CLICK BELOW TO DISPLAY SECTIONS FOR
1959:
The year end charts as published by Billboard each year were necessarily limited.  In order to publish the chart the last week of December, the magazine stopped including rankings effectively the final week of November.  In some cases, this caused records whose popularity crossed over from one year to another to be underrated.  In some cases, these records ended up on the year end chart for two different years.  In some cases, the records were not included in either chart in spite of significant popularity.  The “Elvis Era Power Ranking” is an effort to correct this oversight by including all the weeks a record was on the charts, not just the weeks of a particular year.  The rating is based on the record's performance in the top twenty: 20 points for being #1, 19 for #2, etc. In the case of the “cross-over” records, whether a record is included in the chart for the year it first entered or the year it last charted, the record was assigned the year in which it enjoyed its highest popularity.  In some cases, there were records that were so closely split that they were included on two year end charts.
Click on the buttons below to access details about each particular set of rankings:
 
"Heartaches By the Number" is a prime example of a very popular song who's success is not reflected on the Billboard end of year charts. For 1959 it was #88 and for 1960 it was #93. Assigning all of it's 12 weeks in the top twenty to 1959, the EE chart ranks it a #10. Four weeks at the end of 1958 "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" top twenty rankings are included in the 1959 EE chart which ranks it #4 as opposed to #16 by Billboard. Five top twenty weeks for Della Reese's "Don't You Know" are not considerd in its 1959 Billboard #43 rank. It makes #17 on the EE chart. Clyde McPhatter's "A Lover's Question" had 7 weeks in the top twenty that were not part of its #72 Billboard ranking but are included in its #26 EE ranking.
The chart below is sortable by clicking on the column header:
EE Rank BB Rank title artist Top Twenty Points highest ranking Weeks in Top Twenty Weeks in Top Forty week debuted Date Highest Rank
1 2 Mack the Knife Bobby Darin 455 1 19 22 1959/09/07 1959/10/05
2 1 The Battle of New Orleans Johnny Horton 362 1 14 18 1959/05/04 1959/06/01
3 10 Mr. Blue The Fleetwoods 295 1 14 17 1959/09/14 1959/11/16
4 16 Smoke Gets in Your Eyes The Platters 290 1 13 16 1958/12/01 1959/01/16
5 4 Venus Frankie Avalon 278 1 11 14 1959/02/23 1959/03/09
6 5 Lonely Boy Paul Anka 277 1 12 14 1959/06/08 1959/07/13
7 7 The Three Bells The Browns 265 1 12 14 1959/08/03 1959/08/24
8 13 Stagger Lee Lloyd Price 263 1 12 15 1959/01/09 1959/02/09
9 12 Put Your Head On My Shoulder Paul Anka 262 2 12 14 1959/09/14 1959/10/05
10 14 Donna Ritchie Valens 261 2 14 18 1958/12/12 1959/02/23
11 88 Heartaches By the Number Guy Mitchell 255 1 12 16 1959/10/19 1959/12/14
12 11 Sleep Walk Santo & Johnny 237 1 11 13 1959/08/17 1959/09/21
13 8 Come Softly to Me The Fleetwoods 234 1 10 12 1959/03/16 1959/04/13
14 6 Dream Lover Bobby Darin 233 2 11 13 1959/05/04 1959/06/08
15 3 Personality Lloyd Price 232 2 11 14 1959/05/11 1959/06/15
16 9 Kansas City Wilbert Harrison 208 1 10 12 1959/04/27 1959/05/18
17 43 Don't You Know Della Reese 207 2 10 15 1959/10/09 1959/11/30
18 26 Sixteen Candles The Crests 206 2 11 14 1958/12/22 1959/02/09
19 15 Pink Shoe Laces Dodie Stevens 197 3 12 14 1959/03/09 1959/04/13
20 17 Charlie Brown The Coasters 195 2 10 12 1959/02/09 1959/03/09
21 20 Til I Kissed You The Everly Brothers 192 4 11 13 1959/08/24 1959/09/21
