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1956:


Records Listed By Label:

ABC-Paramount
A Rose and a Baby Ruth by George Hamilton IV #6
Chain Gang by Bobby Scott #15
Graduation Day by The Rover Boys #16

Aladdin
Let the Good Times Roll by Shirley & Lee #20*

Atlantic
Since I Met You Baby by Ivory Joe Hunter #12
Treasure of Love by Clyde McPhatter #16*
Drown in My Own Tears by Ray Charles #*
Devil or Angel by The Clovers #*

Cadence
Born to Be With You by The Chordettes #5
Canadian Sunset by Andy Williams #8
Eddie My Love by The Chordettes #18
Lay Down Your Arms by The Chordettes #16

Capitol
Band of Gold by Kit Carson #11
Be-Bop-a-Lula by Gene Vincent #7
Hey Jealous Lover by Frank Sinatra #3
Lisbon Antigua by Nelson Riddle #1
Love & Marriage by Frank Sinatra #5
Memories Are Made of This by Dean Martin #1
Night Lights by Nat King Cole #11
Sixteen Tons by Tennessee Ernie Ford #1
That's All There Is To That by Nat King Cole #16
The Happy Whistler by Don Robertson #6
The Poor People of Paris by Les Baxter #1
True Love by Bing Crosby & Grace Kelly #3
Out of Sight, Out of Mind by The Five Keys #23*
Too Young To Go Steady by Nat King Cole #21*

Chess
Roll Over Bethoven by Chuck Berry #29*
Brown Eyed Handsome Man by Chuck Berry #*

Columbia
Band of Gold by Don Cherry #4
Can You Find It In Your Heart by Tony Bennett #16
It's Almost Tomorrow by Jo Stafford #14
Just Walking in the Rain by Johnnie Ray #2
Miracle of Love by Eileen Rodgers #18
Moments to Remember by The Four Lads #2
Moonlight Gambler by Frankie Laine #3
No, Not Much by The Four Lads #2
On the Street Where You Live by Vic Damone #4
Singing the Blues by Guy Mitchell #1
Standing On the Corner by The Four Lads #3
Theme From A Three Penny Opera by Louis Armstrong #20
Theme Song From Song For a Summer Night by Mitch Miller #8
Whatever Will Be, Will Be by Doris Day #2
You Don't Know Me by Jerry Vale #14

Coral
A Sweet Old Fashioned Girl by Teresa Brewer #7
A Tear Fell by Teresa Brewer #7
Bo Weevil by Teresa Brewer #17
He by The McGuire Sisters #10
Moonglow and Theme From Picnic by George Cates #4
Petticoats of Portugal by Dick Jacobs #16
Picnic by The McGuire Sisters #13
Tonight You Belong To Me by Lawrence Welk #15

Decca
After the Lights Go Down Low by Al Hibbler #10
He by Al Hibbler #4
It's Almost Tomorrow by Dream Weavers #7
Love Is A Many Splendored Thing by The Four Aces #1
Moonglow And Theme From Picnic by Morris Stoloff #1
Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody by Jerry Lewis #10
See You Later Alligator by Bill Haley & The Comets #6
When the White Lilacs Bloom Again by Helmut Zacharias #12
R O C K by Bill Haley & The Comets #16*
Mr Wonderful by Peggy Lee #14*

DeLuxe
Ivory Tower by Otis Williams & The Charms #11

Dot
Chains of Love by Pat Boone #10
Eddie My Love by Fontane Sisters #11
Friendly Persuasion by Pat Boone #5
I Almost Lost My Mind by Pat Boone #1
I Hear You Knocking by Gale Storm #2
I'll Be Home by Pat Boone #4
Ivory Tower by Gale Storm #6
Long Tall Sally by Pat Boone #8
Only You by The Hilltoppers #8
Teenage Prayer by Gale Storm #6
The Green Door by Jim Lowe #1
Transfusion by Nervous Norvus #8
Tutti-Frutti by Pat Boone #12
Why Do Fools Fall In Love by Gale Storm #8

ERA
The Wayward Wind by Gogi Grant #1

Fraternity
Ivory Tower by Cathy Carr #2

Gee
I Want You To Be My Girl by Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers #13
Why Do Fools Fall In Love by Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers #6
ABC's of Love by Frankie Lyman & The Teenagers #*

Glory
Cindy Oh Cindy by Vince Martin & The Tarriers #9
The Banana Boat Song by The Tarriers #4

