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MUSIC MEMORIES

Music acts like a diary to our life, each song 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 only instruments I could ever play

STYLOPHONE

KAZZOO

THE NUMBER ONE'S

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

1950'S

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ONLY SIXTEEN

Sam Cook

September Number One 1959

1960'S

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1960

Cliff Richard
I Love You

1961

Andy Williams
Moon River

1962

Elvis Presley
Return To Sender

1963

Beatles
I Wanna Hold Your Hand

1964

Beatles
I Feel Fine

1965

Beatles
Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out

1966

Tom Jones
Green Green Grass Of Home

1967

Beatles
Hello Goodbye

1969

Scaffold
Lily The Pink

1970'S

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1970

Dave Edmunds
I Hear You Knockin'

1971

Benny Hill
Ernie

1972

Jimmy Osmond
Long Haired Lover From Liverpool

1973

Slade
Merry Christmas Everybody

1974

Mud
Lonely This Christmas

1975

Queen
Bohemian Rhapsody

1976

Johnny Mathis
When A Child Is Born

1977

Paul McCartney & Wings
Mull Of Kintyre

1978

Boney M.
Mary's Boy Child

1979

Pink Floyd
Another Brick In The Wall

1980'S

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1980

St Winifred's School Choir
There's No-one Quite Like Grandma

1981

Human League
Don't You Want Me

1982

Renee & Renato
Save Your Love

1983

Flying Pickets
Only You

1984

Band Aid
Do They Know Its Christmas

1985

Shakin' Stevens
Merry Christmas Everyone

1986

Jacky Wilson
Reet Petite

1987

Pet Shop Boys
Always On My Mind

1988

Cliff Richard
Mistletoe And Wine

1989

Band Aid II
Do They Know Its Christmas

1990'S

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1990

Cliff Richard
Saviours Day

1991

Queen
Bohemian Rhapsody

1992

Whitney Houston
I Will Always Love You

1993

Mr Blobby

1994

East 17
Stay Another Day

1995

Michael Jackson
Earth Song

1996

Spice Girls
Two Became One

1997

Spice Girls
Too Much

1998

Spice Girls
Goodbye

1999

Westlife
I Have A Dream

2000'S

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2000

Bob The Builder
Can We Fix It

2001

Robbie Williams & Nicole Kidman
Something Stupid

2002

Girls Aloud
Sound Of The Underground

2003

Michael Andrews / Gary Jules
Mad World

2004

Band Aid 20
Do They Know Its Christmas

2005

Shayne Ward
That's My Goal

2006

Leona Lewis
A Moment Like This

2007

Leon Jackson
When You Believe

2008

Alexandra Burke
Hallelujah

2009

Rage Against The Machine
Killing In The Name

2010'S

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2010

Matt Cardle
When We Collide

2011

Military Wives
Wherever You Are

2012

James Arthur
Impossible

2013

Sam Bailey
Skyscraper

2014

Ben Haenow
Something I Need

2015

Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Choir
A Bridge Over You

2016

Clean Bandit
Rockabye

2017

Ladbaby
We Built This City On Sausage Rolls

2017

The Fire Tones
Do They Know Its Christmas

INFLUENTIAL ALBUMS OF MY YOUTH

Some of the most memoriable albums of my younger years.

TUBULAR BELLS

SHADOWS 20 GOLDEN GREATS

SHEER HEART ATTACK

QUEEN II

PARALLEL LINES

HEARTBREAKER

FOREIGNER

WAR OF THE WORLDS

SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER

PIN UPS

OLD NEW BORROWED AND BLUE

HELP

SUMMER HOLIDAY

MONKEYS

DAVE CLARK FIVE

BEACH BOYS

TOP OF THE POPS

DANNY KAYE