List of UK top-ten singles in 1957

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Canadian singer Paul Anka (pictured in 1961) had the best-selling single of 1957 with "Diana", which topped the UK chart for nine weeks.
Elvis Presley scored his first UK number-one single this year with "All Shook Up", which spent seven weeks at the top of the chart. Presley had the most top 10 entries this year, with seven in total.
American singer and actor Tab Hunter achieved two top 10 entries in 1957, including "Young Love", which spent seven weeks at number-one.
Harry Belafonte had three UK top 10 entries this year, including the year's Christmas number-one, "Mary's Boy Child".

The UK Singles Chart is one of many music charts compiled by the Official 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 the UK Singles Chart during 1957, as well as singles which peaked in 1956 and 1958 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).

Eighty singles were in the top ten in 1957. Eleven singles from 1956 remained in the top 10 for several weeks at the beginning of the year, while "All the Way"/"Chicago" by Frank Sinatra, "Let's Have a Ball" by Winifred Atwell, "My Special Angel" by Malcolm Vaughan and "Reet Petite (The Sweetest Girl in Town)" by Jackie Wilson were all released in 1957 but did not reach their peak until 1958. "Make It a Party" by Winifred Atwell, "Singing the Blues" by Guy Mitchell and "True Love" by Bing 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, Little Richard, Paul Anka and Shirley Bassey were among the many artists who achieved their first UK charting top 10 single in 1957.

The 1956 Christmas number-one, "Just Walking in the Rain" by Johnnie Ray, remained at number-one for the first week of 1957. The first new number-one single of the year was "Singing the Blues" by Guy Mitchell. Overall, thirteen different singles peaked at number-one in 1957, with Guy Mitchell and Lonnie Donegan (2) having the joint most singles hit that position.

Background[]

Multiple entries[]

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:

  • "Around the World" - Bing Crosby, Gracie Fields, Ronnie Hilton
  • "Cumberland Gap" - Lonnie Donegan, The Vipers Skiffle Group
  • "Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O" - Lonnie Donegan, The Vipers Skiffle Group
  • "Singing the Blues" - Guy Mitchell, Tommy Steele and the Steelmen
  • "The Banana Boat Song" - Harry Belafonte with Tony Scott's Orchestra & Chorus, Shirley Bassey (version known as "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)")
  • "Wanderin' Eyes" - Charlie Gracie, Frankie Vaughan

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 and Winifred Atwell were among the other artists who had multiple top 10 entries in 1957.

Chart debuts[]

Thirty-one 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 and The Vipers Skiffle Group. Harry Belafonte, Little Richard and Tommy 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.

Artist Number of top 10s First entry Chart position Other entries
Tommy Steele 3 "Singing the Blues" 1 "Butterfingers" (8), "Water, Water"/"A Handful of Songs" (5)
Fats Domino 1 "Blueberry Hill" 6
The Vipers Skiffle Group 2 "Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O" 10 "Cumberland Gap" (10)
Tab Hunter 2 "Young Love" 1 "Ninety-Nine Ways" (5)
Little Richard 3 "Long Tall Sally" 3 "The Girl Can't Help It" (9), "Lucille" (10)
Harry Belafonte 3 "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" 2 "Island in the Sun" (3), "Mary's Boy Child" (1)
Tony Scott's Orchestra & Chorus 1
Shirley Bassey 1 "The Banana Boat Song" 8
Jimmy Carroll 1 "Rock-a-Billy" 1
Andy Williams 1 "Butterfly" 1
The Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group 1 "Freight Train" 5
Nancy Whiskey
Peggy Lee 1 "Mr. Wonderful" 5
Gracie Fields 1 "Around the World" 8
The Diamonds 1 "Little Darlin'" 3
Russ Hamilton 1 "We Will Make Love" 2
The King Brothers 1 "A White Sport Coat (and a Pink Carnation)" 6
The Everly Brothers 2 "Bye Bye Love" 6 "Wake Up Little Susie" (2)
Bob Corman's Orchestra & Chorus 1 "Island in the Sun" 3
Johnny Duncan and the Bluegrass Boys 1 "Last Train to San Fernando" 2
Paul Anka 2 "Diana" 1 "I Love You Baby" (3)
Charlie Gracie 2 "Fabulous" 8 "Wanderin' Eyes" (6)
Debbie Reynolds 1 "Tammy" 2
Buddy Holly 1 "That'll Be the Day" 1
The Crickets
Jerry Lee Lewis 1 "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" 8
Jim Dale 1 "Be My Girl" 2
The Kaye Sisters 1 "Got-Ta Have Something in the Bank, Frank" 8
The Johnny Otis Show 1 "Ma! He's Making Eyes at Me" 2
Marie Adams
Jackie Wilson 1 "Reet Petite (The Sweetest Girl in Town)" [A] 6

