UK Number One Albums in the 50s

The United Kingdom Albums Chart (currently called the Official Albums Chart) was published for the first time on July 22, 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts Company (OCC) on Fridays (previously Sundays). It is broadcast on BBC Radio 1 (top 5) and published in Music Week magazine (top 75), and on the OCC website (top 100).

To qualify for the Official Albums Chart the album must be the correct length and price. It must be more than three tracks or 20 minutes long and not be classed as a budget album. A budget album costs between £0.50 and £3.75. Additionally, various artist compilations – which until January 1989 were included in the main album listing – are now listed separately in a compilations chart. Full details of the rules can be found on the OCC website.

According to the canon of the OCC, the official British albums chart was the Melody Maker chart from November 8, 1958 to March 1960 (although the Record Mirror published charts from July 22, 1956); the Record Retailer chart from 1960 to 1969; and the Official Albums Chart from 1969 on. In the 1970s the new album chart was revealed at 12:45 pm on Thursdays on BBC Radio 1, and then moved to 6:05 pm (later 6:30 pm) on Wednesday evenings during the Peter Powell and Bruno Brookes shows. In October 1987 it moved to Monday lunchtimes, during the Gary Davies show, and from April to October 1993 it briefly had its own show from 7:00–8:00 pm on Sunday evenings, introduced by Lynn Parsons. Since October 1993 it has been included in The Official Chart show from 4:00 – 5:45 pm on Fridays (previously from 4:00 – 7:00 pm on Sundays). A weekly 'Album Chart' show was licensed out to BBC Radio 2 and presented by Simon Mayo, until it ended on April 2, 2007.

Though album sales tend to produce more revenue and, over time, act as a greater measure of an artist's success, this chart receives less media attention than the UK Singles Chart, because overall sales of an album are more important than its peak position.

The first number one album of the UK Albums Chart was Songs for Swingin' Lovers! by Frank Sinatra on July 22, 1956.

## UK Number One Albums in the 50s

### Elvis Presley

***Elvis Presley*** (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer, musician, and actor. Regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century, he is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".

Presley's music career began in 1954, when he recorded a song with producer Sam Phillips at Sun Records. Accompanied by guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, Presley was an early populariser of rockabilly, an uptempo, backbeat-driven fusion of country music and rhythm and blues. Presley later added drummer D.J. Fontana to complete the band's lineup. Presley also added gospel, blues, and pop influences into his rock and roll/rockabilly sound. RCA Victor acquired his contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker, who managed the singer for more than two decades. Presley's first RCA single, "Heartbreak Hotel", was released in 1956 and became a number-one hit in the United States. After a series of successful network television appearances and chart-topping records, he was regarded as the leading figure of rock and roll. His energised interpretations of songs and sexually provocative performance style, combined with a singularly potent mix of influences across colour lines that coincided with the dawn of the Civil Rights Movement, made him enormously popular—and controversial.

In November 1956, Presley made his film debut in Love Me Tender. In 1958, he was drafted into military service. He resumed his recording career two years later, producing some of his most commercially successful work.

#### November 10, 1956: *Elvis Presley Rock 'n' Roll*

***Elvis Presley*** (released in the UK as Elvis Presley Rock n' Roll) is the debut studio album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley.

The album spent ten weeks at number 1 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart in 1956, the first rock and roll album ever to make it to the top of the charts, and the first million-selling album of that genre.

* Released March 23, 1956
* One week
* US #1, Gold

Listen to *Elvis Presley* (original US release) on Deezer.

#### September 7, 1957: *Loving You*

    The ***Loving You*** album includes seven songs composed expressly for the movie of the same name. An eighth song intended for but not appearing in the movie, "Don't Leave Me Now", was included on the album.

* Released July 1, 1957

* Two weeks
* Returned to No 1 on November 9, 1957 for one further week

Listen to *Loving You* on Deezer.

### Original Soundtrack

#### October 13, 1956: The King and I

    The film soundtrack album was released in mono in 1956 and restored three songs recorded for the film but not included in the final release print: "My Lord and Master", "I Have Dreamed", and "Shall I Tell You What I Think of You?". The album was released as a stereo version in 1958.

* Two weeks, plus a further 46 weeks:
* November 3, 1956 (one week);
* November 17, 1956 (15 weeks);
* March 9, 1957 (one week);
* March 23, 1957 (one week);
* April 6, 1957 (three weeks);
* May 4, 1957 (six weeks);
* June 22, 1957 (four weeks);
* August 10, 1957 (three weeks);
* November 16, 1957 (11 weeks); and
* March 22, 1958 (one week)
* Listen to *The King and I* on Deezer.

#### February 1, 1958: Pal Joey

Some of the recordings on the soundtrack album for the 1957 film featuring Sinatra only are not the same songs that appeared in the film. "The Lady Is a Tramp" is a mono-only outtake from Sinatra's 1957 album A Swingin' Affair!, while three others ("There's a Small Hotel," "Bewitched," and "I Could Write a Book") were recorded in mono only at Capitol Studios. "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" appeared in an odd hybrid: The first half of the song was recorded at Columbia Pictures but differs from the version used in the film, while the second half is the same as used in the film, also recorded at Columbia. "What Do I Care for a Dame" is the film version, as recorded at Columbia. The Sinatra songs as they appear in the film as well as those performed by Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak (both were dubbed), Jo Ann Greer (Hayworth) and Trudi Erwin (Novak) were recorded at Columbia Pictures studios in true stereo.

* Seven weeks, plus a further four weeks from March 29, 1958
* Listen to *Pal Joey* at Google Play Music