# List of NME number-one singles of the 1960s

The NME (or New Musical Express) was a British weekly popular music newspaper. Record charts in the United Kingdom began on 14 November 1952 when NME imitated an idea started in American Billboard magazine compiled their own hit parade. Until 15 February 1969, when the British Market Research Bureau (BMRB) chart was established, many periodicals compiled their own charts. During this time the BBC used aggregated results of the prominent NME, Melody Maker, Disc, Record Mirror and, later, Record Retailer charts to compile their Pick of the Pops chart. Prior to 1969 there was no universally accepted source or "official" singles chart; however, the Official Charts Company and Guinness' British Hit Singles & Albums regard the canonical sources for this period as NME before 10 March 1960 and Record Retailer from then until the BMRB took over in 1969. Although Record Retailer is now the most predominantly used source for charting music in the 1960s, NME had the biggest circulation of charts in the decade and was more widely followed. After the BMRB was formed, the NME continued compiling its own chart up until 14 May 1988.
The Allisons' entry for the Eurovision Song Contest, entitled "Are You Sure?", was the first single to be number one on the NME chart but not to reach the top spot on Record Retailer's chart. In total, sixteen songs failed to reach number one with Record Retailer but topped the NME chart. In 1969, after the BMRB chart was introduced, four songs topped the NME but not the BMRB chart. Notable discrepancies include "19th Nervous Breakdown", which reached number one for the Rolling Stones on the NME, Disc, and Melody Maker charts, topped the BBC's Pick of the Pops aggregated chart and was announced as number one on Top of the Pops; however, because it did not reach number one on the Record Retailer chart, it is omitted from the Official Charts Company's canon. The Beatles' "Please Please Me" suffered the same fate so, arguably, should be considered the Beatles' first number-one single. Conversely, Elvis Presley's double A-side, "Rock-A-Hula Baby"/"Can't Help Falling in Love", reached number one on all charts except NME because the entries were split by NME according to which song was requested when the shop returned its figures.

## Number-one singles

Key :
| Italics | Prior to 10 March 1960 the NME is considered by the Official Charts Company as the canonical source. |
| † | The song did not reach number one on the Record Retailer chart which is considered by the Official Charts Company as the canonical source until 15 February 1969. |
| ‡ | The song did not reach number one on the BMRB chart which is considered as the official chart after 15 February 1969. |
| | The song spent a week at number one, where it shared the top spot with another song. |
| No. | Artist | Single | Reached number one | Weeks at number one |
| 1960 |||||
| 94 | Emile Ford and the Checkmates | "What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?" | 18 December 1959 | 6 |
| 95 | Michael Holliday | "Starry Eyed" | 29 January 1960 | 1 |
| 96 | Anthony Newley | "Why" | 5 February 1960 | 4 |
| 97 | Adam Faith | "Poor Me" | 4 March 1960 | 2 |
| 98 | Johnny Preston | "Running Bear" | 18 March 1960 | 1 |
| 99 | Lonnie Donegan | "My Old Man's a Dustman" | 25 March 1960 | 4 |
| 100 | Anthony Newley | "Do You Mind?" | 22 April 1960 | 1 |
