THE TOP 100 POP MUSIC HITS 1890-2006

 

Listed below are the all-time top 100 pop music hits, based on their performance in the pop music charts.

 

Each music hit's performance for the period 1890-1954 is measured as follows:

 

Each week at #1 is valued at 50 points.

Each week on the charts is valued at 10 points.

 

Throughout this period, the depth of the charts expanded from the top 3 positions to the top 30 positions. In order to present an equal comparison for all pop hits, the points for this period have been modified to simulate a chart depth of 40 positions for the entire period.

 

From 1934-1958 Billboard published several different charts with different results. The reference works used for this study reported the best performance for each hit from the several charts. This resulted in the performance for this period being over-weighted. The figures for this period have thus been extracted from one common chart.

 

In the mid 1950s, the industry underwent a massive expansion. The advent of rock and roll music brought in hundreds of new artists and dozens of new record labels, fueled by millions of teenagers with money to spend on records.  This somewhat diminished the time that pop hits remained at their peak, as this multitude of new performers competed for the same few spots at the top of the charts. Thus, an adjustment needed to be made to the rating system.

 

Each hit's performance for the period 1955-1991 is as follows:

 

Each week at #1 is valued at 75 points.

Each week on the charts is valued at 10 points.

 

All figures for this period are based on a chart depth of 40 positions. Beginning in 1992 the pop charts were modified with the result that the length of time a pop hit remained on the charts was substantially increased. In order to present an equal comparison for all pop hits, the points for this period have been adjusted to simulate the chart durations from previous periods.

 

Each hit's performance for the period 1992-2006 is as follows:

 

Each week at #1 is valued at 50 points.

Each week on the charts is valued at 5 points.

 

