Misplaced Pages

List of Billboard number-one singles of 1940

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.

Bandleader Tommy Dorsey achieved the first Billboard number-one single with "I'll Never Smile Again", which topped the National Best Selling Retail Records chart for twelve consecutive weeks.
Singer Bing Crosby topped the chart for nine consecutive weeks with "Only Forever".
"Frenesi", an instrumental recorded by clarinetist Artie Shaw, occupied the number one position on the chart during the final two weeks of 1940.

In 1940, The Billboard began compiling and publishing the National Best Selling Retail Records chart. Debuting in the issue dated July 27, it marked the beginning of the magazine's nationwide tracking of record sales in the United States. Initially titled the "National List of Best Selling Retail Records", the weekly ten-position chart was tabulated using sales figures received from a selection of merchants across the country. Prior to its introduction, The Billboard had produced lists ranking music by various metrics such as performance in vaudeville venues, jukebox plays, sheet music sales, and regional airplay.

The first National Best Selling Retail Records number-one single was "I'll Never Smile Again" by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra. Featuring vocals by Frank Sinatra and the vocal group the Pied Pipers, the song topped the chart for twelve consecutive weeks and elevated Sinatra to national popularity.

Chart history

Issue date Song Artist(s) Ref.
July 27 "I'll Never Smile Again" Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra with Frank Sinatra and the Pied Pipers
August 3
August 10
August 17
August 24
August 31
September 7
September 14
September 21
September 28
October 5
October 12
October 19 "Only Forever" Bing Crosby with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra
October 26
November 2
November 9
November 16
November 23
November 30
December 7
December 14
December 21 "Frenesi" Artie Shaw and His Orchestra
December 28

See also

References

  1. Trust, Gary (November 2011). "On Billboard's 117th Birthday, a Look Back at the Magazine's Beginnings". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on 7 November 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  2. Hajdu, David (6 March 2015). "Tearing Up the Pop Charts". The New Republic. Archived from the original on 6 March 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  3. Kaplan, James (September 20, 2010). "The Night Sinatra Happened". Vanity Fair. Condé Nast. Archived from the original on August 28, 2019. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  4. "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional List of Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 27 July 1940. p. 11. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  5. "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional List of Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 3 August 1940. p. 11. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  6. "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional List of Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 10 August 1940. p. 11. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  7. "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional List of Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 17 August 1940. p. 11. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  8. "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional List of Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 24 August 1940. p. 11. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  9. "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional List of Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 31 August 1940. p. 19. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  10. "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional List of Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 7 September 1940. p. 19. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  11. "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 14 September 1940. p. 12. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  12. "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 21 September 1940. p. 13. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  13. "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 28 September 1940. p. 11. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  14. "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 5 October 1940. p. 11. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  15. "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 12 October 1940. p. 12. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  16. "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 19 October 1940. p. 12. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  17. "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 26 October 1940. p. 14. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  18. "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 2 November 1940. p. 10. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  19. "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 9 November 1940. p. 11. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  20. "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 16 November 1940. p. 11. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  21. "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 23 November 1940. p. 11. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  22. ^ "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 7 December 1940. p. 12. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  23. "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 14 December 1940. p. 11. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  24. "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 21 December 1940. p. 10. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  25. "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 28 December 1940. p. 62. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
Lists of Billboard number-one singles
1940–1959
1960–1979
1980–1999
2000–2019
2020–2039
By decade
See also
Categories: