UK Singles Chart: 1964

So after a long break, the year by year chart analysis is back.

By 1964 Beatlemania was in full swing. The Beatles would release three singles this year, "Can't Buy Me Love", "A Hard Days Night" and "I Feel Fine" which all reached number 1. Polydor records also cashed in by releasing "Ain't She Sweet" which reached number 29.

More bands from the Mersey beat scene also came around this year. There was the Mojos who debuted with "Everything's Alright" in March. They would have a further two hits before the end of the year and would not return to the charts again. Then there was the Dennisons who had their only top 40 hit with "Walking the Dog" in May. The bands drummer Clive Hornby would later on become best known for playing Jack Sugden in Emmerdale. Then in October after Tony Jackson left the Searchers, he would form a new band called Tony Jackson and the Vibrations who would have their only hit with "Bye Bye Baby".

Outside of Liverpool there were several other notable debutants. In January we saw the debut of Manfred Mann with "5-4-3-2-1". They would reach number one with their third release "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" in August.

March saw the debut of the Applejacks with "Tell Me When". They would have a further two hits before the end of the year and would not return to the charts again. Also in March was the debut of Peter and Gordon who debuted with the Lennon/McCartney penned "A World Without Love" which would reach number one the following month. This was followed up in June with "Nobody I Know", also by Lennon/McCartney which reached number 10.

April saw the debut of the Animals with "Baby Can I Take You Home" and would reach number one with their follow up "House of the Rising Sun" in July. May saw the debut of Lulu with her cover of the Isley Brothers "Shout". Also in May came the debut of Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders with "Stop Look and Listen". The band featured Eric Stewart who would later go on to form 10CC.

July saw the Honeycombs debut with "Have I the Right" which would reach number one in August. That same month saw the Zombie score their only top 40 hit with "She's Not There" which surprisingly only reached number 12. There was also the debut of the Kinks with "You Really Got Me" which would reach number one in September. Then there was the debut of Herman's Hermits with "I'm Into Something Good" which would knock the Kinks of number one.

October saw the debut of Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers with "One Way Love". The same month saw the Pretty Things debut with "Don't Bring Me Down". We also saw Sandie Shaw reach number one with her debut "(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me".

From America we see the first official Motown release in the UK Top 40 which was "My Guy" by Mary Wells in May. This would be the only UK hit for Mary Wells. We see the Supremes debut in September with "Where Did Our Love Go". Then November sees Martha & The Vandellas debut with "Dancing In the Street". November sees the first Motown number one with "Baby Love" by the Supremes.

In total there were 23 number ones in 1964, 9 of which came from chart debutants of the year and 9 of which came from chart debutants of the previous year. The remaining number ones came from the Beatles and Roy Orbison, so none of the acts who reached number one this year had any hits in the 50s.

Despite the top of the charts being out with the old in with the new, some of the old guard were still around. From the first year of the charts and after an absence of 5 years we welcome back Louis Armstrong who reached number 4 with "Hello Dolly". Also from the first year of the charts and after a 6 year absence we welcome back Doris Day with "Move Over Darling" reaching number 8. This would be the last we see of Doris Day in the charts, but Louis Armstrong would be back.

We also see the return after a 6 year absence from a 1953 debutant, Dean Martin, who reached number 11 with "Everybody Loves Somebody".

Keeping his run of having hits every year since 1954 is Frankie Vaughan who reached number 18 with "Hello Dolly". This would mark the end of this particular run, but he would return 3 years later. Other 1954 debutants still in the charts this year are Petula Clark and Ronnie Hilton.

Debutants from the 1950s who would bid farewell to the charts this year are Little Richard with "Bama Lama Bama Loo", Buddy Holly with "Love's Made A Fool Of You", The Crickets with "(They Call Her) La Bamba", Ricky Nelson with "For You" and Ella Fitzgerald with her cover of "Can't Buy Me Love".

We see the first official act in the chart from Germany, composer Helmut Zacharias who had his only hit with "Tokyo Melody". We also see the first act from Jamaica, Millie, who had her only two top 40 hits this year with "My Boy Lollypop" and "Sweet William".

Elvis Presley failed to add to his number ones this year, but managed to add 5 to his total number of top 40 hits bring him up to 52. The highest he would reach this year would be number 10, seemingly his popularity was starting to fade with the emergence of the beat scene.

This brings us to the halfway point in the 60s with the charts very much looking like what the 60s are known for after a slow start. Will this continue into 1965? and what else will we see emerge? Find out in a couple of weeks (hopefully!).