Melody Maker was a British weekly pop music newspaper which was published between 1926 and 2000. Melody Maker was the third publication (after NME, or New Musical Express, in 1952, and Record Mirror in 1955) to publish a weekly record chart. NME is now regarded as the "canonical" source for record charts by the Official Charts Company in the period up to 10 March 1960; after that, when Record Retailer began compiling a chart, the Official Charts Company and Guinness' British Hit Singles & Albums cited them as the canonical source for the British singles chart. Prior to 15 February 1969, when the British Market Research Bureau (BMRB) chart was established as part of a joint commission by Record Retailer and the BBC, there was no one universally accepted or official source and many periodicals compiled their own chart.

By the 1980s, NME and Melody Maker had the last surviving independently compiled charts in the UK, Record Mirror having ended its own chart in 1962, Disc & Music Echo likewise in 1967, and the short-lived Top Pops/Music Now folding in 1971. Melody Maker was the first to throw in the towel, publishing its last independently compiled chart on 4 June 1988, with NME publishing its last the next week on 11 June 1988. In the respective following weeks, both began publishing Market Research Information Bureau chart.

Notable differences when compared to the official chart run by BMRB and, later, Gallup, and even NME are additional number-one singles in the decade for Rick Astley, Adam and the Ants, The Police, Shakin' Stevens, David Bowie, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Phil Collins. Significantly, Tears for Fears' song "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" spent four weeks at the top of the Melody Maker chart (and three weeks on the NME chart) although it never topped the Gallup chart. Additionally, as well as making number one on the Melody Maker and NME charts and not the official chart, a-ha's "Take On Me" and Ultravox's "Vienna" were also in the top five best-selling singles of their year. Thirty-two acts achieved a number-one single on the Melody Maker chart (more than NME) but never had an official number-one singleAltered Images, Bomb the Bass, Judy Boucher, Chas & Dave, Club Nouveau, Randy Crawford, Dire Straits, Erasure, Harold Faltermeyer, Freeez, Peter Gabriel, Heaven 17, Imagination, Janet Jackson, King, Patti LaBelle, Jona Lewie, Michael McDonald, Ennio Morricone, Nana Mouskouri, Nu Shooz, The Pointer Sisters, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Simply Red, Splodgenessabounds, Starsound, The Stranglers, The Style Council, Tears for Fears, Ultravox, Kim Wilde, and Yazoo never had an official number-one single; in addition, Boucher, Chas & Dave, Club Nouveau, Erasure, Faltermeyer, Freeez, Gabriel, Heaven 17, Imagination, Jackson, LaBelle, McDonald, Mouskouri, Nu Shooz, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Simply Red, Splodgenessabounds, The Stranglers, The Style Council, Wilde, and Yazoo never had a number-one single on the NME charts. although two of these had songs they had written reach number one when performed by another artist.Ennio Morricone's theme "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" was a number one for Hugo Montenegro and Tears for Fears' song "Mad World" reached number one when performed by Gary Jules.

