| 1950s in music in the UK |
| Events |
|---|
←1949 |
TheUK Singles Chart is one of many music charts compiled by theOfficial Charts Company that calculates the best-selling singles of the week in the United Kingdom.[1] Before 2004, the chart was only based on the sales of physical singles.[2][3] This list shows singles that peaked in the Top 10 of theUK Singles Chart during1957, as well as singles which peaked in1956 and1958 but were in the top 10 in 1957. The entry date is when the single appeared in the top 10 for the first time (week ending, as published by the Official Charts Company, which is six days after the chart is announced).
Seventy-nine singles were in the top ten in 1957. Ten singles from 1956 remained in the top 10 for several weeks at the beginning of the year, while "All the Way"/"Chicago" byFrank Sinatra, "Great Balls of Fire" byJerry Lee Lewis and "Reet Petite (The Sweetest Girl in Town)" byJackie Wilson were all released in 1957 but did not reach their peak until 1958. "Singing the Blues" byGuy Mitchell and "True Love" byBing Crosby &Grace Kelly were the singles from 1956 to reach their peak in 1957. Twenty artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1957.Andy Williams,The Everly Brothers,Jerry Lee Lewis,Little Richard,Paul Anka andShirley Bassey were among the many artists who achieved their first UK charting top 10 single in 1957.
The first new number-one single of the year was "Singing the Blues" byGuy Mitchell. Overall, thirteen different singles peaked at number-one in 1957, withGuy Mitchell andLonnie Donegan (2) having the joint most singles hit that position.
Eighty singles charted in the top 10 in 1957, with seventy-one singles reaching their peak this year. Six songs were recorded by several artists with each version reaching the top 10:
Twenty artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1957.Elvis Presley secured the record for most top 10 hits in 1957 with seven hit singles.
Paul Anka was one of a number of artists with two top-ten entries, including the number-one single "Diana".Bing Crosby,Malcolm Vaughan,Petula Clark,Tab Hunter andWinifred Atwell were among the other artists who had multiple top 10 entries in 1957.
Twenty-seven artists achieved their first top 10 single in 1957, either as a lead or featured artist. Of these, five went on to record another hit single that year:Charlie Gracie,The Everly Brothers,Paul Anka,Tab Hunter andThe Vipers Skiffle Group.Harry Belafonte,Little Richard andTommy Steele and the Steelmen all had two other entries in their breakthrough year.
The following table (collapsed on desktop site) does not include acts who had previously charted as part of a group and secured their first top 10 solo single.
Original songs from various films entered the top 10 throughout the year. These included "The Girl Can't Help It" (fromThe Girl Can't Help It), "When I Fall in Love" (Istanbul), "Around the World" (Around the World in 80 Days), "Love Letters in the Sand" (Bernardine), "Island in the Sun" (Island in the Sun), "Tammy" (Tammy and the Bachelor) and "All the Way" & "Chicago" (The Joker Is Wild).
Additionally, "Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love)" byPat Boone was a cover of the title track for the 1956 filmFriendly Persuasion. The original version of the song was nominated forBest Original Song at the29th Academy Awards.Gene Autry's recording of "Blueberry Hill" - released byFats Domino this year - had appeared in the 1941 filmThe Singing Hill. "When I Fall in Love" was first introduced in the 1952 filmOne Minute to Zero, whenJeri Southern had been the vocalist. "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen" was used in several films before 1957, includingFor the Love of Mary (1948) andRio Grande (1950), prior toSlim Whitman taking it into the UK top 10.
Until 1970 there was no universally recognised year-end best-sellers list. However, in 2011 the Official Charts Company released a list of the best-selling single of each year in chart history from 1952 to date. According to the list, "Diana" byPaul Anka is officially recorded as thebiggest-selling single of 1957. "Diana" (2), "Mary's Boy Child" (3) "All Shook Up" (8) and "Love Letters in the Sand" (9) all ranked in the top 10best-selling singles of the decade.
