prussianblue

15.05.23 57 Elvis Presley – Return To Sender +3 55 The Tornados – Telstar +1 54 Elvis Presley – Rock-A-Hula Baby/Can´t Help Falling In Love 53 B. Bumble & The Stingers – Nut Rocker 31 The Beatles – From Me To You 17 Cliff Richard & The Shadows – The Young Ones 16 The Shadows – Wonderful Land 14 Elvis Presley – (You're The) Devil In Disguise 14 The Beatles – I Want To Hold Your Hand 07 The Shadows – Foot Tapper -6

14.05.23 57 Elvis Presley – Rock-A-Hula Baby/Can´t Help Falling In Love 53 Elvis Presley – Return To Sender +4 49 The Beatles – From Me To You 46 B. Bumble & The Stingers – Nut Rocker 45 The Tornados – Telstar 24 The Beatles – I Want To Hold Your Hand 21 Elvis Presley – (You're The) Devil In Disguise 22 Cliff Richard & The Shadows – The Young Ones 19 The Shadows – Wonderful Land 16 The Shadows – Foot Tapper 0 Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas – Bad To Me -6

You should warn us if you're linking to the Daily Hate Mail. As it is I'll just have to imagine a slightly declined Michael Caine.

13.05.23 53 Elvis Presley – Rock-A-Hula Baby/Can´t Help Falling In Love 46 Elvis Presley – Return To Sender +2 46 The Tornados – Telstar +2 43 B. Bumble & The Stingers – Nut Rocker 42 The Beatles – From Me To You 39 The Beatles – I Want To Hold Your Hand 21 Elvis Presley – (You're The) Devil In Disguise 21 Cliff Richard & The Shadows – The Young Ones 19 The Shadows – Wonderful Land 17 The Shadows – Foot Tapper 16 Cliff Richard & The Shadows – Summer Holiday 13 Elvis Presley – She´s Not You 10 Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas – Bad To Me -3 10 The Shadows – Dance On -3

There's only one musical Michelle that matters.

Pet Shop Boys have been uploading remastered versions of their old videos in the run-up to the release of their complete singles compilation album Smash (55 tracks!). One I hadn't seen/heard before but love is Flamboyant (2003):

I like later Beatles output, Penny Lane, Hey Jude, Here Comes the Sun, a few others. Cliff's career is like that 'Three Ages of Elvis' bit in Father Ted. Summer Holiday, Congratulations and Devil Woman are alright. I (mostly ironically) enjoy Mistletoe and Wine, and Saviour's Day is wonderfully naff.

12.05.23 43 Elvis Presley – Rock-A-Hula Baby/Can´t Help Falling In Love 43 B. Bumble & The Stingers – Nut Rocker 41 Elvis Presley – Return To Sender +2 39 The Tornados – Telstar +2 32 The Beatles – I Want To Hold Your Hand 30 The Beatles – From Me To You 24 Cliff Richard & The Shadows – Summer Holiday 24 Gerry & The Pacemakers – How Do You Do It 21 The Shadows – Foot Tapper 21 The Shadows – Wonderful Land 21 Elvis Presley – (You're The) Devil In Disguise 21 Cliff Richard & The Shadows – The Young Ones 18 Elvis Presley – She´s Not You 17 Cliff Richard & The Shadows – The Next Time/Bachelor Boy 17 The Shadows – Dance On 17 Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas – Bad To Me 14 The Searchers – Sweets For My Sweet 10 Ray Charles – I Can´t Stop Loving You 05 Frank Ifield – I Remember You -6

The 1950s would theoretically be shorter, given that the charts only started in November of 1952, and there was only one no.1 for that year (Al Martino's Here in My Heart, 9 weeks at no.1).

For me they've been among the most interesting because I don't know most of them, and I enjoy that element of discovery. Although the amount I actually enjoy is another matter...

Worth noting that the now departed She Loves You was not just The Beatles' biggest-selling single but the biggest-selling single of the whole decade.

NKVD agents in the 1940s would have mostly occupied themselves with ethnic cleansing, mass murder and show trials, and maybe occasionally helping their boss Beria rape and murder young women. Lovely people.

11.05.23 35 Elvis Presley – Return to Sender +2 33 Elvis Presley – Rock-A-Hula Baby/Can´t Help Falling In Love 30 The Tornados – Telstar 30 B. Bumble & The Stingers – Nut Rocker 26 The Beatles — From me to you 26 The Beatles – I Want To Hold Your Hand 24 Gerry & The Pacemakers – How Do You Do It 24 The Beatles – She Loves You 23 Elvis Presley – She´s Not You 22 Frank Ifield – I Remember You -6 21 The Shadows – Wonderful Land +2 21 Elvis Presley – (You're The) Devil In Disguise 21 Cliff Richard & The Shadows – The Next Time/Bachelor Boy 20 Ray Charles – I Can´t Stop Loving You 20 The Searchers – Sweets For My Sweet 20 Cliff Richard & The Shadows – Summer Holiday 19 The Shadows – Dance On 19 The Shadows – Foot Tapper 18 Cliff Richard & The Shadows – The Young Ones 17 Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas – Bad To Me 12 Elvis Presley – Good Luck Charm 11 Gerry & The Pacemakers – I Like It 08 Mike Sarne & Wendy Richards – Come Outside 08 Jet Harris & Tony Meehan – Diamonds

I'm struck by the chart dominance of a handful of acts. Elvis, The Beatles, Cliff Richard and/or The Shadows, Gerry and the Pacemakers and Frank Ifield are collectively responsible for two-thirds of the the '62-'63 no.1s. (Edit: I originally said half, but it's even more than that!)

