1955 Chart Toppers USA & UK
Patrick M. Eaton Sr.
I thought I'd try something that might interest two different countrys. I had
began writing a story about the whole year --The Artists--their ups and
downs--new Artists. It became overwhelming. So, to start I thought I'd try this
and see what type of responce I can get.
U S A Chart Toppers 1955
(not in order by weeks on chart--Thought I'd leave that up to any readers.)
song title singer/singers label Weeks # 1*
* same header for United Kingdom
1) Mr Sandman The Chordetts Cadence 2
2) Let Me Go Lover Joan Weber Colombia 2
3) Hearts of Stone Fontaine Sisters Dot 1
4) Sincerely McGuire Sisters Coral 6
5) The Ballad of
Davey Crockett Bill Hayes Cadence 5
6) Cherry Pink and
Apple Blossom
White Perez Prado RCA 10
7) Rock around the Bill Haley and
Clock the Comets Decca 8
8) The Yellow Rose Mitch Miller Colombia 6
Of Texas
9) Love is a many
Splendored Thing The Four Aces Decca 5
10) Autumn Leaves Roger Williams Kapp 2
11) Sixteen Tons Tennessee Ernie Ford Capitol 5
Memorable Deaths that year: Music -- The Great 'Charlie Parker" - Jazz Musican
Actor --- James Dean
Movies With memorable Music:
1) The Blackboard Jungle
2) Guys and Dolls
3) The Lady and the Tramp
4) Love is a many Splendoured thing
5) The Man With The Golden Arm
6) Oklahoma
7) A Star is Born
The United Kingdom Chart Toppers (Mostly the main reason for my Post)
Song Artist Label wks
1) Finger of Suspicion Dickie Valentine Decca 1
2) Mambo Italiano Rosemary Clooney Phillips 3
3) I Need You Now Eddie Fisher HMV 2
4) Softly Softly Ruby Murray Columbia 3
5) Give Me Your Word Tennessee Ernie Ford Capitol 7
6) Cherry Pink and
Apple Bloosom White Perez Prado HMV 2
7) Stranger In Paridise Tony Bennet Philips 2
8) Cherry Pink and Eddie Calvert Colombia 4
Apple Blossom White
9) Unchained Melody Jimmy Young Decca 3
10) Dreamboat Alma Cogan HMV 2
11) Rose Marie Slim Whitman London 11
12) The Man From Jimmy Young Decca 4
Laramie
130 Hernando's Hideaway The Johnston Bros. Decca 2
14) Rock around The Clock Bill Haley & Comets Brunswick 3
15) Christmas Alphabet Dickie Valentine Decca 3
Things that I found most interesting is the English charts and how much they
differ. Also, the songs and Artists I've never heard of. Of special interest to
me was the Biggest song of the year in the two countries. US -- "Cherry Pink
and Apple Blossom White" by Perez Prado. In the United Kingdom "Rose Marie" by
Slim Whitman. As you will notice in the following years to come, that doesn't
change very much. In fact in the coming years you'll notice a lot of American
Artists are more welcomed in England. I hope to add some writing about the
different arists and songs as I go along from both counties. Any help from
England and also here would be appreciated. Also, comments are welcome
PME "From The Land Of The Free"
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"Rock Around The Clock" Recorded in 1954 By Bill Haley and The Comets
Became a Giant hit one year later with the aid of the movie "Blackboard Jungle"
Apple Blossom White
Leonard Blanks
>>>>> "Patrick" == Patrick M Eaton <eato...@eau.net> writes:
Patrick> I thought I'd try something that might interest two
Patrick> different countrys. I had began writing a story about the
Patrick> whole year --The Artists--their ups and downs--new
Patrick> Artists. It became overwhelming. So, to start I thought I'd
Patrick> try this and see what type of responce I can get.
[1955 US & UK charts snipped]
Patrick> Things that I found most interesting is the English charts
Patrick> and how much they differ. Also, the songs and Artists I've
Patrick> never heard of. Of special interest to me was the Biggest
Patrick> song of the year in the two countries. US -- "Cherry Pink
Patrick> and Apple Blossom White" by Perez Prado. In the United
Patrick> Kingdom "Rose Marie" by Slim Whitman. As you will notice in
Patrick> the following years to come, that doesn't change very
Patrick> much. In fact in the coming years you'll notice a lot of
Patrick> American Artists are more welcomed in England. I hope to add
Patrick> some writing about the different arists and songs as I go
Patrick> along from both counties. Any help from England and also
Patrick> here would be appreciated.
I don't know if the choice of charts was intentional, but this
particular period serves - if one considers landmark shifts in
musical direction - as documentation for the arrival of Rock'n'Roll
in the UK. Bill Haley's "Shake Rattle and Roll" (Brunswick 05338)
reached #4 the month before - assuming that the chart given here
is NME of the first week of January 1955; it looks like it - and
is almost universally accepted as the harbinger of the "devil's
music" in the UK.
Prior to this, the only offerings available were from crooners
and music-hall artists. Britain after all was still in a period
of post-war recovery; any "new" forms of music would consequently
have to be imported. When it arrived, the first question posed
was "What the hell is this?"; the second usually, "How do I get more
of it?"
This might help in explaining why the charts differed so much, although
there is the influence of all radio programming being done by the BBC
to consider; Harlan Ellison once wrote that if the government were
responsible for automobile design in a country, we would all be driving
two-door, grey Plymouth Valiants. The fact that Rock'n'Roll was embraced
by the young here mandated the later "welcoming" of American artists.
Those here aspiring to create the same music were at first working in
a bit of a vacuum; but within nine years four clever lads from the North
were able to get it right enough to export the home-grown product back
to the country of origin.
--
Leonard Blanks | It possesses a sound rhythmic structure
l...@haruspex.demon.co.uk | and facilitates Terpsichorean movement;
http://www.haruspex.demon.co.uk/ | I'll give it an 85.