List of number-one albums from the 1960s (UK)
Encyclopedia
This is a list of the number one hits in the UK Albums Chart
in the 1960s. The sources are the Melody Maker
chart until March 1960, and the Record Retailer
chart from March 1960 onwards.
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
in the 1960s. The sources are the Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
chart until March 1960, and the Record Retailer
Record Retailer
Record Retailer was a trade newspaper for the UK record industry. It was founded in August 1959 as a monthly newspaper covering both labels and dealers. Its founding editor was Roy Parker...
chart from March 1960 onwards.
Number-one albums
Key| ← 1950s19601961196219631964196519661967196819691970s → |
| Album | Reached #1 | Weeks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Explosive Freddy Cannon The Explosive Freddy Cannon The Explosive! Freddy Cannon was the first and only number 1 album in the UK for Freddy Cannon. It spent one week at number 1 and was the first number 1 album in the UK of the 1960s.It became Freddy's only hit album in the UK.-Track listing:... |
1 | ||
| Original Soundtrack | South Pacific † | 19 | |
| Elvis Is Back! Elvis Is Back! Elvis Is Back! is the tenth album by Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor Records in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 2231, in April 1960. Recording sessions took place on March 20 and April 3, 1960, at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee. It was Presley's first album to be released in true stereo... |
1 | ||
| Original Soundtrack | South Pacific † | 5 | |
| 101 Strings 101 Strings 101 Strings Orchestra was a brand for a highly successful easy listening symphonic music organization, with a discography exceeding a hundred albums and a creative lifetime of roughly thirty years. Their LPs were individualized by the slogan "The Sound of Magnificence", a puffy cloud logo and... |
Down Drury Lane to Memory Lane Down Drury Lane to Memory Lane Down Drury Lane to Memory Lane was the fourth hit album, and first UK number one, for German orchestra 101 Strings. The album was the twentieth record to make number one in the UK and the first double number one album... |
5 | |
| Original Soundtrack | South Pacific † | 13 | |
| Album | Reached #1 | Weeks | |
| G.I. Blues G.I. Blues (album) G.I. Blues is the eleventh album by Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor Records in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 2256, in October 1960. Recording sessions took place on April 27 and 28, and May 6, 1960, at RCA Studio C and Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California. The album topped the Billboard Top... † |
7 | ||
| Original Soundtrack | South Pacific | 1 | |
| G.I. Blues † | 3 | ||
| Original Soundtrack | South Pacific | 1 | |
| G.I. Blues † | 12 | ||
| Original Soundtrack | South Pacific | 4 | |
| The Black and White Minstrel Show | 4 | ||
| Original Soundtrack | South Pacific | 1 | |
| The Black and White Minstrel Show | 1 | ||
| Original Soundtrack | South Pacific | 1 | |
| The Black and White Minstrel Show | 1 | ||
| The Shadows The Shadows (album) The Shadows, a 1961 rock album by British group The Shadows, was the first instrumental LP by a British group to reach number one in the UK charts.-Track listing:Side 1#"Shadoogie"... |
4 | ||
| The Black and White Minstrel Show The Black and White Minstrel Show The Black and White Minstrel Show was a British light entertainment show that ran on BBC television from 1958-1978 and was a popular stage show. It was a weekly light entertainment and variety show presenting traditional American minstrel and Country songs, as well as show and music hall numbers,... |
1 | ||
| The Shadows The Shadows (album) The Shadows, a 1961 rock album by British group The Shadows, was the first instrumental LP by a British group to reach number one in the UK charts.-Track listing:Side 1#"Shadoogie"... |
1 | ||
| 21 Today 21 Today -Chart positions:-Personnel:Cliff Richard and the Shadows*Cliff Richard – lead vocals*Hank Marvin – lead guitar*Bruce Welch – rhythm guitar*Jet Harris – bass guitar*Tony Meehan – drums... |
1 | ||
