oh Happy Day (1953) Wait for Me Darling (1954) Happy Days and Lonely Nights (1955) Hernandos Hideaway (1955) Join in and Sing Again (1955) 19. Max Bygraves - 5 hits Cowpunchers Cantata (1952) The Gang That Sang Heart of My Heart (1954) Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellan Bogen by the Sea (1954) Mr Sandman (1955) Meet Me on the Corner (1955) 19. Perry Como - 5 hits Don't Let the Stars Get In Your Eyes (1953) Wanted (1954) Idle Gossip (1954) Papa Loves Mambo (1954) Tina Marie (1955) 19. Ronnie Hilton - 5 hits I Still Believe (1954) Veni Vidi Vici (1954) A Blossom Fell (1955) Stars Shine in Your Eyes (1955) The Yellow Rose of Texas (1955) 19. Vera Lynn - 5 hits Forget Me Not (1952) The Homing Waltz (1952) Auf Wiedersehn Sweetheart (1952) The Windsor Waltz (1953) My Son My Son (1954)
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