| 101 | The Everly Brothers | "Cathy's Clown" | 29 April 1960 | 9 |
| 102 | Jimmy Jones | "Good Timin'" | 1 July 1960 | 3 |
| 103 | Cliff Richard and The Shadows | "Please Don't Tease" | 22 July 1960 | 4 |
| 104 | The Shadows | "Apache" | 19 August 1960 | 6 |
| 105 | Ricky Valance | "Tell Laura I Love Her" | 30 September 1960 | 2 |
| 106 | Roy Orbison | "Only the Lonely (Know How I Feel)" | 14 October 1960 | 3 |
| 107 | Elvis Presley | "It's Now or Never" | 4 November 1960 | 9 |
| 1961 |||||
| 108 | Johnny Tillotson | "Poetry in Motion" | 6 January 1961 | 3 |
| 109 | Elvis Presley | "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" | 27 January 1961 | 5 |
| 110 | The Everly Brothers | "Walk Right Back" | 3 March 1961 | 3 |
| 111 | Elvis Presley | "Wooden Heart" | 24 March 1961 | 2 |
| 112 | The Allisons | "Are You Sure?" † | 7 April 1961 | 1 |
| re | Elvis Presley | "Wooden Heart" | 14 April 1961 | 1 |
| re | The Allisons | "Are You Sure?" † | 21 April 1961 | 1 |
| 113 | The Temperance Seven | "You're Driving Me Crazy" | 28 April 1961 | 1 |
| 114 | The Marcels | "Blue Moon" | 5 May 1961 | 2 |
| 115 | Del Shannon | "Runaway" | 19 May 1961 | 1 |
| 116 | Elvis Presley | "Surrender" | 26 May 1961 | 4 |
| re | Del Shannon | "Runaway" | 23 June 1961 | 3 |
| 117 | The Everly Brothers | "Temptation" | 14 July 1961 | 1 |
| 118 | Eden Kane | "Well I Ask You" | 21 July 1961 | 2 |
| 119 | Helen Shapiro | "You Don't Know" | 4 August 1961 | 3 |
| 120 | John Leyton | "Johnny Remember Me" | 25 August 1961 | 3.5$^{[nb2]}$4 |
| re | Helen Shapiro | "You Don't Know" | 1 September 1961 | 0.5$^{[nb2]}$1 |
| 121 | Elvis Presley | "Wild in the Country" † | 22 September 1961 | 1 |
| re | John Leyton | "Johnny Remember Me" | 29 September 1961 | 1 |
| 122 | The Highwaymen | "Michael (Row the Boat)" | 6 October 1961 | 1 |
| 123 | Helen Shapiro | "Walkin' Back to Happiness" | 13 October 1961 | 4 |
| 124 | Elvis Presley | "His Latest Flame" | 10 November 1961 | 3 |
| 125 | Frankie Vaughan | "Tower of Strength" | 1 December 1961 | 3.5$^{[nb3]}$4 |
| 126 | Bobby Vee | "Take Good Care of My Baby" † | 1 December 1961 | 0.5$^{[nb3]}$1 |
| 127 | Danny Williams | "Moon River" | 29 December 1961 | 1 |
| 1962 |||||
| 128 | Acker Bilk | "Stranger on the Shore" † | 6 January 1962 | 1 |
| 129 | Cliff Richard | "The Young Ones" | 13 January 1962 | 6 |
| 130 | Chubby Checker | "Let's Twist Again" † | 24 February 1962 | 2 |
| 131 | Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen | "March of the Siamese Children" † | 10 March 1962 | 1 |
| 132 | The Shadows | "Wonderful Land" | 17 March 1962 | 8.5$^{[nb4]}$9 |
| 133 | B. Bumble and the Stingers | "Nut Rocker" | 12 May 1962 | 0.5$^{[nb4]}$1 |
| 134 | Elvis Presley | "Good Luck Charm" | 19 May 1962 | 5 |
| 135 | Mike Sarne with Wendy Richard | "Come Outside" | 23 June 1962 | 2 |
| 136 | Joe Brown and the Bruvvers | "A Picture of You" † | 7 July 1962 | 1 |
| 137 | Ray Charles | "I Can't Stop Loving You" | 14 July 1962 | 1 |
| 138 | Frank Ifield | "I Remember You" | 21 July 1962 | 8 |
| 139 | Elvis Presley | "She's Not You" | 15 September 1962 | 3 |
| 140 | The Tornados | "Telstar" | 6 October 1962 | 5 |
| 141 | Frank Ifield | "Lovesick Blues" | 10 November 1962 | 5 |
| 142 | Elvis Presley | "Return to Sender" | 15 December 1962 | 2 |
| 143 | Cliff Richard and The Shadows | "The Next Time" / "Bachelor Boy" | 29 December 1962 | 1 |
| 1963 |||||
| 144 | The Shadows | "Dance On!" | 5 January 1963 | 3 |
