List of number-one EPs in the United Kingdom explained

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.[1] Singles were the popular record format at the time  - predominantly 10-inch 78 rpm and 7-inch 45 rpm formats  - 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. Record Mirror published the first album chart in 1956,[2] 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. EPs "died out in the late 1960s"[1] and Record Retailer reduced the chart to ten positions on 16 April 1966, publishing the final EP chart on 16 December 1967. 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; 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.[3]

The longest consecutive duration at the top of the chart was 23 weeks for The Shadows' EP The Shadows to the Fore. 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. 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 silver disc to records selling over 250,000 units.[4] 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.[4]

Number-one EPs

scope=colscope=colArtistscope=colEPscope=colReached
number one
scope=colWeeks at
number one
scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Expresso Bongo1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Strictly Elvis5
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Expresso Bongo1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Strictly for Grown Ups1
scope=row style="text-align:center;" and the Checkmates Emile1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Strictly for Grown Ups1
scope=row style="text-align:center;" and the Checkmates Emile2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Strictly for Grown Ups12
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Paddy Roberts Strikes Again2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Strictly for Grown Ups1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Original Soundtrack Highlights from South Pacific1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Strictly for Grown Ups3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Original Soundtrack Highlights from South Pacific3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Strictly for Grown Ups1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Original Soundtrack Highlights from South Pacific5
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Adam's Hit Parade1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Cliff's Silver Discs1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Original Soundtrack Highlights from South Pacific1
scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Cliff's Silver Discs2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Adam's Hit Parade1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"17
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Adam's Hit Parade1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"1023
scope=row style="text-align:center;"11Helen9
scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"12Spotlight on The Shadows3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"13Helen's Hit Parade3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Spotlight on The Shadows5
scope=row style="text-align:center;"1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Helen's Hit Parade1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"14Hits from "The Young Ones"2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"15Follow That Dream20
scope=row style="text-align:center;"163
scope=row style="text-align:center;"17Kid Galahad5
scope=row style="text-align:center;"18From The Black and White Minstrel Show 1
scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Kid Galahad11
scope=row style="text-align:center;"19Frank Ifield's Hits1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Kid Galahad1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Frank Ifield's Hits8
scope=row style="text-align:center;"20Just for Fun1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"21Holiday Carnival1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Frank Ifield's Hits2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Holiday Carnival1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Frank Ifield's Hits2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Holiday Carnival1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"22Twist and Shout10
scope=row style="text-align:center;"23Ain't Gonna Kiss Ya4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"243
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Twist and Shout11
scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"253
scope=row style="text-align:center;"26All My Loving8
scope=row style="text-align:center;"11
scope=row style="text-align:center;"27Long Tall Sally7
scope=row style="text-align:center;"28Five by Five15
scope=row style="text-align:center;"29Extracts from the Film "A Hard Day's Night"2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"302
scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Extracts from the Film "A Hard Day's Night"3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Five by Five1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Extracts from the Film "A Hard Day's Night"1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Five by Five1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"31Kinksize Session1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Five by Five1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"323
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Five by Five3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"33Beatles for Sale5
scope=row style="text-align:center;"34Bumble Bee2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Beatles for Sale1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"351
scope=row style="text-align:center;"36Got Live If You Want It!1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Got Live If You Want It!1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"37The Universal Soldier8
scope=row style="text-align:center;"38Kwyet Kinks7
scope=row style="text-align:center;"39No Living Without Loving7
scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"402
scope=row style="text-align:center;"413
scope=row style="text-align:center;"2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"42Yesterday8
scope=row style="text-align:center;"43With God on our Side1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"44Machines1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"45Hits4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"46I Need You10
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Hits4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"I Need You3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Hits7
scope=row style="text-align:center;"47Ready Steady Who2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"481
scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Ready Steady Who2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Hits7
scope=row style="text-align:center;"49Morningtown Ride1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"50Four Top Hits10
scope=row style="text-align:center;"51Paul Jones Sings Songs from the Film Privilege3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Four Top Hits5
scope=row style="text-align:center;"52Easy Come, Easy Go3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Hits6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Four Top Hits1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Hits1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Four Top Hits1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Hits1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Four Top Hits5
scope=row style="text-align:center;"Hits4

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.

scope=colArtistscope=colNumber-one EPsscope=colTotal weeks
scope=row869
scope=row863
scope=row445
scope=row410
scope=row337
scope=row317
scope=row221
scope=row213
scope=row28
scope=row26
scope=row24

References

Footnotes
Sources

Notes and References

  1. Encyclopedia: EP . subscription . 2003. Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World: Media, Industry and Society. Continuum International Publishing Group. London. 31 October 2010.
  2. Web site: The Official UK Albums Chart: Introduction . Mawer . Sharon . Official Charts Company. 30 October 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070622175904/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/album_chart_introduction.php . 22 June 2007 . dead .
  3. Web site: Smith . Alan . 50s & 60s UK Charts – The Truth! . Dave McAleer's website . 4 November 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110903033717/http://www.davemcaleer.com/page21.htm . 3 September 2011 .
  4. Web site: Smith. Alan. UK First Charts & Silver Discs. Dave McAleer's website. 4 November 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110902235451/http://www.davemcaleer.com/page17.htm. 2 September 2011.