Melody Maker was a British weekly pop music newspaper which was published from 1926 to 2000. Record charts in the United Kingdom began life on 14 November 1952 when NME (New Musical Express) began compiling the first UK-wide sales-based hit parade. Melody Makers own chart began on 7 April 1956. Prior to 15 February 1969, when the British Market Research Bureau chart was established, there was no one universally accepted source and many periodicals compiled their own chart. During this time the BBC used aggregated results of charts from the NME and other sources to compile the Pick of the Pops chart. In 1969, Record Retailer and the BBC commissioned the British Market Research Bureau (BMRB) to compile the singles chart.

Prior to this, The Official Charts Company and Guinness' British Hit Singles & Albums, consider Record Retailer the canonical source for the British singles chart in the 1960s; While NME had the biggest circulation of charts in the 1960s and was more widely followed, Melody Makers chart was considered more influential and equally highly cited. After 1969, the joint venture between Record Retailer and the BBC is widely considered as the beginning of the official UK Singles Chart. Melody Maker, like NME, continued compiling its own chart until 14 May 1988.

Notable differences in the Melody Maker charts in this decade when compared to the official chart run by BMRB and even NME are additional number-one singles for Gary Glitter, Queen, Showaddywaddy, Wings, The Real Thing, David Soul, John Travolta and The Jam. Such songs as "Boogie Nights" by Heatwave and "Ain't Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman)" by Joe Tex reached the top of the Melody Maker chart although neither topped the BMRB or NME charts. Twenty-two acts achieved a number-one single on the Melody Maker chart but never had an official number-one single,La Belle Epoque, Barry Blue, The Carpenters, Tony Christie, Elvis Costello, Deep Purple, Don Fardon, Free, Bobby Goldsboro, Heatwave, Jean-Michel Jarre, Janet Kay, M, Manuel and the Music of the Mountains, McGuinness Flint, Ralph McTell, Marie Osmond, Minnie Riperton, Rose Royce, Space, R. Dean Taylor, and Joe Tex never had an official number-one single; in addition, La Belle Epoque, Blue, Fardon, Heatwave, Jarre, Manuel, Osmond, Rose Royce, Taylor, and Tex never had a number-one single on the NME charts. although one of them was part of a singing duo whose other half had reached number one solo.Marie Osmond's brother and singing partner Donny Osmond had a number-one single in 1972 with "Puppy Love."

During the 1970s, Melody Maker charted 201 number-one singles, of which 49 did not make the top of the official UK Singles Chart. Of that figure, 18 singles also did not reach number one on the NME charts. One of the standouts in Melody Makers unique number ones of the 1970s was "Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto de Aranjuez (Theme From 2nd Movement)" by Manuel and the Music of the Mountains (pseudonym of veteran arranger/conductor Geoff Love), which was number one for one week in February 1976. The BBC, which drew their charts from the BMRB, had announced this as the number one single in the United Kingdom, but the chart was withdrawn four hours later due to compilation errors, making it the shortest period that a song had been number one on the official charts. Melody Maker thus had this at number one for six days and twenty hours longer than the BBC.

Number-one singles

+Key‡ The song did not reach number one on the BMRB chart which is considered as the official chart after 15 February 1969.[nb #] The song spent a week at number one where it shared the top spot with another song.

