BRITAIN'S FIRST RECORD SALES CHART
BRITAIN'S FIRST ALL BRITISH CHART (2nd down)
THE UK'S FIRST SILVER & GOLD DISC WINNERS
FOR THE FIRST TIME ANYWHERE - The full listing of every Silver and Gold Disc winner in the UK before the first "official" awards were presented by the British Phonographic Industry in the early 70s. Yet again we have to thank 50s & 60s expert Alan Smith for researching and compiling this list.
SILVER DISC AWARDS 1959 - 1969.
In 1959 the year old (It commenced in February 1958) music paper Disc instigated a scheme to award specially made silver discs to those records that sold over 250.000 units in the United Kingdom. Editor Gerald Marks set about contacting as many record companies as possible to try to persuade them to join up to the idea by contacting Disc with sales data on successful records passing the quarter of a million sales mark.
It was also decided that in the extremely rare occasion when a record passed one million sales (1.000.000) that specially made gold discs would be presented! Up to 1959 only three records were known to have passed the magic million number; these were "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley, "Mary's Boy Child" by Harry Belafonte and "Diana" by Paul Anka. Cliff Richard's `Living Doll` by October 1959, would be the fourth and final million seller of the 1950s.
The Silver disc award was thought to be a pretty rare occasion as only long running number 1 records would possibly qualify.
Extended play discs (EPs) were also awarded silver discs when sales were high enough; especially in 1964-5. Just the Beatles and Rolling Stones qualified due to both group's high popularity and heavy EP sales.
Only one Long Player (LP) publicly received a silver disc by the paper. This was awarded on 17 February 1962 to Elvis Presley's `GI Blues`. It is still not known why no more formal announcements of silver disc LP awards was not made by the paper. Silver disc awards to LPs `did` continue though. Proof of this is the Beatles receiving such an award for their `With The Beatles` by their producer George Martin on Thank Your Lucky Stars `Merseybeat` special in December 1963.
It is not known whether the awards were backdated as there are no records are kept by Disc to confirm this. It is unfortunate for Elvis Presley as he would have surely qualified for silver discs if back dating were allowed.
The system relied on the willingness of Record companies forwarding the correct sales figures for the awards to be made. This system as it turned out, would lead to quite a few errors in the scheme. Sometimes Record Companies would be late with their data; R.C.A records often left it more than three months after Elvis Presley records had qualified, before informing Disc.
Only a few Record companies joined in the system in 1959 so data is sketchy especially as notification would be made after the record had dropped from the charts. Some awards were erroneous due to companies providing figures shipped to shops rather that over the counter sales.
The best example is the Archies "Sugar Sugar". In January 1970 both Disc and Music Echo and Record Retailer published the news along with a photo of Archies producer Don Kirshner being awarded a gold disc by Disc editor David Hughes. It later transpired that "Sugar Sugar" had only sold just over 945.000 copies; the million figure as given was due to RCA records sending just over 1.000.000 units to retailers which not quite all were sold.
This is a problem that has bedevilled the RAAA awards in the United States of America. In theory in the states a record can win Gold or Platinum status solely on units shipped to retailers. If all were returned unsold the award would still stand.
The system was very much on trust and the diligence of Record companies tallying sales figures correctly. Sadly many did not even bother to submit sales data and many hit record which fans were certain should have qualified never got the award.
With gold record awards Disc did not seem to make clear when Gold records were awarded. The silver awards were duly publicised, but when a record went gold as well as silver it was not so well documented. For accuracy sake just the dates of silver awards are given. However, where it is known a record did sell over one million copies a capital G (Bold) mark will be assigned against the title.
There is no certainty of full accuracy as Disc sometimes gave erroneous information. In September 1970 both sides of Stevie Wonders "I Don't Know why / My Cherie Amour" were awarded separate silver discs. "I Don't Know why" fared poorly on release, and only when `B` side "My Cherie Amour" was promoted, did the record sell well. It is one of the obvious errors made by the paper.
