by Amy Gold
The number one songs of the 1950s, which total 154, are listed in the table below in descending order by the total number of weeks they stayed on the Billboard Pop/Rock charts. "Blue Tango" by Leroy Anderson and His "Pops" Concert Orchestra tops the list at 38 weeks. At the bottom of the list is "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" by Jimmy Boyd which was on the charts for only 5 weeks. This list includes three songs that topped the charts twice with different artists: "Butterfly" (Andy Williams, Charlie Gracie), "The Third Man Theme" (Anton Karas, Guy Lombardo), and "Young Love" (Sonny James, Tab Hunter).
Throughout most of the 1950s, the artist with the most top hits was, by far, Elvis Presley, but in the latter part of the decade, Pat Boone's popularity rivaled that of Presley and his numerous hits also ruled the airwaves. The 1950s was the decade in which the groundbreaking "Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley and His Comets topped the charts and took the nation by storm. The smooth and soulful sounds of doo wop were a large part of the pop musical landscape of the 1950s, with such groups as the Platters, the Coasters, the Crew-Cuts, the Elegants, the Fleetwoods, the Silhouettes, and the Chordettes scoring many top hits. The more rollicking and spirited sounds of rockabilly which were also a large part of 1950s pop music could be heard in the top pop hits of Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers, Bill Haley, Buddy Holly, Buddy Knox, and Jimmie Rodgers. Other rhythm and blues styles were also emerging which could be heard in such top charting and versatile singers as Georgia Gibb and Teresa Brewer.
As new pop music styles were emerging that catered mainly to younger crowds, various types of jazz- and country-infused traditional pop continued to dominate the pop charts. Major top charting traditional pop singers of the 1950s included "Tennessee" Ernie Ford, Nat "King" Cole, Patti Page, Frankie Laine, Doris Day, Jo Stafford, Tony Bennett, Eddie Fisher, Perry Como, Rosemary Clooney, and Frank Sinatra. Sibling acts and other family groups were also popular in the 1950s; those that topped the charts were the McGuire Sisters, the Browns, the Ames Brothers, the Every Brothers, the Fontane Sisters, and the Mills Brothers. The Andrews Sisters, a top act from the 1940s, had one last #1 hit in 1950, "I Wanna Be Loved."
Many of the top hits of the 1950s could also be heard at the movies. In 1950, "The Third Man Theme," the title song for the 1949 movie, became a number one pop hit for both Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians and Anton Karas (who wrote the score for the movie). The Four Aces had two #1 pop hits with the movie title themes, "Three Coins In The Fountain" (1954) and "Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing" (1955). Elvis Presley had several top pop hits that were also part of the music in some of the movies in which he both performed and starred; these songs included "Jailhouse Rock" (1957), "Love Me Tender" (1956), "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" (1957), and "Hard Headed Woman" (1958). Other notable 1950s top pop hits from the movies included the movie title songs "Tammy" (Debbie Reynolds), "April Love" (Pat Boone), "Song From 'Moulin Rouge' (Where Is Your Heart)" (Percy Faith and His Orchestra), and "Moonglow And Theme From "'Picnic'"(Morris Stoloff conducting the Columbia Pictures Orchestra). In 1955, "Unchained Melody," a song later made famous by the Righteous Brothers, became a #1 pop hit for Les Baxter, His Chorus and Orchestra. This song was part of the music for the movie, "Unchained."
The number one songs of the 1950s also included teen idol hits, zany novelty tunes, folk music, country pop, instrumental songs, and various other styles. This decade was a turning point in American pop music, and the radical changes that took place during this era can be heard in the assorted mix of top hits of the day.
