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CLICK BELOW TO DISPLAY SECTIONS FOR
1956:

Rank
title
artist
1 Don't Be Cruel Elvis Presley
2 The Great Pretender The Platters
3 My Prayer The Platters
4 The Wayward Wind Gogi Grant
5 Whatever Will Be, Will Be Doris Day
6 Heartbreak Hotel Elvis Presley
7 Lisbon Antigua Nelson Riddle
8 Canadian Sunset Hugo Winterhalter
9 Moonglow And Theme From Picnic Morris Stoloff
10 Honky Tonk (Part 2) Bill Doggett
11 Memories Are Made of This Dean Martin
12 The Poor People of Paris Les Baxter
13 Rock and Roll Waltz Kay Starr
14 Hot Diggity Perry Como
15 Hound Dog Elvis Presley
16 I Want You, I Need You, I Love You Elvis Presley
17 Blue Suede Shoes Carl Perkins
18 Why Do Fools Fall in Love Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers
19 No, Not Much The Four Lads
20 I Almost Lost My Mind Pat Boone
21 Tonight You Belong to Me Patience & Prudence
22 I'm in Love Again Fats Domino
23 Allegheny Moon Patti Page
24 Just Walking in the Rain Johnnie Ray
25 Ivory Tower Cathy Carr
26 The Green Door Jim Lowe
27 Love Me Tender Elvis Presley
28 Band of Gold Don Cherry
29 Standing on the Corner The Four Lads
30 See You Later Alligator Bill Haley & the Comets
31 Magic Touch The Platters
32 I'll Be Home Pat Boone
33 True Love Bing Crosby & Grace Kelly
34 A Tear Fell Teresa Brewer
35 The Flying Saucer Buchanan & Goodman
36 On the Street Where You Live Vic Damone
37 The Fool Sanford Clark
38 Friendly Persuasion Pat Boone
39 Blueberry Hill Fats Domino
40 Theme Song From Song For a Summer Night Mitch Miller
Click on the buttons below to access details about each particular set of rankings:
 
In the 1950 s Cashbox Magazine was the main competitor with Billboard for the music trade. In 1956 the rankings expanded to a top 50 and then to a top 75 in 1957 and became a top 100 in 1958. Publicaton of the magazine ended in 1996
Pat Boone had big success in 1956 with ballads. "I Almost Lost MyMind" #20 -- "I'll Be Home" #32 -- "Friendly Persuasion" #38 -- all made the Cashbox Top 40.
In "The Billboard Book of Number one Hits" Fred Bronson lists "Rock Arounc the Clock" as the first number one song of the rock and roll era -- it was number one on July 9 of 1955. Bill Haley and the Comets were one of the pioneers of rock and roll and their best offering of 1956 was "See You Later Alligator" which Cashbox ranked at #30.