Songs from films[]

Original songs from various films entered the top 10 throughout the year. These included "The Girl Can't Help It" (from The 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)" by Pat Boone was a cover of the title track for the 1956 film Friendly Persuasion. The original version of the song was nominated for Best Original Song at the 29th Academy Awards. Gene Autry's recording of "Blueberry Hill" - released by Fats Domino this year - had appeared in the 1941 film The Singing Hill. "When I Fall in Love" was first introduced in the 1952 film One Minute to Zero, when Jeri Southern had been the vocalist. "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen" was used in several films before 1957, including For the Love of Mary (1948) and Rio Grande (1950), prior to Slim Whitman taking it into the UK top 10.

Best-selling singles[]

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" by Paul Anka is officially recorded as the biggest-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 10 best-selling singles of the decade.

Top-ten singles[]

Key
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
4 October 1956 17 "Hound Dog" ‡ [B] Elvis Presley with The Jordanaires 2 1 November 1956 3
14 "A Woman in Love (from Guys and Dolls )" ‡ [C] Frankie Laine with Percy Faith & His Orchestra 1 25 October 1956 4
1 November 1956 14 "Just Walking in the Rain" ‡ Johnnie Ray 1 22 November 1956 7
8 November 1956 9 "My Prayer" ‡ The Platters 4 15 November 1956 3
22 November 1956 9 "Rip It Up" ‡ Bill Haley & His Comets 4 13 December 1956 2
12 "The Green Door" ‡ Frankie Vaughan 2 13 December 1956 3
13 "St. Therese of the Roses" ‡ Malcolm Vaughan 3 20 December 1956 3
13 December 1956 19 "True Love (from High Society)" Bing Crosby & Grace Kelly 4 14 February 1957 1
20 December 1956 17 "Singing the Blues" Guy Mitchell 1 10 January 1957 3
9 "Cindy, Oh Cindy" ‡ Eddie Fisher 5 27 December 1956 2
27 December 1956 2 "Make It a Party" Winifred Atwell 7 3 January 1957 1
Singles in 1957
3 January 1957 1 "Christmas Island" Dickie Valentine 8 3 January 1957 1
10 January 1957 6 "Singing the Blues" Tommy Steele and the Steelmen 1 17 January 1957 1
17 January 1957 10 "Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love)" [D] Pat Boone 3 31 January 1957 3
24 January 1957 10 "The Garden of Eden" [E] Frankie Vaughan 1 31 January 1957 4
31 January 1957 6 "Blueberry Hill" Fats Domino 6 14 February 1957 1
7 February 1957 13 "Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O" Lonnie Donegan 4 21 February 1957 1
14 February 1957 1 "Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O" The Vipers Skiffle Group 10 14 February 1957 1
21 February 1957 13 "Young Love" Tab Hunter 1 28 February 1957 7
12 "Don't Forbid Me" Pat Boone 2 14 March 1957 5
2 "Don't Knock the Rock" Bill Haley & His Comets 7 21 February 1957 1
28 February 1957 9 "Knee Deep in the Blues" Guy Mitchell 3 14 March 1957 4
7 March 1957 1 "The Adoration Waltz" David Whitfield 9 7 March 1957 1
14 March 1957 9 "Long Tall Sally" Little Richard 3 4 April 1957 1
11 "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" Harry Belafonte with Tony Scott's Orchestra & Chorus 2 18 April 1957 3
21 March 1957 3 "The Banana Boat Song" Shirley Bassey 8 4 April 1957 1
11 April 1957 9 "Cumberland Gap" Lonnie Donegan 1 18 April 1957 5
2 "The Girl Can't Help It" Little Richard 9 18 April 1957 1
18 April 1957 4 "Look Homeward, Angel" Johnnie Ray 7 25 April 1957 3
1 "Cumberland Gap" The Vipers Skiffle Group 10 18 April 1957 1
25 April 1957 6 "Baby, Baby" Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers 4 9 May 1957 1
7 "Ninety-Nine Ways" Tab Hunter 5 9 May 1957 1
2 May 1957 12 "When I Fall in Love" [F] Nat King Cole 2 20 June 1957 1
9 May 1957 7 "Rock-a-Billy" Guy Mitchell with Jimmy Carroll & His Orchestra & Chorus 1 23 May 1957 1
9 "Butterfly" Andy Williams 1 30 May 1957 2
16 May 1957 7 "Freight Train" The Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group featuring Nancy Whiskey 5 6 June 1957 1