| 145 | Jet Harris and Tony Meehan | "Diamonds" | 26 January 1963 | 4 |
| 146 | Frank Ifield | "The Wayward Wind" | 23 February 1963 | 0.5$^{[nb5]}$1 |
| 147 | The Beatles | "Please Please Me" † | 23 February 1963 | 1.5$^{[nb5]}$2 |
| 148 | Cliff Richard and The Shadows | "Summer Holiday" | 9 March 1963 | 3 |
| 149 | The Shadows | "Foot Tapper" | 30 March 1963 | 1 |
| 150 | Gerry & The Pacemakers | "How Do You Do It?" | 6 April 1963 | 3 |
| 151 | The Beatles | "From Me to You" | 27 April 1963 | 5.5$^{[nb6]}$6 |
| 152 | Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas | "Do You Want to Know a Secret" † | 1 June 1963 | 1.5$^{[nb6]}$2 |
| 153 | Gerry & The Pacemakers | "I Like It" | 15 June 1963 | 4 |
| 154 | Frank Ifield | "Confessin' (That I Love You)" | 13 July 1963 | 3 |
| 155 | The Searchers | "Sweets for My Sweet" | 3 August 1963 | 3 |
| 156 | Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas | "Bad to Me" | 24 August 1963 | 2 |
| 157 | The Beatles | "She Loves You" | 7 September 1963 | 4 |
| 158 | Brian Poole and The Tremeloes | "Do You Love Me" | 5 October 1963 | 3 |
| 159 | Gerry & The Pacemakers | "You'll Never Walk Alone" | 26 October 1963 | 4 |
| re | The Beatles | "She Loves You" | 23 November 1963 | 2 |
| 160 | The Beatles | "I Want to Hold Your Hand" | 7 December 1963 | 6 |
| 1964 |||||
| 161 | The Dave Clark Five | "Glad All Over" | 18 January 1964 | 2 |
| 162 | The Searchers | "Needles and Pins" | 1 February 1964 | 3 |
| 163 | Cilla Black | "Anyone Who Had a Heart" | 22 February 1964 | 4 |
| 164 | Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas | "Little Children" | 21 March 1964 | 1 |
| 165 | The Beatles | "Can't Buy Me Love" | 28 March 1964 | 4 |
| 166 | Peter & Gordon | "A World Without Love" | 25 April 1964 | 2 |
| 167 | The Searchers | "Don't Throw Your Love Away" | 9 May 1964 | 1 |
| 168 | The Four Pennies | "Juliet" | 16 May 1964 | 2 |
| 169 | Cilla Black | "You're My World (Il Mio Mondo)" | 30 May 1964 | 3 |
| 170 | Roy Orbison | "It's Over" | 20 June 1964 | 2 |
| 171 | The Animals | "House of the Rising Sun" | 4 July 1964 | 2 |
| 172 | The Beatles | "A Hard Day's Night" | 18 July 1964 | 4 |
| 173 | Manfred Mann | "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" | 15 August 1964 | 2 |
| 174 | The Honeycombs | "Have I the Right?" | 29 August 1964 | 2 |
| 175 | The Kinks | "You Really Got Me" | 12 September 1964 | 1 |
| 176 | Herman's Hermits | "I'm Into Something Good" | 19 September 1964 | 3 |
| 177 | Roy Orbison | "Oh, Pretty Woman" | 10 October 1964 | 3 |
| 178 | Sandie Shaw | "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me" | 31 October 1964 | 2 |
| 179 | The Supremes | "Baby Love" | 14 November 1964 | 1 |
| 180 | The Rolling Stones | "Little Red Rooster" | 21 November 1964 | 2 |
| 181 | The Beatles | "I Feel Fine" | 5 December 1964 | 6 |
| 1965 |||||
| 182 | Georgie Fame | "Yeh Yeh" | 16 January 1965 | 1 |
| 183 | The Moody Blues | "Go Now" | 23 January 1965 | 2 |
| 184 | The Righteous Brothers | "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" | 6 February 1965 | 1 |
| 185 | The Kinks | "Tired of Waiting for You" | 13 February 1965 | 1 |
| 186 | The Seekers | "I'll Never Find Another You" | 20 February 1965 | 2 |
| 187 | Tom Jones | "It's Not Unusual" | 6 March 1965 | 1 |
| 188 | The Rolling Stones | "The Last Time" | 13 March 1965 | 4 |
| 189 | The Yardbirds | "For Your Love" † | 10 April 1965 | 0.5$^{[nb7]}$1 |
