MUSIC MEMORIES
Music is an index to our life, each song like a diary reminding us of a notable event.
We all remember the songs we heard with our first loves, what was playing when we married or had our first child, and sadly some that link to the passing of loved ones.
As a young child the music I heard was more my parents choice rather than mine, They ruled the radio and I grew up listening to the Big Bands, Mario Lanza, Wartime hits, Sinatra, Crosby and Como.
It wasnt until I bought myself a stereo record player out of my paper round money that I managed to listen to my own choices, the Hallmark and the Top of the Pop albums, copies of the current hits but not by original artists, they were all I could afford. My uncle introduced me to an instrumental record, played through headphones from my Nan's expensive Rigonda radiogram, I was amazed and immediately started saving up to purchase 'Tubular Bells' by Mike Oldfield. I liked instrumental hits, Hank Marvin and the Shadows were played endlessly until the arrival of Mud, Showaddywaddy, Queen and later Dire Straits.
One of my biggest regrets was that I never managed to master reading music and therefore been able to play an instrument of my own. I tried many times over the years, but just can't seem to relate the little black squiggles to a string or a key.
The very first UK chart was published on the 14th November 1952 by the 'New Musical Express' magazine. It showed the top 12 hits.
On the 1st October 1954 it was extended to cover the top twenty. On the 13th April 1956 it was extended to cover the top thirty hits, and from the 10th March 1960 it was extended again to cover the top Fifty hits.
The record charts have changed a lot over the years, back in the 1950's they were based on the sales of sheet music of a particular song or instrumental recording, at the time some of these songs were being performed by two or more artists at the same time.
In the 60's the charts related more to physical sales and airplay of singles, the album charts were added later. The charts were dominated by the BBC and Radio One, and were revealed to the public on it's Sunday evening Top 40 Countdown show,
Now there are many charts, singles; albums; downloads; streaming; physical sales, and charts for genre's of music, no longer restricted to the BBC there are many managing their own charts, such as Vodaphone, Apple's i-player and those by individual radio stations, although many still see the BBC chart as the definitive one.
Below are the listings of the number one's along with videos of the Christmas number one song.
CHOOSE YOUR DECADE BELOW
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Sam Cook
September Number One 1959
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Cliff Richard
I Love You
Andy Williams
Moon River
Elvis Presley
Return To Sender
Beatles
I Wanna Hold Your Hand
Beatles
I Feel Fine
Beatles
Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out
Tom Jones
Green Green Grass Of Home
Beatles
Hello Goodbye
Scaffold
Lily The Pink
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Dave Edmunds
I Hear You Knockin'
Benny Hill
Ernie
Jimmy Osmond
Long Haired Lover From Liverpool
Slade
Merry Christmas Everybody
Mud
Lonely This Christmas
Queen
Bohemian Rhapsody
Johnny Mathis
When A Child Is Born
Paul McCartney & Wings
Mull Of Kintyre
Boney M.
Mary's Boy Child
Pink Floyd
Another Brick In The Wall
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St Winifred's School Choir
There's No-one Quite Like Grandma
Human League
Don't You Want Me
Renee & Renato
Save Your Love
Flying Pickets
Only You
Band Aid
Do They Know Its Christmas
Shakin' Stevens
Merry Christmas Everyone
Jacky Wilson
Reet Petite
Pet Shop Boys
Always On My Mind
Cliff Richard
Mistletoe And Wine
Band Aid II
Do They Know Its Christmas
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Cliff Richard
Saviours Day
Queen
Bohemian Rhapsody
Whitney Houston
I Will Always Love You
Mr Blobby
East 17
Stay Another Day
Michael Jackson
Earth Song
Spice Girls
Two Became One
Spice Girls
Too Much
Spice Girls
Goodbye
Westlife
I Have A Dream
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Bob The Builder
Can We Fix It
Robbie Williams & Nicole Kidman
Something Stupid
Girls Aloud
Sound Of The Underground
Michael Andrews / Gary Jules
Mad World
Band Aid 20
Do They Know Its Christmas
Shayne Ward
That's My Goal
Leona Lewis
A Moment Like This
Leon Jackson
When You Believe
Alexandra Burke
Hallelujah
Rage Against The Machine
Killing In The Name
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Matt Cardle
When We Collide
Military Wives
Wherever You Are
James Arthur
Impossible
Sam Bailey
Skyscraper
Ben Haenow
Something I Need
Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Choir
A Bridge Over You
Clean Bandit
Rockabye
Ladbaby
We Built This City On Sausage Rolls
The Fire Tones
Do They Know Its Christmas
Some of the most memoriable albums of my younger years.