ArtistSingleReachednumber oneWeeks atnumber one226 "Two Little Boys" 6227 Marmalade "Reflections of My Life" ‡ 1228 "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" 3229 "I Want You Back" ‡ 1230 "Wand'rin' Star" 3231 Simon & Garfunkel "Bridge over Troubled Water" 4232 "Spirit in the Sky" 4233 England World Cup Squad "70" "Back Home" 1234 Christie "Yellow River" 3235 "In the Summertime" 4236 Free "All Right Now" ‡ 3237 "" 5238 and The Miracles "" 2239 "Band of Gold" 5240 Deep Purple "Black Night" ‡ 1241 Matthews' Southern Comfort "Woodstock" 3242 "Indian Reservation" ‡ 1243 "I Hear You Knocking" 2244 McGuinness Flint "When I'm Dead and Gone" ‡ 3245 "Grandad" 3246 "My Sweet Lord" 7247 "Baby Jump" 1248 T. Rex "Hot Love" 5.55249 Dave and Ansel Collins "Double Barrel" 3.52250 Dawn "Knock Three Times" 5251 "I Did What I Did for Maria" ‡ 1252 Middle of the Road "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" 5253 T. Rex "Get It On" 3254 "Never Ending Song of Love" ‡ 3.51255 "I'm Still Waiting" 0.51 "Never Ending Song of Love" ‡ 1 "I'm Still Waiting" 2256 "Hey Girl Don't Bother Me" 3257 "Reason to Believe""Maggie May" 6258 Slade "Coz I Luv You" 3259 "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)" 5260 "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)" 4261 T. Rex "Telegram Sam" 2262 Chicory Tip "Son of My Father" 2263 "American Pie" ‡ 1264 Nilsson "Without You" 5265 Royal Scots Dragoon Guards "Amazing Grace" 5266 T. Rex "Metal Guru" 3267 "Vincent" 3268 "Rock and Roll Parts 1 & 2" ‡ 1269 "Puppy Love" 4270 Alice Cooper "School's Out" 3271 "You Wear It Well" 2272 Slade "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" 2273 T. Rex "Children of the Revolution" ‡ 1274 "How Can I Be Sure" 1275 Lieutenant Pigeon "Mouldy Ol' Dough" 5276 "Clair" 2277 "My Ding-a-Ling" 5278 "Long Haired Lover from Liverpool" 2279 "" ‡ 1280 Sweet "Blockbuster" 4281 Strawbs "Part of the Union" ‡ 2282 Slade "Cum On Feel the Noize" 3283 "" 2284 "Get Down" 1285 Dawn featuring Tony Orlando "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" 5.54286 Wizzard "See My Baby Jive" 1.53287 "Can the Can" 3288 10.CC "Rubber Bullets" 1289 Slade "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me" 2290 Peters and Lee "Welcome Home" 1291 "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am!)" 3292 "Yesterday Once More" ‡ 3293 "Young Love" 1294 "Dancing on a Saturday Night" ‡ 1295 Wizzard "Angel Fingers (A Teen Ballad)" 1296 "" ‡ 1297 Simon Park Orchestra "Eye Level (Theme From The Thames TV Series "Van Der Valk")" 4298 """Daydreamer" 2299 "I Love, You Love, Me Love" 4300 Slade "Merry Xmas Everybody" 3301 "" ‡ 3302 Mud "Tiger Feet" 3303 "Devil Gate Drive" 3304 "Jealous Mind" 1305 Paper Lace "Billy Don't Be a Hero" 3306 "Seasons in the Sun" 2307 Mud "" ‡ 1308 ABBA "Waterloo" 3309 "Sugar Baby Love" 2310 R. Dean Taylor "There's a Ghost in My House" ‡ 1311 Showaddywaddy "Hey Rock and Roll" ‡ 1312 "The Streak" 1313 "Always Yours" 1314 "She" 4315 "Rock Your Baby" 2316 "When Will I See You Again" 3317 Donny and Marie Osmond "I'm Leaving It All Up to You" ‡ 1318 "Love Me for a Reason" 1319 "Kung Fu Fighting" 2320 "Annie's Song" 1321 Sweet Sensation "Sad Sweet Dreamer" 2322 "Everything I Own" 3323 Queen "Killer Queen" ‡ 2324 "I'm Gonna Make You a Star" 1325 "Oh Yes, You're Beautiful" ‡ 1326 "You're the First, the Last, My Everything" 1327 Mud "Lonely This Christmas" 3328 Status Quo "Down Down" 1329 "Streets of London" ‡ 1330 "Ms Grace" 2331 Pilot "January" 2332 "Come Up And See Me – Make Me Smile" 2333 "If" 2334 Bay City Rollers "Bye Bye Baby" 6335 "Honey" ‡ 1336 "Lovin' You" ‡ 2337 "Stand by Your Man" 3338 and Don Estelle "Whispering Grass" 2339 10.CC "I'm Not in Love" 3340 "Tears on My Pillow" 1341 Bay City Rollers "Give a Little Love" 1342 Typically Tropical "Barbados" 2343 "Can't Give You Anything (But My Love)" 3344 "Sailing" 4345 "Hold Me Close" 2346 "I Only Have Eyes for You" 1 "Hold Me Close" 1347 "Space Oddity" 4348 Hot Chocolate "You Sexy Thing" ‡ 1349 Queen "Bohemian Rhapsody" 7350 ABBA "Mamma Mia" 3351 Slik "Forever and Ever" 2352 Manuel and the Music of the Mountains "Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto de Aranjuez" ‡ 1353 "I Love to Love (But My Baby Loves to Dance)" 4354 Brotherhood of Man "Save All Your Kisses for Me" 4355 ABBA "Fernando" 5356 J. J. Barrie "No Charge" 1357 "Combine Harvester" 1358 "You to Me Are Everything" 3359 "Young Hearts Run Free" ‡ 2360 "The Roussos Phenomenon (E.P.)" 1361 & Kiki Dee "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" 5362 Wings "Let 'Em In" ‡ 1363 ABBA "Dancing Queen" 3364 "Can't Get By Without You" ‡ 1 ABBA "Dancing Queen" 1365 Pussycat "Mississippi" 2366 Chicago "If You Leave Me Now" 6367 Showaddywaddy "Under the Moon of Love" 2368 "When a Child Is Born" 3 Showaddywaddy "Under the Moon of Love" 1369 "Don't Give Up on Us" 1370 "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" 2371 "When I Need You" 4372 Heatwave "Boogie Nights" ‡ 1373 "Chanson D'Amour" 2374 ABBA"Knowing Me, Knowing You" 1375 "Going In With My Eyes Open" ‡ 2 ABBA"Knowing Me, Knowing You" 3376 "Free" 1377 "I Don't Want to Talk About It""The First Cut Is the Deepest" 3378 "Ain't Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman)" ‡ 1 "I Don't Want to Talk About It""The First Cut Is the Deepest" 2379 "Show You the Way to Go" 2380 Hot Chocolate"So You Win Again" 2381 "I Feel Love" 5382 "Float On" 2383 Space "Magic Fly" ‡ 2384 Jean-Michel Jarre "Oxygène (Part IV)" ‡ 1 Space "Magic Fly" ‡ 1385 "Way Down" 1386 La Belle Epoque "Black Is Black" ‡ 2387 "You're in My Heart" ‡ 2388 ABBA"" 2389 Status Quo "Rockin' All Over the World" ‡ 1390 Wings"Mull of Kintyre" 8391 Althea & Donna "Uptown Top Ranking" 3392 ABBA "Take a Chance on Me" 3393 Rose Royce "Wishing on a Star" ‡ 1394 "Wuthering Heights" 1395 Blondie "Denis" ‡ 3396 Showaddywaddy "I Wonder Why" ‡ 2397 Bee Gees"Night Fever" 3398 Boney M."Rivers of Babylon" 4399 and Olivia Newton-John"You're the One That I Want" 9400 Commodores"Three Times a Lady" 6401 and Olivia Newton-John"Summer Nights" 6402 "Sandy" ‡ 1403 "Rat Trap" 2404 "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" 2405 Boney M."Mary's Boy Child – Oh My Lord" 4406 Village People "Y.M.C.A." 1407 "Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick" 2408 Blondie "Heart of Glass" 4409 Bee Gees"Tragedy" 1410 "Olivers Army" ‡ 1411 "I Will Survive" 4412 "Bright Eyes" 5413 M "Pop Muzik" ‡ 1414 Roxy Music "Dance Away" ‡ 1415 Blondie"Sunday Girl" 2416 "Ring My Bell" 2417 Tubeway Army"Are Friends Electric?" 3418 "Silly Games" ‡ 1419 "I Don't Like Mondays" 5420 "We Don't Talk Anymore" 3421 "Cars" 2422 "Message in a Bottle" 2423 "Video Killed the Radio Star" 2424 Dr. Hook"When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman" 2425 "The Eton Rifles" ‡ 3426 "Walking on the Moon" 2427 Pink Floyd"Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)" 4

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