SONG

 ARTIST YEAR WEEKS AT NO. 1 WEEKS CHARTED POINTS
1. White Christmas Bing Crosby

1942

11

72

 1290
2. Don't Be Cruel / Hound Dog Elvis Presley 1956 11 23 1055
3. Paper Doll Mills Brothers 1942 12 36 980
4. Frenesi Artie Shaw 1940 13 30 960
5. Physical Olivia Newton-John 1981 10 21 960
6. The Prisoner's Song Vernon Dalhart 1925 12 32 960
7. You Light up My Life Debbie Boone 1977 10 21 960
8. My Blue Heaven Gene Austin 1927 13 26 940
9. One Sweet Day M. Carey & Boyz II Men 1995 16 26 930
10. The Stars and Stripes Forever Souza's Band 1897 11 22 930
11. Dardanella Ben Selvin 1920 13 24 920
12. In the Mood Glenn Miller 1939 12 31 920
13. I've Heard That Song Before Harry James 1943 13 25 910
14. Goodnight, Irene Weavers & G. Jenkins 1950 13 25 900
15. Mack the Knife Bobby Darrin 1959 9 22 895
16. Macarena Los Del Rio 1996 14 37 885
17. Singin' the Blues Guy Mitchell 1956 9 21 885
18. Bette Davis Eyes Kim Carnes 1981 9 20 875
19. We Belong Together Mariah Carey 2005 14 35 875
20. Endless Love D. Ross & L. Richie 1981 9 19 865
21. Hey Jude The Beatles 1968 9 19 865
22. Vaya Con Dios L. Paul & M. Ford 1953 11 31 860
23. I'll Make Love to You Boyz II Men 1994 14 31 855
24. Rock Around the Clock Bill Haley 1954 8 25 850
25. Smooth Santana 1999 12 50 850
26. A Summer Place Percy Faith 1960 9 17 845
27. Candle in the Wind / Something About the  Way You Look Tonight Elton John 1997 14 28 840
28. Cry Johnnie Ray 1951 11 27 820
29. Heartbreak Hotel Elvis Presley 1956 8 22 820
30. I Will Always Love You Whitney Houston 1992 7 24 820
31. Near You Francis Craig 1947 12 21 820
32. The Third Man Anton Karas 1950 11 27 820
33. All Shook Up Elvis Presley 1957 8 21 810
34. I'll Never Smile Again Tommy Dorsey 1940 12 20 810
35. Put on Your Old Grey Bonnet Haydn Quartet 1909 11 17 810
36. Sonny Boy Al Jolson 1928 12 19 810
37. Yeah! Usher, Lil Jon & Ludacris 2004 12 41 805
38. Every Breath You Take The Police 1983 8 20 800
39. Heartaches Ted Weems 1947 12 19 800
40. End of the Road Boyz II Men 1992 13 28 790
41. School Days Byron G. Harlan 1907 11 16 790
42. The Boy Is Mine Brandy & Monica 1998 13 27 785
43. Night Fever Bee Gees 1978 8 18 780
44. Whispering Paul Whiteman 1920 11 20 780
45. Riders in the Sky Vaughn Monroe 1949 11 21 770
46. Sweet Leilani Bing Crosby 1937 10 25 770
47. Tonight's the Night Rod Stewart 1976 8 17 770
48. Arkansas Traveler Len Spencer 1902 11 14 760
49. Buttons and Bows Dinah Shore 1948 10 25 760
50. Casey Jones American Quartet 1910 11 17 760
51. My Old New Hampshire Home George J. Gaskin 1898 10 13 760
52. Sweet Adeline Haydn Quartet 1904 10 17 760
53. The Preacher and the Bear Arthur Collins 1905 11 14 760
54. April Showers Al Jolson 1922 11 17 740
55. Cheek To Cheek Fred Astaire 1935 11 18 740
56. Just a Baby's Prayer at Twilight Henry Burr 1918 11 15 740
57. On the Banks of the Wabash George J. Gaskin 1897 10 12 740
58. Sentimental Journey Les Brown 1945 9 28 740
59. Swinging on a Star Bing Crosby 1944 9 28 740
60. Valencia Paul Whiteman 1926 11 17 740
61. Where Is Your Heart Percy Faith 1953 10 24 740
62. Un-Break My Heart Toni Braxton 1996 11 37 735
63. Ballerina Vaughn Monroe 1947 10 22 730
64. In A Shanty in Old Shanty Town Ted Lewis 1932 10 22 730
65. The Grand Old Rag Billy Murray 1906 10 15 730
66. Twelfth Street Rag Pee Wee Hunt 1948 8 32 720
67. Stein Song Rudy Vallee 1930 10 21 720
68. Jailhouse Rock Elvis Presley 1957 7 19 715
69. Shadow Dancing Andy Gibb 1978 7 19 715
70. Alexander's Ragtime Band A. Collins & B. Harlan 1911 10 17 710
71. Chattanooga Choo Choo Glenn Miller 1941 9 25 710
72. Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White* Perez Prado 1955 10 22 710
73. Little Things Mean a Lot Kitty Kallen 1954 9 26 710
74. The Gypsy Ink Spots 1946 10 20 710
75. The Last Roundup George Olsen 1933 9 24 710
76. Tip Toe Through the Tulips Nick Lucas 1929 10 19 710
77. Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie Byron G. Harlan 1906 9 17 710
78. Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear Elvis Presley 1957 7 18 705
79. Loose Yourself Eminem 2002 11 21 705
80. Sixteen Tons "Tennessee" Ernie Ford 1955 7 18 705
81. After the Ball George J. Gaskin 1893 10 10 700
82. A-Tisket, A-Tasket Chick Webb 1938 10 19 700
83. How High the Moon L. Paul & M. Ford 1951 9 25 700
84. Moonlight Cocktail Glenn Miller 1942 10 19 700
85. My Gal Sal Byron G. Harlan 1907 10 13 700
86. Sweet Rosie O'Grady George J. Gaskin 1897 8 15 700
87. The Band Played On Dan Quinn 1895 10 10 700
88. The Laughing Song George W. Johnson 1891 10 10 700
89. Billie Jean Michael Jackson 1983 7 17 695
90. I'll Be Missing You P. Daddy & F. Evans 1997 11 29 695
91. Tossin' and Turnin' Bobby Lewis 1961 7 17 695
92. Because of You Tony Bennett 1951 8 29 690
93. Night and Day Leo Reisman 1933 10 18 690
94. Wheel of Fortune Kay Starr 1952 9 24 690
95. I Love Rock 'N Roll Joan Jett 1982 7 16 685
96. Amapola Jimmy Dorsey 1941 10 17 680
97. I Swear All-4-0ne 1994 11 26 680
98. Over There American Quartet 1917 9 18 680
99. Ebony and Ivory P. McCartney & S. Wonder 1982 7 15 675
100. I Heard it Through the Grape Vine Marvin Gaye 1968 7 15 675

* Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White is scored with the 1890-1954 figures since it charted before the inception of the Rock 'n Roll Era.

Sources for chart data:

Pop Memories 1890-1954 by Joel Whitburn

Top Pop Singles 1955-2006 by Joel Whitburn

 

Click the following link for the other top 100 list:

 

THE TOP 100 MUSIC STARS

THE POP MUSIC HALL OF FAME

 

Contact Me: CRFordMusic@aol.com 

 

© Copyright: Charles R. Ford, 2004