By 1973 the British Phonographic Industry decided to set up an `official` awards. The BPI insisted on Record Companies giving rather more accurate data for this new scheme and that sales were properly audited. It was decided to mark sales of 500.000 with some type of award too. The BPI would now give a silver disc for 250.000 sales (no change there!) and to award gold for 500.000 sales. The one million sales would now be awarded the new platinum disc award. The first recipient of a Platinum disc was Gary Glitter for his million plus seller "I Love, You Love, Me Love" in late November 1973.
Disc and Music Echo did try to carry on their own awards through 1973, but it was made redundant by the new BPI awards which virtually every record company signed up to. Discs award scheme had never been universally accepted and sadly was error strewn, but it was a superb innovation for its time until a better and more accurate system evolved.
Early silver disc winner Craig Douglas
SILVER DISCS AWARDED.
1959.
Date. Title (Artist). Record Label.
9 May - 'Side Saddle' (Russ Conway) Columbia
23 May - 'A Fool Such As I / I Need Your Love Tonight' (Elvis Presley) RCA
'It Doesn't Matter Any More' (Buddy Holly) Coral
18 Jul - 'A Teenager In Love' (Marty Wilde) Phillips
'Roulette' (Russ Conway) Columbia
8 Aug - 'Dream Lover' (Bobby Darin) London
15 Aug - 'Living Doll'(Cliff Richard) Columbia
3 Oct - 'Only Sixteen' (Craig Douglas) Top Rank
24 Oct - 'Here Comes Summer' (Jerry Keller) London
'Mack The Knife' (Bobby Darin) London
21 Nov - 'Travellin' Light' (Cliff Richard) Columbia
26 Dec - 'What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For' (Emile Ford) Pye Nixa
1960.
16 Jan - 'What Do You Want' (Adam Faith) Parlophone
30 Jan - 'Put Your Head On My Shoulder' (Paul Anka) Columbia
'Little White Bull' (Tommy Steele) Decca
'Snow Coach' (Russ Conway) Columbia
13 Feb - 'Starry Eyed' (Michael Holliday) Columbia
'Why' (Anthony Newley) Decca
'Seven Little Girls' (Avons) Columbia
20 Feb - 'A Voice In The Wilderness' (Cliff Richard) Columbia
27 Feb - 'Rawhide' (Frankie Laine) Phillips
'Heartaches By the Number' (Guy Mitchell) Phillips
'Sea Of Love' (Marty Wilde) Phillips
'Bad Boy' (Marty Wilde) Phillips
12 Mar - 'Way Down Yonder In New Orleans' (Freddy Cannon) Top Rank
26 Mar - 'Poor Me' (Adam Faith) Parlophone
7 May - 'Fall In Love with You' (Cliff Richard) Columbia
21 May - 'Cathy's Clown' (Everly Brothers) Warner Brothers
11 Jun - 'Do You Mind' (Anthony Newley) Decca
25 Jun - 'Handy Man' (Jimmy Jones) M.G.M
13 Aug - 'Please Don't Tease' (Cliff Richard) Columbia
3 Sep - 'Apache' (G) (Shadows) Columbia
10 Sep - 'A Mess Of Blues' (Elvis Presley) R.C.A
24 Sep - 'Because They're Young' (Duane Eddy) London
8 Oct - 'Theme From A Summer Place' (Percy Faith) Phillips
15 Oct - 'Good Timin' '(Jimmy Jones) M.G.M
'Tell Laura I Love Her' (Ricky Valance) Columbia
22 Oct - 'Nine Times Out of Ten' (Cliff Richard) Columbia
29 Oct - 'It's Now or Never' (G) (Elvis Presley) R.C.A
5 Nov - 'As Long as he Needs Me' (Shirley Bassey) Columbia
26 Nov - 'My Old Man's A Dustman' (Lonnie Donegan) Pye Nixa
17 Dec - 'He'll Have To Go' (Jim Reeves) R.C.A
24 Dec - 'Rocking Goose' (Johnny and the Hurricanes) London
'Save the Last Dance For Me' (Drifters) London
'I Love You' (Cliff Richard) Columbia
31 Dec - 'Little Donkey' (Nina and Frederick) Columbia
'Only The Lonely' (Roy Orbison) London
1961
* Note! In Jan 1961 Russ Conway received a special silver disc
for LP sales. This is thought to be the only incident of this happening.
7 Jan 'Strawberry Fair' (Anthony Newley) Decca
'Poetry In Motion' (Johnny Tillotsen) London
14 Jan 'Lonely Pup' (Adam Faith) Parlophone
'Goodness Gracious Me' (Peter Sellers and Sophie Loren)
Parlophone
'My Heart Has A Mind of Its Own' (Connie Francis) M.G.M
21 Jan 'Man of Mystery' (Shadows) Columbia
11 Feb 'Sailor' (Petula Clark) Pye
18 Feb 'Are You Sure' (Allisons) Fontana
'Walk Right Back' (Everly Brothers) Warner Brothers
8 Apr 'Theme For A Dream' (Cliff Richard)
29 Apr 'F.B.I' (Shadows) Columbia
24 Jun 'Runaway' (Del Shannon) London
5 Aug 'But I Do' (Clarence `Frogman` Henry) Pye
19 Aug 'Halfway To Paradise' (Billy Fury) Decca
26 Aug 'You Don't Know' (Helen Shapiro) Columbia
2 Sep 'Johnny Remember Me' (John Layton) Top Rank
9 Sep 'Well I Ask You' (Eden Kane) Decca
28 Oct 'Wild Wind' (John Layton) Top Rank
4 Nov 'Walkin' Back To Happiness' (Helen Shapiro) Columbia
11 Nov 'When the Girl in Your Arms, Is the Girl in Your Heart'
(Cliff Richard) Columbia
18 Nov 'A Scottish Soldier' (Andy Stewart) Top Rank
'Reach For the Stars / Climb Every Mountain'
(Shirley Bassey) Columbia
16 Dec 'Big Bad John' (Jimmy Dean) Phillips
'Tower of Strength' (Frankie Vaughn) Phillips
23 Dec 'Moon River' (Danny Williams) H.M.V
'Take Good Care Of My Baby' (Bobby Vee) London
30 Dec 'Are You Lonesome Tonight' (Elvis Presley) R.C.A
'Wooden Heart' (Elvis Presley) R.C.A
'Surrender' (Elvis Presley) R.C.A
'Wild In The Country' (Elvis Presley) R.C.A
'(Marie's the Name of) His Latest Flame' (Elvis Presley) R.C.A
'The Time Has Come' (Adam Faith) Parlophone
1962.
6 Jan 'Midnight In Moscow' (Kenny Ball And His Jazzmen) Pye
'Johnny Will' (Pat Boone) London
13 Jan 'Stranger On The Shore' (G) (Mr Acker Bilk) Columbia
'The Young Ones' (G) (Cliff Richard) Columbia
20 Jan 'Let There Be Drums' (Sandy Nelson) London
27 Jan 'I'd Never Find Another You' (Billy Fury) Decca
17 Feb 'Rocka - Hula Baby / Can't Help Falling In Love' (Elvis Presley) RCA
'GI Blues' (LP) (Elvis Presley) RCA * Note! This is the only recorded instance of Disc awarding an LP a silver disc. Why no more were officially notified is not known. The paper certainly did award silver (and one gold) discs to the Beatles for their LPs but no actual dates of notification were published by Disc.
24 Feb 'Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen' (Neil Sedaka) RCA
'Let's Twist Again' (Chubby Checker) Columbia
31 Mar 'Wonderful Land' (Shadows) Columbia
7 Apr 'Walk On By' (Leroy Van Dyke)
21 Apr 'Tell Me what He Said' (Helen Shapiro) Columbia
5 May 'March Of The Siamese Children' (Kenny Ball And His Jazzmen) Pye
19 May 'I'm Looking Out The Window / Do You Wanna Dance' (Cliff Richard) Columbia
9 Jun 'Good Luck Charm' (Elvis Presley) RCA
14 Jul 'Come Outside' (Mike Sarne) Parlophone
'A Picture Of You' (Joe Brown) Piccadilly
28 Jul 'I Can't Stop Loving You' (Ray Charles) HMV
'I Remember You' (G) (Frank Ifield) Columbia
11 Aug 'Speedy Gonzales' (Pat Boone) London
15 Sep 'Roses Are Red' (Ronnie Carroll) Phillipps
22 Sep 'Things' (Bobby Darin) London)
'Guitar Tango' (Shadows) Columbia
13 Oct 'Telstar' (Tornadoes) Decca
3 Nov 'Lovesick Blues' (Frank Ifield) Columbia
'It'll Be Me' (Cliff Richard) Columbia
'The Locomotion' (Little Eva) London
22 DeC 'Bobby's Girl' (Susan Maughn) Phillips
'She's Not You' (Elvis Presley) RCA
'Return To Sender' (Elvis Presley) RCA
'Dance On' (Shadows) Columbia
'The Next Time / Bachelor Boy' (Cliff Richard) Columbia
'Venus In Blue Jeans' (Mark Wynter) Pye
1963
5 Jan 'Dance With The Guitar Man' (Duane Eddy) RCA
'Sheila' (Tommy Roe) HMV
2 Feb 'The Wayward Wind' (Frank Ifield) Columbia
'Diamonds' (Jet Harris And Tony Meehan) Decca
9 Mar 'Summer Holiday' (Cliff Richard) Columbia
6 Apr 'Let's Dance' (Chris Montez) London
13 Apr 'Please Please Me' (Beatles)
27 Apr 'From A Jack To A King' (Ned Miller) London
'Foot Tapper' (Shadows) Columbia
'How Do You Do It' (Gerry And The Pacemakers) Columbia
4 May 'From Me To You' (Beatles) Parlophone
15 Jun 'Nobody's Darlin' But Mine' (Frank Ifield) Columbia
6 Jul 'I Like It' (Gerry And The Pacemakers)
13 Jul 'Ramblin' Rose' (Nat King Cole) Columbia
'Deck Of Cards' (Wink Martindale) Decca
3 Aug 'I'm Confessing' (Frank Ifield) Columbia
'Devil In Disguise' (Elvis Presley) RCA
'In Dreams' (Roy Orbison) London
10 Aug 'Atlantis' (Shadows) Columbia
17 Aug 'Take These Chains From My Heart' (Ray Charles) HMV
24 Aug 'That's What Love Will Do' (Joe Brown) Piccadilly
'Sweets For My Sweet' (Searchers) Pye
'Twist And Shout' EP (Beatles) Parlophone
31 Aug 'Bad To Me' (Billy J Kramer And The Dakotas) Parlophone
7 Sep 'She Loves You' (G) (Beatles) Parlophone
14 Sep 'Lucky Lips' (Cliff Richard) Columbia
'The Frightened City' (Shadows) Columbia
19 Oct 'Do You Love Me' (Brian Poole And The Tremeloes) Decca
26 Oct 'You'll Never Walk Alone' (Gerry And The Pacemakers) Columbia
'It's All In The Game' (Cliff Richard) Columbia
9 Nov 'Then He Kissed Me' (Crystals) London
23 Nov 'Blue Bayou' (Roy Orbison) London
7 Dece 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' (G) (Beatles) Parlophone
14 Dec 'Don't Talk To Him' (Cliff Richard) Columbia
'The Beatles Hits' EP (Beatles) Parlophone
'You Were Made For Me' (Freddie And The Dreamers) Columbia
