Music

1961 Billboard Number One Hits: Every Hot 100 Chart-TopperThe 1961 Billboard Number One Hits list captured early-1960s pop before the British Invasion, when teen idols, vocal groups, instrumentals, dance records, country crossover, early Motown, R&B, and story songs all reached No. 1. Elvis Presley opened the year with Are You Lonesome Tonight?, Bobby Lewis ruled

1960 Billboard Number One Hits: Every Hot 100 Chart-TopperThe 1960 Billboard Number One Hits list captured early-1960s pop just before Motown, surf music, girl groups, and the British Invasion reshaped the chart. Country story songs, teen tragedy records, instrumentals, Elvis Presley, dance records, novelty songs, R&B crossovers, and romantic ballads all reached No. 1. Marty

1959 Billboard Number One Hits: Every Hot 100 Chart-TopperThe 1959 Billboard Number One Hits list captured early rock and roll, vocal-group pop, teen idols, country crossover, novelty records, instrumentals, and the last big pre-1960s sounds before the next pop wave arrived. The Chipmunks opened the year with The Chipmunk Song, Johnny Horton delivered Billboard’s year-end

1958 Billboard Number One Hits: Pre-Hot 100 and First Hot 100 Chart-ToppersThe 1958 Billboard Number One Hits list is one of the most important bridge years in pop-chart history. The year began with Billboard’s pre-Hot 100 pop charts, then changed forever on August 4, 1958, when the Billboard Hot 100 officially debuted with Ricky Nelson’s

1957 Billboard Number One Hits: Pre-Hot 100 Chart-ToppersThe 1957 Billboard Number One Hits list captures American pop just before the Hot 100 era officially began. Elvis Presley was the dominant chart force, but the year also featured teen idols, country crossover, vocal pop, early rock and roll, doo-wop, movie songs, and the first major signs

1956 Billboard Number One Hits: Pre-Hot 100 Chart-ToppersThe 1956 Billboard Number One Hits list captures the year Elvis Presley became a national pop-culture force. The year began with Tennessee Ernie Ford’s Sixteen Tons, moved through traditional pop, instrumentals, vocal ballads, and novelty-leaning records, then exploded with Elvis’ Heartbreak Hotel, Don’t Be Cruel, Hound Dog, and

1955 Billboard Number One Hits: Pre-Hot 100 Chart-ToppersThe 1955 Billboard Number One Hits list captures one of the biggest turning-point years in American pop history. Traditional vocal pop, orchestral instrumentals, television-driven songs, movie themes, and harmony groups still had major chart power, but Bill Haley & His Comets pushed rock and roll into the mainstream

1954 Billboard Number One Hits: Pre-Hot 100 Chart-ToppersThe 1954 Billboard Number One Hits list captures American pop just before rock and roll fully broke into the mainstream. Traditional pop singers, vocal groups, movie songs, Broadway-connected ballads, novelty-leaning records, and early R&B crossover sounds all shared the top of Billboard’s pre-Hot 100 charts. Tony Bennett opened

1953 Billboard Number One Hits: Pre-Hot 100 Chart-ToppersThe 1953 Billboard Number One Hits list captures American pop before rock and roll took over the conversation. Traditional pop singers, novelty records, movie themes, sentimental ballads, vocal groups, comedy records, and early studio-era stars all shared the top of Billboard’s pre-Hot 100 charts. Jimmy Boyd opened the

1952 Billboard Number One Hits: Pre-Hot 100 Chart-ToppersThe 1952 Billboard Number One Hits list captures American pop before rock and roll, before the Hot 100, and before youth culture became the main engine of the singles chart. Traditional pop singers, orchestral instrumentals, sentimental ballads, British vocal pop, comedy records, and holiday songs all reached the

1951 Billboard Number One Hits: Pre-Hot 100 Chart-ToppersThe 1951 Billboard Number One Hits list captures American pop before rock and roll, before the Hot 100, and before youth culture became the main driver of the singles chart. Traditional pop singers, movie-star voices, country crossover songs, studio innovators, and emotional ballads all reached the top of