11 "Yes Tonight Josephine" Johnnie Ray 1 13 June 1957 3
23 May 1957 3 "Too Much" Elvis Presley with The Jordanaires 6 6 June 1957 1
30 May 1957 3 "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen" Slim Whitman 7 30 May 1957 2
6 June 1957 5 "Mr. Wonderful" [G] Peggy Lee 5 13 June 1957 1
13 June 1957 10 "Around the World" Ronnie Hilton 4 11 July 1957 2
3 "Around the World" Gracie Fields 8 13 June 1957 1
8 "Around the World" [H] Bing Crosby 5 27 June 1957 1
20 June 1957 11 "Puttin' On the Style"/"Gamblin' Man" Lonnie Donegan 1 4 July 1957 2
10 "Little Darlin'" The Diamonds 3 18 July 1957 2
4 July 1957 16 "All Shook Up" Elvis Presley with The Jordanaires 1 18 July 1957 7
10 "We Will Make Love" Russ Hamilton 2 8 August 1957 1
5 "A White Sport Coat (and a Pink Carnation)" The King Brothers 6 4 July 1957 2
18 July 1957 4 "Butterfingers" Tommy Steele and the Steelmen 8 25 July 1957 1
25 July 1957 9 "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" [I] Elvis Presley with The Jordanaires 3 8 August 1957 2
1 August 1957 14 "Love Letters in the Sand" [J] Pat Boone 2 22 August 1957 7
8 August 1957 14 "Island in the Sun" Harry Belafonte with Bob Corman's Orchestra & Chorus 3 29 August 1957 1
2 "Lucille" Little Richard 10 8 August 1957 2
15 August 1957 6 "Bye Bye Love" The Everly Brothers 6 5 September 1957 1
22 August 1957 10 "Last Train to San Fernando" Johnny Duncan and the Blue Grass Boys 2 19 September 1957 2
29 August 1957 15 "Diana" (#1) [J][K] Paul Anka 1 5 September 1957 9
9 "With All My Heart" Petula Clark 4 3 October 1957 1
5 September 1957 1 "Fabulous" Charlie Gracie 8 5 September 1957 1
12 September 1957 7 "Water, Water"/"A Handful of Songs" [L] Tommy Steele and the Steelmen 5 19 September 1957 2
8 "Wanderin' Eyes" Charlie Gracie 6 31 October 1957 1
19 September 1957 3 "Paralyzed" Elvis Presley 8 19 September 1957 1
26 September 1957 11 "Tammy" Debbie Reynolds 2 7 November 1957 1
10 October 1957 10 "That'll Be the Day" Buddy Holly and The Crickets 1 7 November 1957 3
24 October 1957 9 "Party" Elvis Presley with The Jordanaires 2 31 October 1957 4
8 "Remember You're Mine"/"There's a Gold Mine in the Sky" Pat Boone 5 31 October 1957 4
31 October 1957 3 "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" Jerry Lee Lewis 8 7 November 1957 1
7 November 1957 3 "Man on Fire"/"Wanderin' Eyes" Frankie Vaughan 6 7 November 1957 2
8 "Be My Girl" Jim Dale 2 5 December 1957 2
14 November 1957 4 "Got-Ta Have Something in the Bank, Frank" Frankie Vaughan and The Kaye Sisters 8 14 November 1957 3
1 "My Dixie Darling" Lonnie Donegan 10 14 November 1957 1
21 November 1957 9 "Mary's Boy Child" [M] Harry Belafonte 1 28 November 1957 7
10 "I Love You Baby" Paul Anka 3 19 December 1957 1
28 November 1957 8 "Wake Up Little Susie" The Everly Brothers 2 19 December 1957 2
5 December 1957 11 "Ma! He's Making Eyes at Me" The Johnny Otis Show featuring Marie Adams 2 26 December 1957 5
12 December 1957 9 "My Special Angel" ♦ Malcolm Vaughan 3 2 January 1958 2
2 "Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me)"/"Santa Claus Is Back in Town" Elvis Presley 7 19 December 1957 1
19 December 1957 4 "Alone" Petula Clark 8 19 December 1957 1
7 "Reet Petite (The Sweetest Girl in Town)" ♦ Jackie Wilson 6 9 January 1958 1
26 December 1957 12 "All the Way"/"Chicago" ♦ Frank Sinatra 3 23 January 1958 2
2 "Let's Have a Ball" ♦ Winifred Atwell 4 2 January 1958 1

Entries by artist[]

Buddy Holly and The Crickets made the UK charts for the first time in 1957 with "That'll Be the Day, which spent three weeks at number-one in November.
Andy Williams made his UK chart debut in May of this year with his version of Charlie Gracie's "Butterfly", which spent two weeks at number-one. While Williams would have a further eight UK top 10 hits during his career, "Butterfly" remains his only UK number-one single.
Rock and roll singer Tommy Steele scored his first top 10 hit in January 1957 with a cover of Guy Mitchell's "Singing the Blues", which remains his only number-one single. Steele had two further entries in the UK top 10 this year.

