The Ultimate Averaged Chart - The BBC Chart Re-Imagined

[Robbie]

Have a nice holiday MrTibbs. Enjoy Tenerife. My sister is currently on holiday on one of the other Canary Islands (Fuerteventura) and from her pictures on Facebook, the weather over there seems hot and sunny with clear blue skies. Have fun!

[Gambo]

Well-earned Mr T. But you know that by the end of your holiday you'll be desperate to return to chart-posting! Try to enjoy the UKmix-free beachy break as best you can.

[kingofskiffle]

Haha - you're several years too early for that song! Enjoy the break. Tenerife is great; been once and went on a lovely - if freezing - stargazing experience and got to see Jupiter and Saturn with was magical. I think we can wait for a short while...

[MrTibbs]

Lots of interesting stuff to come in the weeks ahead guys as Lonnie Donegan consolidates his debut, Elvis appears and so do the above mentioned Goons.

BUT, you will have to wait a bit . At long last I'm off on holiday later today after 18 long months of cancelling and re-booking again and again. So finally Tenerife beckons.

I return to these shores again a week tomorrow so will be posting on a daily basis again from a week on Saturday with the continuation of 1956 and beyond. Melody Maker awaits a couple of months down the line and with it a timely minor adjustment of the store return numbers for NME and RM (Splodj will be pleased )

Although I can't post charts as they are all on my main pc at home I will however be around from time to time on my favourite site for comments, feedback and deliberation.

All together now ! 'We're all going on a Summer Holiday'

[kingofskiffle]

Probably and would also have added to the Goons popularity. They were at their peak 55-57.

[Splodj]

The Goons version of 'Unchained Melody' was recorded on 29-Jun-55 but EMI refused to release it. Their popularity at the time would have ensured it a chart entry, as proved by their subsequent success with Decca. Its release in 1990 must rank as one of the longest gaps between recording what was intended to be a single and its subsequent release.

[Woz1234]

White Christmas has been hit 9 times (not all good versions) in the Top 75

Mantovani [1952, #9]
Pat Boone [1957, #29]
Freddie Starr [1975, #41]
Bing Crosby [1977, #5 & other years]
Darts [1980, #48]
Jim Davidson [1980, #52]
Keith Harris And Orville [1985, #40]
Max Bygraves [1989, #71]
Gwen Stefani [2019, #62]

11 Times if included the Top 100
Lady Gaga [2011, #87]
Glee Cast [2019, #98]

[Woz1234]

So, after charting for Mark Wynter ('64), Jeff Collins ('72), Ringo Starr ('74) and Child ('79), 'Only You' had been a hit for six different artists by the end of the '70s.....Is this a record?

Went on to 7 after the 70's with John Alford, #9 in 1996, so it would've been 7 all until Gareth Gates "Unchained Melody" in 2002.

[Woz1234]

I don't think so Metal, Unchained Melody has been a hit for 7. Jimmy Young, Al Hibbler, Les Baxter, Liberace, Righteous Brothers, Robson and Jerome, and Gareth Gates.

8 if you included Leo Sayer, it wasn't a UK Top 20 it only reached #54 in 1986.

[Metalweb]

^

Sure - but many of the hit covers of 'Unchained Melody' are more recent.

Reckon 'Only You' must have held the record for a good while!

[MrTibbs]

I don't think so Metal, Unchained Melody has been a hit for 7. Jimmy Young, Al Hibbler, Les Baxter, Liberace, Righteous Brothers, Robson and Jerome, and Gareth Gates.

[Metalweb]

So, after charting for Mark Wynter ('64), Jeff Collins ('72), Ringo Starr ('74) and Child ('79), 'Only You' had been a hit for six different artists by the end of the '70s.....Is this a record?

[MrTibbs]

NEW 13 Only You - The Hilltoppers

Is that the same song that the Flying Pickets did in 1983?

No Brian, as Robbie suggested above it was a cover of the original late 1955 US hit 'Only You' by The Platters which will chart next year in the UK.

