GUINNESS BOOK OF BRITISH HIT SINGLES & ALBUMS

Discussion about Ruby Murray.
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Brian Henson
Posts: 98
Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2005 10:27 am
Location: Ilford, Essex, UK

GUINNESS BOOK OF BRITISH HIT SINGLES & ALBUMS

Post by Brian Henson »

Some of you may be familiar with this bible of UK record charts, first published in 1977 and these days with annual re-prints to keep it up-to-date. Charts based on record sales in the UK were first published by the New Musical Express in November 1952, and many of you will know that January 2005 marked the occasion of the 1,000th single to reach the coveted No.1 slot. Just over two years after the inauguration of the UK charts, Ruby Murray's 'Softly Softly' became the 29th single to get to No.1.

Guinness have celebrated the 1,000 No.1 singles by bringing out a Special Collector's Edition of the British Hit Singles book, which includes a number of special features. Of particular interest to us is a double page spread titled '50 Years Ago', which includes a photograph of Ruby and the following paragraph headed:
Ruby Murray rules and 'Rose Marie' stays top for 11 weeks
The year's biggest singing sensation was 19-year-old Irish girl Ruby Murray, whose sentimental ballads were light years away from (Bill) Haley's hard-hitting rockers. Interestingly, teen hero Haley was no teenager himself; he was 10 years older than Miss Murray and older than most of the "square" heart-throbs that rock music replaced, including Johnnie Ray, Guy Mitchell, Dickie Valenitne and Eddie Fisher. Within just three months of making her chart debut, Ruby became the youngest artist to top the chart and the first ever to have five tracks simultaneously in the Top 20, a record that no female has yet equalled. Another record setting achievement in 1955 came from US country singer / yodeller Slim Whitman, whose 11 consecutive weeks at the top with 'Rose Marie' were unsurpassed until Bryan Adams beat him in 1991.

As the writer of this piece mentions, Ruby was at that time the youngest singer to get to number one - the first teenager in fact - and by coincidence this fact has today been reported by a contributor to the message board of a website for chart addicts - 'Sheep Music'. A strange title, I know, but if like me you have a fascination for music charts - this is the place to go: http://www.sheepmusic.co.uk/forums/

Brian

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