List of number one hits in the UK charts (1953)

This list contains all fifteen British number one hits from 1953. They were the front runners in the weekly Top 20 of the British music magazine New Musical Express .

The first full year with British charts was dominated by US artists. 7 singers from the States topped the charts in 49 weeks, two of them with two, one even with 3 number one hits. Three British interpreters, including the only band, made it to the top in the remaining weeks, with the only instrumental hit by the Italians Annunzio Mantovani , who, however, had settled in England. He was also the only non-American to finish in the top 10 for the full year. Frankie Laine was the outstanding artist of the year, not only with his three top chart riders and number 1, 2 and 6 in the annual charts. The 18 weeks that he was at the top with I Believe were not reached by any other artist in chart history.

Singles • Annual hit parade • Bottom of page

Singles

← 1952 ←	List of number one hits in the UK charts			1954 →
Period Where. total Interpreter Title Author (s) Additional Information (Period, weeks in first place, artist, title , author [s], additional information) November 14, 1952 - January 15, 1953 9 weeks 9 Al Martino (with Monty Kelly & His Orchestra ) Here in My Heart Bill Borrelli, Lou Levinson, Pat Genaro - January 16, 1953 - January 22, 1953 1 week 1 Jo Stafford (with Paul Weston & His Orchestra ) You Belong to Me Chilton Price, Pee Wee King , Redd Stewart The second official number 1 hit in Great Britain was from a woman. Stafford and conductor Weston had married the year before. January 23, 1953 - January 29, 1953 1 week 1 Kay Starr (with Harold Mooney & His Orchestra) Comes A-Long A-Love Al Sherman The US singer had her first number 1 hit in the USA last year and started her British chart career at number 1. In her home country, this song only came in at number 9. It was the last big hit by songwriter Al Sherman, the father of the Sherman brothers . January 30, 1953 - February 5, 1953 1 week 1 Eddie Fisher (with Hugo Winterhalter & His Orchestra & Chorus) Outside of Heaven Chester Conn, Sammy Gallop Eddie Fisher had also had numerous hits in the US charts and had his first number 1 hit Wish You Were Here last year . He had only reached 8th place in England. With Outside of Heaven it was exactly the other way round: No. 1 in the British charts, No. 8 in the USA. February 6, 1953 - March 12, 1953 5 weeks 5 Perry Como with the Ramblers Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes Slim Willet Two performers, Willet himself and Skeets McDonald , had brought the song to number 1 on the US country charts. Perry Como made it an international pop hit and the first of two number 1 hits in the UK. March 13, 1953 - April 9, 1953 4 weeks 4th Guy Mitchell (with Mitch Miller & His Orchestra & Chorus) She Wears Red Feathers Bob Merrill In his home country, the American had missed first place despite several million seller. In the UK, Mitchell's second chart single is his first front runner. April 10, 1953 - April 16, 1953 1 week 1 The Stargazers Broken Wings John Jerome, Bernard Gunn After 6 number 1 hits by US singers, the Stargazers were the first British performers to top the new charts. Her compatriot Dickie Valentine recorded the song first, but only reached number 12. April 17, 1953 - April 23, 1953 1 week 1 Lita Roza (How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window Bob Merrill The Englishwoman became known as a singer for bandleader Ted Heath and with Ted Heath and His Music she was in the charts several times. For her first solo single she chose a novelty hit by Patti Page , which had already been a number 1 hit in the USA. The original only reached number 9 in England. Despite the success, Lita Roza did not want to sing the song on stage. She then separated from Ted Heath, but only had two smaller top 20 hits solo. April 24, 1953 - June 25, 1953 9 weeks (total of 18) 18th Frankie Laine (with Paul Weston & His Orchestra ) I Believe Al Stillman, Ervin Drake, Irvin Graham, Jimmy Shirl Jane Froman had sung the song on her television show, but not recorded it. Frankie Laine, one of the most successful pop singers in the USA since 1947, made the song an international hit. 18 weeks at number 1 were not reached by any other single. Robson & Jerome brought the song back to the top of the chart in 1995 . June 26, 1953 - July 2, 1953 1 week 1 Eddie Fisher with Sally Sweetland I'm Walking Behind You Billy Reid Eddie Fisher was the first to make it to # 1 in the UK for a second time. He had other chart hits, but after that - unlike in his home country - he couldn't get past 5th place. The British bandleader Billy Reid wrote the song for his then wife Dorothy Squires, but the song only got back into the UK charts via the USA. July 3, 1953 - August 13, 1953 6 weeks (total of 18) 18th Frankie Laine (with Paul Weston & His Orchestra) I Believe Al Stillman, Ervin Drake, Irvin Graham, Jimmy Shirl - August 14, 1953 - August 20, 1953 1 week 1 Mantovani & His Orchestra The Song from the Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart) Georges Auric The melody is originally from the movie Moulin Rouge . The Italian orchestra leader was successful with it in Europe, number 1 in the USA was the version by Percy Faith . August 21, 1953 - September 10, 1953 3 weeks (total of 18) 18th Frankie Laine (with Paul Weston & His Orchestra) I Believe Al Stillman, Ervin Drake, Irvin Graham, Jimmy Shirl - September 11, 1953 - October 22, 1953 6 weeks 6th Guy Mitchell (with Mitch Miller & His Orchestra & Chorus) Look at That Girl Bob Merrill It was also the second number 1 hit for Guy Mitchell, but in his home country the American did not even hit the charts with the song. For songwriter Bob Merril, it was even the third best-seller in a year. October 23, 1953 - November 5, 1953 2 weeks 2 Frankie Laine (with Paul Weston & His Orchestra and the Norman Luboff Choir ) Hey Joe Boudleaux Bryant Carl Smith had a number 1 hit in the US country charts with the song, but the pop version of Laine was not so successful at home. In return, it gave him the second front runner in Great Britain. November 6, 1953 - November 12, 1953 1 week (total 2) 2 David Whitfield (with Stanley Black & His Orchestra) Answer Me Music: Gerhard Winkler ; Original text: Fred Rauch ; English text: Carl Sigman Because the BBC boycotted Frankie Laine's original English version, David Whitfield stepped in with a defused version and topped the chart, but ... November 13, 1953 - December 10, 1953 4 weeks (8 in total) 8th Frankie Laine (with Paul Weston & His Orchestra and the Norman Luboff Choir ) Answer Me Music: Gerhard Winkler ; Original text: Fred Rauch ; English text: Carl Sigman ... the boycotted version still prevailed and became even more successful. It was objected that in the love song the headline "Answer me, Lord above" ("Answer me, Lord in heaven") was a "sentimental mockery" of Christian prayer. Frankie Laine was the first to have 3 number 1 hits in one year, it wasn't until the 1960s that other interpreters managed to do that. December 11, 1953 - December 17, 1953 1 week (total 8/2) 8/2 Frankie Laine (with Paul Weston & His Orchestra and the Norman Luboff Choir) / David Whitfield (with Stanley Black & His Orchestra) Answer Me Music: Gerhard Winkler; Original text: Fred Rauch; English text: Carl Sigman For the first time, two singles had to share number 1 in the charts and only this time it was two versions of a song. December 18, 1953 - January 7, 1954 3 weeks (8 in total) 8th Frankie Laine (with Paul Weston & His Orchestra and the Norman Luboff Choir) Answer Me Music: Gerhard Winkler; Original text: Fred Rauch; English text: Carl Sigman -
← 1952				→ 1954 →