[Robbie]

NEW 13 Only You - The Hilltoppers

Is that the same song that the Flying Pickets did in 1983?

It is most likely the same one that The Platters did. The Flying Pickets song is a cover of a Yazoo single from 1982.

[brian05]

NEW 13 Only You - The Hilltoppers

Is that the same song that the Flying Pickets did in 1983?

[MrTibbs]

Although I can appreciate from some of your earlier comments that some guys find this period of chart history less interesting than later years I at least hope that if for no other reason the fact that all charts (NME and RM at the present and MM and Disc joining later) are presented side by side to make comparisons easier and in many cases more accurate than in some books over the years give you pleasure and reading enjoyment.
To this end I have used the original charts where available, supplemented by other later books etc where original errors needed to be corrected to ensure each music paper chart is now 100% correct. Your input along the way with erroneous entries and typos I made also contributed greatly towards achieving this goal.

I believe that this alone, if you wish to disregard The Ultimate Averaged Chart itself, makes the project viable, factual, and relevant.

By the time I conclude this section this thread will therefore contain an accurate listing of all the major charts' top 20/30 positions, week by week, side by side, position by position, for comparison and overview, for the first time anywhere (I think), between October 1955 and March 1971.

The bonus of course is the averaging process added to this, The Ultimate Averaged Chart, not official, not sales based, open to criticism but at least thorough, accurate, methodical, comprehensive and transparent by including all the major charts available at the time, averaging them, and weighting them to achieve a goal of a 'chart of charts' to at least equal if not surpass the chart compiled by the BBC.

So stick with me and the last of these years, you may not all remember these years and their hits, but they too are part of our cultural, musical and chart heritage, all too easily forgotten as the decades slip by, but these early hits are the ancestors of the charting families of today and contributed to and influenced every musical trend along the way.

Enjoy.

Brian

[MrTibbs]

Greetings Pop Pickers

Here is the next Ultimate Averaged Chart for Week Ending January 28th 1956

Here are all '' the uppers, the downers, the just hanging 'arounders '

The Ultimate Averaged Chart - Week Ending January 28th 1956							NME	RM	Total
Last	This		The Sound Survey			Stores	60	52	Points
Week	Week		The Top 23 Singles Chart					20	Scored
1	1	Sixteen Tons - Tennessee Ernie Ford					1	1	2240
2	2	Ballad Of Davy Crockett - Bill Hayes					2	2	2128
7	3	Ballad Of Davy Crockett - Tennessee Ernie Ford					3	4	1964
3	4	Love And Marriage - Frank Sinatra					4	3	1956
4	5	Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing - The Four Aces					5	6	1740
9	6	(Love Is) The Tender Trap - Frank Sinatra					6	5	1732
5	7	Rock A Beatin' Boogie - Bill Haley and His Comets					7	7	1568
6	8	Rock Around The Clock - Bill Haley and His Comets					8	8	1456
8	9	Rock Island Line - Lonnie Donegan					9	9	1344
11	10	When You Lose The One You Love - David Whitfield and Mantovani					11	10	1172
12	11	Pickin' A Chicken - Eve Boswell					12	13	956
17	12	Robin Hood - Gary Miller (B)					13	12	948
NEW	13	Only You - The Hilltoppers					14	11	940
16	14	Sixteen Tons - Frankie Laine					10	18	816
10	15	Meet Me On The Corner - Max Bygraves					15	16	620
15	16	The Shifting Whispering Sands - Billy Vaughan					20	13	476
NEW	17	Zambesi - Lou Busch					18	17	388
NEW	18	Dreams Can Tell A Lie - Nat King Cole					18	18	336
NEW	19	Yellow Rose Of Texas - Stan Freberg						15	312
18	20	Robin Hood - Dick James					16		300
14	21	Suddenly There's A Valley - Petula Clark					17		240
23	22	The Shifting Whispering Sands - Eamonn Andrews					20	20	112
NEW	23	With Your Love - Malcolm Vaughan					20		60
13		Never Do A Tango With An Eskimo - Alma Cogan
19		Twenty Tiny Fingers - The Stargazers
21		Someone On Your Mind - Jimmy Young
20		Ain't That A Shame - Pat Boone
24		Arrivederci Darling - Edna Savage
22		Ballad Of Davy Crockett - Gary Miller (A)

