Top 20 Chart Topping Singles 1952 – 2012

Having already examined the most successful singles of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and the first few years of the current decade, it is time to create an all-time list. Here you will find the twenty songs that have occupied the top of the UK singles chart for the most weeks since its creation in November 1952. All of these songs spent at least eight weeks at the top of the chart. Two other records that held the number 1 position for eight weeks, Magic moments by Perry Como and Stay by Shakespear’s Sister, are excluded due to spending fewer weeks in the top 10 than their rivals.

1. Wonderful Land – Shadows

   Wonderful land by the Shadows spent eight weeks at the top of the chart from the week ending 24 March 1962 and was the second most successful single of the 1960s. Its impressive record continued with a total of fourteen weeks spent in the top 10 and eighteen in the top 40.

2. Sugar Sugar – Archies

   Just beating Wonderful land into second place in the 1960s list was Sugar sugar by the Archies. It also spent eight weeks at the top of the chart, first reaching number 1 in the week ending 25 October 1969, and a total of fourteen weeks in the top 10. It topped the 1960s list, however, by occupying the top 40 for twenty-three weeks.

3. Answer Me – Frankie Laine

   The longevity of singles in the 1950s, owing to the fact that there were fewer released, kept Answer me by Frankie Laine out of that decade’s top 5 list. The single spent eight weeks at the top of the chart from the week ending 14 November 1953 and is the first of Frankie Laine’s two entries in this all-time list. In total, the song spent seventeen weeks in the top 10.

4. Crazy – Gnarls Barkley

   The second most successful single of the first decade of the 21^st century, Crazy by Gnarls Barkley, spent nine weeks at the top of the chart from its first week of release in the week ending 8 April 2006. Its exit from the chart after falling from the top spot was rapid, spending just two more weeks in the top 40, both in the top 10. It returned to the top 40 for one week in January 2007.

5. Two Tribes – Frankie Goes To Hollywood

   The most successful song of the 1980s, Two tribes by Frankie Goes To Hollywood spent nine weeks at the top of the chart from the week ending 16 June 1984, three more than any other record in that decade. In total, the song spent twelve weeks in the top 10 and sixteen in the top 40.

6. Mull Of Kintyre / Girls School – Wings

   The double A-side Mull of Kintyre / Girls School by Wings spent nine weeks at number 1 from the week ending 3 December 1977 and was the second most successful single of the 1970s. The song spent twelve weeks in the top 10 and sixteen in the top 40.

7. It’s Now Or Never – Elvis Presley

   When it was first released in 1960, Elvis Presley took It’s now or never to the top of the chart for eight weeks from the week ending 5 November and was the third most successful single of the 1960s. But the record was re-issued in 2005 and went back to number 1 for one more week. Calculated over both its releases, the single spent nine weeks at number 1, thirteen in the top 10 and twenty-one in the top 40.

8. You’re The One That I Want – John Travolta And Olivia Newton-John

   Several songs from the film Grease entered the UK singles chart in the late 1970s, but You’re the one that I want by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John was the most successful. In fact, with nine weeks at number 1, fifteen in the top 10 and twenty in the top 40, it was more successful than any other record in the decade. The song first reached the top of the chart in the week ending 17 June 1978.

9. Diana – Paul Anka

   Another song that missed out on a place in my 1950s list was Diana by Paul Anka. It first entered the top 30 in the week ending 10 August 1957 and reached number 1 three weeks later. The song stayed at the top of the chart for nine weeks and spent a total of fifteen weeks in the top 10 and twenty-five in the top 30.

10. Here In My Heart – Al Martino

    Here in my heart by Al Martino was also excluded from my 1950s list and also spent nine weeks at number 1. It was the first chart topping record when the UK singles chart was created in the week ending 15 November 1952. In total, the song spent sixteen weeks in the top 10 and eighteen in the top 12.

