While it’s possible to trace musical talent back as far as you’re willing (the clubbed together sticks of a Neanderthal band no doubt once drew an audience), the art of collating and ordering tracks is a relatively modern invention.
In fact, the UK Singles Chart didn’t exist until after the Second World War, debuting in November 1952. Almost 80 years on, its originator still exists in the form of New Musical Express, or NME.
Marketing Potential
It’s perhaps a surprise that it took so long for the UK to put together a singles chart. Of course, it’s easy to look back from an era where everything can be placed on a list and wonder what civilisation was doing with its time.
The widespread organisation of things today owes itself to the split of media into genres, formats, and interactive experiences, such as games. Lists or, in this case, leaderboards, are good at keeping people engaged.
For example, the Nike Run and Peloton fitness platforms use leaderboards to encourage their users to open the app. Casino operators may use contests to attract players, where daily tournaments form part of a promotion suite along with a casino sign-up bonus. The latter might be a deposit bonus or some free spins on a slot game.
It’s hard to deny the marketing potential of a chart for pop music. It’s all somebody needs to discover their next favourite song or artist.
Streaming Media
The US Billboard chart began in 1913 as a top sellers list of sheet music, and wouldn’t start ranking pop music until 1936. Just to stress the novelty of the latter during the inter-war years, radio performances and songs from theatres got their own charts before pop music.
Charts have arguably become more eclectic as time has moved on, with streaming media greatly influencing what gets played and when. It explains why a 1985 single from Kate Bush, ‘Running Up That Hill’, landed at the top of the charts in 2022. The ChartTimeMachine website notes that NME’s list and those from its many rivals (Record Mirror, Melody Maker, Record Retailer) were based on different sources. A unified reference didn’t appear until the BBC intervened in 1969.
Back then, the Official UK Charts Company was still a long way off, beginning life as the Chart Information Network in 1990 before it adopted its current name in 2001.
Al Martino
NME founder Percy Dickins is credited with creating the first UK singles chart, compiling sales data from 20 stores for its first edition in late 1952. The Al Martino song ‘Here in My Heart’ reached the top spot first and remained there for nine weeks. Music magazine FarOut describes it as “among the most obscure” British singles ever to grace the chart.
Frankie Laine’s ‘I Believe’ equalled Martino’s record in April the following year. It’s still among the songs to hold the podium for the longest (18 weeks) and one of just five tracks to rack up that number over three separate events.
Eddie Calvert’s ‘Oh Mein Papa’ followed ‘I Believe’ in January 1954. July 1954 saw David Whitfield reach 10 weeks, while Slim Whitman scored eleven in 1955 with ‘Rose Marie’.
Today, genres and styles have almost abandoned classic crooning, but the UK Singles Chart remains an authority on popular music. Things are at least predictable in winter. The hit songs of years past currently occupy the charts – Wham’s ‘Last Christmas’ at number three, and ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ by Mariah Carey at number four.
