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. Before 2004, the chart was only based on the sales of physical singles. New Musical Express (NME) magazine had published the United Kingdom record charts for the first time in 1952. NME originally published only a top 12 (although the first chart had a couple of singles that were tied so a top 15 was announced) but this was gradually extended to encompass a top 20 by October 1954. This list shows singles that peaked in the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart during 1953, as well as singles which peaked in 1952 and 1954 but were in the top 10 in 1953. 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).
Seventy-nine singles were in the top 10 in 1953. Sixteen singles from 1952 remained in the top 10 for several weeks at the beginning of the year, while "Oh Mein Papa" by Eddie Calvert, "Chicka Boom" by Guy Mitchell and "Let's Have a Party" by Winifred Atwell were all released in 1953 but did not reach their peak until 1954. "You Belong to Me" by Jo Stafford, "Comes A-Long A-Love" by Kay Starr, "Takes Two to Tango" by Louis Armstrong, "Cowpuncher's Cantata" by Max Bygraves, "Walkin' to Missouri" by Tony Brent and "Britannia Rag" by Winifred Atwell were the singles from 1952 to reach their peak in 1953. Seventeen artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1953. David Whitfield, Dean Martin, Eddie Fisher and Perry Como were among the many artists who achieved their first UK charting top 10 single in 1953.
The 1952 Christmas number-one, "Here in My Heart" by Al Martino, remained at number-one for the first three weeks of 1953. The first new number-one single of the year was "You Belong to Me" by Jo Stafford. Overall, thirteen different singles peaked at number-one in 1953, with Frankie Laine (3) having the most singles hit that position.
Background Multiple entries Eighty singles charted in the top 10 in 1953, with sixty-three singles reaching their peak this year. Eleven songs were recorded by several artists with each version reaching the top 10: "(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window" – Lita Roza, Patti Page "Answer Me" – David Whitfield, Frankie Laine "Because You're Mine" – Nat King Cole, Mario Lanza (both peaked 1952) "Broken Wings" – Art and Dotty Todd, The Stargazers "Dragnet" – Ray Anthony and His Orchestra, Ted Heath & His Music "Faith Can Move Mountains" – Johnnie Ray & The Four Lads (peaked 1952), Nat King Cole "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" – The Beverley Sisters, Jimmy Boyd "In a Golden Coach (There's a Heart of Gold)" – Billy Cotton & His Band, Dickie Valentine "Swedish Rhapsody" – Mantovani, Ray Martin "Terry's Theme from Limelight" – Frank Chacksfield, Ron Goodwin, Jimmy Young (version known as "Eternally")
Seventeen artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1953. American Frankie Laine secured the record for most top 10 hits in 1953 with eight hit singles.
David Whitfield was one of a number of artists with two top 10 entries, including the number-one single "Answer Me". Al Martino, Dickie Valentine, Mantovani, Ted Heath & His Music and Tony Brent were among the other artists who had multiple top 10 entries in 1953.
Chart debuts Thirty-eight artists achieved their first top 10 single in 1953, either as a lead or featured artist. Of these, three went on to record another hit single that year: Billy Cotton and His Band, Frank Chacksfield and Jimmy Boyd. David Whitfield, Dickie Valentine and Ted Heath & His Music all peaked in the top ten with two more songs. Eddie Fisher had four other entries in his 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 entriesMax Bygraves1"Cowpuncher's Cantata" 6—Eddie Fisher5"Outside of Heaven"1"Everything I Have Is Yours" (8), "Downhearted" (3), "I'm Walking Behind You" (1), "Wish You Were Here" (8)Winifred