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 1954, as well as singles which peaked in 1953 and 1955 but were in the top 10 in 1954. 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-three singles were in the top ten in 1954. Twelve singles from 1953 remained in the top 10 for several weeks at the beginning of the year, while "No One But You" by Billy Eckstine, "The Finger of Suspicion (Points at You)" by Dickie Valentine with The Stargazers and "Heartbeat" by Ruby Murray were all released in 1954 but did not reach their peak until 1955. "Chicka Boom" and "Cloud Lucky Seven" by Guy Mitchell and "Let's Have a Party" by Winifred Atwell were the singles from 1953 to reach their peak in 1954. Nineteen artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1954. Alma Cogan, Petula Clark, Frank Sinatra and Ruby Murray were among the many artists who achieved their first UK charting top 10 single in 1954.
The 1953 Christmas number-one, "Answer Me" by Frankie Laine, remained at number-one for the first week of 1954. The first new number-one single of the year was "Oh Mein Papa" by Eddie Calvert. Overall, eleven different singles peaked at number-one in 1954, with eleven unique artists hitting that position.
Background Multiple entries Seventy-six singles charted in the top 10 in 1954, with sixty-four singles reaching their peak this year. Ten songs were recorded by several artists with each version reaching the top 10: "Answer Me" – David Whitfield, Frankie Laine (both peaked 1953) "Changing Partners" – Bing Crosby, Kay Starr "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" – The Beverley Sisters, Jimmy Boyd (both peaked 1953) "If I Give My Heart to You" – Doris Day with The Mellomen, Joan Regan "Oh Mein Papa" – Eddie Calvert, Eddie Fisher (version known as "Oh! My Papa") "Skin Deep" – Duke Ellington, Ted Heath and His Music "Swedish Rhapsody" – Mantovani, Ray Martin (both peaked 1953) "This Ole House" – Billie Anthony, Rosemary Clooney "Three Coins in the Fountain" – The Four Aces, Frank Sinatra "Wanted" – Al Martino, Perry Como
Nineteen artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1954. American Frankie Laine secured the record for most top 10 hits in 1954 with seven hit singles.
Rosemary Clooney was one of a number of artists with two top 10 entries, including the number-one single "This Ole House". Al Martino, Billy Cotton and His Band, Dean Martin and Max Bygraves were among the other artists who had multiple top 10 entries in 1954.
Chart debuts Twenty artists achieved their first top 10 single in 1954, either as a lead or featured artist.
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 entriesKen Mackintosh1"The Creep"10—The Obernkirchen Children's Choir1"The Happy Wanderer (Der fröhliche Wanderer)"2—Bonnie Lou1"Tennessee Wig Walk"4—José Ferrer1"Man (Uh-huh)"/"Woman (Uh-huh)"7—Norman Wisdom1"Don't Laugh at Me ('cause I'm a Fool)"3—Duke Ellington1"Skin Deep"7—Alma Cogan2"Bell Bottom Blues"4—Ruby Wright1"Bimbo"7—1"Oh Baby Mine (I Get So Lonely)"5—Petula Clark1"The Little Shoemaker (Le petit cordonnier)"7—Kitty Kallen1"Little Things Mean a Lot"1—Frank Sinatra1"Three Coins in the Fountain"1—1"Three Coins in the Fountain"5—Don Cornell1"Hold My Hand"1—1"If I Give My Heart to You"4—Billie Anthony1"This Ole House"4—Billy Eckstine1"No One But You" 3—Ronnie Hilton1"I Still Believe"3—1"Let's Get Together No. 1"6—Ruby Murray1"Heartbeat" 3—
Songs from films Original songs from various films entered the top 10 throughout the year. These included "Blowing Wild (The Ballad of Black Gold)" (from Blowing Wild), "That's Amore" (from The Caddy) "Secret Love" and "The Black Hills of Dakota" (Calamity Jane), "Three Coins in the Fountain" (Three Coins in the Fountain) and "Hold My Hand" (Susan Slept Here).
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, "Secret Love" by Doris Day is officially recorded as the biggest-selling single of 1954.
