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. This list shows singles that peaked in the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart during 1963, as well as singles which peaked in 1962 and 1964 but were in the top 10 in 1963. 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).
One-hundred and three singles were in the top ten in 1963. Nine singles from 1962 remained in the top 10 for several weeks at the beginning of the year, while "Glad All Over" by The Dave Clark Five, "I Only Want to Be with You" by Dusty Springfield and "Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa" by Gene Pitney were all released in 1963 but did not reach their peak until 1964. "The Next Time"/"Bachelor Boy" by Cliff Richard and The Shadows and "Dance On!" by The Shadows were the singles from 1962 to reach their peak in 1963. Twenty-nine artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1963. The Beatles, Chuck Berry, The Dave Clark Five, Dusty Springfield, Gerry and the Pacemakers and The Searchers were among the many artists who achieved their first UK charting top 10 single in 1963.
The first new number-one single of the year was "The Next Time"/"Bachelor Boy" by Cliff Richard and The Shadows. Overall, seventeen different singles peaked at number-one in 1963, with The Beatles and Gerry and the Pacemakers (3) having the joint most singles hit that position.
Background Multiple entries One-hundred and three singles charted in the top 10 in 1963, with ninety-three singles reaching their peak this year. "Sukiyaki" was recorded by Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen and Kyu Sakamoto (version titled "Sukiyaki (Ue o Muite Arukō)") and both versions reached the top 10.
Twenty-seven artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1963. The Shadows secured the record for most top 10 hits in 1963 with nine hit singles, four of which were with Cliff Richard.
The Searchers were one of a number of artists with two top-ten entries, including the number-one single "Sweets for My Sweet". Del Shannon, Joe Brown, Kenny Lynch and Tommy Roe were among the other artists who had multiple top 10 entries in 1963.
Chart debuts Thirty-nine artists achieved their first top 10 single in 1963, either as a lead or featured artist. Of these, eight went on to record another hit single that year: Brian Poole, The Crystals, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Kenny Lynch, Paul & Paula, The Searchers, The Springfields and The Tremeloes. Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas, Dusty Springfield, Freddie and the Dreamers all had two more top 10 singles in 1963. The Beatles had three other entries in their 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 entriesMaureen Evans1"Like I Do"3—Mike Berry1"Don't You Think It's Time"6—The OutlawsKenny Lynch2"Up on the Roof"10"You Can Never Stop Me Loving You" (10)4"Please Please Me"2"From Me to You" (1), "She Loves You" (1), "I Want to Hold Your Hand" (1)2"Island of Dreams"5"Say I Won't Be There" (5)Dusty Springfield3"Say I Won't Be There" (5), "I Only Want to Be with You" (4) 1"Walk Right In"10—Paul & Paula2"Hey Paula"8"Young Lovers" (9)Billie Davis1"Tell Him"10—1"Charmaine"6—Ned Miller1"From a Jack to a King"2—1"Rhythm of the Rain"5—Gerry and the Pacemakers3"How Do You Do It?"1"I Like It" (1), "You'll Never Walk Alone" (1)Billy J. Kramer3"Do You Want to Know a Secret?"2"Bad to Me" (1), "I'll Keep You Satisfied" (4)Wink Martindale1"Deck of Cards"5—Freddie and the Dreamers3"If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody"3"I'm Telling You Now" (2), "You Were Made for Me" (3)Jim Reeves1"Welcome to My World"6—Lesley Gore1"It's My Party"9—2"Da Doo Ron Ron"5"Then He Kissed Me" (2)2"Sweets for My Sweet"1"Sugar and Spice" (2)Brian Poole 2"Twist and Shout"4"Do You Love Me" (1)Kyu Sakamoto1"Sukiyaki (Ue o Muite Arukō)"6—Ken Thorne & His Orchestra1"Theme from The Legion's Last Patrol"4—1"Wipe Out"5—1"You Don't Have to Be a Baby to Cry"6—Trini Lopez1"If I Had a Hammer"4—The Roulettes1"The First Time"5—1"Hello Little Girl"9—Chuck Berry1"Let It Rock"/"Memphis, Tennessee"6—1"Be My Baby"4—Kathy Kirby1"Secret Love"4—Los Indios Tabajaras1"María Elena"5—1"Glad All Over" 1—The Singing Nun (Sœur Sourire)1"Dominique" 7—Gene Pitney1"Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa" 5—
Notes Jet Harris and Tony Meehan scored three chart hits as a duo in 1963, including number-one single "Diamonds" in February. They had both been members of The Shadows (formerly The Drifters) since its inception, as well as joining The Vipers Skiffle Group before going solo. "Just Like Eddie" was Heinz's first foray into the chart under his own name, but he had been a bassist in The Tornados, the group debuting with the number-one hit "Telstar" at the end of 1962.