Atwell1"Britannia Rag"5—The Mills Brothers1"The Glow-Worm"10—Perry Como1"Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes"1—Ted Heath & His Music2"Hot Toddy"6 "Dragnet" (9) The Stargazers1"Broken Wings"1—Art and Dotty Todd1"Broken Wings"6—Dickie Valentine2"All the Time and Everywhere"9"In a Golden Coach (There's a Heart of Gold)" (7)Danny Kaye1"Wonderful Copenhagen"5—Lita Roza1"(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?"1—Patti Page1"(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?"9—1"Oh Happy Day"4—Frank Chacksfield2"Little Red Monkey"10"Terry's Theme from Limelight" (2)Billy Cotton & His Band1"In a Golden Coach (There's a Heart of Gold)"3—Jimmy Boyd2"Tell Me a Story"5"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" (3)Muriel Smith1"Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me"3—Ron Goodwin1"Terry's Theme from Limelight"3—Sally Sweetland1"I'm Walking Behind You"1—Gisele MacKenzie1"Seven Lonely Days"6—June Hutton1"Say You're Mine Again"6—Axel StordahlThe Boys Next DoorJimmy Young1"Eternally" 8—Dean Martin1"Kiss"5—David Whitfield2"The Bridge of Sighs"9"Answer Me" (1)Diana Decker1"Poppa Piccolino (Papaveri e papere)"10—Les Paul1Vaya con Dios"7—Mary FordLee Lawrence1"Crying in the Chapel"7—1"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"6—Ray Anthony and His Orchestra1"Dragnet"7—Joan Regan1"Ricochet"8—Eddie Calvert1"Oh Mein Papa" 1—
Songs from films Original songs from various films entered the top 10 throughout the year. These included "Terry's Theme" (from Limelight), "The Song from the Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart)" (Moulin Rouge), "Swedish Rhapsody" (The Stranger Left No Card) and "Chicka Boom" (Those Redheads from Seattle).
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, "I Believe" by Frankie Laine is officially recorded as the biggest-selling single of 1953.
Top-ten singles Key SymbolMeaning‡Single peaked in 1952 but still in chart in 1953.♦Single released in 1953 but peaked in 1954.(#)Year-end best-selling single.EnteredThe date that the single first appeared in the chart.PeakHighest position that the single reached in the UK Singles Chart.
Entered(week ending) Weeksintop10 Single Artist Peak Peak reached(week ending) WeeksatpeakSingles in 195216"Here in My Heart" ‡ Al Martino1916"You Belong to Me" Jo Stafford116"Somewhere Along the Way" ‡Nat King Cole3111"Isle of Innisfree" ‡Bing Crosby3310"Feet Up (Pat Him on the Po-Po)" ‡Guy Mitchell219"Half as Much" ‡Rosemary Clooney336 "Forget Me Not" ‡ Vera Lynn517"Sugar Bush" ‡ Doris Day & Frankie Laine8322"Because You're Mine" ‡Mario Lanza3314"Comes A-Long A-Love" Kay Starr113"White Christmas" ‡Mantovani623"Because You're Mine" ‡ Nat King Cole623"Faith Can Move Mountains" ‡ Johnnie Ray & The Four Lads722"Silent Night, Holy Night" ‡Bing Crosby8210"Takes Two to Tango" Louis Armstrong614"Walkin' to Missouri" Tony Brent71Singles in 19536"Cowpuncher's Cantata" Max Bygraves6115"Outside of Heaven" Eddie Fisher113"Britannia Rag"Winifred Atwell511"The Glow-Worm"The Mills Brothers1014"Make It Soon" Tony Brent9315"Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes" Perry Como & The Ramblers1512"Now"Al Martino323"Everything I Have Is Yours"Eddie Fisher811"Faith Can Move Mountains"Nat King Cole10114"She Wears Red Feathers"Guy Mitchell145"Broken Wings"Art and Dotty Todd6210"Wonderful Copenhagen"Danny Kaye519"Broken Wings" The Stargazers1111"(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?"Lita Roza112"All the Time and Everywhere"Dickie Valentine912"(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?"Patti Page928"Oh Happy Day"421"Little Red Monkey"Frank Chacksfield's Tunesmiths1015"Somebody Stole My Gal" Johnnie Ray6235"I Believe" (#1)Frankie Laine1189"Pretty Little Black Eyed Susie"Guy Mitchell213"Side by Side"Kay Starr7118"Pretend"Nat King Cole2514"Downhearted"Eddie