List of number-one EPs in the United Kingdom

In the 1950s and 1960s "a third vinyl format" was introduced alongside long-playing (LP) albums, and singles. The extended play (EP) used the same formats as singles but contained more tracks.[2] Singles were the popular record format at the time – predominantly 10-inch 78 rpm and 7-inch 45 rpm formats[3] – and the first singles chart was published by New Musical Express in 1952 with many other publications also producing singles charts in the 1950s and 1960s.[4] Record Mirror published the first album chart in 1956,[3] and when Record Retailer began compiling an LP chart on 12 March 1960, they also compiled an EP chart. The EP chart consisted of a top ten and was expanded to fifteen positions the following week, and twenty the week after that.[5] EPs "died out in the late 1960s"[2] and Record Retailer reduced the chart to ten positions on 16 April 1966, publishing the final EP chart on 16 December 1967.[5] For six weeks in 1966 and two weeks in December 1967, Record Retailer did not publish EP charts but they were compiled and Record Mirror published them;[5] Record Mirror had begun publishing charts compiled by Record Retailer in March 1962, following a decision to stop compiling their own albums and singles charts.[4]

Donovan never had a number-one single or number-one album in his native UK;[1] however, his Universal Soldier EP spent eight weeks at the top of the EP chart.

The longest consecutive duration at the top of the chart was 23 weeks for The Shadows' EP The Shadows to the Fore.[6] The most weeks at number one was achieved by The Beach Boys' EP Hits which spent 34 weeks there from June 1966 and was the incumbent number one when the chart ceased at the end of 1967.[7] The Beatles had eight different EPs top the chart as did The Shadows (four with Cliff Richard and four on their own). The Shadows spent 69 weeks with an EP on top of the chart in comparison to The Beatles' 63 weeks. Conversely, only four acts spent a total of one week atop the chart; Joan Baez, Jim Reeves, George Mitchell Minstrels and Bobby Vee (with The Crickets). Although official music recording sales certifications were not introduced until the British Phonographic Industry was formed in 1973, Disc introduced an initiative in 1959 to present a gold disc to records that sold over one million units and a silver disc to records selling over 250,000 units.[8] Seven EPs are recorded as going silver: The Beatles' number-one EPs Twist and Shout, The Beatles' Hits, All My Loving, Long Tall Sally as well as The Beatles (No. 1) and Magical Mystery Tour (which did not reach number one but would have done so had the EP chart lasted only a few more weeks) and The Rolling Stones' number-one EP Five by Five.[8]

