Prior to the introduction of the Hot 100, The Billboard compiled multiple weekly record charts ranking the performance of singles in the United States. In 1947, the magazine published the following four all-genre national singles charts:
Best-Selling Popular Retail Records – ranked the most-sold singles in retail stores, as reported by merchants surveyed throughout the country. In the 21st century, Billboard designates Retail Records, in all its incarnations, as the magazine's canonical U.S. singles chart prior to August 1958. Records Most-Played on the Air – ranked the most-played songs on American radio stations, as reported by radio disc jockeys and radio stations. Most-Played Juke Box Records – ranked the most-played songs in jukeboxes across the United States, as reported by machine operators. Honor Roll of Hits – a composite ten-position song chart which combined data from the three charts above along with three other component charts. It served as The Billboards lead chart until the introduction of the Hot 100 in 1958 and would remain in print until 1963.
Issue dateBest-Selling Popular Retail RecordsRecords Most-Played on the AirMost-Played Juke Box RecordsHonor Roll of HitsJanuary 4 "The Old Lamp-Lighter"Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye with Billy Williams"White Christmas"Bing Crosby with the Ken Darby Singers and John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra "The Old Lamp-Lighter"Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye with Billy Williams"The Old Lamp-Lighter"January 11"(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons"The King Cole TrioJanuary 18 "The Old Lamp-Lighter"Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye with Billy WilliamsJanuary 25"(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons"The King Cole TrioFebruary 1"(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons"February 8"Huggin' and Chalkin'"Hoagy Carmichael with the Chickadees and Vic Schoen and His OrchestraFebruary 15"(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons"The King Cole TrioFebruary 22"Open the Door, Richard!"Count Basie and His Orchestra with Harry Edison and Bill Johnson"Open the Door, Richard!"Count Basie and His Orchestra with Harry Edison and Bill Johnson"Managua, Nicaragua"Freddy Martin and His Orchestra with Stuart WadeMarch 1"Managua, Nicaragua"Freddy Martin and His Orchestra with Stuart Wade"Open the Door, Richard!"The Three Flames with "Tiger" Haynes"Open the Door, Richard"March 8"Anniversary Song"Dinah Shore"Anniversary Song"March 15"Heartaches"Ted Weems and His Orchestra with Elmo Tanner "Managua, Nicaragua"Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians with Don RodneyMarch 22"Heartaches"Ted Weems and His Orchestra with Elmo Tanner"Heartaches"Ted Weems and His Orchestra with Elmo TannerMarch 29April 5April 12April 19"Heartaches"April 26May 3May 10"Linda"Ray Noble and His Orchestra with Buddy Clark"Mam'selle"May 17"Heartaches"Ted Weems and His Orchestra with Elmo TannerMay 24May 31"Mam'selle"Frank SinatraJune 7"Mam'selle"Art Lund"Heartaches"Ted Weems and His Orchestra with Elmo TannerJune 14June 21"Peg o' My Heart"The Harmonicats"Linda"Ray Noble and His Orchestra with Buddy Clark"Peg o' My Heart"The HarmonicatsJune 28"Chi-Baba, Chi-Baba (My Bambino Go to Sleep)"Perry Como and the Satisfiers with Lloyd Shaffer and His Orchestra"Temptation (Tim-Tayshun)"Red Ingle and the Natural Seven with Cinderella G. Stump and Red Ingle"Peg o' My Heart"July 5"Peg o' My Heart"Buddy ClarkJuly 12July 19"Peg o' My Heart"The HarmonicatsJuly 26August 2August 9"Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)"Tex Williams and His Western Caravan with Tex Williams and Trio"Peg o' My Heart"The Three SunsAugust 16"Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)"Tex Williams and His Western Caravan with Tex Williams and TrioAugust 23"Peg o' My Heart"The Three Suns"Peg o' My Heart"The HarmonicatsAugust 30"Near You"Francis Craig and His Orchestra with Bob Lamm"Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)"Tex Williams and His Western Caravan with Tex Williams and TrioSeptember 6"Peg o' My Heart"The Three SunsSeptember 13"Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)"Tex Williams and His Western Caravan with Tex Williams and TrioSeptember 20"Near You"Francis Craig and His Orchestra with Bob Lamm"Near You"October 4"Near You"Francis Craig and His Orchestra with Bob LammOctober 11October 18October 25November 1November 8November 15November 22November 29December 6December 13"Ballerina"Vaughn Monroe and His Orchestra with Vaughn MonroeDecember 20December 27"Ballerina"Vaughn Monroe and His Orchestra with Vaughn Monroe
Number-one artists +List of number-one artists by total weeks at number oneArtistWeeks at #1Ted Weems12Francis CraigSammy Kaye6Tex WilliamsThe Harmonicats4Vaughn Monroe3Perry ComoArt Lund2Freddy MartinCount Basie1The King Cole Trio
See also 1947 in music
References