To Celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, today we went on a journey through 70 years of music throughout Her Majesty’s reign.
It was a full list of the best selling song of each year from 1952 to 2021 and I played a selection of the very best ones. 2 hours wasn’t enough time really and there were so many great songs I had to leave out!
A full list of the most popular song of each year 1952 – 2021 is below. You can listen to the show here –
1952
Here in My Heart – Al Martino
1953
I Believe – Frankie Laine
1954
Secret Love – Doris Day
1955
Rose Marie – Slim Whitman
1956
I’ll Be Home – Pat Boone
1957
Diana – Paul Anka
1958
Jailhouse Rock – Elvis Presley
Total UK sales – 985,500
1959
Living Doll – Cliff Richard
Total UK sales in 1959 – 770,000
Total global sales – 1,860,000
1960
It’s Now or Never – Elvis Presley
Total UK sales – 1,300,000
1961
Wooden Heart – Elvis Presley
1962
I Remember You – Frank Ifield
Total UK sales for 1962 – 1,100,000
1963
She Loves You – The Beatles
Total UK sales – 1,922,275
1964
Can’t Buy Me Love – The Beatles Total UK sales – 1,530,000
1965
Tears – Ken Dodd
Total UK sales 1,523,690
1966
Green, Green Grass of Home – Tom Jones
Total UK sales – 1,250,000
1967
Release Me – Englebert Humperdinck
Total UK sales – 1,380,000
1968
Hey Jude – The Beatles
Total UK sales in 1968 – 1,060,000
1969
Sugar, Sugar – The Archies
Total UK sales in 1969 – 1,020,000
1970
In the Summertime – Mungo Jerry
Total UK sales in 1970 – 750,000
1971
My Sweet Lord – George Harrison
Total UK sales 960,561
1972
Amazing Grace – The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Band
Total UK sales in 1972 – 650,000
1973
Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree – Dawn featuring Tony Orlando
Total UK sales – 1,000,000
1974
Tiger Feet – Mud
Total sales in 1974 – 730,000
1975
Bye Bye Baby – Bay City Rollers Total UK sales 1975 – 1,000,000
1976
Save Your Kisses For Me – Brotherhood of Man
Total UK sales in 1976 – 1,006,000
1977
Mull of Kintyre/Girls’ School – Wings
Total UK sales – 2,086,183
1978
Rivers of Babylon/Brown Girl in the Ring – Boney M
Total UK sales – 2,032,656
1979
Bright Eyes – Art Garfunkel
Total UK sales in 1979 – 1,155,000
1980
Don’t Stand so Close to Me – The Police
Total UK sales in 1980 – 808,000
1981
Tainted Love – Soft Cell
Total UK sales – 1,350,000
1982
Come on Eileen – Dexys’ Midnight Runners
Total UK sales – 1,310,000
1983
Karma Chameleon – Culture Club
Total UK sales – 1,528,498
1984
Do They Know It’s Christmas – Band Aid
Total UK sales 3,802,066
1985
The Power of Love – Jennifer Rush
Total UK sales – 1,390,000
1986
Don’t Leave Me This Way – The Communards Total UK sales in 1986 – 745,000
1987
Never Gonna Give You Up – Rick Astley
Total UK sales 1,000,000
1988
Mistletoe and Wine – Cliff Richard
Total UK sales in 1988 – 750,000
1989
Ride on Time – Black Box
Total UK sales – 1,092,718
1990
Unchained Melody – The Righteous Brothers
Total UK sales – 1,870,000
1991
(Everything I Do) I Do It For You – Bryan Adams
Total UK sales – 1,848,154
1992
I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston
Total UK sales – 1,642,360
1993
I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That) – Meat Loaf
Total UK sales for 1993 – 720,000
1994
Love Is All Around – Wet Wet Wet
Total UK sales – 1,898,790
1995
Unchained Melody – Robson and Jerome
Total UK sales – 1,867,755
1996
Killing Me Softly – The Fugees
Total UK sales for 1996 – 1,200,000
Total UK sales – 1,457,641
1997
Candle in the Wind 1997/ Something About The Way You Look Tonight – Elton John
Total UK sales – 4,935,426
1998
Believe – Cher
Total UK sales – 1,826,573
1999
…Baby One More Time – Britney Spears
Total UK sales – 1,558,054
2000
Can We Fix It? – Bob the Builder
Total UK sales – 1,200,000
2001
It Wasn’t Me – Shaggy featuring Rikrok
Total UK sales – 1,428,204
2002
Anything is Possible/ Evergreen – Will Young
Total UK sales – 1,795,213
2003
Where Is The Love – The Black Eyed Peas
Total UK sales = 954,000
2004
Do They Know It’s Christmas – Band Aid 20
Total UK sales – 1,184.000
2005
Is This The Way to Amarillo? – Tony Christie featuring Peter Kay
Total UK sales – 1,280,000
2006
Crazy – Gnarls Barkley
Total UK sales for 2006 – 820,053
2007
Bleeding Love – Leona Lewis Total UK sales – 1,040,000
2008
Hallelujah – Alexandra Burke
Total UK sales – 1,297,000
2009
Poker Face – Lady Gaga
Total UK sales – 1,110,000
2010
Love the Way You Lie – Eminem featuring Rihanna
Total UK sales – 1,576,000
2011
Someone Like You – Adele
Total UK sales – 2,400,000
2012
Somebody That I Used to Know – Gotye featuring Kimbra
Total UK sales – 1,515,527
2013
Blurred Lines – Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell Williams
Total UK sales – 1,667,615
2014
Happy – Pharrell Williams
Total UK sales – 1,930,000
2015
Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars
Total UK sales – 1,647,310
2016
One Dance – Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla
Total UK sales – 2,344,981
2017
Shape of You – Ed Sheeran
Total UK sales – 3,006,404
2018
One Kiss – Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa Total UK sales for 2018 – 1,570,000
2019
Someone You Loved – Lewis Capaldi
Total UK sales for 2019 – 1,800,000
2020
Blinding Lights – The Weeknd
Total UK sales for 2020 – 1,460,000
2021
Bad Habits – Ed Sheeran
Total UK sales for 2021 1,700,000