'I, Who Have Nothing' (Shirley Bassey) Columbia
21 Dec 'Glad All Over' (Dave Clark Five) Columbia
1964
4 Jan 'Dominique' (Singing Nun) Phillips
'Maria Elena' (Los Indios Tabajaros) RCA
'I Only Want To Be With You' (Dusty Springfield) Phillips
'Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa' (Gene Pitney) United Artists
11 Jan 'Hippy Hippy Shake' (Swinging Blue Jeans) HMV
'Sugar And Spice' (Searchers) Pye
15 Jan 'Diane' (Bachelors) Decca
'Anyone Who Had A Heart' (Cilla Black) Parlophone
22 Feb 'Needles And Pins' (Searchers) Pye
29 Feb 'Bits And Pieces' (Dave Clark Five) Columbia
7 Mar 'I'm The One' (Gerry And The Pacemakers) Columbia
14 Mar 'I Think Of You' (Merseybeats) Fontana
'Little Children' (Billy J Kramer And The Dakotas) Parlophone
21 Mar 'All My Loving' EP (Beatles) Parlophone
'Not Fade Away' (Rolling Stones) Decca
'Can't Buy Me Love' (G) (Beatles) Parlophone
28 Mar 'Just One Look' (Hollies) Parlophone
'Can't Buy Me Love' (G) (Beatles) Parlophone
4 Apr 'I Love You Because' (Jim Reeves) RCA
11 Apr 'I Believe' (Bachelors) Decca
'A World Without Love' (Peter And Gordon) Columbia
18 Apr 'Don't Throw Your Love Away' (Searchers) Pye
2 May 'My Boy Lollipop' (Millie) Fontana
23 May 'Juliet' (Four Pennies) Phillips
'You're My World' (Cilla Black) Parlophone
6 Jun 'It's Over' (Roy Orbison) London
4 Jul 'House Of The Rising Sun' (Animals) Columbia
'Someone, Someone' (Brian Poole And The Tremeloes) Decca
11 Jul 'It's All Over Now' (Rolling Stones) Decca
18 Jul 'A Hard Days Night' (Beatles) Parlophone
25 Jul 'Hold Me' (P.J Proby) Decca
1 Aug 'Do Wah Diddy, Diddy' (Manfred Mann) HMV
8 Aug 'I Won't Forget You' (Jim Reeves) RCA
15 Aug 'Call Up The Groups' (Barron Knights) Columbia
29 Aug 'Have I The Right' (Honeycombs) Pye
'I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself' (Dusty Springfield) Phillips
12 Sep 'Five By Five' EP (Rolling Stones) Decca
19 Sep 'I Wouldn't Trade You For The World' (Bachelors) Decca
3 Oct 'I'm Into Something Good' (Hermans Hermits) Columbia
10 Oct 'You Really Got Me' (Kinks)
'The Wedding' (Julie Rogers) Mercury
'Oh Pretty Woman' (Roy Orbison) London
'Rag Doll' (Four Seasons) Phillips
'Where Did Our Love Go' (Supremes) Stateside
24 Oct 'There's Always Something There To Remind Me' (Sandie Shaw) Pye
21 Nov 'All Day And All Of The Night' (Kinks) Pye
5 Dec 'Baby Love' (Supremes) Stateside
'I Feel Fine' (G) (Beatles) Parlophone
12 Dec 'I'm Gonna Be Strong' (Gene Pitney) United Artists
'Little Red Rooster' (Rolling Stones) Decca
19 Dec 'Walk Away' (Matt Monro) Parlophone
'There's A Heartache Following Me' (Jim Reeves)
'When You Walk In The Room' (Searchers) Pye
'Walk Tall' (Val Doonican) Decca
'Downtown' (Petula Clark) Pye
26 Dec 'No Arms Can Ever Hold You' (Bachelors) Decca
'Somewhere' (P.J Proby) Decca
'I Understand' (Freddie And The Dreamers) Columbia
1965
2 Jan 'Yeh Yeh' (Georgie Fame And The Blue Flames) Columbia
'Girl Don't Come' (Sandie Shaw) Pye