Back to: Top Songs By Decade
Note: C#1 = COUNTRY #1
| SONG | ARTIST | CHART DEBUT DATE | R&B #1 | C #1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Tango | Leroy Anderson And His "Pops" Concert Orchestra | 12/29/1951 | ||
| Be My Love | Mario Lanza | 12/16/1950 | ||
| Love Letters In The Sand | Pat Boone | 5/6/1957 | ||
| Because Of You | Tony Bennett | 6/23/1951 | ||
| Running Bear | Johnny Preston | 10/12/1959 | ||
| Vaya Con Dios (May God Be With You) | Les Paul And Mary Ford | 6/20/1953 | ||
| You You You | The Ames Brothers | 6/27/1953 | ||
| (We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock | Bill Haley And His Comets | 5/14/1955 | ||
| Tammy | Debbie Reynolds | 7/22/1957 | ||
| All Shook Up | Elvis Presley | 4/6/1957 | ||
| Too Young | Nat "King" Cole | 4/14/1951 | ||
| Lisbon Antigua | Nelson Riddle And His Orchestra | 12/10/1955 | ||
| Round And Round | Perry Como | 2/23/1957 | ||
| Diana | Paul Anka | 7/15/1957 | ||
| The Wayward Wind | Gogi Grant | 4/28/1956 | ||
| Hound Dog | Elvis Presley | 8/4/1956 | ||
| Honeycomb | Jimmie Rodgers | 8/12/1957 | ||
| Chances Are | Johnny Mathis | 9/16/1957 | ||
| Sentimental Me | The Ames Brothers | 1/28/1950 | ||
| The Third Man Theme | Anton Karas | 2/18/1950 | ||
| The 3rd Man Theme | Guy Lombardo And His Royal Canadians | 3/11/1950 | ||
| Mona Lisa | Nat "King" Cole | 6/10/1950 | ||
| Harbor Lights | Sammy Kaye And His Orchestra | 9/9/1950 | ||
| Cold, Cold Heart | Tony Bennett | 7/28/1951 | ||
| Cry | Johnnie Ray | 11/24/1951 | ||
| Half As Much | Rosemary Clooney | 5/24/1952 | ||
| Hey There | Rosemary Clooney | 7/17/1954 | ||
| This Ole House | Rosemary Clooney | 8/7/1954 | ||
| Autumn Leaves | Roger Williams | 8/20/1955 | ||
| Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing | Four Aces | 8/27/1955 | ||
| Heartbreak Hotel | Elvis Presley | 3/3/1956 | ||
| Moonglow And Theme From "Picnic" | Morris Stoloff Conducting The Columbia Pictures Orchestra | 4/14/1956 | ||
| Don't Be Cruel | Elvis Presley | 8/11/1956 | ||
| Jailhouse Rock | Elvis Presley | 10/14/1957 | ||
| April Love | Pat Boone | 10/28/1957 | ||
| The Tennessee Waltz | Patti Page | 11/18/1950 | ||
| Little Things Mean A Lot | Kitty Kallen | 4/17/1954 | ||
| Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White | Perez Prado | 3/5/1955 | ||
| Ain't That A Shame | Pat Boone | 7/9/1955 | ||
| The Green Door | Jim Lowe | 9/22/1956 | ||
| Singing The Blues | Guy Mitchell | 10/27/1956 | ||
| Wake Up Little Susie | The Everly Brothers | 9/30/1957 | ||
| You Send Me | Sam Cooke | 10/21/1957 | ||
| Mack The Knife | Bobby Darin | 8/24/1959 | ||
| Goodnight, Irene | Weavers | 7/8/1950 | ||
| How High The Moon | Les Paul And Mary Ford | 3/31/1951 | ||
| Wheel Of Fortune | Kay Starr | 2/16/1952 | ||
| You Belong To Me | Jo Stafford | 8/9/1952 | ||
| I'm Walking Behind You | Eddie Fisher | 5/9/1953 | ||
| Rags To Riches | Tony Bennett | 9/19/1953 | ||
| Rock And Roll Waltz | Kay Starr | 12/31/1955 | ||
| (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear | Elvis Presley | 6/24/1957 | ||
| If | Perry Como | 1/13/1951 | ||
| Sin (It's No Sin) | Eddy Howard And His Orchestra | 9/22/1951 | ||
| Slow Poke | Pee Wee King And His Golden West Cowboys | 11/3/1951 | ||
| Till I Waltz Again With You | Teresa Brewer | 12/13/1952 | ||
| Song From "Moulin Rouge" (Where Is Your Heart) | Percy Faith And His Orchestra | 4/4/1953 | ||
| Make Love To Me! | Jo Stafford | 1/23/1954 | ||
| I Need You Now | Eddie Fisher | 9/4/1954 | ||
| Memories Are Made Of This | Dean Martin | 12/3/1955 | ||
| The Great Pretender | The Platters | 12/17/1955 | ||
| The Poor People Of Paris | Les Baxter, His Chorus And Orchestra | 2/11/1956 | ||
| I Want You, I Need You, I Love You | Elvis Presley | 5/26/1956 | ||
| Catch A Falling Star | Perry Como | 1/13/1958 | ||
| All My Love | Patti Page | 8/26/1950 | ||
| Why Don't You Believe Me | Joni James | 10/18/1952 | ||
| Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom) | Perry Como | 3/10/1956 | ||
| I Almost Lost My Mind | Pat Boone | 6/2/1956 | ||
| My Prayer | The Platters | 7/7/1956 | ||
| Love Me Tender | Elvis Presley | 10/20/1956 | ||
| Party Doll | Buddy Knox | 2/23/1957 | ||
| Sugartime | The McGuire Sisters | 12/30/1957 | ||
| To Know Him Is To Love Him | The Teddy Bears | 9/22/1958 | ||
| Delicado | Percy Faith And His Orchestra | 4/26/1952 | ||
| I Went To Your Wedding | Patti Page | 8/30/1952 | ||
| No Other Love | Perry Como | 6/20/1953 | ||
| Secret Love | Doris Day | 1/9/1954 | ||
| Wanted | Perry Como | 3/6/1954 | ||
| Sixteen Tons | "Tennessee" Ernie Ford | 11/12/1955 | ||
| Don't Forbid Me | Pat Boone | 12/22/1956 | ||
| That'll Be The Day | Buddy Holly/The Crickets | 8/12/1957 | ||
| It's All In The Game | Tommy Edwards | 8/18/1958 | ||
| El Paso | Marty Robbins | 11/9/1959 | ||
| I Wanna Be Loved | Andrews Sisters | 5/13/1950 | ||
| Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart | Vera Lynn | 6/21/1952 | ||
| Wish You Were Here | Eddie Fisher | 7/19/1952 | ||
| The Glow-Worm | The Mills Brothers | 9/27/1952 | ||
| Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes | Perry Como | 12/6/1952 | ||
| The Doggie In The Window | Patti Page | 1/31/1953 | ||
| Unchained Melody | Les Baxter, His Chorus And Orchestra | 4/9/1955 | ||
| Young Love | Sonny James | 12/29/1956 | ||
| Young Love | Tab Hunter | 1/12/1957 | ||
| At The Hop | Danny And The Juniors | 12/9/1957 | ||
| Patricia | Perez Prado | 6/16/1958 | ||
| It's Only Make Believe | Conway Twitty | 9/15/1958 | ||
| Tom Dooley | The Kingston Trio | 9/29/1958 | ||
| Stagger Lee | Lloyd Price | 12/8/1958 | ||
| The Battle Of New Orleans | Johnny Horton | 4/27/1959 | ||
| Come On-a My House | Rosemary Clooney | 7/7/1951 | ||
| Kiss Of Fire | Georgia Gibbs | 4/19/1952 | ||
| Sh-Boom | The Crew-Cuts | 7/10/1954 | ||