Very much on the same page as@lilham and @TQR re. Elvis. A great song paired with a fucking atrocious one.

10.05.23 25 Frank Ifield – I remember you 24 The Tornados — Telstar +2 24 Cliff Richard & the Shadows – Summer Holiday 24 Gerry & the Pacemakers – How do you do it 23 Elvis Presley – Return to sender +2 21 Cliff Richard & the Shadows – The next time/Bachelor Boy 21 Mike Sarne & Wendy Richards – Come outside 21 Elvis Presley – (You're the) Devil in disguise 20 The Beatles – I want to hold your hand 20 The Beatles — From me to you 20 Cliff Richard & the Shadows – The Young Ones 20 Elvis Presley – Rock-a-hula baby/Can´t help falling in love 20 The Shadows – Wonderful land 20 B. Bumble & the Stingers – Nut Rocker 20 Ray Charles – I can´t stop loving you 20 The Shadows – Dance on 20 The Shadows – Foot Tapper 20 Gerry & the Pacemakers – I like it 20 Frank Ifield – Confessin´ (that I love you) 20 The Searchers – Sweets for my sweet 20 Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas – Bad to me 20 The Beatles – She loves you 19 Elvis Presley – She´s not you 18 Gerry & the Pacemakers – You´ll never walk alone 17 Frank Ifield – The wayward wind 16 Jet Harris & Tony Meehan – Diamonds  14 Elvis Presley — Good Luck Charm 14 Brian Poole & the Tremeloes – Do you love me 01 Frank Ifield – Lovesick Blues -6

Still listening to all of them before I vote, but if anyone wants to downvote the fuck out of Frank Ifield (any of them), please do so! Nails down a blackboard.

There were only 12 no.1s in 1962, and Elvis had 4 of them.

10.05.23 89 Del Shannon – Runaway 75 The Shadows – Apache 71 Roy Orbison – Only The Lonely 66 John Leyton – Johnny Remember Me +4 64 Helen Shapiro – Walkin´ Back To Happiness 17 Petula Clark – Sailor -6

I'm absolutely the right age to have found The Demon Headmaster scary. I also know him from the Jonathan Creek episode The Eyes of Tiresias, where he plays a Swiss financier who blows his brains out.

I was thinking the same, he's not had a drink or a cigarette in decades, but he hasn't had a vegetable either.

09.05.23 84 Del Shannon – Runaway 82 The Shadows – Apache 61 John Leyton – Johnny Remember Me +2 56 Roy Orbison — Only The Lonely 52 Helen Shapiro – Walkin´ Back To Happiness +2 42 Petula Clark – Sailor -3 39 Johnny Tillotson – Poetry In Motion 09 Shirley Bassey – Reach For The Stars/Climb Ev'ry Mountain 09 Helen Shapiro – You Don´t Know -3 The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away from Helen Shapiro.

08.05.23 79 Del Shannon – Runaway 76 The Shadows – Apache 61 John Leyton – Johnny Remember Me +4 53 Petula Clark – Sailor 50 Helen Shapiro – Walkin´ Back To Happiness 48 Roy Orbison – Only The Lonely 31 Johnny Tillotson – Poetry In Motion 23 Elvis Presley – (Marie’s The Name Of) His Latest Flame/Little Sister 21 Helen Shapiro – You Don´t Know 18 Shirley Bassey – Reach For The Stars/Climb Ev'ry Mountain 10 The Everly Brothers – Temptation -6

07.05.23 69 Del Shannon – Runaway +1 66 The Shadows – Apache 52 John Leyton – Johnny Remember Me +3 48 Petula Clark – Sailor 47 Helen Shapiro – Walkin´ Back To Happiness 44 Roy Orbison – Only The Lonely 38 Johnny Tillotson – Poetry In Motion 36 Elvis Presley – (Marie’s The Name Of) His Latest Flame/Little Sister 25 Jimmy Jones – Good Timin´ 24 Shirley Bassey – Reach For The Stars/Climb Ev'ry Mountain 23 Helen Shapiro – You Don´t Know 20 The Everly Brothers – Temptation 18 Johnny Kidd & The Pirates – Shakin´ All Over 06 The Marcels— Blue Moon -6

06.05.23 64 The Shadows – Apache 61 Del Shannon – Runaway 47 Helen Shapiro – Walkin´ Back To Happiness 47 Roy Orbison – Only The Lonely 44 Petula Clark – Sailor 41 John Leyton – Johnny Remember Me +2 37 Johnny Tillotson – Poetry In Motion 31 Shirley Bassey – Reach For The Stars/Climb Ev'ry Mountain 30 Elvis Presley – (Marie’s The Name Of) His Latest Flame/Little Sister 26 Johnny Kidd & The Pirates – Shakin´ All Over +2 25 Helen Shapiro – You Don´t Know 24 Jimmy Jones – Good Timin´ -3 21 The Everly Brothers – Temptation 15 Eden Kane – Well I Ask You 14 Michael Holliday – Starry Eyed 14 The Marcels — Blue Moon -3 13 Elvis Presley – Are You Lonesome Tonight  12 Elvis Presley – It´s Now Or Never