[MrTibbs]

After pausing for a second week at #13 last week Lonnie Donegan cracks the Top Ten with his first hit this week.
Frank Sinatra joins Tennessee Ernie and Bill Haley in having two records in the Top Ten.
Dick James charts this week with his version of Robin Hood. Gary Miller's 'Davee Crockett' joins the other two versions on the chart.

[MrTibbs]

Greetings Pop Pickers

Here is the next Ultimate Averaged Chart for Week Ending January 21st 1956

Here are all '' the uppers, the downers, the just hanging 'arounders '

The Ultimate Averaged Chart - Week Ending January 21st 1956							NME	RM	Total
Last	This		The Sound Survey			Stores	60	52	Points
Week	Week		The Top 24 Singles Chart					20	Scored
2	1	Sixteen Tons - Tennessee Ernie Ford					1	1	2240
5	2	Ballad Of Davy Crockett - Bill Hayes					2	2	2128
7	3	Love And Marriage - Frank Sinatra					3	5	1912
3	4	Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing - The Four Aces					5	3	1896
4	5	Rock A Beatin' Boogie - Bill Haley and His Comets					4	6	1800
1	6	Rock Around The Clock - Bill Haley and His Comets					6	4	1784
8	7	Ballad Of Davy Crockett - Tennessee Ernie Ford					7	7	1568
13	8	Rock Island Line - Lonnie Donegan					10	8	1336
NEW	9	(Love Is) The Tender Trap - Frank Sinatra					9	11	1240
6	10	Meet Me On The Corner - Max Bygraves					8	13	1196
10	11	When You Lose The One You Love - David Whitfield and Mantovani					14	10	992
12	12	Pickin' A Chicken - Eve Boswell					13	12	948
11	13	Never Do A Tango With An Eskimo - Alma Cogan					12	16	800
14	14	Suddenly There's A Valley - Petula Clark					15	15	672
19	15	The Shifting Whispering Sands - Billy Vaughan						9	624
20	16	Sixteen Tons - Frankie Laine					11		600
22	17	Robin Hood - Gary Miller (B)					19	13	536
NEW	18	Robin Hood - Dick James					17	18	396
9	19	Twenty Tiny Fingers - The Stargazers					16		300
15	20	Ain't That A Shame - Pat Boone						17	208
17	21	Someone On Your Mind - Jimmy Young					18		180
NEW	22	Ballad Of Davy Crockett - Gary Miller (A)						18	156
NEW	23	The Shifting Whispering Sands - Eamonn Andrews					20		60
24	24	Arrivederci Darling - Edna Savage						20	52
16		Cloudburst - Don Lang
18		Hawkeye - Frankie Laine
21		Old Pianna Rag - Dickie Valentine
23		Groce Di Oro - Joan Regan

[Graham76man]

A UK hero too makes a debut this week in the form of 'Robin Hood' courtesy of Gary Miller. I remember the TV series well with Richard Greene in the starring role. If I remember correctly, although I may be wrong, It was Dick James who sang the theme in the TV programme. His version will chart soon too.

All together now, 'Robin Hood Robin Hood, riding through the glen'

Dick James went into song publishing and it was him that got the early Beatles material. He later went on to form Dick James Music and the record label DJM, so important to the future work of Elton John.
Several chart shows used the arrow hitting a target sound at the start of the show to represent a new entry on the charts.
By the way the myths about Robin Hood include splitting an arrow with another arrow. It simply can't be done! And whoever he was, he never was connected with Nottingham. Spelled "Snottingham" at the time he was on the go. A farmstead connected with somebody called "Snot". He couldn't help if he had a runny nose all the time, but the Saxon's were a bit crude like that!