| 190 | Cliff Richard | "The Minute You're Gone" | 10 April 1965 | 0.5$^{[nb7]}$1 |
| 191 | The Beatles | "Ticket to Ride" | 17 April 1965 | 5 |
| 192 | Jackie Trent | "Where Are You Now (My Love)" | 22 May 1965 | 1 |
| 193 | Sandie Shaw | "Long Live Love" | 29 May 1965 | 2 |
| 194 | The Everly Brothers | "The Price of Love" † | 12 June 1965 | 1 |
| 195 | Elvis Presley | "Crying in the Chapel" | 19 June 1965 | 2 |
| 196 | The Hollies | "I'm Alive" | 3 July 1965 | 2 |
| 197 | The Byrds | "Mr. Tambourine Man" | 17 July 1965 | 2 |
| 198 | The Beatles | "Help!" | 31 July 1965 | 4 |
| 199 | Sonny & Cher | "I Got You Babe" | 28 August 1965 | 1 |
| 200 | The Rolling Stones | "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" | 4 September 1965 | 3 |
| 201 | Ken Dodd | "Tears" | 25 September 1965 | 6 |
| 202 | The Rolling Stones | "Get Off of My Cloud" | 6 November 1965 | 3 |
| 203 | Len Barry | "1-2-3" † | 27 November 1965 | 1 |
| 204 | The Seekers | "The Carnival Is Over" | 4 December 1965 | 1 |
| 205 | The Beatles | "Day Tripper" / "We Can Work It Out" | 11 December 1965 | 5 |
| 1966 |||||
| 206 | The Spencer Davis Group | "Keep On Running" | 15 January 1966 | 3 |
| 207 | The Overlanders | "Michelle" | 5 February 1966 | 1 |
| 208 | Nancy Sinatra | "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" | 12 February 1966 | 1 |
| 209 | The Rolling Stones | "19th Nervous Breakdown" † | 19 February 1966 | 3 |
| 210 | The Hollies | "I Can't Let Go" † | 12 March 1966 | 1.5$^{[nb8]}$2 |
| 211 | The Walker Brothers | "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" | 19 March 1966 | 3.5$^{[nb8]}$4 |
| 212 | The Spencer Davis Group | "Somebody Help Me" | 16 April 1966 | 1 |
| 213 | Dusty Springfield | "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" | 23 April 1966 | 2 |
| 214 | Manfred Mann | "Pretty Flamingo" | 7 May 1966 | 3 |
| 215 | The Rolling Stones | "Paint It, Black" | 28 May 1966 | 1 |
| 216 | Frank Sinatra | "Strangers in the Night" | 4 June 1966 | 3 |
| 217 | The Beatles | "Paperback Writer" | 25 June 1966 | 2 |
| 218 | The Kinks | "Sunny Afternoon" | 9 July 1966 | 2 |
| 219 | Chris Farlowe | "Out of Time" | 23 July 1966 | 2 |
| 220 | The Troggs | "With a Girl Like You" | 6 August 1966 | 2 |
| 221 | The Beatles | "Yellow Submarine" / "Eleanor Rigby" | 20 August 1966 | 4 |
| 222 | Small Faces | "All or Nothing" | 17 September 1966 | 1 |
| 223 | Jim Reeves | "Distant Drums" | 24 September 1966 | 5 |
| 224 | Four Tops | "Reach Out I'll Be There" | 29 October 1966 | 3 |
| 225 | The Beach Boys | "Good Vibrations" | 19 November 1966 | 2 |
| 226 | Tom Jones | "Green, Green Grass of Home" | 3 December 1966 | 7 |
| 1967 |||||
| 227 | The Monkees | "I'm a Believer" | 21 January 1967 | 4 |
| 228 | Petula Clark | "This Is My Song" | 18 February 1967 | 2 |
| 229 | Engelbert Humperdinck | "Release Me" | 4 March 1967 | 6 |
| 230 | Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra | "Somethin' Stupid" | 15 April 1967 | 1 |
| 231 | Sandie Shaw | "Puppet on a String" | 22 April 1967 | 4 |
| 232 | The Tremeloes | "Silence Is Golden" | 20 May 1967 | 3 |
| 233 | Procol Harum | "A Whiter Shade of Pale" | 10 June 1967 | 5 |
| 234 | The Beatles | "All You Need Is Love" | 15 July 1967 | 4 |
| 235 | Scott McKenzie | "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)" | 12 August 1967 | 4 |
| 236 | Engelbert Humperdinck | "The Last Waltz" | 9 September 1967 | 6 |