Fisher3212"Tell Me a Story" Jimmy Boyd & Frankie Laine527"In a Golden Coach (There's a Heart of Gold)"Billy Cotton & His Band3117"I'm Walking Behind You" Eddie Fisher with Sally Sweetland1115"Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me"Muriel Smith3423"Terry's Theme from Limelight"Frank Chacksfield2822"The Song from the Moulin Rouge" Mantovani112"Coronation Rag"Winifred Atwell511"In a Golden Coach (There's a Heart of Gold)"Dickie Valentine7118"Terry's Theme from Limelight"Ron Goodwin322"Rachel" Al Martino1028"Hot Toddy"Ted Heath & His Music6213"Let's Walk That-a-Way"Doris Day & Johnnie Ray475"Say You're Mine Again" June Hutton & Axel Stordahl with The Boys Next Door615"Can't I?" Nat King Cole623"Eternally"Jimmy Young813"Seven Lonely Days" Gisele MacKenzie6114"Look at That Girl" Guy Mitchell1610"Where the Winds Blow"Frankie Laine215"Mother Nature and Father Time"Nat King Cole717"Kiss"Dean Martin511"The Bridge of Sighs"David Whitfield911"Flirtation Waltz"Winifred Atwell1018"Hey Joe!" Frankie Laine1217"Swedish Rhapsody" Mantovani2212"Answer Me" David Whitfield129"Poppa Piccolino" Diana Decker2117"Answer Me"Frankie Laine1814"Chicka Boom" ♦Guy Mitchell414"Vaya con Dios"Les Paul & Mary Ford712"Wish You Were Here"Eddie Fisher816"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" Jimmy Boyd311"Dragnet"Ted Heath & His Music911"Dragnet"Ray Anthony & His Orchestra719"Let's Have a Party" ♦Winifred Atwell214"Swedish Rhapsody" Ray Martin434"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"615"Crying in the Chapel"Lee Lawrence71 3"Ricochet"Joan Regan with The Squadronaires8120"Oh Mein Papa" ♦Eddie Calvert19
Entries by artist
The following table shows artists who achieved two or more top 10 entries in 1953, including singles that reached their peak in 1952 or 1954. The figures include both main artists and featured artists, while appearances on ensemble charity records are also counted for each artist. The total number of weeks an artist spent in the top 10 in 1953 is also shown.
Entries Artist Weeks Singles 6Frankie Laine 81"Answer Me", "Hey Joe!", "I Believe", "Sugar Bush", "Tell Me a Story", "Where the Winds Blow"Guy Mitchell 55"Chicka Boom", "Cloud Lucky Seven", "Feet Up", "Look at That Girl", "Pretty Little Black Eyed Susie", "She Wears Red Feathers"Nat King Cole 41"Because You're Mine", "Can't I?", "Faith Can Move Mountains", "Mother Nature and Father Time", "Pretend", "Somewhere Along the Way" 5Eddie Fisher45"Downhearted", "Everything I Have Is Yours", "I'm Walking Behind You", "Outside of Heaven", "Wish You Were Here" 4Winifred Atwell 18"Britannia Rag", "Coronation Rag", "Flirtation Waltz", "Let's Have a Party" 3Al Martino 29"Here in My Heart", "Now", "Rachel"Johnnie Ray 23"Faith Can Move Mountains", "Let's Walk That-a-Way", "Somebody Stole My Gal"Mantovani 35"Swedish Rhapsody", "The Song from the Moulin Rouge", "White Christmas" 2Bing Crosby 7"Isle of Innisfree", "Silent Night, Holy Night"David Whitfield 13"Answer Me", "The Bridge of Sighs"Dickie Valentine5"All the Time and Everywhere", "In a Golden Coach (There's a Heart of Gold)"Doris Day16"Let's Walk That-a-Way", "Sugar Bush"Frank Chacksfield27"Little Red Monkey", "Terry's Theme from Limelight"Jimmy Boyd21"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", "Tell Me a Story"Kay Starr 17"Comes A-Long A-Love", "Side by Side"Ted Heath & His Music17"Dragnet", "Hot Toddy"Tony Brent 14"Make It Soon", "Walkin' to Missouri"
Notes
"Dragnet" reached its peak of number seven on 14 January 1954 (week ending). "Rags to Riches" reached its peak of number three on 14 January 1954 (week ending). "Oh Mein Papa" reached its peak of number one on 14 January 1954 (week ending). "Cowpuncher's Cantanta" re-entered the top 12 at number 8 on 8 January 1953; at number 6 on 29 January 1953 (week ending) for 5 weeks and at number 10 on 12 March 1953 (week ending).