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ‡ | Single peaked in 1956 but still in chart in 1957. |
| ♦ | Single released in 1957 but peaked in 1958. |
| (#) | Year-end best-selling single. |
| Entered | The date that the single first appeared in the chart. |
| Peak | Highest position that the single reached in the UK Singles Chart. |
| Entered (week ending) | Weeks in top 10 | Single | Artist | Peak | Peak reached (week ending) | Weeks at peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singles in 1956 | ||||||
| 28 September 1956 | 17 | "Hound Dog" ‡[B] | Elvis Presley | 2 | 26 October 1956 | 3 |
| 14 | "A Woman in Love" ‡[C] | Frankie Laine | 1 | 19 October 1956 | 4 | |
| 26 October 1956 | 14 | "Just Walkin' in the Rain" ‡ | Johnnie Ray | 1 | 16 November 1956 | 7 |
| 2 November 1956 | 9 | "My Prayer" ‡ | The Platters | 4 | 9 November 1956 | 3 |
| 16 November 1956 | 9 | "Rip It Up" ‡ | Bill Haley & His Comets | 4 | 7 December 1956 | 2 |
| 12 | "The Green Door" ‡ | Frankie Vaughan | 2 | 7 December 1956 | 3 | |
| 13 | "St. Therese of the Roses" ‡ | Malcolm Vaughan | 3 | 14 December 1956 | 3 | |
| 7 December 1956 | 19 | "True Love" | Bing Crosby &Grace Kelly | 4 | 8 February 1957 | 1 |
| 14 December 1956 | 17 | "Singing the Blues" | Guy Mitchell | 1 | 4 January 1957 | 3 |
| 9 | "Cindy, Oh Cindy" ‡ | Eddie Fisher | 5 | 21 December 1956 | 2 | |
| Singles in 1957 | ||||||
| 4 January 1957 | 6 | "Singing the Blues" | Tommy Steele & the Steelmen | 1 | 11 January 1957 | 1 |
| 11 January 1957 | 10 | "Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love)"[D] | Pat Boone | 3 | 25 January 1957 | 3 |
| 18 January 1957 | 10 | "The Garden of Eden"[E] | Frankie Vaughan | 1 | 25 January 1957 | 4 |
| 25 January 1957 | 6 | "Blueberry Hill" | Fats Domino | 6 | 8 February 1957 | 1 |
| 1 February 1957 | 13 | "Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O" | Lonnie Donegan | 4 | 15 February 1957 | 1 |
| 8 February 1957 | 1 | "Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O" | The Vipers Skiffle Group | 10 | 8 February 1957 | 1 |
| 15 February 1957 | 13 | "Young Love" | Tab Hunter | 1 | 22 February 1957 | 7 |
| 12 | "Don't Forbid Me" | Pat Boone | 2 | 8 March 1957 | 5 | |
| 2 | "Don't Knock the Rock" | Bill Haley & His Comets | 7 | 15 February 1957 | 1 | |
| 21 February 1957 | 9 | "Knee Deep in the Blues" | Guy Mitchell | 3 | 8 March 1957 | 4 |
| 11 March 1957 | 1 | "The Adoration Waltz" | David Whitfield | 9 | 1 March 1957 | 1 |
| 8 March 1957 | 9 | "Long Tall Sally" | Little Richard | 3 | 29 March 1957 | 1 |
| 11 | "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" | Harry Belafonte | 2 | 12 April 1957 | 3 | |
| 15 March 1957 | 3 | "The Banana Boat Song" | Shirley Bassey | 8 | 29 March 1957 | 1 |
| 5 April 1957 | 9 | "Cumberland Gap" | Lonnie Donegan | 1 | 12 April 1957 | 5 |
| 2 | "The Girl Can't Help It" | Little Richard | 9 | 12 April 1957 | 1 | |
| 12 April 1957 | 4 | "Look Homeward, Angel" | Johnnie Ray | 7 | 19 April 1957 | 3 |
| 1 | "Cumberland Gap" | The Vipers Skiffle Group | 10 | 12 April 1957 | 1 | |
| 19 April 1957 | 6 | "Baby, Baby" | Frankie Lymon &The Teenagers | 4 | 3 May 1957 | 1 |
| 7 | "Ninety-Nine Ways" | Tab Hunter | 5 | 3 May 1957 | 1 | |
| 26 April 1957 | 12 | "When I Fall in Love"[F] | Nat King Cole | 2 | 14 June 1957 | 1 |
| 3 May 1957 | 7 | "Rock-a-Billy" | Guy Mitchell | 1 | 17 May 1957 | 1 |
| 9 | "Butterfly" | Andy Williams | 1 | 24 May 1957 | 2 | |
| 10 May 1957 | 7 | "Freight Train" | The Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group featuringNancy Whiskey | 5 | 31 May 1957 | 1 |
| 11 | "Yes Tonight Josephine" | Johnnie Ray | 1 | 7 June 1957 | 3 | |
| 17 May 1957 | 3 | "Too Much" | Elvis Presley | 6 | 31 May 1957 | 1 |
| 24 May 1957 | 3 | "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen" | Slim Whitman | 7 | 24 May 1957 | 2 |
| 31 May 1957 | 5 | "Mr. Wonderful"[G] | Peggy Lee | 5 | 7 June 1957 | 1 |
