The following lists the number one singles on the Australian Singles Chart during the 1940s.
The source for this decade is the "Kent Music Report". These charts were calculated in the 1990s in retrospect, by David Kent, using archival data. Before 1949, charts in Australia were only available on a monthly basis.
Note: during the 1940s, often more than one version of a particular song by different artists charted at the same time, thus more than one artist may be listed for a song. Different versions are separated by a semi-colon (;).
1940 Date Artist Single Months at number oneJanuaryJoe Loss; Carson Robison"South of the Border (Down Mexico Way)" 3 monthsFebruaryMarch AprilThe Andrews Sisters; Joe Loss"Beer Barrel Polka (Roll Out The Barrel)" 1 month MayJoe Loss; Glenn Miller"Blue Orchids" 3 monthsJuneJulyAugustJoe Loss"Till the Lights of London Shine Again" 3 monthsSeptember OctoberNovemberKate Smith; Glenn Miller"The Woodpecker Song"5 months December
1941 Date Artist Single Months at number oneJanuaryKate Smith; Glenn Miller"The Woodpecker Song"5 monthsFebruary MarchAprilThe Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra; Dick Robertson"Ferryboat Serenade" 1 month MayVera Lynn; West End Players"A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square"4 monthsJuneJulyAugustSeptemberShep Fields; West End Players"Down Argentina Way" 1 monthOctoberJudy Garland; The Jesters"It's a Great Day for the Irish" 2 monthsNovemberGeorge Formby"Bless 'em All" 1 monthDecemberJudy Garland; The Jesters"It's a Great Day for the Irish" 2 months
1942 Date Artist Single Months at number oneJanuaryGlenn Miller & Joe Loss"In the Mood"5 months FebruaryMarch AprilMayJuneThe Andrews Sisters; Sammy Kaye"Daddy" 1 monthJulyVera Lynn; Jean Cerchi"(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover"3 months AugustSeptemberOctoberHorace Heidt; Ink Spots"I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire"2 monthsNovemberDecemberGene Autry; Horace Heidt"Deep in the Heart of Texas" 2 months
1943 Date Artist Single Months at number oneJanuaryGene Autry; Horace Heidt"Deep in the Heart of Texas" 2 monthsFebruaryHarry James"I Don't Want to Walk Without You"4 monthsMarchApril MayJuneBing Crosby"White Christmas"5 months JulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDinah Shore"Why Don't You Fall in Love With Me" 1 monthDecemberVera Lynn; Harry James"I Had the Craziest Dream" 1 month
1944 Date Artist Single Months at number oneJanuaryInk Spots"Ev'ry Night About This Time" 1 monthFebruaryVera Lynn & Joe Loss"You'll Never Know"3 monthsMarchAprilMayFrank Sinatra; George Trevare"Sunday, Monday or Always"2 monthsJuneJulyInk Spots"Whispering Grass (Don't Tell the Trees)" 1 monthAugustDinah Shore; Glenn Miller"Happy In Love" 1 monthSeptemberBing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters"Vict'ry Polka" 1 monthOctoberBing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters"Pistol Packin' Mama" 1 monthNovemberJoe Loss; Vera Lynn"No Other Love" 1 monthDecemberInk Spots; Frank Sinatra"A Lovely Way to Spend An Evening" 1 month
1945 Date Artist Single Months at number oneJanuaryGeraldo; Lale Andersen"Lili Marlene" 1 monthFebruaryBing Crosby"Amor, Amor"2 monthsMarchAprilBing Crosby & Joe Loss"Swinging on a Star" 1 monthMayBing Crosby; Dinah Shore"Long Ago (and Far Away)" 1 month JuneBing Crosby; Dinah Shore"It Could Happen to You"2 monthsJulyAugustBing Crosby; Joe Loss"I'll Be Seeing You" 1 monthSeptemberBing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters"Don't Fence Me In"3 months OctoberNovemberDecemberBing Crosby"(Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ral) That's an Irish Lullaby" 1 month
