In Britain, New Musical Express began the first ever pop chart on 14th November 1952. The chart was based on a telephone poll of a dozen or so record dealers. The first chart was a top twelve, although it contained fifteen records as three of them were in tied positions. Only three British acts made the chart that week.
The first singer to dominate the British charts was Frankie Laine who enjoyed an 18-week number one hit 'I Believe' in 1953.
Ballads were the most popular type of song with hits from Laine, Johnny Ray, Guy Mitchell, Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney and Doris Day.
All of the above were eclipsed by Irish girl Ruby Murray who, in 1955 achieved five singles in the top-twenty in one week.
The days of the crooner were numbered, though. Bill Haley and the Comets made their chart debut with Shake, Rattle and Roll that same year. And although the groups next single, Rock Around The Clock had failed to make the chart when it was first released in January 1955, on it's reissue in October it entered at number 12. In November it made the number one spot. Rock n' Roll was about to take over!
The following year Bill Haley equalled Ruby Murray's five entry feat. However, all and sundry were about to be overtaken by one of the biggest recording stars of all time. On 11th May 1956 Elvis Presley entered the charts with Heartbreak Hotel. It stayed in the charts for 21 weeks although the highest position it reached was number 2.
In fact Elvis' next ten British single releases all failed to reach the top spot and he had to wait until June 1957 before All Shook Up gave him his first British chart topper. That year Elvis has seven simultaneous singles in the NME chart, which by now had become a top thirty.
In 1958 Jailhouse Rock gave Elvis the only record of the decade to enter the charts straight in at number one.
Billed as Britain's answer to Elvis, Cliff Richard began his chart career in 1957 with 'Move It'. Cliff has since had a number one single in every decade from the 50s to the end of the millennium and is the biggest British record seller of all time!
Another new sound entered the charts in January 1956, pioneered by Glasgow born Lonnie Donegan. It was called Skiffle and Donegan became it's king, chalking up 28 successive chart entries and becoming the first British artist to have two top ten hits in America.
A combination of Skiffle and Rock n' Roll inspired a young Liverpudlian named John Lennon to start playing music...
BRITISH NUMBER 1's of 1953
Title/Artiste/Week Reached Number One/Weeks at Number One
You Belong To Me Jo Stafford
16th January
1 Week
Comes A-long A-love Kay Starr
23rd January
1 Week
Outside Of Heaven Eddie Fisher
30th January
1 Week
Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes Perry Como
6th February
5 Weeks
She Wears Red Feathers Guy Mitchell
13th March
4 Weeks
Broken Wings The Stargazers
10th April
1 Week
(How Much Is) That Doggie In The Window? Lita Roza
17th April
1 Week
I Believe Frankie Laine
24th April
9 Weeks
I'm Walking Behind You Eddie Fisher featuring Sally Sweetland
26th June
1 week
I Believe Frankie Laine
3rd July
6 Weeks
Moulin Rouge Mantovani
14th August
1 Week
I Believe Frankie Laine
21st August
3 Weeks
Look At That Girl Guy Mitchell
11th September
6 Weeks
Hey Joe Frankie Laine
23rd October
2 Weeks
Answer Me*
David Whitfield
6th November
1 Week
Answer Me*
Frankie Laine
13th November
8 Weeks
* It was not unusual in the 1950s to have two artistes record and release the same record, and there are many instances of this. However, on 11th December David Whitfield's version of Answer Me climbed back to number one where it shared top spot with Frankie Laine's version. This is the only instance where this has occured.
