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The singles chart at 70

On the 70th anniversary of the UK singles chart, we revisit the one-hit wonders, the battles for No 1 and the format changes that brought us here

22 November 2022

  • 1980s boombox.

    ‘It was part of the fabric of life’: readers on 70 years of the UK singles chart

    From the Tuesday reveal to Sunday’s Top 40 rundown, from Blur v Oasis to the glory days of Christmas No 1s: Guardian readers share their relationship with the charts

18 November 2022

  • LIFESTYLE-BRITAIN-MUSIC-CASSETTES<br>Giorgio Carbone, co-founder of Mars Tapes listens to a cassette in his shop in Manchester, north west England on September 4, 2021. - Tucked away in a corner of the top floor of an indoor market in Manchester, northwest England, lies the last shop in Britain dedicated to selling cassettes. (Photo by PAUL ELLIS / AFP) (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

    From vinyl to streaming: music writers on how they consumed the Top 40

  • Dave Watson and his collection of UK No 1 singles

    ‘I’d be stupid to stop it now!’ The man with the only complete collection of UK No 1 singles

17 November 2022

  • Elvis Presley

    The 70 greatest No 2 singles – ranked!

  • LadBaby, Mariah Carey and Mr Blobby.

    How the UK Christmas No 1 became a national obsession – and a vicious competition

16 November 2022

  • L to r, Pinkpantheress, Psy, Nathan Evans.

    ‘Ultimately, you’re in the hands of the public’: has streaming killed the one-hit wonder?

    A passing chart sensation is still a matter of magic, and in the age of TikTok it seems there are more contenders than ever

15 November 2022

  • Composite: Keisha from Sugababes, Joe Dolce and Brian May from Queen

    ‘Terry Wogan said it was the worst thing he’d ever heard!’: Brian May, Sugababes and more on hitting No 1

    Popping to see Jagger, collaring Captain Tom on daytime TV or taking their dad’s advice – these artists share how they topped the singles charts

14 November 2022

  • Slade perform on the BBC TV show Top of the Pops in London in 1973.

    Tell us: what does the UK singles chart mean to you?

  • Banned … a record store displays the chart in 1977, without the Sex Pistols at No 2.

    The UK Singles Chart is 70. Is it time for it to retire?

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