Songs from films Original songs from various films entered the top 10 throughout the year. These included "Summer Holiday" (from Summer Holiday), "Theme from The Legion's Last Patrol" (The Legion's Last Patrol), "She Loves You" (A Hard Day's Night), "You'll Never Walk Alone" (Carousel) and "Dominique" (The Singing Nun).
Additionally, a melody used in "Never on Sunday" was turned into a hit single recorded by Brenda Lee as "All Alone Am I". "Do You Want to Know a Secret?", written by Lennon-McCartney and performed by The Beatles and taken into the top 10 by Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas, was inspired by the tune "I'm Wishing" from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. "Secret Love" had first been heard in the 1953 film Calamity Jane, sang by Doris Day. Kathy Kirby took her cover version to number four. "María Elena" started as an instrumental featured in the film Bordertown.
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, "She Loves You" by The Beatles is officially recorded as the biggest-selling single of 1963. "She Loves You" (1) was also ranked as the best-selling single of the decade, while "I Want to Hold Your Hand" (2) also ranked in the top 10 best-selling singles of the 1960s. "She Loves You" also stands as the 8th biggest-selling single of all time in the UK (as of December 2017).
Top-ten singles Key SymbolMeaning‡Single peaked in 1962 but still in chart in 1963.♦Single released in 1963 but peaked in 1964.(#)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 1962 16"Telstar" ‡ 1 5 10"Let's Dance" ‡ Chris Montez 2 4 12"Lovesick Blues" ‡Frank Ifield 1 5 9"Bobby's Girl" ‡Susan Maughan 3 1 10"(Dance with the) Guitar Man" ‡Duane Eddy & The Rebelettes 4 2 8"Sun Arise" ‡Rolf Harris 3 1 9"Return to Sender" ‡Elvis Presley 1 3 11"The Next Time"/"Bachelor Boy"Cliff Richard & The Shadows 1 3 7"Dance On!" 1 1Singles in 1963 2"It Only Took A Minute"Joe Brown & the Bruvvers 6 1 3"Go Away Little Girl"Mark Wynter 6 1 6"Like I Do"Maureen Evans 3 2 4"Globetrotter" 5 2 7"Diamonds"Jet Harris & Tony Meehan 1 3 4"Don't You Think It's Time"Mike Berry & The Outlaws 6 1 1"Up on the Roof"Kenny Lynch 10 1 5"Little Town Flirt"Del Shannon 4 1 8"The Wayward Wind"Frank Ifield 1 3 1"Some Kinda Fun"Chris Montez 10 1 8"Please Please Me" 2 3 7"Island of Dreams" 5 1 4"Loop-De-Loop"Frankie Vaughan 5 1 2"All Alone Am I"Brenda Lee 7 1 3"Sukiyaki"Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen 10 3 5"The Night Has a Thousand Eyes"Bobby Vee 3 1 6"That's What Love Will Do"Joe Brown & the Bruvvers 3 2 8"Summer Holiday" Cliff Richard & The Shadows 1 3 6"Like I've Never Been Gone"Billy Fury 3 1 1"Walk Right In" 10 1 2"Hey Paula"Paul & Paula 8 1 8"Foot Tapper" 1 1 1"Tell Him"Billie Davis 10 1 4"Charmaine" 6 1 8"From a Jack to a King" Ned Miller 2 3 6"Rhythm of the Rain" 5 2 9"How Do You Do It?" Gerry and the Pacemakers 1 3 3"Say Wonderful Things" Ronnie Carroll 6 1 5"Brown-Eyed Handsome Man"Buddy Holly 3 1 3"The Folk Singer"Tommy Roe 4 2 4"Say I Won't Be There" 5 2 8"In Dreams" Roy Orbison 6 2 11"From Me to You" 1 7 4"Nobody's Darlin' But Mine"Frank Ifield 4 2 6"Can't Get Used to Losing You" Andy Williams 2 1 7"Scarlett O'Hara"Jet Harris & Tony Meehan 2 1 5"Two Kinds of Teardrops"Del Shannon 5 1 2"Losing You" Brenda Lee 10 2 6"Lucky Lips"Cliff Richard & The Shadows 4 2 7"Do You Want to Know a Secret?"Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas 2 2 2"Young Lovers"Paul & Paula 9 2 5"When Will You Say I Love You"Billy Fury 3 1 9"Deck of Cards" Wink Martindale 5 1 8"Take These Chains from My Heart"Ray Charles 5 3 10"I Like It"Gerry and the Pacemakers 1 4 5"If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody"Freddie and the Dreamers 3 2 8"Atlantis" 2 2 4"Bo Diddley"Buddy Holly 4 1 2"Falling"Roy Orbison 9 1 9"Confessin' (That I Love You)"Frank Ifield 1 2 3"Welcome to My World" Jim Reeves 6 1 4"It's My Party"Lesley Gore 9 3 6"(You're the) Devil in Disguise"Elvis Presley 1 1 6"Da Doo Ron Ron" 5 3 8"Sweets for My Sweet" 1 2 5"Twist and Shout"Brian Poole & The Tremeloes 4 3 3"Sukiyaki (Ue o Muite Arukō)"Kyu Sakamoto 6 1 4"In Summer"Billy Fury 5 1 1"You Can Never Stop Me Loving You"Kenny Lynch 10 1 6"Bad to Me"Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas 1 3 4"Theme from The Legion's Last Patrol" Ken Thorne 4 1 6"Wipe Out" 5 1 5"I'm Telling You Now"Freddie and the Dreamers 2 2 7"I'll Never Get Over You"Johnny Kidd & the Pirates 4 1 4"You Don't Have to Be a Baby to Cry" 6 1 7"It's All in the Game"Cliff Richard 2 3 21"She Loves You" (#1) 1 6 5"Just Like Eddie"Heinz 5 1 5"I Want to Stay Here"Steve and Eydie 3 1 3"Applejack" Jet Harris & Tony Meehan 4 1 8"Do You Love Me"Brian Poole & The Tremeloes 1 3 7"If I Had a Hammer"Trini Lopez 4 1 8"Then He Kissed Me" 2 2 2"Wishing" Buddy Holly 10 2 3"Shindig" 6 1 9"Blue Bayou"/"Mean Woman Blues"Roy Orbison 3 1 4"The First Time"Adam Faith with The Roulettes 5 1 9"You'll Never Walk Alone"Gerry and the Pacemakers 1 4 1"Everybody"Tommy Roe 9 1 6"I (Who Have Nothing)"Shirley Bassey 6 1 1"Hello Little Girl" 9 1 5"Let It Rock"/"Memphis, Tennessee"Chuck Berry 6 1 5"Sugar and Spice" 2 1 4"Be My Baby" 4 1 8"Don't Talk to Him"Cliff Richard & The Shadows 2 1 8"Secret Love"Kathy Kirby 4 2 3"I'll Keep You Satisfied"Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas 4 1 8"You Were Made for Me"Freddie and the Dreamers 3 4 6"María Elena"Los Indios Tabajaras 5 1 12"Glad All Over" ♦ 1 2 9"I Only Want to Be with You" ♦Dusty Springfield 4 3 10"I Want to Hold Your Hand" 1 5 6"Dominique"The Singing Nun (Sœur Sourire) 7 2 8"Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa" ♦Gene Pitney 5 2
Entries by artist
The following table shows artists who achieved two or more top 10 entries in 1963, including singles that reached their peak in 1962 or 1964. The figures include both main artists and featured artists. The total number of weeks an artist spent in the top ten in 1963 is also shown.