Herald
When You Dance by The Turbans #33*

Imperial
Blueberry Hill by Fats Domino #2
I'm In Love Again by Fats Domino #3
My Blue Heaven by Fats Domino #19*

Josie
Speedo by The Cadillacs #17*

Jubilee
Two Different Worlds by Don Rondo #11

Kapp
Autumn Leaves by Roger Williams #1

King
Honky Tonk (Part 2) by Bill Doggett #2
Fever by Little Willie John #24*

Lana
I'll Remember (In the Still of the Night) by The Five Satins #24*

Liberty
Cry Me A River by Julie London #9
Gonna Get Along Without Ya Now by Patience & Prudence #11
Tonight You Belong To Me by Patience & Prudence #4

London
Rock Island Line by Lonnie Donegan #8

Luniverse
The Flying Saucer by Buchanan & Goodman #3

MCI
The Fool by Sanford Clark #7

Mercury
Allegheny Moon by Patti Page #2
Angels in the Sky by The Crew-Cuts #11
Are You Satisfied by Rusty Draper #11
Go On With The Wedding by Patti Page #11
In the Middle of the House by Rusty Draper #20
Lullaby of Birdland by Blue Stars #16
Magic Touch by The Platters #4
Mama From the Train by Patti Page #11
Moritat (Theme From Threepenny Opera) by Richard Hayman #11
My Prayer by The Platters #1
Only You by The Platters #5
Seven Days by The Crew-Cuts #18
Slow Walk by Sil Austin #17
Soft Summer Breeze by Eddie Heywood #11
The Church Bells May Ring by The Diamonds #14
The Great Pretender by The Platters #1
The Shifting Whispering Sands by Rusty Draper #3
Why Do Fools Fall in Love by The Diamonds #12
You'll Never Never Know by The Platters #11

MGM
Nuttin' For Christmas by Art Mooney Orchestra #6

Modern
Stranded in the Jungle by The Cadets #15

Okeh
I Put a Spell On You by Screamin' Jay Hawkins #*

RCA Victor
Canadian Sunset by Hugo Winterhalter #2
Cindy, Oh Cindy by Eddie Fisher #10
Don't Be Cruel by Elvis Presley #1
Dungaree Doll by Eddie Fisher #7
Glendora by Perry Como #8
Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis Presley #1
Hot Diggity by Perry Como #1
Hound Dog by Elvis Presley #1
I Want You, I Need You, I Love You by Elvis Presley #1
It Only Hurts For A Little While by The Ames Brothers #11
Juke Box Baby by Perry Como #10
Love Me by Elvis Presley #2
Love Me Tender by Elvis Presley #1
More by Perry Como #4
Rock and Roll Waltz by Kay Starr #1
Walk Hand in Hand by Tony Martin #10
I Was the One by Elvis Presley #19*

RPM
Eddie My Love by The Teen Queens #14*

Specialty
Long Tall Sally by Little Richard #6
Tutti-Frutti by Little Richard #17*
Rip It Up by Little Richard #17*

Sun
Blue Suede Shoes by Carl Perkins #2
I Walk The Line by Johnny Cash #17

Vee-Jay
Oh What a Night by The Dells #*

Verve
True Love by Jane Powell #15*

Vik
Garden Of Eden by Joe Valino #12

Vita
Confidential by Sonny Knight #17

* = ranking is on a chart other than the top 100

Click on the appropriate button above to view an historical acccount of the record labels for the year, a chart ranking the popularity of the labels in the Billboard top twenty for the year, or a list of the labels that had records in the top twenty for the year.
King records operated out of Cincinnati Ohio and was successful in the Country and R & B markets. In 1956 it had a big crossover hit with Bill Doggett's "Honkey Tonk (Part 2)."
"In the Still of the Night" was a bit of a crossover hit for Lana records, but its subsequent reputation far outdistanced its 1956 ranking. In 2010 Rolling Stone magazine listed it at #90 among "the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time."
The Chess label out of Chicago was one of the leading instruments in popularizing the genre known as rhythm and blues. Chuck Berry brought a country influence to the genre and had a crossover hit in 1956 with "Roll Over Beethoven."
The Charms' version of "Ivory Tower" was a crossover hit for DeLuxe records, but covers issued by Gale Storm for Dot (#10) and by Cathy Carr for Fraternity (#2) actually did better on the Billboard chart.
"A Tear Fell" was Teresa Brewer's cover of Ivory Joe Hunter's version which was an R & B hit for Atlantic records.
Andy Williams and The Chordettes gave Cadence a number of hits in 1956 and the label was about to add to that with the signing of The Everly Brothers in 1957.