* The data are based on the date of issue of the NME (always on Fridays)

Annual hit parade

Single hits of the year in the UK charts

1954 →

space		Interpreter		Title Author (s)
1		Frankie Laine (with Paul Weston & His Orchestra )		I Believe Al Stillman, Ervin Drake, Irvin Graham, Jimmy Shirl
2		Frankie Laine (with Paul Weston & His Orchestra and the Norman Luboff Choir )		Answer Me Music: Gerhard Winkler ; Original text: Fred Rauch ; English text: Carl Sigman
3		Guy Mitchell (with Mitch Miller & His Orchestra & Chorus)		Look at That Girl Bob Merrill
4th		Perry Como with the Ramblers		Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes Slim Willet
5		Guy Mitchell (with Mitch Miller & His Orchestra & Chorus)		She Wears Red Feathers Bob Merrill
6th		Frankie Laine (with Paul Weston & His Orchestra and the Norman Luboff Choir )		Hey Joe Boudleaux Bryant
7th		Mantovani & His Orchestra		The Song from the Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart) Georges Auric
8th		Eddie Fisher with Sally Sweetland		I'm Walking Behind You Billy Reid
9		Jo Stafford (with Paul Weston & His Orchestra )		You Belong to Me Chilton Price, Pee Wee King , Redd Stewart
10		Al Martino (with Monty Kelly & His Orchestra )		Here in My Heart Bill Borrelli, Lou Levinson, Pat Genaro

1954 →

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Al Martino with Monty Kelly & His Orchestra - Here in My Heart at Discogs
2. ↑ Jo Stafford with Paul Weston & His Orchestra - You Belong to Me at Discogs
3. ↑ Kay Starr with Harold Mooney & His Orchestra - Comes A-Long A-Love at Discogs
4. ↑ Eddie Fisher with Hugo Winterhalter & His Orchestra & Chorus - Outside of Heaven at Discogs
5. ↑ Perry Como with The Ramblers - Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes at Discogs
6. ↑ Guy Mitchell with Mitch Miller & his Orchestra & Chorus - She Wears Red Feathers at Discogs
7. ↑ The Stargazers - Broken Wings at Discogs
8. ↑ Lita Roza - (How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window at Discogs
9. ↑ Frankie Laine with Paul Weston & His Orchestra - I Believe at Discogs
10. ↑ Mantovani & his Orchestra - The Song from the Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart) at Discogs
11. ↑ Guy Mitchell with Mitch Miller & His Orchestra & Chorus - Look at That Girl at Discogs
12. ↑ Frankie Laine - Hey Joe at Discogs
13. ↑ David Whitfield with Stanley Black & His Orchestra - Answer Me at Discogs
14. ↑ Frankie Laine - Answer Me at Discogs
15. ^ The songs censored by the BBC , The Telegraph, December 17, 2007

literature

• British Hit Singles & Albums , 18th Edition, Guinness World Records Limited 2005, ISBN 978-1-90499-400-8

Web links

• Official Charts: All The Number 1 Singles
• Chart Surfer: Number 1 - Hits UK 1953
• everyhit: Top Hits of 1953

See also: 1953 number one hits in Australia , Germany, and the United States .