This is the Quick Guide to a series of pages containing the chart-records of more than 2,200 entries into the UK Singles Charts during the period 1952-1962. The charts used are: New Musical Express (1952-1960) and Record Retailer (1960-1962).
For each entry on these index pages there's detailed chart data available from me. If you are interested in specific acts, just e-mail me.
A previous version of CLUK, covering 1952-1956 & 1960, is still available on-line.
The charts covered in this edition of CLUK are as follows:
New Musical Express: 15.11.1952--27.02.1960
Echoes Reggae Albums: 12.03.1960--5.01.1963
The NME chart started—as the first UK record sales chart—on 15.11.1952. Originally a Top 12, it expanded to a Top 20, and later a Top 30 over the years. In March 1960 Record Retailer started its Top 50. 1960 had only only 51 chart weeks, since the NME chart for 27.02.1960 clearly corresponds with the RR chart for 12.03.1960. This practice is also used by the Guinness series of chart books, but I checked this 'correspondence' independently and came to the same conclusion.
Chart Dates: All dates used are standardized, i.e. they represent the date of the Saturday that followed the actual publication of the chart. The NME was apparently published on Fridays with the Friday also being the cover date (unlike today). Record Retailer was published on Thursdays with Thursday also being the cover date (unlike today). To complicate it further, the RR chart itself was dated the previous Saturday (e.g. "week ending 5 March") marking the end of the sales period.
A chart year starts with that chart [whatever its date may be] that has been compiled in a week with the majority of sales having taken place in the new year. The same rule applies for all years. It is not really known how sales were treated and what the exact sales period was, so—preliminarily—I have assumed a 7 day lag; however there are indications of a longer lag (11 or 12 days) which would shift this scheme by a week.
Date of Entry refers to the date when the single entered the chart for the first time that year, or when it last (re)entered if the chart-run spans more than one calendar year.
All data on positions refer only to period mentioned above (15.11.1952--5.01.1963) with no chart dated 5.03.1960.
The NME chart (unlike RR) often includes tied positions, e.g. two records occupying one position with the following position omitted. There are also occurences of both A & B-side charting independently; these can be identified by identical catalogue numbers. Where possible (ie. when no chart ever featured both sides) these chart-runs have been merged.
Peak data refers to the highest position reached during a single chart year.
WOC (Weeks on Chart) data refer only to a single chart year.
Catalogue numbers: For 1952-1954 I have listed only the mono 10'' 78rpm; for 1955-1960 both 10'' and the mono 7'' microgroove 45rpm; and from 1961 only the 7''. A failure of either a 78, 45 or EP to appear on my list is no absolute indication of its non-existance. Especially parallel EPs are only listed where known.
During the NME years, LPs were eligible for the (singles) charts, even after a seperate album chart had been established (of course only when an album sold enough copies to rival singles sales). This happened five times in the period covered: on four occasions in 1956, and one in 1959. Wherever possible I list both mono & stereo versions and distinguish between 10'' & 12'' LPs.
The 78s market declined steadily since the introduction of 7''s in 1953. In the first half of 1960, 58% of Top 10 hits were released in both formats, by 1961 no Top 10 hit appeared on 10'' at all, the format having been killed off by a concerted campaign of EMI & Decca (who controlled about 90% of the market) in order to maximize their profits.