1946 Date Artist Single Months at number oneJanuaryThe Organ, The Dance Band and Me; Les Brown"My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time" 1 monthFebruaryThe Andrews Sisters"Rum and Coca-Cola"2 months MarchAprilInk Spots & Ella Fitzgerald"Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall" 1 monthMayBing Crosby; Frank Sinatra"A Friend of Yours"2 monthsJuneJulyElla Fitzgerald & The Ink Spots; Duke Ellington"I'm Beginning to See the Light" 1 monthAugustBing Crosby; Judy Garland"On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe"2 months SeptemberOctoberBing Crosby; Freddy Martin"Symphony"2 months NovemberDecemberBing Crosby; Kate Smith"Sioux City Sue" 1 month
1947 Date Artist Single Months at number oneJanuarySammy Kaye; The Merry Macs"Laughing on the Outside (Crying on the Inside)" 1 monthFebruaryInk Spots; Perry Como"Prisoner of Love"2 months MarchAprilInk Spots; Freddy Martin"To Each His Own" 1 monthMayFrank Sinatra; Tex Beneke"Five Minutes More" 1 month JuneBing Crosby; Dinah Shore"You Keep Coming Back Like a Song" 1 monthJulyBing Crosby; Perry Como"They Say It's Wonderful"2 months AugustSeptemberAl Jolson; Bing Crosby"The Anniversary Song" 5 months OctoberFrank Sinatra; Dick Haymes"Mam'selle" 1 month NovemberBing Crosby; Dick Haymes & The Andrews Sisters"(There's No Business Like) Show Business" 1 month DecemberAl Jolson; Bing Crosby"The Anniversary Song" 5 months
1948 Good-Night Mister Moon by Allan Ryan and William Flynn Parlophone A-7703 copy held at NFSA
Date Artist Single Months at number oneJanuaryAl Jolson; Bing Crosby"The Anniversary Song"5 months FebruaryMarchAprilBing Crosby; Dick Haymes & The Andrews Sisters"Near You" 4 months MayPerry Como; Joe Loss"Chi-Baba, Chi-Baba (My Bambino Go to Sleep)" 1 month JuneBing Crosby; Dick Haymes & The Andrews Sisters"Near You"4 monthsJulyAugustSeptemberSammy Kaye; Geraldo"Serenade of the Bells" 1 month OctoberBing Crosby; Gracie Fields"Now Is the Hour (Maori Farewell Song)" 1 month NovemberGeorge Trevare; Art Mooney"I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover" 1 month DecemberAl Jolson; Perry Como"When You Were Sweet Sixteen" 1 month
1949 Week beginning Artist Single Weeks at number one1 JanuaryDick Haymes & The Andrews Sisters"Teresa" 1 week8 January Dinah Shore; Gene Autry "Buttons and Bows" 13 weeks 15 January22 January29 January5 February12 February19 February26 February5 March 12 March19 March26 March2 April9 April Perry Como; Tony Pastor "Rambling Rose" 5 weeks16 April23 April30 April7 May14 May Danny Kaye & The Andrews Sisters; Ray McKinley "Put 'em in a Box, Tie 'em with a Ribbon" 2 weeks21 May28 May Kay Kyser "On a Slow Boat to China" 6 weeks4 June11 June18 June25 June2 July9 July Patty Andrews & Bob Crosby "The Pussy Cat Song (Nyow! Nyot Nyow!)" 4 weeks16 July23 July30 July6 August Ink Spots; Joe Loss "Say Something Sweet to Your Sweetheart" 2 weeks13 August20 August Bing Crosby; Joe Loss "Far Away Places" 5 weeks27 August3 September10 September17 September24 September Evelyn Knight (singer); Sammy Kaye "Powder Your Face with Sunshine" 2 weeks1 October8 October Buddy Clark; Larry Green "It's a Big, Wide, Wonderful World" 4 weeks15 October22 October29 October5 November Vaughn Monroe; Bing Crosby "Riders in the Sky" 5 weeks12 November19 November26 November3 December10 December Evelyn Knight (singer); Joe Loss "A Little Bird Told Me" 2 weeks17 December24 December Burl Ives; Dinah Shore "Lavender Blue (Dilly Dilly)" 6 weeks (4 weeks in 1950)31 December
See also Music of Australia List of musical events List of Billboard number-one singles
References
charts sourced from David Kent's Australian Chart Book: based on the Kent Music Report Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) official site OzNet Music Chart