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List of Top Pops number-one singles

{{short description|None}}

{{DISPLAYTITLE:List of Top Pops number-one singles}}

{{Use British English|date=January 2012}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}

File:Robin Gibb (Bee Gees) - TopPop 1973 1.png reached number one on the Top Pops chart in 1969 with his song "Saved by the Bell", but the song did not top the BMRB chart and is therefore not regarded as an official UK number one.]]

Top Pops is a former British weekly pop music newspaper. It was founded as a monthly publication by Woodrow Wyatt in May 1967, becoming fortnightly in November 1967. On 25 May 1968, editor Colin Bostock-Smith began compiling a singles sales chart using a telephone sample of approximately twelve W H Smith & Son stores – the first single to reach number one on the Top Pops chart was "Young Girl" by Gary Puckett & The Union Gap. The charts and paper were published weekly with effect from 22 June 1968. On 20 September 1969 the paper was rebranded Top Pops & Music Now, and subsequently became Music Now from 21 March 1970 – at this point the chart was sampling between 30 and 40 stores. From 27 February 1971 the chart was no longer published and in May 1971 the newspaper ceased publication.{{Cite web|last=Smith |first=Alan |title=Every No.1 in the 1960s is listed from all the nine different magazine charts! |url=http://www.davemcaleer.com/page22.htm |publisher=davemcaleer.com |access-date=4 November 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510032548/http://www.davemcaleer.com/page22.htm |archive-date=10 May 2011 }} During the publication of the chart, 55 different singles reached number one. The only one to be knocked off number one and then regain the top spot was "Mony Mony" by Tommy James and the Shondells. The final chart-topper was "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison.

From the advent of charts in the UK until 1969 several magazines and newspapers published their own charts, and there was no one "official" singles chart.{{Cite web|last=Smith |first=Alan |title=50s & 60s UK Charts – The Truth! |url=http://www.davemcaleer.com/page21.htm |publisher=davemcaleer.com |access-date=4 November 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903033717/http://www.davemcaleer.com/page21.htm |archive-date=3 September 2011 }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/music-charting-the-number-ones-that-somehow-got-away-1145809.html|title=Music: Charting the number ones that somehow got away|last=Leigh|first=Spencer|date=20 February 1998|work=The Independent|access-date=5 August 2010}} In February 1969, however, Record Retailer and the BBC jointly commissioned the British Market Research Bureau (BMRB) to compile an official chart. The Record Retailer chart is now considered by the Official Charts Company, the current compilers of the UK Singles Chart, to be the canonical source for number-one singles for the earlier part of the 1960s.{{Cite web|title=Key Dates in the History of the Official UK Charts|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/company_history.php|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=16 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080110032725/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/company_history.php|archive-date=10 January 2008}} Charts compiled by Top Pops had fifteen number-one singles that did not reach the top spot in the Record Retailer chart; in comparison, a total of nine Top Pops number-ones did not top the rival New Musical Express chart.{{sfn|Rees|Lazell|Osborne|1995|pp=195–232}} Seven Top Pops number ones did not top either of the other publications' charts. Edwin Hawkins Singers' "Oh Happy Day", Robin Gibb's "Saved by the Bell", Bee Gees' "Don't Forget to Remember", and The Tremeloes' "(Call Me) Number One" all peaked at number two in both charts, Herman's Hermits' "My Sentimental Friend" and Don Fardon's "Indian Reservation" placed with one number two and one number three in each chart, and Stevie Wonder's "My Cherie Amour" reached fourth and third spot in the two charts.{{sfn|Rees|Lazell|Osborne|1995|pp=208, 210–211, 213, 215, 228}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/robin%20gibb/ |title=Artist Chart History: Robin Gibb |publisher=Official Charts Company |access-date=9 October 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141209062535/http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/robin%20gibb/ |archive-date=9 December 2014 }}{{Cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/edwin%20hawkins%20singers%20featuring%20dorothy%20combs%20morrison|title=Artist Chart History: Edwin Hawkins Singers featuring Dorothy Combs Morrison|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=9 October 2010}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/bee%20gees/|title=Artist Chart History: Bee Gees|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=9 October 2010}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/tremeloes/|title=Artist Chart History: Tremeloes|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=9 October 2010}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/herman%27s%20hermits/|title=Artist Chart History: Herman's Hermits|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=9 October 2010}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/don%20fardon/|title=Artist Chart History: Don Fardon|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=9 October 2010}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/stevie%20wonder/|title=Artist Chart History: Stevie Wonder|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=9 October 2010}} Fardon's "Indian Reservation," however, also made number one on the Melody Maker chart,{{Cite web|url=https://www.ukmix.org/forum/chart-discussion/chart-analysis/99945-melody-maker-singles-charts-1970s?97549=|title=Melody Maker Singles Charts 1970s|date=12 February 2014 |publisher=UKMix|access-date=23 May 2021}} so if that publication's number ones are factored in, Top Pops{{\}}Music Now{{'}}s unique number ones total the six from 1969.The Melody Maker chart peaks for the six Top Pops number ones were: "My Sentimental Friend" (number two), "Oh Happy Day" (number two), "Saved by the Bell" (number two), "Don't Forget to Remember" (number two), "My Cherie Amour" (number three) and "(Call Me) Number One" (number two).{{Cite web|url=https://www.ukmix.org/forum/chart-discussion/chart-analysis/25555-melody-maker-1960-s-and-50-s-singles-charts?24911=|title=Melody Maker 1960's (and 50's) singles charts|date=28 July 2005 |publisher=UKMix|access-date=23 May 2021}}