| Another Black And White Minstrel Show | 8 | ||
| Album | Reached #1 | Weeks | |
| Blue Hawaii Blue Hawaii (album) Blue Hawaii is the fourteenth album by Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor Records in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 2426, in October 1961 - the exact date of October 1 is disputed. It is a soundtrack for Presley's film of the same name. Recording sessions took place at Radio Recorders in Hollywood on... |
1 | ||
| The Young Ones The Young Ones (album) The Young Ones is a soundtrack album by Cliff Richard and the Shadows to the film The Young Ones. The soundtrack album topped the UK Albums Chart.-Track listing:#Friday Night The Young Ones is a soundtrack album by Cliff Richard and the Shadows to the film The Young Ones. The soundtrack album... |
6 | ||
| Blue Hawaii | 17 | ||
| Original Soundtrack | West Side Story West Side Story (soundtrack) West Side Story is the soundtrack to the 1961 film West Side Story. Released in 1961, the soundtrack spent 54 weeks at #1 on Billboard's album charts, giving it the longest run at #1 of any album in history, although some lists instead credit Michael Jackson's Thriller, on the grounds that West... † |
5 | |
| Pot Luck Pot Luck (album) Pot Luck with Elvis is the fifteenth album by Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 2523, in June 1962. Recording sessions took place on March 22, 1961, at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, and on June 25 and October 15, 1961, and March 18 and March 19, 1962, at RCA Studio B... |
5 | ||
| Original Soundtrack | West Side Story † | 1 | |
| Pot Luck | 1 | ||
| Original Soundtrack | West Side Story † | 1 | |
| The Best of Ball, Barber & Bilk The Best of Ball, Barber & Bilk The Best of Ball, Barber & Bilk is a compilation album consisting of tracks by British trumpeter Kenny Ball, trombone player Chris Barber and clarinetist and band leader Acker Bilk. The album reached number 1 in the UK, spending a week at the top in 1962... |
1 | ||
| Original Soundtrack | West Side Story † | 3 | |
| The Best of Ball, Barber & Bilk | 1 | ||
| Out of the Shadows Out of the Shadows Out Of The Shadows is a 1962 rock album by British group The Shadows. It was their second album.-Track listing:-Chart positions:-Personnel:* Hank Marvin – Lead Guitar, piano and vocals* Bruce Welch – Rhythm guitar and vocals... |
3 | ||
| Original Soundtrack | West Side Story † | 1 | |
| Out of the Shadows | 1 | ||
| On Stage With the George Mitchell Minstrels | 2 | ||
| Original Soundtrack | West Side Story † | 1 | |
| Out of the Shadows | 1 | ||
| The Black and White Minstrel Show | 2 | ||
| Album | Reached #1 | Weeks | |
| Original Soundtrack | West Side Story West Side Story (soundtrack) West Side Story is the soundtrack to the 1961 film West Side Story. Released in 1961, the soundtrack spent 54 weeks at #1 on Billboard's album charts, giving it the longest run at #1 of any album in history, although some lists instead credit Michael Jackson's Thriller, on the grounds that West... |
1 | |
| Out of the Shadows Out of the Shadows Out Of The Shadows is a 1962 rock album by British group The Shadows. It was their second album.-Track listing:-Chart positions:-Personnel:* Hank Marvin – Lead Guitar, piano and vocals* Bruce Welch – Rhythm guitar and vocals... |
2 | ||
| Summer Holiday Summer Holiday (album) Summer Holiday is an album by Cliff Richard and The Shadows. It is the soundtrack to the film of the same name. The album itself topped the UK Albums Chart and three tracks from the album were equally successful topping the UK Singles Charts as number one singles.-Track listing:Side one#"Seven Days... |
14 | ||
| Please Please Me Please Please Me Please Please Me is the debut album by the English rock band The Beatles. Parlophone rush-released the album on 22 March 1963 in the United Kingdom to capitalise on the success of singles "Please Please Me" and "Love Me Do" .Of the album's fourteen songs, eight were written by Lennon–McCartney... |
30 | ||
| With the Beatles With the Beatles With The Beatles is the second studio album by the English rock group The Beatles. It was released on 22 November 1963 on Parlophone, and was recorded four months after the band's debut Please Please Me... † |