| 7 June 1957 | 10 | "Around the World" | Ronnie Hilton | 4 | 5 July 1957 | 2 |
| 3 | "Around the World" | Gracie Fields | 8 | 7 June 1957 | 1 | |
| 8 | "Around the World"[H] | Bing Crosby | 5 | 21 June 1957 | 1 | |
| 14 June 1957 | 11 | "Gamblin' Man"/"Puttin' On the Style" | Lonnie Donegan | 1 | 28 June 1957 | 2 |
| 10 | "Little Darlin'" | The Diamonds | 3 | 12 July 1957 | 2 | |
| 28 June 1957 | 5 | "A White Sport Coat (and a Pink Carnation)" | The King Brothers | 6 | 28 June 1957 | 2 |
| 16 | "All Shook Up" | Elvis Presley | 1 | 12 July 1957 | 7 | |
| 10 | "We Will Make Love" | Russ Hamilton | 2 | 2 August 1957 | 1 | |
| 12 July 1957 | 4 | "Butterfingers" | Tommy Steele & the Steelmen | 8 | 19 July 1957 | 1 |
| 19 July 1957 | 9 | "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear"[I] | Elvis Presley | 3 | 2 August 1957 | 2 |
| 26 July 1957 | 14 | "Love Letters in the Sand"[J] | Pat Boone | 2 | 16 August 1957 | 7 |
| 2 August 1957 | 14 | "Island in the Sun" | Harry Belafonte | 3 | 23 August 1957 | 1 |
| 2 | "Lucille" | Little Richard | 10 | 2 August 1957 | 2 | |
| 9 August 1957 | 6 | "Bye Bye Love" | The Everly Brothers | 6 | 30 August 1957 | 1 |
| 16 August 1957 | 10 | "Last Train to San Fernando" | Johnny Duncan & the Blue Grass Boys | 2 | 13 September 1957 | 2 |
| 23 August 1957 | 15 | "Diana"(#1)[J][K] | Paul Anka | 1 | 30 August 1957 | 9 |
| 9 | "With All My Heart" | Petula Clark | 4 | 27 September 1957 | 1 | |
| 30 August 1957 | 1 | "Fabulous" | Charlie Gracie | 8 | 30 August 1957 | 1 |
| 6 September 1957 | 7 | "Water, Water"/"A Handful of Songs"[L] | Tommy Steele & the Steelmen | 5 | 13 September 1957 | 2 |
| 8 | "Wanderin' Eyes" | Charlie Gracie | 6 | 25 October 1957 | 1 | |
| 13 September 1957 | 3 | "Paralyzed" | Elvis Presley | 8 | 13 September 1957 | 1 |
| 20 September 1957 | 11 | "Tammy" | Debbie Reynolds | 2 | 1 November 1957 | 1 |
| 4 October 1957 | 10 | "That'll Be the Day" | The Crickets | 1 | 1 November 1957 | 3 |
| 18 October 1957 | 9 | "Party" | Elvis Presley | 2 | 25 October 1957 | 4 |
| 8 | "Remember You're Mine"/"There's a Gold Mine in the Sky" | Pat Boone | 5 | 25 October 1957 | 4 | |
| 25 October 1957 | 3 | "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" | Jerry Lee Lewis | 8 | 1 November 1957 | 1 |
| 1 November 1957 | 3 | "Man on Fire"/"Wanderin' Eyes" | Frankie Vaughan | 6 | 1 November 1957 | 2 |
| 8 | "Be My Girl" | Jim Dale | 2 | 29 November 1957 | 2 | |
| 8 November 1957 | 4 | "Got-Ta Have Something in the Bank, Frank" | Frankie Vaughan &The Kaye Sisters | 8 | 8 November 1957 | 3 |
| 1 | "My Dixie Darling" | Lonnie Donegan | 10 | 8 November 1957 | 1 | |
| 15 November 1957 | 9 | "Mary's Boy Child"[M] | Harry Belafonte | 1 | 22 November 1957 | 7 |
| 10 | "I Love You Baby" | Paul Anka | 3 | 13 December 1957 | 1 | |
| 22 November 1957 | 8 | "Wake Up Little Susie" | The Everly Brothers | 2 | 13 December 1957 | 2 |
| 29 November 1957 | 11 | "Ma! He's Making Eyes at Me" | Johnny Otis & His Orchestra withMarie Adams | 2 | 20 December 1957 | 5 |
| 6 December 1957 | 9 | "My Special Angel" | Malcolm Vaughan | 3 | 27 December 1957 | 2 |
| 2 | "Santa Bring My Baby Back (to Me)" | Elvis Presley | 7 | 13 December 1957 | 1 | |
| 13 December 1957 | 4 | "Alone" | Petula Clark | 8 | 13 December 1957 | 1 |
| 7 | "Reet Petite" ♦ | Jackie Wilson | 6 | 3 January 1958 | 1 | |
| 20 December 1957 | 12 | "All the Way"/"Chicago" ♦ | Frank Sinatra | 3 | 17 January 1958 | 2 |
| 2 | "Let's Have a Ball" | Winifred Atwell | 4 | 27 December 1957 | 1 | |
| 27 December 1957 | 7 | "Great Balls of Fire" ♦ | Jerry Lee Lewis | 1 | 10 January 1958 | 2 |
The following table shows artists who achieved two or more top 10 entries in 1957, including singles that reached their peak in 1956 or 1958. The figures include both main artists and featured artists. The total number of weeks an artist spent in the top ten in 1957 is also shown.
General
Specific