11. Oh Mein Papa – Eddie Calvert

    First reaching number 1 in the week ending 9 January 1954, Oh mein Papa by Eddie Calvert spent nine weeks at the top and was the fifth most successful record of the 1950s. The instrumental arrangement for trumpet spent twenty weeks in the top 10 and twenty-one in the top 12.

12. Secret Love – Doris Day

    The fourth most successful song of the 1950s was Secret love by Doris Day. It spent one week at the top in the week ending 17 April 1954 and then another eight from the week ending 8 May 1954. In total, the song occupied the top 10 for twenty-seven weeks and the top 20 for twenty-nine weeks.

13. Umbrella – Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z

    In the week ending 26 May 2007, Umbrella by Rihanna featuring Jay-Z went straight to the top of the chart in its first week of release. It held on to the top spot for ten weeks, making it the most successful single of 2000-2009. The song spent thirteen weeks in the top 10 and thirty-five in the top 40.

14. I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston

    Dolly Parton’s original version of I will always love you did not enter the UK chart, but Whitney Houston’s cover of the same song spent ten weeks at number 1 from the week ending 5 December 1992. With its return to the chart in 1993-4 and 2012, the song spent a total of fifteen weeks in the top 10 and twenty-four in the top 40. It was the third most successful song of the 1990s.

15. Cara Mia – David Whitfield With Mantovani & His Orchestra

    Cara mia by David Whitfield with Mantovani & His Orchestra first reached the top of the UK singles chart in the week ending 3 July 1954. It stayed at the top for ten weeks and was the third most successful song of the 1950s. In total, it spent twenty weeks in the top 10 and twenty-five in the top 20.

16. Rose Marie – Slim Whitman

    The second most successful single of the 1950s was Rose Marie by Slim Whitman. It first reached the top of the chart in the week ending 30 July 1955 and stayed there for eleven weeks. The song occupied the top 10 for a total of seventeen weeks and the top 20 for nineteen weeks.

17. Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen

    Bohemian rhapsody was the third most successful single of the 1970s, spending nine weeks at number one from the week ending 29 November 1975 and only dropping from the top at the end of January 1976. The song would have been much further down this list if its story had ended there. It was re-released in 1991 as a double A-side with These are the days of our lives and returned to the top for five weeks from the week ending 21 December 1991, falling from number 1 in the middle January 1992. In total, the record spent fourteen weeks at number 1, twenty in the top 10 and twenty-eight in the top 40 and has the distinction of being the only song to have been number 1 for the same artist in four different years – 1975, 1976, 1991 and 1992.

18. Love Is All Around – Wet Wet Wet

    Love is all around by Wet Wet Wet was propelled to the top of the UK singles chart by its inclusion in the film Four weddings and a funeral. It first reached number 1 in the week ending 4 June 1994 and stayed there for fifteen weeks, making it the second most successful single of the 1990s. The song occupied the top 10 for twenty weeks and the top 40 for twenty-six weeks. It was originally recorded by the Troggs in 1967.

19. (Everything I Do) I Do It For You – Bryan Adams

    Another chart topping song taken from a film soundtrack was (Everything I do) I do it for you by Bryan Adams from Robin Hood prince of thieves. The single spent sixteen weeks at number 1 from the week ending 13 July 1991. It was the most successful record of the 1990s and holds the record for the most consecutive weeks at the top of the UK singles chart. In total, the single spent twenty-one weeks in the top 10 and twenty-three in the top 40.

20. I Believe – Frankie Laine

    Although Bryan Adams holds the record for the most consecutive weeks at number 1, the record for the most weeks at the top of the chart belongs to I believe by Frankie Laine, the most successful single of the 1950s. The song built up a total of eighteen weeks at number 1 in 1953 in three batches – nine weeks from the week ending 25 April, six weeks from the week ending 4 July and three weeks from the week ending 22 August. In total, I believe spent thirty-five weeks in the top 10 and thirty-six in the top 12.