21 | ||
| Album | Reached #1 | Weeks | |
| The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones (album) -Personnel:The Rolling Stones*Mick Jagger – lead and backing vocals, harmonica, percussion*Keith Richards – guitar, backing vocals*Brian Jones – guitar, harmonica, percussion, backing vocals*Charlie Watts – drums, percussion... |
12 | ||
| A Hard Day's Night A Hard Day's Night (album) A Hard Day's Night is the third studio album by The Beatles, released on 10 July 1964 as the soundtrack to their film A Hard Day's Night. The American version of the album was released two weeks earlier, on 26 June 1964 by United Artists Records, with a different track listing... |
21 | ||
| Beatles for Sale Beatles for Sale Beatles for Sale is the fourth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released in late 1964 and produced by George Martin for Parlophone. The album marked a minor turning point in the evolution of Lennon and McCartney as lyricists, John Lennon particularly now showing interest in... † |
7 | ||
| Album | Reached #1 | Weeks | |
| The Rolling Stones No. 2 The Rolling Stones No. 2 -Personnel:*Mick Jagger – lead vocals, harmonica, tambourine, percussion*Keith Richards – guitars, backing vocals*Brian Jones – guitar, slide guitar, backing vocals*Charlie Watts – drums, percussion... |
3 | ||
| Beatles for Sale Beatles for Sale Beatles for Sale is the fourth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released in late 1964 and produced by George Martin for Parlophone. The album marked a minor turning point in the evolution of Lennon and McCartney as lyricists, John Lennon particularly now showing interest in... |
1 | ||
| The Rolling Stones No. 2 | 6 | ||
| The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released in May 1963 by Columbia Records. Whereas his debut album Bob Dylan had contained only two original songs, Freewheelin initiated the process of writing contemporary words to traditional melodies.... |
1 | ||
| The Rolling Stones No. 2 | 1 | ||
| Beatles for Sale | 3 | ||
| The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan | 1 | ||
| Bringing It All Back Home Bringing It All Back Home Bringing It All Back Home is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's fifth studio album, released in March 1965 by Columbia Records. The album is divided into an electric and an acoustic side. On side one of the original LP, Dylan is backed by an electric rock and roll band - a move that further alienated... |
1 | ||
| Original Soundtrack | The Sound of Music † | 10 | |
| Help! Help! (album) Help! is the title of the fifth British and ninth American album by The Beatles, and the soundtrack from their film of the same name. Produced by George Martin for EMI's Parlophone Records, it contains fourteen songs in its original British form, of which seven appeared in the film... |
9 | ||
| Original Soundtrack | The Sound of Music † | 10 | |
| Rubber Soul Rubber Soul Rubber Soul is the sixth studio album by the English rock group The Beatles, released in December 1965. Produced by George Martin, Rubber Soul had been recorded in just over four weeks to make the Christmas market... |
8 | ||
| Album | Reached #1 | Weeks | |
| Original Soundtrack | The Sound of Music † | 10 | |
| Aftermath | 8 | ||
| Original Soundtrack | The Sound of Music † | 7 | |
| Revolver Revolver (album) Revolver is the seventh studio album by the English rock group The Beatles, released on 5 August 1966 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin. Many of the tracks on Revolver are marked by an electric guitar-rock sound, in contrast with their previous LP, the folk rock inspired Rubber... |
7 | ||
| Original Soundtrack | The Sound of Music † | 18 | |
| Album | Reached #1 | Weeks | |
| The Monkees The Monkees (album) The Monkees is the first album by the band The Monkees. It was released in October 1966 by Colgems Records in the United States and RCA Records in the rest of the world. It was the first of four consecutive U.S. number one albums for the group, taking the top spot on the Billboard 200 for 13 weeks.... |
7 | ||
| Original Soundtrack | The Sound of Music | 7 | |