Number-one singles

File:Rolf Harris.jpg (pictured in 2010) spent six weeks at number one in Top Pops with the song "Two Little Boys", the longest run atop the chart.]]

File:Deep Purple, Roger Glover 1970.jpg reached number one on the Top Pops chart with "Black Night", but have never achieved an officially-recognised UK number one hit.]]

File:George Harrison 1974 (cropped).jpg was at number one with "My Sweet Lord" when the chart ceased publication in 1971.]]

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+Key

!scope=col|{{Abbr|No.|Number}}

|nth single to top the chart

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|re

|Return of a single to number one

align=center bgcolor=mistyrose|{{‡}}The song did not reach number one on the chart that is now
considered official by the Official Charts Company.{{Cite web|title=All the Number One Singles: 1968|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/all-the-number-ones-singles-list/_/1968/|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=28 July 2012}}{{Cite web|title=All the Number One Singles: 1969|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/all-the-number-ones-singles-list/_/1969/|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=13 June 2010}}{{Cite web|title=All the Number One Singles: 1970|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/all-the-number-ones-singles-list/_/1970/|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=13 June 2010}}{{Cite web|title=All the Number One Singles: 1971|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/all-the-number-ones-singles-list/_/1971/|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=13 June 2010}}

id=toc class=toc summary=Contents

!{{MediaWiki:Toc}}

align=center|1968{{•}}1969{{•}}1970{{•}}1971

class="sortable plainrowheaders wikitable"

|+List of Top Pops number-one singles

!scope=col|{{Abbr|No.|Number}}

!scope="col"|Artist{{#tag:ref|The names, singles, week-ending dates and duration at number one are from Top Pops (later Music Now).|group=nb|name=all}}!!scope="col"|Single!!scope="col"|Reached
number one!!scope="col"|Weeks at
number one

class=unsortable

!scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6|{{Anchor|1968}}{{Sort|00.1|1968}}

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|1

|{{Sort|Puckett, Gary|Gary Puckett & The Union Gap}}

| "Young Girl"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1968|5|25}}||align=center|4{{#tag:ref|The chart was published fortnightly at this time, so "Young Girl", which topped two fortnightly charts, spent four weeks at number one.|group=nb|name=fortnight}}

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|2

|{{Sortname|The|Rolling Stones}}

| "Jumpin' Jack Flash"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1968|6|22}}||align=center|3

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|3

|{{Sortname|The|Equals}}

| "Baby Come Back"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1968|7|13}}||align=center|2

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|4

|{{Sort|James, Tommy|Tommy James and the Shondells}}

| "Mony Mony"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1968|7|27}}||align=center|2

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|5

|Crazy World of Arthur Brown

| "Fire"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1968|8|10}}||align=center|1

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|{{Sort|5.1|re}}

|{{Sort|James, Tommy|Tommy James and the Shondells}}

| "Mony Mony"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1968|8|17}}||align=center|2

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|6

|Bee Gees

| "I've Gotta Get a Message to You"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1968|8|31}}||align=center|1