[MrTibbs]

If I remember correctly it was when Rock Around The Clock was used in the film The Blackboard Jungle in 1955 that it took off again chartwise.

[kingofskiffle]

It was indeed Dick James who sang the theme to the series on the closing credits. The Hancock episode Ericson the Viking is an excellent Robin Hood parody.

[Splodj]

It may be worth recalling that in the exercise to create early Record Mirror charts from their dealer returns 'Rock Around The Clock' featured in the 11-20 section for a few weeks in late 1954. It didn't appear in the NME Top 20 during that period, so the 'official' story is that 'Shake Rattle and Roll' was the first to chart. But a more accurate description is that 'Rock Around The Clock' sold first, then Shake Rattle and Roll" sold more, then 'Rock Around The Clock' sold much more. This would have shown up had there been Top 30s at the time.

[MrTibbs]

Tennessee Ernie takes a LEAP from 15 to 2 and has a high debut in the Top Ten with 'Davee Crockett'. I actually preferred his version over Bill Hayes's smarmy patronising version.

A UK hero too makes a debut this week in the form of 'Robin Hood' courtesy of Gary Miller. I remember the TV series well with Richard Greene in the starring role. If I remember correctly, although I may be wrong, It was Dick James who sang the theme in the TV programme. His version will chart soon too.

All together now, 'Robin Hood Robin Hood, riding through the glen'

[MrTibbs]

Greetings Pop Pickers

Here is the next Ultimate Averaged Chart for Week Ending January 14th 1956

Here are all '' the uppers, the downers, the just hanging 'arounders '

The Ultimate Averaged Chart - Week Ending January 14th 1956							NME	RM	Total
Last	This		The Sound Survey			Stores	60	52	Points
Week	Week		The Top 24 Singles Chart					20	Scored
1	1	Rock Around The Clock - Bill Haley and His Comets					1	2	2188
15	2	Sixteen Tons - Tennessee Ernie Ford					2	1	2180
2	3	Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing - The Four Aces					3	4	1964
4	4	Rock A Beatin' Boogie - Bill Haley and His Comets					4	5	1852
9	5	Ballad Of Davy Crockett - Bill Hayes					7	3	1776
3	6	Meet Me On The Corner - Max Bygraves					5	8	1636
NEW	7	Love And Marriage - Frank Sinatra					9	7	1448
NEW	8	Ballad Of Davy Crockett - Tennessee Ernie Ford					11	6	1380
6	9	Twenty Tiny Fingers - The Stargazers					8	17	988
11	10	When You Lose The One You Love - David Whitfield and Mantovani					12	13	956
12	11	Never Do A Tango With An Eskimo - Alma Cogan					6	20	952
16	12	Pickin' A Chicken - Eve Boswell					15	10	932
13	13	Rock Island Line - Lonnie Donegan					16	9	924
10	14	Suddenly There's A Valley - Petula Clark					10	16	920
8	15	Ain't That A Shame - Pat Boone					17	12	708
23	16	Cloudburst - Don Lang					20	11	580
17	17	Someone On Your Mind - Jimmy Young					13		480
14	18	Hawkeye - Frankie Laine					14		420
22	19	The Shifting Whispering Sands - Billy Vaughan						14	364
26	20	Sixteen Tons - Frankie Laine						15	312
19	21	Old Pianna Rag - Dickie Valentine					18		180
NEW	22	Robin Hood- Gary Miller					20	19	164
NEW	23	Groce Di Oro - Joan Regan						18	156
25	24	Arrivederci Darling - Edna Savage					19		120
5		Christmas Alphabet - Dickie Valentine
7		Let's Have A Ding Dong - Winifred Atwell
18		Tina Marie - Perry Como
21		Suddenly There's A Valley - Jo Stafford
20		Yellow Rose Of Texas - Mitch Miller
24		Arrivederci Darling - Anne Shelton