'Pretty Paper' (Roy Orbison) London
9 Jan 'Terry' (Twinkle) Decca
'I Could Easily Fall' (Cliff Richard) Columbia
23 Jan 'Go Now' (Moody Blues) Decca
6 Feb 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling' (Righteous Brothers) London
'Tired Of Waiting For You' (Kinks) Pye
'Cast Your Fate To The Wind' (Sounds Orchestral) Piccadilly
13 Feb 'Long Tall Sally' EP (Beatles) Parlophone
27 Feb 'I'll Never Find Another You' (Seekers) Columbia
6 Mar 'It's Not Unusual' (Tom Jones) Decca
20 Mar 'The Last Time' (Rolling Stones) Decca
27 Mar 'Silhouettes' (Hermans Hermits) Columbia
1 May 'Ticket To Ride' (Beatles) Parlophone
'The Minute You're Gone' (Cliff Richard) Columbia
8 May 'Pop Go The Workers' (Barron Knights) Columbia
5 June 'Catch The Wind' (Donovan) Pye
19 Jun 'He's In Town' (Rocking Berries) Piccadilly
'A World Of Our Own' (Seekers) Columbia
'Long Live Love' (Sandie Shaw) Pye
26 Jun 'Crying In The Chapel' (Elvis Presley) RCA
31 July 'Help' (Beatles) Parlophone
7 Aug 'I'm Alive' (Hollies) Parlophone
'Mr Tambourine Man' (Byrds) CBS
21 Aug 'You've Got Your Troubles' (Fortunes) Decca
28 Aug 'I Got You Babe' (Sonny And Cher) Atlantic
4 Sep 'Tossing And Turning' (Ivy League) Piccadilly
11 Sep 'Beatles No 1' EP (Beatles) Parlophone
25 Sep 'I Can't Get No - Satisfaction' (Rolling Stones) Decca
9 Oct 'Tears' (G) (Ken Dodd) Columbia
16 Oct 'Make It Easy On Yourself' (Walker Brothers) Phillips
'A Walk In The Black Forest' (Horst Jankowski) Mercury
13 Nov 'Get Off My Cloud' (Rolling Stones) Decca
'Yesterday Man' (Chris Andrews) Decca
27 Nov 'The Carnival Is Over' (G) (Seekers) Columbia
4 Dec 'Here It Comes Again' (Fortunes)
11 Dec 'We Can Work It Out / Day Tripper' (G) (Beatles) Parlophone
18 Dec 'Zorba's Dance' (Marcello Minerbi) Durium
'1, 2, 3' (Len Barry) Brunswick
'My Generation' (Who) Brunswick
'Wind Me Up - Let Me Go' (Cliff Richard) Columbia
'The River' (Ken Dodd) Columbia
1966
15 Jan 'Keep On Running' (Spencer Davis Group) Fontana
22 Jan 'A Girl Like You' (Cliff Richard) Columbia
29 Jan 'My Ship Is Coming In' (Walker Brothers) Phillips
12 Feb 'These Boots Were Made For Walking' (Nancy Sinatra) Reprise
19 Feb 'Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown' (Rolling Stones) Decca
'You Were On My Mind' (Crispian St Peters) Decca
26 Feb 'Spanish Flea' (Herb Alpert And The Tijuana Brass) Pye
12 Mar 'Sha La La La Lee' (Small Faces) Decca
19 Mar 'A Groovy Kind Of Love' (Mindbenders) Fontana
9 Apr 'The Sun Aint Gonna Shine Any More' (Walker Brothers) Phillips
23 Apr 'Make The World Go Away' (Eddy Arnold) RCA
7 May 'You Don't Have To Say You Love Me' (Dusty Springfield) Phillips
21 May 'Pretty Flamingo' (Manfred Mann) HMV
4 Jun 'Constantly' (Cliff Richard) Columbia
'Paint It Black' (Rolling Stones) Decca
11 Jun 'Hold Tight' (Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick And Titch) Fontana
'Daydream' (Lovin' Spoonful) Pye International
