List of UK Albums Chart number ones of the 1950s

The UK Albums Chart is a record chart based on weekly album sales; during the 1950s, a total of 17 different albums reached number one. The longest run at number one was the original soundtrack of the movie South Pacific, which held on to the top spot for 60 consecutive weeks in the 1950s, and went on to attain another 55 weeks in 1960 and 1961, totalling a record of 115 weeks at number-one in the UK. It was number-one for the entire year in 1959.

The UK Albums Chart canon was modified when chart fans Alan Smith and Keith Badman discovered that charts of albums in the UK dated back to 28 July 1956, not 8 November 1958 as previously thought. The first album chart was a Top 5 published in Record Mirror. The album at number one on this chart was Songs for Swingin' Lovers! by Frank Sinatra. From 8 November 1958, a Top 10 album chart was compiled by Melody Maker. Although the Record Mirror chart continued to run after this date, Melody Maker is taken as the canonical source as it had a larger sample. In 1959, from June to August a newspaper strike prevented the album chart from being published and the previous chart was duplicated in these weeks. Nevertheless, the South Pacific soundtrack was number one for the entire duration of 1959.

Number ones +Keynth album to top the UK Albums ChartreReturn of an album to number oneBest-selling album of the yearThe album spent a week at number onewhere it shared the top spot with another album 19561957195819591960s → ArtistAlbumRecord labelReached number oneWeeks atnumber oneSongs for Swingin' Lovers!Capitol2Original soundtrackCarousel Capitol2Songs for Swingin' Lovers!Capitol1Original soundtrackCarousel Capitol4Original soundtrackOklahoma!Capitol2Original soundtrackCapitol2Rock 'n' Roll Stage ShowBrunswick1Original soundtrackCapitol1Rock 'N' RollHis Master's Voice1Original soundtrackCapitol14.515 Original soundtrackHigh SocietyCapitol1.01 This Is Sinatra!Capitol1Original soundtrack Capitol1This Is Sinatra!Capitol1Original soundtrack Capitol1This Is Sinatra!Capitol1Original soundtrack Capitol3This Is Sinatra!Capitol1Original soundtrack Capitol5.56 Love Is the ThingCapitol1.01 Original soundtrackOklahoma!Capitol 1Original soundtrack Capitol410Decca3Original soundtrack Capitol3Decca 111Loving YouRCA212Capitol7Loving YouRCA1Original soundtrack Capitol1113Original soundtrackPal JoeyCapitol7Original soundtrackCapitol1Original soundtrackPal JoeyCapitol414Original soundtrackDecca215Original castMy Fair Lady Philips1916King CreoleRCA717Original soundtrackSouth PacificRCA Victor70No new number one – the original soundtrack to South Pacific remained at the top of the chart throughout 1959 and into 1960 19561957195819591960s →

By artist

Five artists topped the album chart during the 1950s. Original soundtracks and cast recordings are omitted. ArtistNumber onesWeeks at number oneAlbums314Songs for Swingin' Lovers! (1956, three weeks at number one) This Is Sinatra! (1957, four weeks) A Swingin' Affair! (1957, seven weeks)311Rock 'N' Roll (1956, one week at number one) Loving You (1957, three weeks) King Creole (1958, seven weeks)14The Tommy Steele Story (1957, four weeks at number one)11Love Is the Thing (1957, one week at number one)11Rock 'n' Roll Stage Show (1957, one week at number one)

Christmas number ones

In the UK, Christmas number-one albums are those that are at the top of the UK Albums Chart on Christmas Day. Typically, this will refer to the album that was announced as number one on the Sunday before 25 December—when Christmas Day falls on a Sunday itself, the official number one is considered by the OCC to be the one announced on that day's chart. During the 1950s, the following albums were Christmas number ones. YearArtistAlbumRecord labelWeeks atnumber one1956Original soundtrackCapitol481957Original soundtrackCapitol481958Original soundtrackSouth PacificRCA Victor1151959Original soundtrackSouth PacificRCA Victor115

Comparison to Record Mirror album chart From 8 November 1958, Melody Maker is regarded as the canonical source. Record Mirror continued to compile an album chart with the following differences: DatesMelody MakerRecord Mirror8 November –Original soundtrack – South Pacific (8 weeks) – King Creole (1 week) Original cast – My Fair Lady (4 weeks)Original soundtrack – South Pacific (3 weeks)

Notes

References Footnotes

Sources

External links Archive of all UK Number One Albums of the 1950s with images of original packaging Official UK Albums Top 100 at the Official Charts Company The Official UK Top 40 Albums Chart at BBC Radio 1