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.

Entries Artist Country of origin Weeks Singles
7 Elvis Presley [N]  United States 47 "All Shook Up", "Hound Dog", "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear", "Paralyzed", "Party", "Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me)"/"Santa Claus Is Back in Town", "Too Much"
5 The Jordanaires [N] 37 "All Shook Up", "Hound Dog", "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear", "Party", "Too Much"
4 Frankie Vaughan [N]  United Kingdom 23 "Got-Ta Have Something in the Bank, Frank", "Man on Fire"/"Wanderin' Eyes", "The Garden of Eden", "The Green Door"
Lonnie Donegan 34 "Cumberland Gap", "Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O", "My Dixie Darling", "Puttin' On the Style"/"Gamblin' Man"
Pat Boone  United States 44 "Don't Forbid Me", "Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love)", "Love Letters in the Sand", "Remember You're Mine"/"There's a Gold Mine in the Sky"
3 Guy Mitchell [O] 31 "Knee Deep in the Blues", "Rock-a-Billy", "Singing the Blues"
Harry Belafonte 31 "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)", "Island in the Sun", "Mary's Boy Child"
Johnnie Ray [N] 20 "Just Walking in the Rain", "Yes Tonight Josephine", "Look Homeward, Angel"
Little Richard 13 "Long Tall Sally", "Lucille", "The Girl Can't Help It"
Tommy Steele  United Kingdom 17 "Butterfingers", "Singing the Blues", "Water, Water"/"A Handful of Songs"
2 Bill Haley & His Comets [N]  United States 5 "Don't Knock the Rock", "Rip It Up"
Bing Crosby [O] 24 "Around the World", "True Love"
Charlie Gracie 9 "Fabulous", "Wanderin' Eyes"
The Everly Brothers 11 "Bye Bye Love", "Wake Up Little Susie"
Malcolm Vaughan [N][P]  United Kingdom 11 "My Special Angel", "St. Therese of the Roses
Paul Anka  Canada 20 "Diana", "I Love You Baby"
Petula Clark  United Kingdom 11 "Alone", "With All My Heart"
Tab Hunter  United States 20 "Ninety-Nine Ways", "Young Love"
The Vipers Skiffle Group  United Kingdom 2 "Cumberland Gap", "Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O"
Winifred Atwell [O][P]  Trinidad and Tobago 2 "Let's Have a Ball", "Make It a Party"

Notes[]

  • a "Reet Petite (The Sweetest Girl in Town)" reached its peak of number six on 9 January 1958 (week ending).
  • b "Hound Dog" re-entered the top 10 at number 8 on 10 January 1957 (week ending) for 4 weeks and at number 10 on 14 February 1957 (week ending).
  • c "A Woman in Love" re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 10 January 1957 (week ending).
  • d "Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love)" re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 28 March 1957 (week ending).
  • e "The Garden of Eden" re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 4 April 1957 (week ending).
  • f "When I Fall in Love" re-entered the top 10 at number 9 on 16 May 1957 (week ending) for 11 weeks.
  • g "Mr. Wonderful" re-entered the top 10 at number 7 on 11 July 1957 (week ending).
  • h Bing Crosby's version of "Around the World" re-entered the top 10 at number 9 on 1 August 1957 (week ending) and at number 10 on 22 August 1957 (week ending).
  • i "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" re-entered the top 10 at number 9 on 31 October 1957 (week ending).
  • j "Love Letters in the Sand" is recorded as the best-selling single of the year by some sources but the Official Charts Company lists "Diana" as its best-seller.
  • k "Diana" re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 9 January 1958 (week ending).
  • l "Water Water"/"A Handful of Songs" re-entered the top 10 at number 9 on 7 October 1957 (week ending).
  • m "Mary's Boy Child" re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 25 December 1958 (week ending).
  • n Figure includes single that peaked in 1956.
  • o Figure includes single that first charted in 1956 but peaked in 1957.
  • p Figure includes single that peaked in 1958.

See also[]

References[]

General

  • "Six decades of singles charts". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 3 March 2011. Retrieved 18 January 2018.

Specific

  1. ^ "The Official UK Charts Company". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  2. ^ Roberts, David (2005). Guinness World Records: British Hit Singles and Albums (18th edition). Guinness World Records Limited. p. 14. ISBN 1-904994-00-8.
  3. ^ "New singles formats to save the charts". BBC News. 16 October 2003. Retrieved 21 February 2010.

External links[]

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