'Strangers In the Night' (Frank Sinatra) Reprise
25 Jun 'Paperback Writer' (Beatles) Parlophone
13 Aug 'Wild Thing' (Troggs) Fontana
27 Aug 'With A Girl Like You' (Troggs) Fontana
3 Sep 'Sunny Afternoon' (Kinks) Pye
'Yellow Submarine / Eleanor Rigby' (Beatles) Parlophone
8 Oct 'Distant Drums' (Jim Reeves) RCA
12 Nov 'Reach Out - I'll Be There' (Four Tops) Tamla Mowtown
3 Dec 'Good Vibrations' (Beach Boys) Capitol
'Green, Green Grass Of Home' (G) (Tom Jones)
24 Dec 'On The Beach' (Cliff Richard) Columbia
'Here It Comes Again' (Fortunes) Decca
'My Love' (Petula Clark) Pye
'What Would I Be' (Val Doonican) Decca
'Morningtown Ride' (Seekers)
1967
7 Jan 'Wheels' (Joe Loss) HMV
'Sloop John B' (Beach Boys) Capitol
'Winchester Cathedral' (New Vaudeville Band) Fontana
'Sunshine Superman' (Donovan) Pye
'Semi Detached Suburban Mr James' (Manfred Mann) Fontana
'Bend It' (Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick And Titch) Fontana
14 Jan 'Gimme Some Loving' (Spencer Davis Group) Fontana
'I'm A Believer' (Monkees) RCA
11 Feb 'Dead End Street' (Kinks) Pye
18 Feb 'This Is My Song' (Petula Clark) Pye
25 Feb 'Lets Spend The Night Together' (Rolling Stones) Decca
'Release Me' (G) (Englebert Humperdink) Decca
4 Mar 'Strawberry Fields Forever / Penny Lane' (Beatles) Parlophone
22 Apr 'Somethin' Stupid' (Frank And Nancy Sinatra) Reprise
'Puppet On A String' (Sandie Shaw) Pye
13 May 'This Is My Song' (Harry Secombe) Phillips
'A Little Bi Me, A Little Bit You' (Monkees) RCA
20 May 'I Left My Heart In San Fransisco' (Tony Bennett) CBS
3 Jun 'Silence Is Golden' (Tremeloes) CBS
10 Jun 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale' (Procul Harum) Decca
17 Jun 'There Goes My Everything' (Englebert Humperdink) Decca
22 Jul 'All You Need Is Love' (Beatles) Parlophone
12 Aug 'San Francisco' (Scott McKenzie) CBS
2 Sept 'Just Loving You' (Anita Harris) CBS
9 Sep 'I'll Never Fall In Love Again' (Tom Jones) Decca
'The Last Waltz' (G) (Englebert Humperdink) Decca
21 Oct 'Massachusetts' (Bee Gees) Polydor
25 Nov 'Hole In My Shoe' (Traffic) Island
'Baby, Now That I've Found You' (Foundations) Pye
2 Dec 'Hello Goodbye' (Beatles) Parlophone
16 Dec 'Let The Heartaches Begin' (Long John Baldry) Pye
23 Dec 'There Must Be A Way' (Frankie Vaughn) Columbia
'Magical Mystery Tour' EP (Beatles) Parlophone
30 Dec 'If The Whole World Stopped Loving' (Val Doonican) Pye
'Everybody Knows' (Dave Clark Five) Columbia
1968
6 Jan 'Careless Hands' (Des O` Connor) Columbia
'Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart' (Gene Pitney) United Artists
13 Jan 'I'm Coming Home' (Tom Jones) Decca
'Daydream Believer' (Monkees) RCA
20 Jan 'The Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde' (Georgie Fame) CBS
3 Feb 'Am I That Easy To Forget' (Englebert Humperdink) Decca
'Everlasting Love' (Love Affair) CBS
24 Feb 'She Wears My Ring' (Solomon King) Columbia
'Judy In Disguise' (John Fred And His Playboy Band) Pye Int.