Number-one singles

+Key‡The song did not reach number one on the BMRB which later became the Gallup 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 one428 Pretenders"Brass in Pocket" 2429 Madness"My Girl" ‡ 1430 Too Much, Too Young (E.P.) 2431 "Coward of the County" 1432 Blondie"Atomic" 3433 "Together We Are Beautiful" 1434 "Going Underground" 3435 The Detroit Spinners"Working My Way Back to You – Forgive Me Girl" 1436 Blondie"Call Me" 1437 Dexy's Midnight Runners"Geno" 53438 "What's Another Year" 4.01439 "Theme from M*A*S*H" 4.04440 "Crying" 1441 Splodgenessabounds"Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps Please" ‡ 1442 and the Electric Light Orchestra"Xanadu" 2443 Odyssey"Use It Up and Wear It Out" 2444 "Upside Down" ‡ 1445 ABBA"" 2446 "Ashes to Ashes" 2447 "Start!" 1448 "One Day I'll Fly Away" ‡ 2449 "Don't Stand So Close to Me" 4450 "A Woman in Love" 2451 Blondie"" 3452 ABBA"Supertrouper" 2453 "Stop the Cavalry" ‡ 3454 "" 1455 "Imagine" 1456 "Ant Music" ‡ 1457 "In the Air Tonight" ‡ 2458 Ultravox"Vienna" ‡ 1459 "Shaddap You Face" 2 Ultravox"Vienna" ‡ 1460 Roxy Music"Jealous Guy" 2461 "Kids in America" ‡ 1462 Shakin' Stevens "This Ole House" 2463 Bucks Fizz"Making Your Mind Up" 2464 "Theme from Lloyd George" ‡ 1465 Starsound"Stars on 45" ‡ 1466 "Stand and Deliver" 4467 Shakin' Stevens "You Drive Me Crazy" ‡ 1468 "Being with You" 3469 "One Day In Your Life" 1470 "Ghost Town" 3471 "Happy Birthday" ‡ 1472 Shakin' Stevens"Green Door" 2473 Royal Philharmonic Orchestra"Hooked on Classics" ‡ 1474 Aneka"Japanese Boy" 1475 Soft Cell"Tainted Love" 2476 "Prince Charming" 3477 "Invisible Sun" ‡ 1478 and Barbara Gaskin"It's My Party" 3479 Altered Images"Happy Birthday" ‡ 1480 "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" 1481 Queen and David Bowie"Under Pressure" 3482 "Begin the Beguine" 1483 "Don't You Want Me" 5484 Bucks Fizz"" 1485 Kraftwerk "The Model" 1486 "Golden Brown" ‡ 1487 "A Town Called Malice""Precious" 3488 Tight Fit"" 3489 Goombay Dance Band"Seven Tears" 2490 Imagination"Just an Illusion" ‡ 1491 Chas & Dave"Ain't No Pleasing You" ‡ 1492 and Stevie Wonder "Ebony and Ivory" 4493 Nicole"A Little Peace" 1494 Yazoo"Only You" ‡ 1495 Madness"House of Fun" 2496 "Goody Two Shoes" 1497 Soft Cell"Torch" ‡ 1498 Charlene"I've Never Been to Me" 1499 Captain Sensible"Happy Talk" 1500 "Fame" 3501 Dexy's Midnight Runners "Come On Eileen" 4502 Survivor"Eye of the Tiger" 2503 Dire Straits"Private Investigations" ‡ 2504 "The Bitterest Pill" ‡ 1505 Musical Youth"Pass the Dutchie" 2506 Culture Club"Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" 3507 "I Don't Want to Dance" 3508 "Mirror Man" ‡ 1509 "Beat Surrender" 4510 "You Can't Hurry Love" 3511 Men at Work"Down Under" 3512 Tears for Fears"Change" ‡ 1513 Kajagoogoo"Too Shy" 1514 "Billie Jean" 2515 "Total Eclipse of the Heart" 1516 "Speak Like a Child" ‡ 1517 Duran Duran"Is There Something I Should Know?" 1518 "Let's Dance" 4519 Spandau Ballet"True" 3520 Heaven 17"Temptation" ‡ 1521 "Every Breath You Take" 3522 "China Girl" ‡ 1523 "Baby Jane" 2524 "Whenever I Lay My Hat" 4525 Freeez"I.O.U." ‡ 1526 KC and the Sunshine Band"Give It Up" 1527 Spandau Ballet"Gold" ‡ 2528 UB40"Red Red Wine" 2529 Culture Club"Karma Chameleon" 6530 "All Night Long (All Night)" ‡ 1531 "Uptown Girl" 2532 and Michael Jackson"Say, Say, Say" ‡ 1533 "Never Never" ‡ 1534 "Only You" 5535 "Pipes of Peace" 1536 Frankie Goes to Hollywood"Relax" 6537 Nena"99 Red Balloons" 3538 "Hello" 5539 "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" ‡ 4540 "Automatic" ‡ 1541 Wham!"Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" 3542 Frankie Goes to Hollywood"Two Tribes" 7543 "Careless Whisper" 4544 "I Just Called to Say I Love You" 5545 Culture Club"" ‡ 1546 Wham!"Freedom" 3547 "I Feel for You" 4548 Frankie Goes to Hollywood"" * 1549 Band Aid"Do They Know It's Christmas?" 5550 Wham!"Everything She Wants" / "Last Christmas" ‡ 1551 Foreigner "I Want to Know What Love Is" 1552 Prince"1999" ‡ 1553 King"Love and Pride" ‡ 2554 and Barbara Dickson"I Know Him So Well" 1555 Dead or Alive"You Spin Me Round" 3556 (duet with Phil Collins)"Easy Lover" 3557 Tears for Fears"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" ‡ 2558 "Move Closer" 1559 "19" 5560 "You'll Never Walk Alone" 2561 Madonna"Crazy for You" ‡ 1562 Sister Sledge"Frankie" 1563 "Axel F" ‡ 2564 Eurythmics"There Must Be an Angel" 1565 Madonna"Into the Groove" 5566 and Mick Jagger"Dancing in the Street" 5567 "" 3568 a-ha"Take On Me" ‡ 2569 "" 2570 Wham!"I'm Your Man" 2571 "Saving All My Love for You" 4572 Pet Shop Boys"West End Girls" 2573 "" 2574 "Only Love" ‡ 1575 "When the Going Gets Tough" 3576 "Chain Reaction" 3577 and The Young Ones"Livin' Doll" 3578 "" 3579 "What Have You Done for Me Lately?" ‡ 1580 and Michael McDonald"On My Own" ‡ 1581 Spitting Image"" 1582 "Sledgehammer" ‡ 2583 Simply Red"Holding Back the Years" ‡ 1584 Nu Shooz"I Can't Wait" ‡ 1585 Wham!"" 2586 Madonna"Papa Don't Preach" 3587 "" 3588 "I Want to Wake Up with You" 2589 "Don't Leave Me This Way" 5590 Madonna"True Blue" 1591 "Every Loser Wins" 3592 Berlin"You Take My Breath Away" 5593 Erasure"Sometimes" ‡ 1594 "Caravan of Love" 3595 "Reet Petite" 2596 "Jack Your Body" 2597 and George Michael"I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" 3598 "Stand by Me" 3599 "Everything I Own" 1600 Mel and Kim"Respectable" 1601 Ferry Aid"Let It Be" 3602 Club Nouveau"Lean on Me" ‡ 1603 Madonna"La Isla Bonita" 1604 "Can't Be with You Tonight" ‡ 1605 Starship"Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" 3606 "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" 3607 The Firm"Star Trekkin'" 1608 Pet Shop Boys"It's a Sin" 3609 Madonna"Who's That Girl" 2610 Los Lobos"La Bamba" 1611 "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" 2612 "Never Gonna Give You Up" 4613 "Pump Up the Volume" 3614 Bee Gees"You Win Again" 3615 "Faith" ‡ 2616 T'Pau"China in Your Hand" 4617 "When I Fall in Love" ‡ 3618 Pet Shop Boys"Always on My Mind" 1619 "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" 2620 Tiffany"I Think We're Alone Now" 3621 "I Should Be So Lucky" 2622 Bomb the Bass"Beat Dis" ‡ 1623 "Together Forever" ‡ 2624 Aswad"Don't Turn Around" 3625 Pet Shop Boys"Heart" 2626 S-Express"Theme from S-Express" 1627 Fairground Attraction"Perfect" 2628 Wet Wet WetBilly Bragg and Cara Tivey"With a Little Help from My Friends""She's Leaving Home" 3

Notes

References Footnotes