Number-one EPs

Contents
1960 · 1961 · 1962 · 1963 · 1964 · 1965 · 1966 · 1967
No.Artist[nb 1]EP[nb 1]Reached
number one[nb 2]
Weeks at
number one[nb 1]
1960
1Cliff Richard and The ShadowsExpresso Bongo12 March 19601
2Elvis PresleyStrictly Elvis19 March 19605
reCliff Richard and The ShadowsExpresso Bongo23 April 19601
3Paddy RobertsStrictly for Grown Ups30 April 19601
4Emile Ford and the CheckmatesEmile7 May 19601
rePaddy RobertsStrictly for Grown Ups14 May 19601
reEmile Ford and the CheckmatesEmile21 May 19602
rePaddy RobertsStrictly for Grown Ups4 June 196012
5Paddy RobertsPaddy Roberts Strikes Again27 August 19602
rePaddy RobertsStrictly for Grown Ups10 September 19601
6Original SoundtrackHighlights from South Pacific17 September 19601
rePaddy RobertsStrictly for Grown Ups24 September 19603
reOriginal SoundtrackHighlights from South Pacific15 October 19603
rePaddy RobertsStrictly for Grown Ups5 November 19601
reOriginal SoundtrackHighlights from South Pacific12 November 19605
7Adam FaithAdam's Hit Parade17 December 19601
8Cliff Richard and The ShadowsCliff's Silver Discs24 December 19601
reOriginal SoundtrackHighlights from South Pacific31 December 19601
1961
reCliff Richard and The ShadowsCliff's Silver Discs7 January 19612
reAdam FaithAdam's Hit Parade21 January 19611
9The ShadowsThe Shadows28 January 196117
reAdam FaithAdam's Hit Parade27 May 19611
reThe ShadowsThe Shadows3 June 19613
10The ShadowsThe Shadows to the Fore24 June 196123
11Helen ShapiroHelen2 December 19619
1962
reThe ShadowsThe Shadows to the Fore3 February 19624
12The ShadowsSpotlight on The Shadows3 March 19623
13Helen ShapiroHelen's Hit Parade24 March 19623
reThe ShadowsSpotlight on The Shadows14 April 19625
reThe ShadowsThe Shadows to the Fore19 May 19621
reHelen ShapiroHelen's Hit Parade26 May 19621
14Cliff Richard and The ShadowsHits from "The Young Ones"2 June 19622
15Elvis PresleyFollow That Dream16 June 196220
16The ShadowsThe Boys3 November 19623
17Elvis PresleyKid Galahad24 November 19625
18George Mitchell MinstrelsFrom The Black and White Minstrel Show29 December 19621
1963
reElvis PresleyKid Galahad5 January 196311
19Frank IfieldFrank Ifield's Hits23 March 19631
reElvis PresleyKid Galahad30 March 19631
reFrank IfieldFrank Ifield's Hits6 April 19638
20Bobby Vee and The CricketsJust for Fun1 June 19631
21Cliff Richard and The ShadowsHoliday Carnival8 June 19631
reFrank IfieldFrank Ifield's Hits15 June 19632
reCliff Richard and The ShadowsHoliday Carnival29 June 19631
reFrank IfieldFrank Ifield's Hits6 July 19632
reCliff Richard and The ShadowsHoliday Carnival20 July 19631
22The BeatlesTwist and Shout27 July 196310
23The SearchersAin't Gonna Kiss Ya5 October 19634
24The BeatlesThe Beatles' Hits2 November 19633
reThe BeatlesTwist and Shout23 November 196311
1964
25The Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones8 February 19643
26The BeatlesAll My Loving29 February 19648
reThe Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones25 April 196411
27The BeatlesLong Tall Sally11 July 19647
28The Rolling StonesFive by Five29 August 196415
29The BeatlesExtracts from the Film "A Hard Day's Night"12 December 19642
30The BachelorsThe Bachelors' Hits26 December 19642
1965
reThe BeatlesExtracts from the Film "A Hard Day's Night"9 January 19653
reThe Rolling StonesFive by Five30 January 19651
reThe BeatlesExtracts from the Film "A Hard Day's Night"6 February 19651
reThe Rolling StonesFive by Five13 February 19651
31The KinksKinksize Session20 February 19651
reThe Rolling StonesFive by Five27 February 19651
32Val DoonicanThe Green Shades of Val Doonican6 March 19653
reThe Rolling StonesFive by Five27 March 19653
reVal DoonicanThe Green Shades of Val Doonican17 April 19651
33The BeatlesBeatles for Sale24 April 19655
34The SearchersBumble Bee29 May 19652
reThe BeatlesBeatles for Sale12 June 19651
35Manfred MannThe One in the Middle19 June 19651
36The Rolling StonesGot Live If You Want It!26 June 19651
reManfred MannThe One in the Middle3 July 19654
reThe Rolling StonesGot Live If You Want It!31 July 19651
reManfred MannThe One in the Middle7 August 19654
37DonovanThe Universal Soldier4 September 19658
38The KinksKwyet Kinks30 October 19657
39Manfred MannNo Living Without Loving18 December 19657
1966
40The BeatlesThe Beatles' Million Sellers5 February 19662
41The SeekersThe Seekers19 February 19663
reThe BeatlesThe Beatles' Million Sellers12 March 19662
42The BeatlesYesterday26 March 19668
43Joan BaezWith God on our Side21 May 19661
44Manfred MannMachines28 May 19661
45The Beach BoysHits4 June 19664
46The Walker BrothersI Need You2 July 196610
reThe Beach BoysHits10 September 19664
reThe Walker BrothersI Need You8 October 19663
reThe Beach BoysHits29 October 19667
47The WhoReady Steady Who17 December 19662
48Jim ReevesA Christmas Card from Jim31 December 19661
1967
reThe WhoReady Steady Who7 January 19672
reThe Beach BoysHits21 January 19677
49The SeekersMorningtown Ride11 March 19671
50Four TopsFour Top Hits18 March 196710
51Paul JonesPaul Jones Sings Songs from the Film Privilege27 May 19673
reFour TopsFour Top Hits17 June 19675
52Elvis PresleyEasy Come, Easy Go22 July 19673
reThe Beach BoysHits12 August 19676
reFour TopsFour Top Hits23 September 19671
reThe Beach BoysHits30 September 19671
reFour TopsFour Top Hits7 October 19671
reThe Beach BoysHits14 October 19671
reFour TopsFour Top Hits21 October 19675
reThe Beach BoysHits25 November 19674

By artist

The following artists achieved two or more number-one EPs. Artists The Beatles and The Shadows were the most successful acts of the decade in terms of number-one EPs, each having eight EPs reach the top of the chart. In total, The Shadows spent 69 weeks occupying the top of chart (59 weeks from 4 EPs as an instrumental group and 10 weeks from 4 EPs accompanying Cliff Richard) and The Beatles spent a total of 63 weeks at number one.

ArtistNumber-one EPsTotal weeks
The Shadows869
The Beatles863
Elvis Presley445
Cliff Richard410
The Rolling Stones337
Manfred Mann317
Paddy Roberts221
Helen Shapiro213
The Kinks28
The Searchers26
The Seekers24

Notes

References

Footnotes
Sources
  • Warwick, Neil; Kutner, Jon; Brown, Tony (2004). The Complete Book of The British Charts: Singles and Albums (3rd ed.). London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 1-84449-058-0.