2 Mar 'Mighty Quinn' (Manfred Mann) Fontana
'Cinderella Rockafella' (Esther And Abi Ofarim) Phillips
16 Mar 'Legend Of Xanadu' (Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick And Titch) Fontana
'Delilah' (Tom Jones) Decca
30 Mar 'Lady Madonna' (Beatles) Parlophone
20 Apr 'World' (Bee Gees) Polydor
27 Apr 'What A Wonderful World' (Louis Armstrong) HMV
'Congratulations' (Cliff Richard) Columbia
18 May 'A Man Without Love' (Englebert Humperdink) Decca
'Simon Says' (1910 Fruitgum Company) Pye International
25 May 'Young Girl' (Union Gap) CBS
1 Jun 'If I Only Had Time' (John Rowles) MCA
22 Jun 'Honey' (Bobby Goldsboro) United Artists
10 Aug 'Baby Come Back' (Equals) President
24 Aug 'I Pretend' (Des O' Connor) Columbia
7 Sep 'Help Yourself' (Tom Jones) Decca
14 Sep 'Hey Jude' (Beatles) Apple
'I've Gotta Get A Message To You' (Bee Gees) Polydor
'Mony, Mony' (Tommy James And The Shondells) Major Minor
5 Oct 'Those Were The Days' (Mary Hopkin) Apple
7 Dec 'The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly' (Hugo Montenegro) RCA
28 Dec 'Lily The Pink' (Scaffold) Parlophone
'Build Me Up Buttercup' (Foundations) Pye
1969
11 Jan 'Ain't Got No - I Got Life' (Nina Simone) RCA
'One, Two, Three O' Leary' (Des O' Connor) Columbia
18 Jan 'Albatross' (Fleetwood Mac) Blue Horizon
1 Feb 'Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da' (Marmalade) CBS
'I'm The Urban Spaceman' (Bonzo Dog Band) Liberty
22 Mar 'Where Do You Go To' (Peter Sarstedt) United Artists
26 Apr 'The Israelites' (Desmond Decca) Pyramid
3 May 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' (Marvin Gaye) Tamla Mowtown
'Get Back' (Beatles) Apple
7 Jun 'Gentle On My Mind' (Dean Martin) Reprise
14 Jun 'In The Bad, Bad Old Days' (Foundations) Pye
12 Jul ‘The Ballad Of John And Yoko’ (Beatles) Apple
2 Aug ‘Honky Tonk Women’ (Rolling Stones) Decca
16 Aug ‘Something In The Air’ (Thunderclap Newman) Track
13 Sep ‘In The Ghetto’ (Elvis Presley) RCA
20 Sep ‘In The Year 2525’ (Zagar And Evans) RCA
25 Oct ‘Bad Moon Rising’ (Creedence Clearwater Revival) Liberty
6 Dec ‘Saved By The Bell’ (Robin Gibb) Polydor
‘Don’t Forget To Remember’ (Bee Gees) Polydor
20 Dec ‘Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yester-Day’ (Stevie Wonder) Tamla Mowtown
‘Sugar, Sugar’ (G*) (Archies) RCA
* Note! Though awarded a gold disc in January 1970 ‘Sugar Sugar’ has never quite reached one million sales in the UK. RCA submitted shipping figures to shops which tallied over one million. It was errors like this which led to the BPI `official` system in late 1973.
27 Dec ‘Two Little Boys’ (Rolf Harris) Columbia
© Alan Smith January 2008.