List of Billboard number-one singles of the 1940s
| Billboard's Hot 100 & Best Sellers in Stores number-one singles by decade |
|---|
|
Before August 1958 After August 1958 |
| US Singles Chart • Billboard magazine |
This article is about the US number-one songs chart held during the 1940s.
Billboard number-one singles chart (which preceded the Billboard Hot 100 chart), which was updated weekly by the Billboard magazine, was the main singles chart of the American music industry since 1940 and until the Billboard Hot 100 chart was established in 1958.
Before the Billboard Hot 100 chart was established (in August 1958), which would solely be based on the sales data and airplay on American radio stations, the Billboard magazine used to published several weekly charts every time. Throughout most of the 1950s the magazine published the following three charts:
- Best Sellers in Stores – ranked the biggest selling singles in retail stores, as reported by merchants surveyed throughout the country.
- Most Played by Jockeys – ranked the most played songs on United States radio stations, as reported by radio disc jockeys and radio stations.
- Most Played in Jukeboxes – ranked the most played songs in jukeboxes across the United States. At that time, this chart used to be one of the most important channels for measuring the popularity of a song among the younger generation of listeners, as many US radio stations resisted adding rock 'n roll music to their playlists for many years.
The list below includes the Best Sellers in Stores singles chart only (for the expanded detailed lists of the three charts, see articles of individual years in the Billboard charts).
Number ones
[change | change source]- Key
- ♪ – Number-one single of the year
| Contents |
|---|
| 1940 • 1941 1942 • 1943 • 1944 • 1945 • 1946 • 1947 • 1948 • 1949 • 1950s → |
Statistics by decade
[change | change source]By artist
[change | change source]The following artists achieved four or more number-one hits during the 1940s. A number of artists had number-one singles on their own as well as part of a collaboration.
Artists by total number of weeks at number-one
[change | change source]The following artists were featured in top of the chart for the highest total number of weeks during the 1940s.
Songs by total number of weeks at number-one
[change | change source]The following songs were featured in top of the chart for the highest total number of weeks during the 1940s.
References
[change | change source]- ↑ 1.000 1.001 1.002 1.003 1.004 1.005 1.006 1.007 1.008 1.009 1.010 1.011 1.012 1.013 1.014 1.015 1.016 1.017 1.018 1.019 1.020 1.021 1.022 1.023 1.024 1.025 1.026 1.027 1.028 1.029 1.030 1.031 1.032 1.033 1.034 1.035 1.036 1.037 1.038 1.039 1.040 1.041 1.042 1.043 1.044 1.045 1.046 1.047 1.048 1.049 1.050 1.051 1.052 1.053 1.054 1.055 1.056 1.057 1.058 1.059 1.060 1.061 1.062 1.063 1.064 1.065 1.066 1.067 1.068 1.069 1.070 1.071 1.072 1.073 1.074 1.075 1.076 1.077 1.078 1.079 1.080 1.081 1.082 1.083 1.084 1.085 1.086 1.087 1.088 1.089 1.090 1.091 1.092 1.093 1.094 1.095 1.096 1.097 1.098 1.099 1.100 1.101 1.102 1.103 1.104 1.105 1.106 1.107 1.108 1.109 1.110 1.111 1.112 1.113 1.114 1.115 "US Number 1 Singles Chart: 1940 – 2012". 22 April 2011.