This alphabetical by artist listing displays for each charted single its date charted, peak position and total weeks charted — for each pop chart on which it appeared!
Chart data for all songs with multiple chart entries is listed in order of peak chart performance.
The research for this book kicks off with the debut of Music Vendor on October 4, 1954, and continues for all three magazines through the final issue of Record World on April 10, 1982.
It’s in this book if it hit the charts below from October of 1954 to April of 1982.
Billboard:
– Hot 100 & pre-Hot 100
– Bubbling Under the Hot 100
Cash Box:
– Top 100 & pre-Top 100
– Looking Ahead
Music Vendor & Record World:
– Top 100 & pre-Top 100
– #101-150 & pre #101-150
Convenient! At a glance see data from multiple charts for one song! Not shown are record labels, biographies, symbols, title trivia, certifications, etc.
#1 Hits Section! Comprehensive listing of every #1 hit on all three charts, week by week, from 1954-1982!
Shaded chart data of top hit for artists with 10 or more hits — see at a glance the biggest hit across all three charts for artists with extensive chart histories!
New research on Music Vendor and Record World charts!
– We now show everything that appeared below the Top 100 of Music Vendor and Record World’s pop singles charts, not just the exclusive titles that appeared in our sold-out #101-150 Hit Records book.
– Also appearing are the “coat-tail” hits! From 1954-69, songs recorded by multiple artists were listed together at one chart position. On the actual charts, Music Vendor/Record World listed the artists for every version in current release under each title according to popularity. However, some songs that were big hits by more than one artist (ex: “Raunchy” by Bill Justis and by Ernie Freeman) were always shown with just one artist listed first under the title. Since many of these “coat-tail” songs were considered hits in their own right, we’ve added them to the Music Vendor/Record World listings with an asterisk (*) next to the peak position.
Here’s a sampling of the new information revealed in The Comparison Book:
Q1: When did The Beatles and Bob Dylan first hit the American pop singles charts?
Q2: Who had the most chart hits without a #1 hit? (No, it’s no longer James Brown.)
Q3: Is Elvis still The King with the most charted pop hits?
A1: On July 13, 1963, Cash Box provided the first U.S. chart glimpse of the Beatles when “From Me To You” squeaked on to #149 for one week. A few weeks later, August 31, 1963, would mark the sole week the future Bob Dylan classic, “Blowin’ In The Wind” was at the very bottom of the Music Vendor chart, #150.
A2: James Brown hit #1 on January 1, 1966, on Record World with “I Got You (I Feel Good).” He ranks second with the most chart hits, 120, making Fats Domino the top artist with the most chart hits, 93, without a #1 hit.
A3: Elvis is still the “King of the Charts” with 170 entries in this book and increased his #1-hit total by four to 22; however, The Beatles still carry the record for most #1 hits, also increasing their lead by four, from 20 to 24 chart-toppers.