| Mr. Sandman | The Chordettes | 10/30/1954 | ||
| Hearts Of Stone | The Fontane Sisters | 12/11/1954 | ||
| Ballad Of Davy Crockett | Bill Hayes | 2/26/1955 | ||
| Learnin' The Blues | Frank Sinatra | 5/14/1955 | ||
| Butterfly | Andy Williams | 2/23/1957 | ||
| Don't | Elvis Presley | 1/27/1958 | ||
| Heartaches By The Number | Guy Mitchell | 10/5/1959 | ||
| A Guy Is A Guy | Doris Day | 3/15/1952 | ||
| Here In My Heart | Al Martino | 5/17/1952 | ||
| It's In The Book | Johnny Standley | 10/4/1952 | ||
| Oh! My Pa-Pa | Eddie Fisher | 12/12/1953 | ||
| Sincerely | The McGuire Sisters | 1/8/1955 | ||
| Tequila | The Champs | 2/24/1958 | ||
| He's Got The Whole World (In His Hands) | Laurie London | 3/24/1958 | ||
| Little Star | The Elegants | 7/21/1958 | ||
| Smoke Gets In Your Eyes | The Platters | 11/17/1958 | ||
| Mr. Blue | The Fleetwoods | 9/14/1959 | ||
| Three Coins In The Fountain | Four Aces | 5/22/1954 | ||
| Dance With Me Henry (Wallflower) | Georgia Gibbs | 3/26/1955 | ||
| The Yellow Rose Of Texas | Mitch Miller And His Orch. And Chorus | 8/6/1955 | ||
| Bird Dog | The Everly Brothers | 8/4/1958 | ||
| Sleep Walk | Santo And Johnny | 7/27/1959 | ||
| Teen Angel | Mark Dinning | 12/21/1959 | ||
| Music! Music! Music! | Teresa Brewer | 2/4/1950 | ||
| Hoop-Dee-Doo | Perry Como | 4/29/1950 | ||
| Too Much | Elvis Presley | 1/26/1957 | ||
| Butterfly | Charlie Gracie | 2/16/1957 | ||
| Twilight Time | The Platters | 4/7/1958 | ||
| All I Have To Do Is Dream | The Everly Brothers | 4/21/1958 | ||
| Venus | Frankie Avalon | 2/9/1959 | ||
| The Happy Organ | Dave "Baby" Cortez | 3/16/1959 | ||
| The Three Bells | The Browns | 7/27/1959 | ||
| Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy | Red Foley | 1/21/1950 | ||
| If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked A Cake | Eileen Barton | 3/11/1950 | ||
| Let Me Go Lover | Joan Weber | 12/4/1954 | ||
| Witch Doctor | David Seville/The Chipmunks | 4/14/1958 | ||
| Yakety Yak | The Coasters | 6/2/1958 | ||
| Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare) | Domenico Modugno | 8/4/1958 | ||
| Come Softly To Me | The Fleetwoods | 3/9/1959 | ||
| Kansas City | Wilbert Harrison | 4/13/1959 | ||
| Why | Frankie Avalon | 11/23/1959 | ||
| The Thing | Phil Harris | 11/25/1950 | ||
| Get A Job | The Silhouettes | 1/20/1958 | ||
| Poor Little Fool | Ricky Nelson | 7/7/1958 | ||
| Lonely Boy | Paul Anka | 6/1/1959 | ||
| Rag Mop | The Ames Brothers | 1/14/1950 | ||
| A Big Hunk O' Love | Elvis Presley | 7/6/1959 | ||
| The Purple People Eater | Sheb Wooley | 6/2/1958 | ||
| Hard Headed Woman | Elvis Presley | 6/30/1958 | ||
| Chipmunk Song | David Seville/The Chipmunks | 12/1/1958 | ||
| The Cry Of The Wild Goose | Frankie Laine | 2/11/1950 | ||
| St. George And The Dragonet | Stan Freberg | 10/3/1953 | ||
| I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus | Jimmy Boyd | 12/6/1952 |