| More of The Monkees More of The Monkees More of The Monkees is the second full-length album by The Monkees. It was recorded in late 1966 and released on Colgems label #102 on January 9, 1967. It was number one on the Billboard 200 for 18 weeks—the longest of any Monkees album. It also went to number one in the UK. In the U.S... |
1 | ||
| Original Soundtrack | The Sound of Music | 1 | |
| More of The Monkees | 1 | ||
| Original Soundtrack | The Sound of Music | 1 | |
| Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released on 1 June 1967 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin... † |
23 | ||
| Original Soundtrack | The Sound of Music | 1 | |
| Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band † | 1 | ||
| Original Soundtrack | The Sound of Music | 3 | |
| Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band † | 2 | ||
| Album | Reached #1 | Weeks | |
| Val Doonican Rocks, But Gently Val Doonican Rocks, But Gently Val Doonican Rocks, But Gently is the first and only number one album in the UK for Irish singer Val Doonican. It spent 3 weeks at the top of the chart in 1968.-Tracklisting:#Scarlet Ribbons#If I Were a Carpenter#Rainin'#Hold Me#Yesterday#Small World... |
3 | ||
| Original Soundtrack | The Sound of Music † | 1 | |
| Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released on 1 June 1967 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin... |
1 | ||
| Original Soundtrack | The Four Tops Greatest Hits The Four Tops Greatest Hits Four Tops Greatest Hits is the only number one album in the UK for Motown band The Four Tops. It spent one week at the top of the chart in 1968.-Tracklisting:#Baby I Need Your Loving#It's The Same Old Song#Reach Out I'll Be There#Ask The Lonely... |
1 | |
| Greatest Hits Greatest Hits (Supremes album) The Supremes: Greatest Hits is a two-LP collection of singles and b-sides recorded by The Supremes, released by Motown in August 1967 . The collection was the first LP to credit the group under the new billing Diana Ross & the Supremes... |
3 | ||
| John Wesley Harding John Wesley Harding (album) John Wesley Harding is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's eighth studio album, released by Columbia Records in December 1967.Produced by Bob Johnston, the album marked Dylan's return to acoustic music and traditional roots, after three albums of electric rock music... |
10 | ||
| Scott 2 Scott 2 -Chart positions:-Personnel:*Wally Stott - arrangements and conductor *Reg Guest - arrangements and conductor *Peter Knight - arrangements and conductor *Peter Olliff - engineer-Release history:... |
1 | ||
| John Wesley Harding | 3 | ||
| Love, Andy Love, Andy Love, Andy is an album by American pop singer Andy Williams that was released in the fall of 1967 by Columbia Records to coincide with the NBC special of the same name, which aired on November 6. The album made its first appearance on Billboards Top LP's chart that same month in the issue dated... |
1 | ||
| The Dock of the Bay The Dock of the Bay -Chart positions:-External links:*... |
1 | ||
| Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake was a successful concept album by the English rock band Small Faces. Released on 24 May 1968 the LP became a number one hit in the UK Album Charts on 29 June where it remained for a total of six weeks.... |
6 | ||
| Delilah Delilah (album) Delilah is the first number one album in the UK for Welsh singer Tom Jones. It spent 2 weeks at the top of the chart in 1968.-Tracklisting:#Delilah#Weeping Annaleah#One Day Soon#Laura#Make This Heart Of Mine Smile Again#Lingering On#You Can't Stop Love... |
1 | ||
| Simon & Garfunkel | Bookends Bookends -Charts:-Personnel:*Paul Simon - Vocals, Guitar, Producer*Art Garfunkel - Vocals, Producer*Hal Blaine - Drums, Percussion*Joe Osborn - Bass*Larry Knechtel - Piano, Keyboards*John Simon - Production Assistant... |
5 | |
| Delilah | 1 | ||
| Simon & Garfunkel | Bookends | 2 | |
| Hollies' Greatest Hollies' Greatest Hollies' Greatest is the only number one album in the UK for British band The Hollies. It spent 7 weeks at the top of the chart in 1968.-Tracklisting:#I Can't Let Go#Bus Stop#We're Through#Carrie-Anne#Here I Go Again#King Midas In Reverse#Yes I Will... |
6 | ||
| Original Soundtrack | The Sound of Music † | 1 | |
| Hollies' Greatest | 1 | ||
| The Beatles (White Album) The Beatles (album) The Beatles is the ninth official album by the English rock group The Beatles, a double album released in 1968. It is also commonly known as "The White Album" as it has no graphics or text other than the band's name embossed on its plain white sleeve.The album was written and recorded during a... |
7 | ||
| Album | Reached #1 | Weeks | |
| The Best of The Seekers The Seekers' Greatest Hits The Seekers' Greatest Hits was released in Australia by EMI's Columbia label in 1968 on the break-up of The Seekers... |
1 | ||
| The Beatles (White Album) The Beatles (album) The Beatles is the ninth official album by the English rock group The Beatles, a double album released in 1968. It is also commonly known as "The White Album" as it has no graphics or text other than the band's name embossed on its plain white sleeve.The album was written and recorded during a... |
1 | ||
| The Best of The Seekers | 1 | ||
| Diana Ross & The Supremes Join The Temptations Diana Ross & the Supremes Join the Temptations Diana Ross & the Supremes Join The Temptations is, as the title implies, a collaborative album combining Motown's two best selling groups, Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations. Issued by Motown in late 1968 to coincide with the broadcast of the Supremes/Temptations TCB television special,... |
4 | ||
| Goodbye | 2 | ||
| The Best of The Seekers | 2 | ||
| Cream | Goodbye | 1 | |
| The Best of The Seekers | 1 | ||
| Cream | Goodbye | 1 | |
| The Best of The Seekers | 1 | ||
| On the Threshold of a Dream On the Threshold of a Dream On the Threshold of a Dream is the fourth album by The Moody Blues, released on the Deram label in 1969. It was their last album to be released by the band before they formed their own record label, Threshold, to be distributed by Decca Records.... |
2 | ||
| Nashville Skyline Nashville Skyline Nashville Skyline is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's ninth studio album, released by Columbia Records in April 1969.The album marked a dramatic departure for Dylan, previously known for his groundbreaking, poetic folk music and rock and roll... |
4 | ||
| His Orchestra, His Chorus, His Singers, His Sound His Orchestra, His Chorus, His Singers, His Sound His Orchestra, His Chorus, His Singers, His Sound is the only number one album in the UK for American bandleader and trombonist Ray Conniff. It spent 3 weeks at the top of the chart in 1969.-Tracklisting:#Memories Are Made Of This#I've Got You Under My Skin... |
3 | ||
| According to My Heart According to My Heart According to my Heart is the first of two number one albums in the UK for American singer Jim Reeves. It spent 4 weeks at the top of the chart in 1968... |
4 | ||
| Jethro Tull Jethro Tull (band) Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with... |
Stand Up Stand Up (Jethro Tull album) 2010 Deluxe EditionCD 1: Stand Up# "A New Day Yesterday" [2001 Digital Remaster]# "Jeffrey Goes to Leicester Square" [2001 Digital Remaster]# "Bourée" [2001 Digital Remaster]# "Back to the Family" [2001 Digital Remaster]... |
3 | |
| From Elvis in Memphis From Elvis in Memphis From Elvis in Memphis is the thirty-fifth album by American rock and roll icon Elvis Presley, released on RCA Records LSP 4155, in June 1969. Recorded at American Sound Studio in Memphis, between January 13–16 and 20–23, and February 17–22, 1969... |
1 | ||
| Jethro Tull | Stand Up | 2 | |
| Blind Faith Blind Faith Blind Faith were an English blues-rock band that consisted of Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, Steve Winwood and Ric Grech. The band, which was one of the first "super-groups", released their only album, Blind Faith, in August 1969... |
Blind Faith | 2 | |
| Abbey Road † | 11 | ||
| Let It Bleed Let It Bleed Let It Bleed is the eighth British and tenth American album by English rock band The Rolling Stones, released in December 1969 by Decca Records in the United Kingdom and London Records in the United States... |
1 | ||
| Abbey Road † | 6 | ||