Sunday, November 3, 2019

Billboard 1940-1958 (Pre-Hot 100 Era): Top 100

First posted 11/3/2019.

In 1958, Billboard magazine introduced the Hot 100 chart which consolidated information from sales, airplay, and jukebox plays. In the 18 preceding that, there were separate charts for each of those three. This list shows which songs did the best on those three charts. Songs are listed by total combined weeks on the three charts with codes indicating how many weeks on each of the three charts. Ties are broken by songs’ overall status in Dave’s Music Database.

  • BS = Best Sellers
  • DJ = Most Played by Disc Jockeys
  • JB = Most Played on Jukeboxes

42 weeks:

1. Francis Craig with Bob Lamm “Near You” (1947) BS: 12, DJ: 17, JB: 13

36 weeks:

2. Ted Weems with Elmo Tanner “Heartaches” (1947) BS: 12, DJ: 11, JB: 13

33 weeks:

3. Vaughn Monroe “Riders in the Sky (A Cowboy Legend)” (1949) BS: 11, DJ: 12, JB: 10
4. The Weavers with Gordon Jenkins’ Orchestra “Goodnight Irene” (1950) BS: 13, DJ: 8, JB: 12

30 weeks:

5. Patti Page “Tennessee Waltz” (1950) BS: 9, DJ: 8, JB: 13
6. Johnnie Ray & the Four Lads “Cry” (1951) BS: 11, DJ: 10, JB: 9

28 weeks:

7. Elvis Presley “Don’t Be Cruel” (1956) BS: 11, DJ: 8, JB: 9
8. Perry Como “Till the End of Time” (1945) BS: 10, DJ: 9, JB: 9
9. Guy Mitchell “Singing the Blues” (1956) BS: 9, DJ: 9, JB: 10
10. Kay Starr “Wheel of Fortune” (1952) BS: 9, DJ: 9, JB: 10

27 weeks:

11. Les Paul & Mary Ford “How High the Moon” (1951) BS: 9, DJ: 9, JB: 9

26 weeks:

12. Tony Bennett “Because of You” (1951) BS: 8, DJ: 8, JB: 10

25 weeks:

13. The Ink Spots “The Gypsy” (1946) BS: 10, DJ: 2, JB: 13
14. Vaughn Monroe “Ballerina” (1947) BS: 10, DJ: 8, JB: 7
15. Percy Faith “Where Is Your Heart (Song from “Moulin Rouge”)” (1953) BS: 10, DJ: 9, JB: 6
16. Frankie Carle with Marjorie Hughes “Rumors Are Flying” (1946) BS: 8, DJ: 9, JB: 8

24 weeks:

17. Elvis Presley “All Shook Up” (1957) BS: 8, DJ: 7, JB: 9
18. Dinah Shore “Buttons and Bows” (1948) BS: 10, DJ: 5, JB: 9
19. Kitty Kallen “Little Things Mean a Lot” (1954) BS: 9, DJ: 8, JB: 7
20. The Crew-Cuts “Sh-Boom” (1954) BS: 7, DJ: 9, JB: 8

23 weeks:

21. Les Brown with Doris Day “Sentimental Journey” (1945) BS: 9, DJ: 7, JB: 7
22. Bing Crosby & the Andrews Sisters “Don’t Fence Me In” (1944) BS: 8, DJ: 7, JB: 8
23. Les Paul & Mary Ford “Vaya Con Dios (May God Be with You)” (1953) BS: 11, DJ: 3, JB: 9
24. The McGuire Sisters “Sincerely” (1954) BS: 6, DJ: 10, JB: 7
25. Perez “Prez” Prado “Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White” (1955) BS: 10, DJ: 5, JB: 8
26. Perry Como “Wanted” (1954) BS: 8, DJ: 7, JB: 8

22 weeks:

27. Patti Page “The Doggie in the Window” (1953) BS: 8, DJ: 7, JB: 7
28. Rosemary Clooney “Come on-a My House” (1951) BS: 6, DJ: 8, JB: 8

21 weeks:

29. Johnny Mercer & the Pied Pipers “On the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe” (1945) BS: 7, DJ: 6, JB: 8
30. Peggy Lee “Manana Is Soon Enough for Me” (1948) BS: 9, DJ: 7, JB: 5
31. Eddie Fisher “O Mein Papa (Oh My Papa)” (1953) BS: 8, DJ: 7, JB: 6
32. Tony Bennett “Rags to Riches” (1953) BS: 6, DJ: 7, JB: 8

20 weeks:

33. Bill Haley & the Comets “We’re Gonna Rock Around the Clock” (1954) BS: 8, DJ: 5, JB: 7
34. Elvis Presley “Hound Dog” (1956): BS: 11, JB: 9
35. Tennessee Ernie Ford “Sixteen Tons” (1955) BS: 7, DJ: 6, JB: 7
36. Frankie Laine with Jud Conlon’s Rhythmaires “That Lucky Old Sun” (1949) BS: 8, DJ: 7, JB: 5
37. Evelyn Knight & the Stardusters “A Little Bird Told Me” (1948) BS: 7, DJ: 6, JB: 7

19 weeks:

38. Elvis Presley “Heartbreak Hotel” (1956) BS: 6, DJ: 3, JB: 8
39. Jo Stafford “You Belong to Me” (1952) BS: 5, DJ: 12, JB: 2
40. Eddy Howard “To Each His Own” (1946) BS: 5, DJ: 8, JB: 6
41. Vera Lynn “Auf Widerseh’n Sweetheart” (1952) BS: 9, DJ: 6, JB: 4
42. Perry Como “If (They Made Me a King)” (1951) BS: 6, DJ: 8, JB: 5

18 weeks:

43. Nat “King” Cole “Mona Lisa” (1950) BS: 5, DJ: 8, JB: 5
44. Pee Wee Hunt Orchestra “Twelfth Street Rag” (1948) BS: 8, DJ: 4, JB: 6
45. The Andrews Sisters “Rum and Coca Cola” (1945) BS: 8, JB: 10
46. Mitch Miller “The Yellow Rose of Texas” (1955) BS: 6, DJ: 6, JB: 6
47. The Chordettes “Mr. Sandman” (1954) S: 7, DJ: 7, JB: 4
48. Frankie Laine & the Muleskinners “Mule Train” (1949) BS: 6, DJ: 6, JB: 6
49. Gogi Grant “The Wayward Wind” (1956) BS: 6, DJ: 8, JB: 4,
50. Kay Kyser with Gloria Wood “Woody Woodpecker” (1948) BS: 6, DJ: 6, JB: 6
51. Teresa Brewer “TilL I Waltz Again with You” (1952) BS: 5, DJ: 6, JB: 7

17 weeks:

52. Bing Crosby with the Williams Brothers Quartet “Swinging on a Star” (1944) BS: 9, JB: 8
53. Frankie Carle with Marjorie Hughes “Oh What It Seemed to Be” (1946) BS: 6, JB: 11
54. Les Brown with Doris Day “My Dreams Are Getting Bigger All the Time” (1945) BS: 7: DJ: 3, JB: 7

16 weeks:

55. Patti Page “I Went to Your Wedding” (1952) BS: 5, DJ: 1, JB: 10
56. Tab Hunter “Young Love” (1956) BS: 5, DJ: 6, JB: 5

15 weeks:

57. Nat “King” Cole “Nature Boy” (1948) BS: 7, DJ: 8
58. Vaughn Monroe “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” (1945) BS: 5, DJ: 5, JB: 5
59. Rosemary Clooney “Hey There” (1954) BS: 6, DJ: 4, JB; 5
60. Eileen Barton with the New Yorkers “If I Knew You Were Comin’ I’d’ve Baked a Cake” (1950) BS: 2, DJ: 10, JB: 3
61. Sammy Kaye with Billy Williams “The Old Lamplighter” (1946) BS: 7, DJ: 1, JB: 7
62. Dean Martin “Memories Are Made of This” (1955) BS: 5, DJ: 6, JB: 4

14 weeks:

63. Red Foley “Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy” (1950) BS: 4, DJ: 2, JB: 8
64. The Ames Brothers “You, You, You” (1953) DJ: 8, JB: 6

13 weeks:

65. Glenn Miller “In the Mood” (1939) JB: 13
66. Artie Shaw “Frenesi” (1940) BS: 13
67. Shep Fields with Hal Derwin “South of the Border (Down Mexico Way)” (1939) JB: 13
68. Nat “King” Cole “Too Young” (1951) BS: 5, DJ: 4, JB: 4
69. Joni James “Why Don’t You Believe Me” (1952) BS: 4, DJ: 6, JB: 3
70. Georgia Gibbs “Kiss of Fire” (1952) DJ: 7, JB: 6
71. Russ Morgan & the Skylarks “Crusing Down the River on a Sunday Afternoon” (1949) BS: 7, JB: 6
72. Jo Stafford “Make Love to Me!” (1954) BS: 3, DJ: 3, JB: 7

12 weeks:

73. Tommy Dorsey with Frank Sinatra “I’ll Never Smile Again” (1940) BS: 12
74. The Harmonicats “Peg O’ My Heart” (1947) BS: 4, JB: 8
75. Perry Como “Some Enchanted Evening” (1949) BS: 5, DJ: 2, JB: 5
76. Art Mooney “I’m Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover” (1948) BS: 3, DJ: 4, JB: 5
77. Pat Boone “Love Letters in the Sand” (1957) BS: 5, DJ: 7
78. Blue Barron & His Orchestra “Crusing Down the River on a Sunday Afternoon” (1949) BS: 2, DJ: 7, JB: 3
79. The Andrews Sisters “I Can Dream, Can’t I?” (1949) BS: 4, DJ: 5, JB: 3
80. Perry Como & the Ramblers “Don’t Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes” (1952) BS: 5, DJ: 3, JB: 4
81. Eddie Fisher “I’m Walking Behind You” (1953) BS: 2, DJ: 3, JB: 7

11 weeks:

82. Elvis Presley “Love Me Tender” (1956) BS: 5, DJ: 5, JB: 1
83. Anton Karas “The Third Man Theme” (1950) BS: 11
84. The Four Aces “Love Is a Many Splendored Thing” (1955) BS: 2, DJ: 6, JB: 3
85. Tex Williams “Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! That Cigarette” (1947) BS: 6, DJ: 1, JB: 4
86. Vic Damone “You’re Breaking My Heart” (1949) BS: 4, DJ: 4, JB: 3
87. Bill Hayes “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” (1955) BS: 5, DJ: 3, JB: 3
88. Eddy Howard “Sin (It’s No Sin)” (1951) BS: 2, DJ: 8, JB: 1
89. Les Baxter “The Poor People of Paris” (1956) BS: 4, DJ: 5, JB: 2
90. Guy Lombardo “The Third Man Theme” (1950) JB: 11
91. Phil Harris “The Thing” (1950) BS: 4, DJ: 5, JB: 2

10 weeks:

92. Elvis Presley “Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear” (1957) BS: 7, DJ: 3
93. Harry James with Dick Haymes “I’ll Get By As Long As I Have You” (1941) BS: 4, JB: 6
94. Sheb Wooley “The Purple People Eater” (1958) BS: 6, DJ: 4
95. Joan Weber “Let Me Go, Lover!” (1954) BS: 2, DJ: 4, JB: 4

9 weeks:

96. Elvis Presley “Jailhouse Rock” (1957) BS: 7, DJ: 2
97. The Everly Brothers “All I Have to Do Is Dream” (1958) BS: 4, DJ: 5
98. Glenn Miller “Tuxedo Junction” (1940) JB: 9
99. The Andrews Sisters “Shoo-Shoo Baby” (1943) JB: 9
100. Frank Sinatra “Five Minutes More” (1956) BS: 2, DJ: 4, JB: 3
101. Bing Crosby “Only Forever” (1940) BS: 9
102. Tony Bennett “Cold, Cold Heart” (1951) BS: 6, JB: 3


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