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|7

|{{Sortname|The|Beatles}}

| "Hey Jude"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1968|9|7}}||align=center|4

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|8

|{{Sortname|Mary|Hopkin}}

| "Those Were the Days"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1968|10|5}}||align=center|5

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|9

|{{Sortname|Joe|Cocker}}

| "With a Little Help from My Friends"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1968|11|9}}||align=center|2

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|10

|{{Sortname|Hugo|Montenegro}}

| "{{sort|Good, the Bad and the Ugly|The Good, the Bad and the Ugly}}"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1968|11|23}}||align=center|2

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|11

|{{Sortname|The|Scaffold}}

| "Lily the Pink"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1968|12|7}}||align=center|5

class=unsortable

!scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6|{{Anchor|1969}}{{Sort|11.1|1969}}

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|12

|Marmalade

| "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1969|1|11}}||align=center|2

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|13

|Fleetwood Mac

| "Albatross"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1969|1|25}}||align=center|4

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|14

|Amen Corner

| "{{sort|If Paradise Is Half as Nice|(If Paradise) Is Half as Nice"}}

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1969|2|22}}||align=center|2

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|15

|{{Sortname|Peter|Sarstedt}}

| "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1969|3|8}}||align=center|2

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|16

|{{Sortname|Marvin|Gaye}}

| "I Heard It Through the Grapevine"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1969|3|22}}||align=center|4

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|17

|{{Sortname|Desmond|Dekker}} & The Aces

| "Israelites"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1969|4|19}}||align=center|1

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|18

|{{Sortname|The|Beatles}} with Billy Preston || "Get Back"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1969|4|26}}||align=center|3

bgcolor=mistyrose

!scope=row style="text-align:center;"|19

|Herman's Hermits

|bgcolor=mistyrose| "My Sentimental Friend" {{‡}}

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1969|5|24}}

align=center|2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"|20

|{{Sortname|Tommy|Roe}}

| "Dizzy"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1969|6|7}}||align=center|2

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|21

|{{Sortname|The|Beatles}}

| "{{sort|Ballad of John and Yoko|The Ballad of John and Yoko}}"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1969|6|21}}||align=center|2

bgcolor=mistyrose

!scope=row style="text-align:center;"|22

|{{Sortname|Edwin|Hawkins Singers|Edwin Hawkins|Hawkins, Edwin}}

|bgcolor=mistyrose| "Oh Happy Day" {{‡}}

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1969|7|5}}

align=center|1
bgcolor=mistyrose

!scope=row style="text-align:center;"|23

|{{Sortname|Elvis|Presley}}

|bgcolor=mistyrose| "In the Ghetto" {{‡}}

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1969|7|12}}

align=center|1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"|24

|Thunderclap Newman

| "Something in the Air"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1969|7|19}}||align=center|1

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|25

|{{Sortname|The|Rolling Stones}}

| "Honky Tonk Women"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1969|7|26}}||align=center|2

bgcolor=mistyrose

!scope=row style="text-align:center;"|26

|{{Sortname|Robin|Gibb}}

|bgcolor=mistyrose| "Saved by the Bell" {{‡}}

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1969|8|9}}

align=center|2
bgcolor=mistyrose

!scope=row style="text-align:center;"|27

|{{Sortname|Stevie|Wonder}}

|bgcolor=mistyrose| "My Cherie Amour" {{‡}}

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1969|8|23}}

align=center|1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"|28

|Zager and Evans

| "In The Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus)"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1969|8|30}}||align=center|4

bgcolor=mistyrose

!scope=row style="text-align:center;"|29

|Bee Gees

|bgcolor=mistyrose| "Don't Forget to Remember" {{‡}}

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1969|9|27}}

align=center|1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"|30

|{{Sortname|Bobbie|Gentry}}

| "I'll Never Fall in Love Again"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1969|10|4}}||align=center|2

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|31

|{{Sortname|Jane|Birkin}} and Serge Gainsbourg

| "Je t'aime... moi non plus"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1969|10|18}}||align=center|2