Top-ten singles Key SymbolMeaning‡Single peaked in 1953 but still in chart in 1954.♦Single released in 1954 but peaked in 1955.(#)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 195317"Swedish Rhapsody" ‡Mantovani2212"Answer Me" ‡David Whitfield129"Poppa Piccolino" ‡ Diana Decker2117"Answer Me" ‡ Frankie Laine1814"Chicka Boom" Guy Mitchell416"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" ‡ Jimmy Boyd319"Let's Have a Party" Winifred Atwell214"Swedish Rhapsody" ‡ Ray Martin435"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" ‡615"Crying in the Chapel" ‡Lee Lawrence71 3"Ricochet" ‡Joan Regan with The Squadronaires8120"Oh Mein Papa"Eddie Calvert19Singles in 19549"Rags to Riches"David Whitfield3311"Blowing Wild (The Ballad of Black Gold)" Frankie Laine2612"Cloud Lucky Seven" Guy Mitchell212"Oh! My Papa" Eddie Fisher9124"The Happy Wanderer" The Obernkirchen Children's Choir259"That's Amore" Dean Martin211"The Creep"Ken Mackintosh1019"Tennessee Wig Walk" Bonnie Lou441"Ebb Tide" Frank Chacksfield913"Man (Uh-huh)"/"Woman (Uh-huh)" Rosemary Clooney & José Ferrer7215"Don't Laugh at Me ('cause I'm a Fool)" Norman Wisdom311"The Cuff of My Shirt"Guy Mitchell911"Skin Deep" Ted Heath & His Music919"The Book"David Whitfield5213"I See the Moon" The Stargazers164"Skin Deep" Duke Ellington7114"Changing Partners" Kay Starr432"Changing Partners" Bing Crosby918"Bell Bottom Blues" Alma Cogan412"Granada"Frankie Laine9127"Secret Love" (#1)Doris Day1917"Such a Night" Johnnie Ray119"The Kid's Last Fight" Frankie Laine321"Tenderly" Nat King Cole1012"Bimbo"Ruby Wright714"A Dime and a Dollar"Guy Mitchell821"Make Love to Me" Jo Stafford819"Friends and Neighbours"Billy Cotton & His Band357"Someone Else's Roses" Joan Regan526"The Gang That Sang Heart of My Heart" Max Bygraves728"Oh Baby Mine (I Get So Lonely)"5111"Wanted" Perry Como4220"Cara Mia"David Whitfield with Mantovani & His Orchestra11014"Idle Gossip" Perry Como3113"Wanted"Al Martino4320"Little Things Mean a Lot" Kitty Kallen116"The Little Shoemaker"Petula Clark7215"Three Coins in the Fountain"Frank Sinatra137"Rachmaninoff's 18th Variation on a Theme By Paganini (The Story of Three Loves)" Winifred Atwell925"Three Coins in the Fountain" 5114"My Friend" Frankie Laine327"The Black Hills of Dakota" Doris Day7216"Hold My Hand"Don Cornell1512"Smile" Nat King Cole232"Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellen Bogen by the Sea" Max Bygraves723"Sway" Dean Martin613"The Story of Tina" Al Martino1038"If I Give My Heart to You"Doris Day with The Mellomen4112"My Son, My Son" Vera Lynn1213"This Ole House"Rosemary Clooney118"This Ole House"Billie Anthony411"There Must Be a Reason"Frankie Laine9110"Rain Rain Rain"Frankie Laine & The Four Lads837"If I Give My Heart to You" Joan Regan3114"No One But You" ♦Billy Eckstine327"Let's Have Another Party" Winifred Atwell157"Santo Natale (Merry Christmas)"David Whitfield259"I Still Believe"Ronnie Hilton333"Let's Get Together No. 1" 6214"The Finger of Suspicion" ♦Dickie Valentine with The Stargazers1313"Heartbeat" ♦ Ruby Murray31
Entries by artist
The following table shows artists who achieved two or more top 10 entries in 1954, including singles that reached their peak in 1953 or 1955. The figures include both main artists and featured artists. The total number of weeks an artist spent in the top ten in 1954 is also shown.
Entries Artist Weeks Singles 7Frankie Laine55"Answer Me", "Blowing Wild (The Ballad of Black Gold)", "Granada", "My Friend", "Rain Rain Rain", "The Kid's Last Fight", "There Must Be a Reason" 5David Whitfield53"Answer Me", "Cara Mia, "Rags to Riches", "Santo Natale (Merry Christmas)", "The Book" 4Guy Mitchell 28"A Dime and a Dollar", "Chicka Boom", "Cloud Lucky Seven", "The Cuff of My Shirt" 3Doris Day42"If I Give My Heart to You", "Secret Love", "The Black Hills of Dakota"Joan Regan18"If I Give My Heart to You", "Ricochet", "Someone Else's Roses"Winifred Atwell17"Let's Have a Party", "Let's Have Another Party", "Rachmaninoff's 18th Variation on a Theme By Paganini" 2Al Martino19"Wanted", "The Story of Tina"Dean Martin14"Sway", "That's Amore"Mantovani 28"Cara Mia", "Swedish Rhapsody"Max Bygraves12"Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellen Bogen by the Sea", "The Gang That Sang Heart of My Heart"Nat King Cole13"Smile", "Tenderly"Perry Como28"Idle Gossip", "Wanted"Rosemary Clooney15"Man (Uh-huh)"/"Woman (Uh-huh)", "This Ole House"The Stargazers29"I See the Moon", "The Finger of Suspicion"
Notes
"No One But You" reached its peak of number three on 20 January 1955 (week ending). "Heartbeat" reached its peak of number three on 3 February 1955 (week ending). "Poppa Piccolino" re-entered the top 10 at number 5 on 14 January 1954 (week ending) for 2 weeks. "Chicka Boom" re-entered the top 10 at number 8 on 21 January 1954 (week ending) for 4 weeks. "Oh! My Papa" re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 4 March 1954 (week ending). "Changing Partners" (Bing Crosby version) re-entered the top 10 at number 9 on 8 April 1954 (week ending). "Granada" re-entered the top 10 at number 9 on 15 April 1954 (week ending). "A Dime and a Dollar" re-entered the top 10 at number 9 on 20 May 1954 (week ending) and at number 8 on 3 June 1954 (week ending).
See also 1954 in British music List of number-one singles from the 1950s (UK)
References General
Specific
External links 1954 singles chart archive at the Official Charts Company (click on relevant week)