| 1950s in music in the UK | |
| Number-one singles | |
| Number-one albums | |
| Best-selling singles | |
| Summaries and charts 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 |
|
| ←1949 | 1960→ |
| Top 10/12 singles | |
| 1952, 1953, 1954 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 |
|
| 1960→ | |
The UK Singles Chart, compiled by the Official Charts Company, calculates the best-selling record singles of the week in the United Kingdom.[1] New Music Express (NME) magazine published the United Kingdom record charts for the first time in 1952.[2][3][4] NME originally published only a top 12 (although the first chart had a couple of songs that were tied so a top 15 was announced) but this was gradually extended to encompass a top 20 by October 1954.[5][6][7] Songs that peaked in 1952 but remained in the top 12 in 1953 are listed below and in List of top 12 singles in 1952 (UK).Similarly, songs that entered the top 12 in 1952 but did not peak until 1953 are listed in a separate table below, as well as in List of top 12 singles in 1954 (UK).
Contents |
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ‡ | Single peaked in 1952 but still in chart in 1953. |
| ♦ | Single released in 1953 but peaked in 1954. |
| Entered | The date that the song first appeared in the chart. |
| Peak | Highest position that the song reached in the UK Singles Chart. |
| Entered[A] | Weeks in top 12 | Single | Artist | Peak | Peak reached[A] | Weeks at number 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 November | 18 | "Here in My Heart"‡ | Al Martino | 1 | 9 November | 9 |
| 9 November | 10 | "Feet Up"‡ | Guy Mitchell | 2 | 16 November | 0 |
| 9 November | 12 | "Isle of Innisfree"‡ | Bing Crosby | 3 | 7 December | 0 |
| 9 November | 9 | "Half as Much"‡ | Rosemary Clooney | 3 | 16 November | 0 |
| 9 November | 24 | "Because You're Mine"‡ | Mario Lanza | 3 | 30 November | 0 |
| 9 November | 8 | "Sugar Bush"‡ | Doris Day and Frankie Laine | 8 | 9 November | 0 |
| 14 December | 4[D] | "Because You're Mine"‡ | Nat King Cole | 1 | 14 December | 5 |
| 9 November | 19 | "You Belong to Me" | Jo Stafford | 1 | 11 January | 1 |
| 9 November | 8[B] | "Cowpuncher's Cantata" | Max Bygraves | 6 | 18 January | 0 |
| 30 November | 16 | "Comes A-Long A-Love" | Kay Starr | 1 | 18 January | 1 |
| 7 December | 6[D] | "Britannia Rag" | Winifred Atwell | 5 | 18 January | 0 |
| 14 December | 10 | "Takes Two to Tango" | Louis Armstrong | 6 | 18 January | 0 |
| 14 December | 3[D] | "Faith Can Move Mountains" | Johnnie Ray and The Four Lads | 7 | 14 January | 0 |
| 14 December | 7[D] | "Walkin' to Missouri" | Tony Brent | 7 | 18 January | 0 |
| 28 December | 4[C] | "Faith Can Move Mountains" | Nat King Cole | 4 | 1 February | 0 |
| 28 December | 17[D] | "Outside of Heaven" | Eddie Fisher | 1 | 25 January | 1 |
| 28 December | 7[D] | "Make It Soon" | Tony Brent | 9 | 11 January | 0 |
| 4 January | 1 | "Faith Can Move Mountains" | Jimmy Young | 11 | 4 January | 0 |
| 4 January | 1 | "The Glow-Worm" | Mills Brothers | 10 | 4 January | 0 |
