Was The Beatles 'Please Please me' a UK No 1?

[smiler68]

I remember it definitely at No 1 in 1963 but it seems the goalposts have moved again and it is not according to some obscure music mag which they now use.

[MarkRae]

Nope, it "only" got to No 2 in the UK. Their first UK No 1 was "From Me To You".

[Mamyalynne]

It is a common belief that "Please Please Me" was never a Number 1 single in Britain but on 22 February 1963 the song reached number one on the singles charts compiled by the New Musical Express (the most recognised chart at the time) and the Melody Maker where it was Number 1 for two weeks. It only reached number two on the Record Retailer chart, which subsequently evolved into the UK Singles Chart and is the most widely quoted today.

[Fitzer]

Who says it wasn't, still listed as such on thebeatles.com
http://www.thebeatles...bums/Please_Please_Me

[MarkRae]

Not according to the British Hit Singles and Albums reference book...

[Mamyalynne]

I think the discrepancy arises as quoted in the above C&P, which chart was referenced most at the time.

[MarkRae]

Fair enough. I was going by this: Amazon.co.uk User Recommendation

[mallyh]

it was no2 in jan 1963 re etry jan 1983 no29

[SeaJayPea]

The problem arises because every different music paper had its own chart at the time, some of which were more than a little suspect because of the small number of retailers they sampled. The NME and Melody Maker were the two most widely read papers, and they did both have it at No 1.

However, the industry's view was that Record Retailer, which they regarded as the trade paper, was the most accurate. This was because it had the widest sample of retailers reporting sales.

Tim Rice's Guinness Book of Hit Singles has it as only reaching No 2, as does its more recent Virgin successor.

[curveslover]

Don't care what the books say. It was No 1 on BBC Radio's "Pick of the Pops' which used all the pop papers charts (at least 4) and the same format which 'Top of the Pops' adopted a year later in 1964.

[x-ray]

It just goes to show.....you can't please please everybody