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|32

|{{Sortname|The|Archies}}

| "Sugar, Sugar"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1969|11|1}}||align=center|2

bgcolor=mistyrose

!scope=row style="text-align:center;"|33

|Fleetwood Mac

|bgcolor=mistyrose| "Oh Well" {{‡}}

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1969|11|15}}

align=center|2
bgcolor=mistyrose

!scope=row style="text-align:center;"|34

|{{Sortname|The|Tremeloes}}

|bgcolor=mistyrose| "(Call Me) Number One" {{‡}}

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1969|11|29}}

align=center|2
bgcolor=mistyrose

!scope=row style="text-align:center;"|35

|{{Sortname|Kenny|Rogers}} and The First Edition

|bgcolor=mistyrose| "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" {{‡}}

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1969|12|13}}

align=center|1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"|36

|{{Sortname|Rolf|Harris}}

| "Two Little Boys"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1969|12|20}}||align=center|6

class=unsortable

!scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6|{{Anchor|1970}}{{Sort|36.1|1970}}

bgcolor=mistyrose

!scope=row style="text-align:center;"|37

|Marmalade

|bgcolor=mistyrose| "Reflections of My Life" {{‡}}

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1970|1|31}}

align=center|1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"|38

|{{Sortname|Edison|Lighthouse}}

| "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1970|2|7}}||align=center|3

bgcolor=mistyrose

!scope=row style="text-align:center;"|39

|{{Sortname|The|Jackson 5}}

|bgcolor=mistyrose| "I Want You Back" {{‡}}

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1970|2|28}}

align=center|3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"|40

|Simon & Garfunkel

| "Bridge over Troubled Water"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1970|3|21}}||align=center|5

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|41

|{{Sortname|Norman|Greenbaum}}

| "Spirit in the Sky"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1970|4|25}}||align=center|4

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|42

|England World Cup Squad "70"

| "Back Home"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1970|5|23}}||align=center|1

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|43

|Christie

| "Yellow River"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1970|5|30}}||align=center|1

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|44

|{{Sortname|Mungo|Jerry}}

| "In the Summertime"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1970|6|13}}||align=center|4

bgcolor=mistyrose

!scope=row style="text-align:center;"|45

|Free

|bgcolor=mistyrose| "All Right Now" {{‡}}

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1970|7|11}}

align=center|4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"|46

|{{Sortname|Elvis|Presley}}

| "{{sort|Wonder of You|The Wonder of You}}"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1970|8|1}}||align=center|3

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|47

|{{Sortname|Smokey|Robinson}} and The Miracles

| "{{sort|Tears of a Clown|The Tears of a Clown}}"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1970|8|29}}||align=center|4

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|48

|{{Sortname|Freda|Payne}}

| "Band of Gold"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1970|9|26}}||align=center|5

bgcolor=mistyrose

!scope=row style="text-align:center;"|49

|Deep Purple

|bgcolor=mistyrose| "Black Night" {{‡}}

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1970|10|31}}

align=center|1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"|50

|Matthews' Southern Comfort

| "Woodstock"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1970|11|7}}||align=center|3

bgcolor=mistyrose

!scope=row style="text-align:center;"|51

|{{Sortname|Don|Fardon}}

|bgcolor=mistyrose| "Indian Reservation" {{‡}}

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1970|11|28}}

align=center|1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"|52

|{{Sortname|Dave|Edmunds}}'s Rockpile

| "I Hear You Knocking"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1970|12|5}}||align=center|2

bgcolor=mistyrose

!scope=row style="text-align:center;"|53

|McGuinness Flint

|bgcolor=mistyrose| "When I'm Dead and Gone" {{‡}}

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1970|12|19}}

align=center|3
class=unsortable

!scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6|{{Anchor|1971}}{{Sort|53.1|1971}}

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|54

|{{Sortname|Clive|Dunn}}

| "Grandad"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1971|1|9}}||align=center|3

scope=row style="text-align:center;"|55

|{{Sortname|George|Harrison}}

| "My Sweet Lord"

|{{Dts|format=dmy|1971|1|30}}||align=center|4

Notes

{{Reflist|group=nb}}

References

;Footnotes

{{Reflist}}

;Sources

{{Refbegin}}

  • {{Cite book|last3=Osborne|first3=Roger|first1=Dafydd|last1=Rees|first2=Barry|last2=Lazell|title=Forty Years of "NME" Charts|edition=2nd|year=1995|publisher=Pan Macmillan|isbn=978-0-7522-0829-9}}

{{Refend}}

{{UK Music Charts}}

{{featured list}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Top Pops}}

Top Pops