# Best UK #1 single retrospective: 1952-1953 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 15, 2015, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-uk-1-single-retrospective-1952-1953/727936 "2015-08-15T18:45:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2015, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-uk-1-single-retrospective-1952-1953/727936/1 "2015-08-15T18:45:06Z")
It’s been almost exactly one year since I started my poll series to rate every US #1 single of all time. I had so much fun running those polls, and a lot of people enjoyed them as well, and I’ve been wanting to do another retrospective series of this nature. There were several years where people complained that the British #1s were much better, so for my new series, I thought I’d take a look at those neighbors of ours across the pond and the top-rated songs in the UK. The chart of record in the UK is the Official Singles Chart, which was established by the British record industry and the BBC in 1969. Prior to that, several industry and popular magazines compiled their own competing charts. The Official Charts Company considers the chart published by NME, which was the first singles chart, to be the canonical chart from 1952-1960, and the Record Retailer chart to be canonical from 1960 to 1969. As such, the 15 options in this poll, and the ones for the remainder of this decade, are the singles that NME listed as being the top-sellers in British record stores of the time (NME, and all the subsequent British charts, are 100% sales-based, unlike the Billboard chart’s hybrid of sales/airplay/streaming.) NME started its chart (which, like all British record charts to the present day, is 100% based on sales) at the end of 1952, so the first poll in this series we’ll be putting those two years together. We find ourselves starting quite a few years before rock & roll made it to the British Isles, giving us a mix of big band/swing music, crooners, and showtunes at #1. I’ll admit that I had to go and listen to each one of these songs before I could pick one to vote for, because these just aren’t the kind of songs one hears anymore. What’s your favorite? Best US #1 singles: [1955-56](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=731649) [1957](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=731871) [1958](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732021) [1959](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732199)[1960](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732526) [1961](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732691) [1962](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732872) [1963](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733112) [1964](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733297) [1965](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733526) [1966](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733750) [1967](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733958) [1968](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734168) [1969](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734331) [1970](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734535) [1971](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734741) [1972](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735107) [1973](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735304) [1974](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735502) [1975](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735659) [1976](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735871) [1977](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736076) [1978](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736316) [1979](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736501) [1980](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736705) [1981](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736957) [1982](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737099) [1983](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737315) [1984](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737488) [1985](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737732) [1986](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737957) [1987](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738178) [1988](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738403) [1989](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738639) [1990](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738829) [1991](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739067) [1992](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739360) [1993](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739525) [1994](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739880) [1995](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740122) [1996](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740302) [1997](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740497) [1998](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740709) [1999](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740859) [2000](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741047) [2001](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741267) [2002](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741450) [2003](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741604) [2004](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741730) [2005](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741915) [2006](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742069) [2007](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742147) [2008](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742282) [2009](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742467) [2010](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742676) [2011](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742846) [2012](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=675664) [2013](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=710843) [2014](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743899) [1950s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743046) [1960s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743240) [1970s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743399) [1980s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743597) [1990s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743803) [2000s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743981) [2010s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=744176) [All-time](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=744358) Best of the Rest of the Top 40: [1956](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=744629) [1957](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=744819) [1958](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=744978) [1959](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=745151) [1960](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=745331) [1961](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=745525) [1962](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=745733) [1963](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=745956) [1964](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=746118) [1965](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=746342) [1966](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=746498) [1967](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=746735) [1968](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=746932) [1969](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=747152) [1970](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=747345) [1971](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=747517) [1972](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=747737) [1973](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=747976) [1974](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=748145) [1975](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=748360) [1976](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=748527) [1977](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=748653) [1978](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=748866) [1979](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=749060) [1980](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=749217) [1981](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=749398) [1982](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=749610) [1983](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=749795) [1984](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=749949) [1985](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=750154) [1986](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=750299) [1987](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=750488) [1988](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=750641) [1989](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=750845) [1990](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=751015) [1991](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=751202) [1992](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=751368) [1993](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=751517) [1994](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=751667) [1995](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=751834) [1996](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=751992) [1997](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=752188) [1998](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=752421) [1999](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=752566) [2000](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=752753) [2001](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=752944) [2002](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=753086) [2003](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=753228) [2004](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=753557) [2005](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=753728) [2006](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=753884) [2007](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=754223) [2008](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=754360) [2009](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=754524) [2010](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=754714) [2011](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=754987) [2012](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=755280) [2013](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=755568) [2014](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=755895) [1950s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=756023) [1960s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=756189) [1970s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=756357) [1980s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=756514) [1990s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=756653) [2000s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=756857) [2010s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=757023) [All-Time](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=757374) [(Tiebreaker)](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=757583) [#1s vs. the Rest](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=757827) ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2015, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-uk-1-single-retrospective-1952-1953/727936/2 "2015-08-15T19:04:20Z")
OH GOD Smapti, don’t do this ☹ When you were doing the US number one polls I was trying to keep track of the UK ones as a comparison. Please don’t put me in the position of trying to explain how Mr Blobby got to number one, please… ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2015, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-uk-1-single-retrospective-1952-1953/727936/3 "2015-08-15T19:12:20Z")
Oh, come now. That’s not even the strangest quirk in the history of the British chart. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2015, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-uk-1-single-retrospective-1952-1953/727936/4 "2015-08-15T19:32:44Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Oh, come now. That’s not even the strangest quirk in the history of the British chart. Sigh, no it isn’t, sadly. Oh well, on we go… FYI, I don’t know any of the songs in this chart. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2015, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-uk-1-single-retrospective-1952-1953/727936/5 "2015-08-15T19:44:27Z")
I only know “How Much Is That Doggie In the Window?” I mean _EVERYONE_ knows that song, right? ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2015, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-uk-1-single-retrospective-1952-1953/727936/6 "2015-08-15T20:24:01Z")
No vote for me in this poll, because almost none of the songs are rated in the world-famous **Ponch8 Music Rating System**. Hmm… I wonder how many times Kesha has reached #1 in the UK? I’ll do some investigating a little later 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![littleAl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/51bf81/32.png) [@littleAl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/littleAl)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-uk-1-single-retrospective-1952-1953/727936/7 "2015-08-16T12:22:49Z")
I really enjoy “She wears red feathers…” but it’s not best song; fun though, so I would have to pick “You belong to me” ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-uk-1-single-retrospective-1952-1953/727936/8 "2015-08-16T12:34:40Z")
I voted for “I believe” because it’s one of the few I know, and I’m not voting for How Much Is That Doggie In The Window.