| 237 | Bee Gees | "Massachusetts" | 21 October 1967 | 3 |
| 238 | The Foundations | "Baby Now That I've Found You" | 11 November 1967 | 3 |
| 239 | Long John Baldry | "Let the Heartaches Begin" | 2 December 1967 | 1 |
| 240 | The Beatles | "Hello, Goodbye" | 9 December 1967 | 6 |
| 1968 |||||
| 241 | Georgie Fame | "The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde" | 20 January 1968 | 1 |
| 242 | Love Affair | "Everlasting Love" | 27 January 1968 | 3 |
| 243 | Manfred Mann | "Mighty Quinn" | 17 February 1968 | 2 |
| 244 | Esther and Abi Ofarim | "Cinderella Rockefella" | 2 March 1968 | 4 |
| 245 | The Beatles | "Lady Madonna" | 30 March 1968 | 2 |
| 246 | Cliff Richard | "Congratulations" | 13 April 1968 | 1 |
| 247 | Louis Armstrong | "What a Wonderful World" | 20 April 1968 | 4 |
| 248 | Gary Puckett & The Union Gap | "Young Girl" | 18 May 1968 | 5 |
| 249 | The Rolling Stones | "Jumpin' Jack Flash" | 22 June 1968 | 2 |
| 250 | The Equals | "Baby Come Back" | 6 July 1968 | 3 |
| 251 | Tommy James and the Shondells | "Mony Mony" | 27 July 1968 | 4 |
| 252 | Tom Jones | "Help Yourself" † | 24 August 1968 | 2 |
| 253 | Bee Gees | "I've Gotta Get a Message to You" | 7 September 1968 | 1 |
| 254 | The Beatles | "Hey Jude" | 14 September 1968 | 3 |
| 255 | Mary Hopkin | "Those Were the Days" | 5 October 1968 | 5 |
| 256 | Joe Cocker | "With a Little Help from My Friends" | 9 November 1968 | 1 |
| 257 | Hugo Montenegro | "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" | 16 November 1968 | 1 |
| 258 | Barry Ryan | "Eloise" † | 23 November 1968 | 2 |
| 259 | The Scaffold | "Lily the Pink" | 7 December 1968 | 5 |
| 1969 |||||
| 260 | Marmalade | "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" | 11 January 1969 | 2 |
| 261 | Fleetwood Mac | "Albatross" | 25 January 1969 | 3 |
| 262 | The Move | "Blackberry Way" | 15 February 1969 | 1 |
| 263 | Amen Corner | "(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice" | 22 February 1969 | 1 |
| 264 | Peter Sarstedt | "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?" | 1 March 1969 | 4 |
| 265 | Marvin Gaye | "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" | 29 March 1969 | 3 |
| 266 | Desmond Dekker & The Aces | "Israelites" | 19 April 1969 | 2 |
| 267 | The Beatles with Billy Preston | "Get Back" | 3 May 1969 | 5 |
| 268 | Tommy Roe | "Dizzy" | 7 June 1969 | 2 |
| 269 | The Beatles | "The Ballad of John and Yoko" | 21 June 1969 | 2 |
| 270 | Thunderclap Newman | "Something in the Air" | 5 July 1969 | 2 |
| 271 | Elvis Presley | "In the Ghetto" ‡ | 19 July 1969 | 1 |
| 272 | The Rolling Stones | "Honky Tonk Women" | 26 July 1969 | 5 |
| 273 | Zager and Evans | "In The Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus)" | 30 August 1969 | 3 |
| 274 | Creedence Clearwater Revival | "Bad Moon Rising" | 20 September 1969 | 3 |
| 275 | Bobbie Gentry | "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" | 11 October 1969 | 3 |
| 276 | The Archies | "Sugar, Sugar" | 1 November 1969 | 2 |
| 277 | Fleetwood Mac | "Oh Well" ‡ | 15 November 1969 | 1 |
| re | The Archies | "Sugar, Sugar" | 22 November 1969 | 2 |
| 278 | Stevie Wonder | "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday" ‡ | 6 December 1969 | 1 |
| 279 | Kenny Rogers and The First Edition | "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" ‡ | 13 December 1969 | 1 |
| 280 | Rolf Harris | "Two Little Boys" | 20 December 1969 | 6 |