| 11 January | 15 | "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes" | Perry Como and The Ramblers | 1 | 1 February | 5 |
| 11 January | 1 | "Vanessa" | Ted Heath and His Music | 11 | 11 January | 0 |
| 18 January | 5[D] | "Everything I Have Is Yours" | Eddie Fisher | 8 | 1 February | 0 |
| 18 January | 1 | "Got You on My Mind" | Tony Brent | 12 | 18 January | 0 |
| 25 January | 12 | "Now" | Al Martino | 3 | 15 March | 0 |
| 8 February | 16[D] | "She Wears Red Feathers" | Guy Mitchell | 1 | 8 March | 4 |
| 8 February | 12[D] | "Broken Wings" | The Stargazers | 1 | 5 January | 1 |
| 8 February | 7 | "Broken Wings" | Art and Dotty Todd | 6 | 22 February | 0 |
| 15 February | 1 | "Broken Wings" | Dickie Valentine | 12 | 15 February | 0 |
| 22 February | 10 | "Wonderful Copenhagen" | Danny Kaye | 6 | 15 March | 0 |
| 1 March | 1 | "Why Don't You Believe Me?" | Joni James | 11 | 1 March | 0 |
| 8 March | 11 | "How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?" | Lita Roza | 1 | 12 April | 1 |
| 8 March | 3 | "All the Time and Everywhere" | Dickie Valentine | 9 | 15 March | 0 |
| 15 March | 1 | "The Girl in the Wood" | Frankie Laine | 11 | 15 March | 0 |
| 15 March | 1 | "Night Train" | Buddy Morrow | 12 | 15 March | 0 |
| 22 March | 5 | "How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?" | Patti Page | 9 | 22 March | 0 |
| 29 March | 8 | "Oh Happy Day" | Johnston Brothers | 4 | 26 April | 0 |
| 29 March | 3 | "Little Red Monkey" | Frank Chacksfield's Tunesmiths | 10 | 29 March | 0 |
| 29 March | 36 | "I Believe" | Frankie Laine | 1 | 19 April | 18 |
| 5 April | 7[B] | "Somebody Stole My Gal" | Johnnie Ray | 6 | 5 April | 0 |
| 12 April | 1 | "Full Time Job" | Doris Day and Johnnie Ray | 11 | 12 April | 0 |
| 19 April | 11 | "Pretty Little Black Eyed Susie" | Guy Mitchell | 2 | 26 April | 0 |
| 19 April | 4 | "Side by Side | Kay Starr | 7 | 26 April | 0 |
| 19 April | 18 | "Pretend" | Nat King Cole | 2 | 3 May | 0 |
| 26 April | 15 | "Downhearted" | Eddie Fisher | 3 | 17 May | 0 |
| 26 April | 10 | "In a Golden Coach (There's a Heart of Gold)" | Billy Cotton | 3 | 31 May | 0 |
| 3 May | 16[D] | "Tell Me a Story" | Jimmy Boyd and Frankie Laine | 5 | 10 May | 0 |
| 10 May | 17 | "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" | Muriel Smith | 3 | 14 June | 0 |
| 10 May | 23 | "Terry's Theme" | Ron Goodwin | 3 | 2 August | 0 |
| 10 May | 6[D] | "Coronation Rag" | Winifred Atwell | 5 | 31 May | 0 |
| 17 May | 18 | "I'm Walking Behind You" | Eddie Fisher and Sally Sweetland | 1 | 21 June | 1 |
| 17 May | 24 | "Terry's Theme" | Frank Chacksfield | 2 | 31 May | 0 |
| 24 May | 23[C] | "The Song from Moulin Rouge" | Mantovani | 1 | 9 August | 1 |
| 31 May | 1 | "In a Golden Coach (There's a Heart of Gold)" | Dickie Valentine | 1 | 31 May | 0 |
| 31 May | 1 | "The Windsor Waltz" | Vera Lynn | 11 | 31 May | 0 |
| 31 May | 1 | "I'm Walking Behind You" | Dorothy Squires | 12 | 31 May | 0 |
| 28 June | 11 | "Hot Toddy" | Ted Heath and His Music | 6 | 9 August | 0 |
| 5 July | 5[D] | "Rachel" | Al Martino | 10 | 5 July | 0 |
| 5 July | 1 | "Bushel and a Peck" | Vivian Blaine | 12 | 5 July | 0 |
