Bates, Read and Jensen to celebrate the charts on Boom Radio

Boom Radio is to mark 70 years of the singles chart with former chart show hosts Simon Bates, Mike Read and David Jensen.

The station will celebrate the anniversary on Sunday 20 November with a day of special programmes including playing the first ever record chart in full, from 1952.

First published in the New Musical Express 70 years ago, the best seller for that first Top 12 chart was Al Martino’s ‘Here in My Heart’.

From 1955 the chart tradition was established by radio through Pick of the Pops and subsequently various chart shows on BBC and commercial radio.

Boom Radio’s day of celebration will begin at 12 noon with the station’s John Peters playing the chart from this week in 1967 – voted the most popular year for music by Boom listeners.

At 1pm, John will play the first ever music chart – from 1952!

From 2pm, Simon Bates plays the biggest Number Ones from each year, kicking off in 1958 and working through the years. Simon hosted the chart on the BBC from 1978-79 and again in 1984.

At 4pm Mike Read plays One Hit Wonders – Or Were They? Those huge hits which could have been the start of long careers – but weren’t! Mike’s chart pedigree is well known – as one of the founder editors of the UK chart reference book Guinness Book of British Hit Singles.

Then at 6pm, Kid Jensen – the host of commercial radio’s first official chart ‘the Network Chart’ – returns to play the songs that were nearly hugely famous – but just missed out on the Number One position.

As a taster to the day, here’s the Top 12 from 1952 (note two songs at Number 7,8 &11):

1. Here In My Heart – Al Martino
2. You Belong To Me – Jo Stafford
3. Somewhere Along The Way – Nat King Cole
4. The Isle Of Innisfree – Bing Crosby
5. Feet Up (Pat Him On The Po-Po) – Guy Mitchell
6. Half As Much – Rosemary Clooney
7. High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me) – Frankie Laine / Forget Me Not – Vera Lynn
8. Sugarbush – Doris Day And Frankie Laine / Blue Tango – Ray Martin
9. The Homing – Waltz Vera Lynn
10. Auf Wiederseh’n Sweetheart – Vera Lynn
11. Cowpuncher’s Cantata – Max Bygraves / Because You’re Mine – Mario Lanza
12. Walkin’ My Baby Back Home – Johnnie Ray