NME (or New Musical Express) was a British weekly pop music newspaper. Record charts in the United Kingdom began life on 14 November 1952 when NME began compiling the first UK-wide sales-based hit parade. Prior to 15 February 1969, when the British Market Research Bureau chart was established, there was no one universally accepted source and many periodicals compiled their own chart. During this time the BBC used aggregated results of charts from the NME and other sources to compile the Pick of the Pops chart. In 1969, Record Retailer and the BBC commissioned the British Market Research Bureau (BMRB) to compile the singles chart.
Prior to this, The Official Charts Company and Guinness' British Hit Singles & Albums, consider Record Retailer the canonical source for the British singles chart in the 1960s; Nevertheless, in the 1960s, NME had the biggest circulation of charts in the decade and was more widely followed. After 1969, the joint venture between Record Retailer and the BBC is widely considered as the beginning of the official UK Singles Chart. NME continued compiling its own chart until 14 May 1988.
Significantly, NME had the Sex Pistols' anti-monarchy single "God Save the Queen" at number-one during the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The single, released by Virgin Records, was the highest-selling single of the week but had been banned by the BBC and some major retailers. To prevent it from reaching the top of the BMRB chart, for one week compilers "decreed that shops which sold their own records could not have those records represented in the chart", thus sales from Virgin Megastores were not counted. Despite reaching number-two on the official chart, it is sometimes referred to as reaching number one.
Number-one singles
+Key‡ The song did not reach number one on the BMRB chart which is considered as the official chart after 12 February 1969.[nb #] The song spent a week at number one where it shared the top spot with another song.
ArtistSingleReachednumber oneWeeks atnumber one280 "Two Little Boys" 6281 Marmalade "Reflections of My Life" ‡ 1282 "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" 3283 "I Want You Back" ‡ 1284 "Wand'rin' Star" 3285 Simon & Garfunkel "Bridge over Troubled Water" 4286 "Spirit in the Sky" 2287 England World Cup Squad "70" "Back Home" 3288 "Question" ‡ 1289 Christie "Yellow River" 1290 "In the Summertime" 4291 Free "All Right Now" ‡ 3292 "Lola" ‡ 1293 "" 3294 and The Miracles "" 4295 "Band of Gold" 5296 Deep Purple "Black Night" ‡ 1297 Matthews' Southern Comfort "Woodstock" 3298 Jimi Hendrix Experience "Voodoo Chile" 1299 's Rockpile "I Hear You Knocking" 3300 McGuinness Flint "When I'm Dead and Gone" ‡ 1301 "Grandad" 4302 "My Sweet Lord" 6303 "Baby Jump" 1304 "Another Day" ‡ 1305 T. Rex "Hot Love" 5306 Dave and Ansel Collins "Double Barrel" 2307 "Brown Sugar" ‡ 1308 Dawn "Knock Three Times" 3309 Free "My Brother Jake" ‡ 1310 "I Did What I Did for Maria" ‡ 1311 Middle of the Road "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" 5312 T. Rex "Get It On" 3313 "Never Ending Song of Love" ‡ 1314 "I'm Still Waiting" 3315 "Hey Girl Don't Bother Me" 2316 "Maggie May" 6317 Slade "Coz I Luv You" 3318 "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)" 5319 "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)" 4320 America "" ‡ 1321 T. Rex "Telegram Sam" 1322 Chicory Tip "Son of My Father" 2323 "American Pie" ‡ 1324 Nilsson "Without You" 6325 Royal Scots Dragoon Guards "Amazing Grace" 4326 T.Rex "Metal Guru" 4327 "Vincent" 3328 Slade "Take Me Bak 'Ome" 1329 "Puppy Love" 4330 Alice Cooper "School's Out" 3331 "You Wear It Well" 2332 Slade "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" 2333 T. Rex "Children of the Revolution" ‡ 1334 "How Can I Be Sure" 1335 Lieutenant Pigeon "Mouldy Old Dough" 4336 "Clair" 2337 "My Ding-a-Ling" 3338 Slade "Gudbuy T'Jane" ‡ 1339 "Long Haired Lover from Liverpool" 4340 "" ‡ 1341 Sweet "Blockbuster" 4342 Strawbs "Part of the Union" ‡ 2343 Slade "Cum On Feel the Noize" 3344 "" 2345 "Get Down" 1346 Dawn featuring Tony Orlando "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" 5347 Wizzard "See My Baby Jive" 2348 "Can the Can" 3349 10cc "Rubber Bullets" 1350 Slade "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me" 2351 Peters and Lee "Welcome Home" 2352 "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am!)" 4353 "Young Love" 2354 Wizzard "Angel Fingers (A Teen Ballad)" 1355 "Rock On" ‡ 1356 "" ‡ 1357 Simon Park Orchestra "Eye Level (Theme From The Thames TV Series "Van Der Valk")" 4358 "" / "Daydreamer" 2359 "Let Me In" ‡ 1360 "I Love You Love Me Love" 4361 Slade "Merry Christmas Everybody" 2There was no chart published for the week ending 26 December 1973. In the preceding week, "Merry Xmas Everybody" was the number-one single. In the next published chart, "You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me" claimed the top spot.362 "You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me" 2363 "" ‡ 1364 Sweet "Teenage Rampage" ‡ 1365 Mud "Tiger Feet" 3366 "Devil Gate Drive" 2367 "Jealous Mind" 2368 Paper Lace "Billy Don't Be a Hero" 3369 "Seasons in the Sun" 2370 Mud "" ‡ 1371 ABBA "Waterloo" 2372 "Sugar Baby Love" 4373 "The Streak" 2374 "Always Yours" 1375 "She" 3376 "Rock Your Baby" 3377 "When Will I See You Again" 3378 "Love Me for a Reason" 2379 "Kung Fu Fighting" 4380 "Gee Baby" ‡ 1381 "Everything I Own" 2382 "Gonna Make You a Star" 5383 "You're the First, the Last, My Everything" 1384 Mud "Lonely This Christmas" 3385 "Streets of London" ‡ 2386 Status Quo "Down Down" 1387 "Ms Grace" 1388 Pilot "January" 2389 "Please Mr. Postman" ‡ 1390 "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" 1391 "If" 2392 Bay City Rollers "Bye Bye Baby (Baby Goodbye)" 6393 "Honey" ‡ 1394 "Lovin' You" ‡ 1395 "Stand by Your Man" 3396 and Don Estelle "Whispering Grass" 1397 Showaddywaddy "Three Steps to Heaven" ‡ 1 and Don Estelle "Whispering Grass" 1398 10cc "I'm Not in Love" 2399 "Tears on My Pillow" 2400 Bay City Rollers "Give a Little Love" 1401 Typically Tropical "Barbados" 2402 "Can't Give You Anything (But My Love)" 2403 "Sailing" 4404 "Moonlighting" ‡ 1405 "Hold Me Close" 3406 "I Only Have Eyes for You" 2407 "Space Oddity" 2408 "D.I.V.O.R.C.E." 1409 Hot Chocolate "You Sexy Thing" ‡ 1410 Queen "Bohemian Rhapsody" 7411 Sailor "" ‡ 1412 ABBA "Mamma Mia" 2413 Slik "Forever and Ever" 1414 "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" 2415 "I Love to Love (But My Baby Loves to Dance)" 3416 Brotherhood of Man "Save Your Kisses for Me" 5417 ABBA "Fernando" 6418 "No Charge" 1419 Wings "Silly Love Songs" ‡ 1420 "You to Me Are Everything" 2421 "Young Hearts Run Free" ‡ 1422 "" 1423 & Kiki Dee "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" 7424 ABBA "Dancing Queen" 5425 Pussycat "Mississippi" 3426 Chicago "If You Leave Me Now" 4427 Showaddywaddy "Under the Moon of Love" 3428 "When a Child Is Born" 3There was no chart published for the week ending 5 January 1977. For the week either side of this "When a Child Is Born" was the number-one single.429 "Don't Give Up on Us" 2430 "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" 1 "Don't Give Up on Us" 1 "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" 2431 "When I Need You" 2432 "Chanson D'Amour" 2433 ABBA"Knowing Me, Knowing You" 6434 "Free" 3435 "I Don't Want to Talk About It" / "The First Cut Is the Deepest" 3436 Sex Pistols "God Save the Queen" ‡ 1437 "Show You the Way to Go" 2438 Hot Chocolate"So You Win Again" 1439 Boney M. "Ma Baker" ‡ 1440 "I Feel Love" 5441 Brotherhood of Man"Angelo" 1442 "Way Down" 1443 Space "Magic Fly" ‡ 3 "Way Down" 2444 "Silver Lady" 1445 Baccara"Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" 1446 "You're in My Heart" ‡ 1 Baccara"Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" 1447 ABBA"" 2448 Status Quo "Rockin' All Over the World" ‡ 1449 Wings"Mull of Kintyre" 9There was no chart published for the week ending 28 December 1977. For the week either side of this "Mull of Kintyre" was the number-one single.450 Althea & Donna "Uptown Top Ranking" 2451 ABBA "Take a Chance on Me" 3452 "Wuthering Heights" 3453 Blondie "Denis" ‡ 2454 Showaddywaddy "I Wonder Why" ‡ 1455 Bee Gees"Night Fever" 4456 Boney M."Rivers of Babylon" 4457 and Olivia Newton-John"You're the One That I Want" 10458 Commodores"Three Times a Lady" 4459 10cc"Dreadlock Holiday" 2460 and Olivia Newton-John"Summer Nights" 6461 "Rat Trap" 3462 "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" 1463 Boney M."Mary's Boy Child – Oh My Lord" 4There was no chart published for the week ending 27 December 1978. For the preceding week, "Mary's Boy Child - Oh My Lord" was the number-one single. In the next published chart, "Y.M.C.A." claimed the top spot.464 Village People "Y.M.C.A." 3465 "Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick" 2466 Blondie "Heart of Glass" 1467 ABBA "Chiquitita" ‡ 1 Blondie "Heart of Glass" 2468 Bee Gees"Tragedy" 1469 "Oliver's Army" ‡ 1470 "I Will Survive" 2471 Village People "In the Navy" ‡ 1472 "Bright Eyes" 5473 M "Pop Muzik" ‡ 1 "Bright Eyes" 1474 Blondie"Sunday Girl" 1475 Roxy Music "Dance Away" ‡ 1476 "Ring My Bell" 3477 Tubeway Army"Are "Friends" Electric?" 2478 "Silly Games" ‡ 1 Tubeway Army"Are "Friends" Electric?" 2479 "I Don't Like Mondays" 4480 "We Don't Talk Anymore" 3481 "Cars" 2482 "Message in a Bottle" 2483 "Video Killed the Radio Star" 2484 "One Day at a Time" 1485 Dr. Hook"When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman" 4486 "Walking on the Moon" 1487 Pink Floyd"Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)" 4There was no chart published for the week ending 26 December 1979. For the week either side of this "Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)" was the number-one single.
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