| 12 July | 6[C] | "Seven Lonely Days" | Gisele MacKenzie | 6 | August | 0 |
| 19 July | 14 | "Lets Walk That A-Way" | Doris Day and Johnnie Ray | 4 | 23 August | 0 |
| 2 August | 7[D] | "Say You're Mine Again" | June Hutton and Axel Stordahl with The Boys Next Door |
6 | 13 September | 0 |
| 9 August | 8 | "Can't I?" | Nat King Cole | 6 | 20 September | 0 |
| 16 August | 9 | "Eternally" | Jimmy Young | 8 | 30 August | 0 |
| 23 August | 14 | "Look at That Girl" | Guy Mitchell | 1 | 6 September | 6 |
| 30 August | 12 | "Where the Winds Blow" | Frankie Laine | 2 | 27 September | 0 |
| 13 September | 7 | "Mother Nature and Father Time" | Nat King Cole | 7 | 11 October | 0 |
| 13 September | 8[D] | "Kiss" | Dean Martin | 5 | 18 October | 0 |
| 20 September | 3[C] | "Flirtation Waltz" | Winifred Atwell | 10 | 27 September | 0 |
| 27 September | 1 | "The Bridge of Sighs" | David Whitfield | 9 | 27 September | 0 |
| 11 October | 8 | "Hey Joe" | Frankie Laine | 1 | 18 October | 2 |
| 11 October | 14[D] | "Answer Me" | David Whitfield | 1 | 27 September | 2 |
| 18 October | 18[D] | "Swedish Rhapsody" | Mantovani | 2 | 29 November | 0 |
| 18 October | 10[D] | "Poppa Piccolino" | Diana Decker | 2 | 6 December | 0 |
| 18 October | 5[E] | "Dragnet" | Ted Heath and His Music | 9 | 22 November | 0 |
| 25 October | 17 | "Answer Me" | Frankie Laine | 1 | 8 November | 0 |
| 1 November | 15[D] | "Chicka Boom"♦ | Guy Mitchell | 4 | 24 January | 0 |
| 1 November | 9 | "Wish You Were Here" | Eddie Fisher | 8 | 15 November | 0 |
| 15 November | 4 | "Vaya Con Dios" | Les Paul and Mary Ford | 7 | 15 November | 0 |
| 15 November | 6[D] | "Crying in the Chapel" | Lee Lawrence | 7 | 6 December | 0 |
| 22 November | 6 | "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" | Jimmy Boyd | 3 | 29 November | 0 |
| 22 November | 5 | "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" | Beverley Sisters | 6 | 6 December | 0 |
| 29 November | 15[D] | "Let's Have a Party"♦ | Winifred Atwell | 2 | 10 January | 0 |
| 29 November | 2[D] | "Dragnet" | Ray Anthony and His Orchestra | 7 | 29 November | 0 |
| 29 November | 4[D] | "Swedish Rhapsody" | Ray Martin | 4 | 13 December | 0 |
| 6 December | 5[D] | "Ricochet" | Joan Regan with The Squadronaires | 8 | 6 December | 0 |
| 6 December | 11[D] | "Rags to Riches"♦ | David Whitfield | 3 | 3 January | 0 |
| 13 December | 3 | "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" | Billy Cotton | 11 | 13 December | 0 |
| 13 December | 16 | "Cloud Lucky Seven"♦ | Guy Mitchell | 2 | 7 February | 0 |
| 13 December | 21 | "Oh Mein Papa"♦ | Eddie Calvert | 1 | 9 January | 9 |
Notes
| Artist | Number of top 12 singles |
|---|---|
| Frankie Laine | 7[F] |
| Guy Mitchell | 6[F][G] |
| Nat King Cole | 5[F] |
| Eddie Fisher | 5 |
| Winifred Atwell | 4 |
| Johnnie Ray | 4 |
| Tony Brent | 3 |
| Doris Day | 3[F] |
| Ted Heath and His Music | 3 |
| Al Martino | 3[F] |
| Dickie Valentine | 3 |
| Jimmy Boyd | 2 |
| Frank Chacksfield | 2 |
| Billy Cotton and His Band | 2 |
| Mantovani | 2 |
| David Whitfield | 2 |
| Jimmy Young | 2 |
Notes