Time to close out the '50s. This year marks a point at which the UK chart starts to sharply diverge from the US chart. In America, rock music largely disappeared from the top 40 from 1959-1963, with girl groups and crooners and novelty songs coming on top until the British Invasion hit. In the UK, of course, rock & roll was just beginning to come into its own - guitar music was becoming more popular, teddy boys were turning into Mods and Rockers, one of the most successful British bands to never make it big in America was coming onto the scene, and a group of teenagers who called themselves the Quarrymen were getting ready to change the world.
18 songs topped the charts this year. What’s your favorite?
Previous polls; 1952-1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958
*denotes one half of a double A-side
Best US #1 singles: 1955-56 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s All-time
Best of the Rest of the Top 40: 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s All-Time (Tiebreaker)