CLICK BELOW TO DISPLAY SECTIONS FOR
1956:

Rank
title
artist
1 Don't Be Cruel Elvis Presley
1 Hound Dog Elvis Presley
2 Heartbreak Hotel Elvis Presley
3 My Prayer The Platters
4 The Wayward Wind Gogi Grant
5 Lisbon Antigua Nelson Riddle
6 Whatever Will Be, Will Be Doris Day
7 The Great Pretender The Platters
8 The Poor People of Paris Les Baxter
9 Moonglow And Theme From Picnic Morris Stoloff
10 Memories Are Made of This Dean Martin
11 Rock and Roll Waltz Kay Starr
12 Canadian Sunset Hugo Winterhalter
13 I Want You, I Need You, I Love You Elvis Presley
14 Hot Diggity Perry Como
15 Honky Tonk (Part 2) Bill Doggett
16 Blue Suede Shoes Carl Perkins
17 I Almost Lost My Mind Pat Boone
18 No, Not Much The Four Lads
19 Love Me Tender Elvis Presley
20 The Green Door Jim Lowe
21 Why Do Fools Fall in Love Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers
22 I'm in Love Again Fats Domino
23 Just Walking in the Rain Johnnie Ray
24 Allegheny Moon Patti Page
25 Tonight You Belong to Me Patience & Prudence
26 Ivory Tower Cathy Carr
27 Standing on the Corner The Four Lads
28 See You Later Alligator Bill Haley & the Comets
29 Sixteen Tons Tennessee Ernie Ford
30 The Flying Saucer Buchanan & Goodman
31 I'll Be Home Pat Boone
32 Band of Gold Don Cherry
33 Magic Touch The Platters
34 Be-Bop-a-Lula Gene Vincent
35 On the Street Where You Live Vic Damone
36 Moonglow and Theme From Picnic George Cates
37 True Love Bing Crosby & Grace Kelly
38 A Tear Fell Teresa Brewer
39 Born To Be With You The Chordettes
40 The Fool Sanford Clark
Click on the buttons below to access details about each particular set of rankings:
 
"The Top Ten" was written by Gary Theroux and Bob Gilbert and published in 1982. It provides a "Top 40" list for each year from 1956 to 1981 and a one page article on the top ten songs from each year. It also has a collection of information on pop history to introduce each year.
Elvis Presley took the pop music scene by storm in 1956. Both G & T and Cashbox ranked "Dont Be Cruel" as the top song of the year. Elvis had five songs in the G & T Top 40 includng "Hound Dog" as co number one.
The Platters had two songs in the G & T top ten -- "My Prayer at #3 and "The Great Pretender" at #7. They also had "The Magic Touch" at #33
Nelson Riddle had the top ranked instrumental by G & T: "Lisbon Antigua."