22 39 My Happiness Connie Francis 191 2 11 14 1958/12/15 1959/01/16
23 19 My Heart Is an Open Book Carl Dobkins Jr. 189 3 11 16 1959/06/01 1959/08/03
24 36 Teen Beat Sandy Nelson 187 4 10 12 1959/09/14 1959/10/19
25 22 The Happy Organ Dave Baby Cortez 186 1 10 14 1959/03/30 1959/05/11
26 72 A Lover's Question Clyde McPhatter 185 6 14 20 1958/10/20 1959/01/16
27 30 A Big Hunk 'O Love Elvis Presley 182 1 9 10 1959/07/13 1959/08/10
28 53 Gotta Travel On Billy Grammer 174 4 12 15 1958/12/08 1959/01/12
29 23 I'm Gonna Get Married Lloyd Price 171 3 10 12 1959/08/17 1959/09/14
30 21 Sea of Love Phil Phillips & The Twilights 170 2 9 14 1959/07/20 1959/08/24
31 27 It's Just a Matter of Time Brook Benton 170 3 9 14 1959/02/09 1959/04/06
32 24 Sorry (I Ran All the Way Home) The Impalas 168 2 10 11 1959/04/13 1959/05/11
33 18 Quiet Village Martin Denny 161 4 9 13 1959/04/27 1959/06/01
34 25 A Teenager in Love Dion & the Belmonts 159 5 10 13 1959/04/27 1959/05/18
35 29 There Goes My Baby The Drifters 158 2 10 14 1959/06/29 1959/08/17
36 33 Lavender Blue Sammy Turner 157 3 8 14 1959/07/06 1959/08/24
37 31 Red River Rock Johnny & the Hurricanes 151 5 10 13 1959/08/17 1959/09/07
38 49 Lonely Street Andy Williams 151 5 10 11 1959/09/28 1959/11/09
39 32 Waterloo Stonewall Jackson 150 4 9 12 1959/06/08 1959/07/13
40 28 Lipstick on Your Collar Connie Francis 148 5 10 12 1959/06/01 1959/06/29
41 35 Guitar Boogie Shuffle The Virtues 147 5 9 12 1959/03/23 1959/04/27
42 34 A Fool Such As I Elvis Presley 145 2 9 11 1959/03/30 1959/04/27
43 41 Tiger Fabian 145 3 8 10 1959/06/22 1959/07/20
44 38 Tragedy Thomas Wayne 143 5 8 13 1959/02/16 1959/03/23
45 46 The All American Boy Bill Parsons 140 2 9 13 1958/12/28 1959/02/01
46 99 In The Mood Ernie Fields 140 4 10 14 1959/10/12 1959/12/14
47 37 Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb Ed Byrnes & Connie Stevens 140 4 8 11 1959/04/27 1959/05/11
48 42 There'll Never Be Anyone Else But You Ricky Nelson 140 6 9 12 1959/03/09 1959/04/06
49 40 Tallahassee Lassie Freddy Cannon 140 6 8 10 1959/05/29 1959/06/29
50 47 Primrose Lane Jerry Wallace 140 8 11 15 1959/09/07 1959/10/26
51 56 Lonely Teardrops Jackie Wilson 139 7 12 16 1958/12/08 1959/02/09
52 We Got Love Bobby Rydell 137 6 9 14 1959/10/26 1959/12/07
53 It's Time to Cry Paul Anka 135 4 9 12 1959/11/30 1959/12/28
54 So Many Ways Brook Benton 134 6 9 13 1959/10/26 1959/11/23
55 48 Alvin's Harmonica The Chipmunks 133 3 7 9 1959/02/23 1959/03/16
56 71 Deck of Cards Wink Martindale 132 7 9 12 1959/09/28 1959/11/02
57 54 Poison Ivy The Coasters 129 7 9 11 1959/09/07 1959/10/12
58 Whole Lotta Loving Fats Domino 127 6 9 12 1958/12/01 1959/01/12
59 50 What'd I Say (Parts 1 & 2) Ray Charles 119 6 7 11 1959/07/20 1959/08/17
60 44 I Need Your Love tonight Elvis Presley 116 4 8 10 1959/03/30 1959/04/20
61 59 Just Ask Your Heart Frankie Avalon 111 7 8 11 1959/09/14 1959/10/26
62 62 I've Had It The Bell Notes 110 6 8 11 1959/02/09 1959/03/09
63 63 I Cried a Tear LaVern Baker 107 6 9 15 1958/12/28 1959/02/23
64 51 Broken Hearted Melody Sarah Vaughan 105 7 8 11 1959/08/17 1959/09/07
65 68 I Want to Walk You Home Fats Domino 101 8 7 10 1959/08/10 1959/09/14
66 55 Turn Me Loose Fabian 101 9 8 11 1959/04/06 1959/05/11
67 66 Peter Gunn Ray Anthony 95 8 9 13 1959/01/19 1959/03/02
68 79 Goodbye Baby Jack Scott 94 8 7 13 1958/12/28 1959/02/16
69 58 Forty Miles of Bad Road Duane Eddy 94 9 7 11 1959/06/29 1959/07/27
70 52 Only You Franck Pourcel 94 9 7 11 1959/04/27 1959/06/01
71 75 Petite Fleur Chris Barber’s Jazz Band 93 5 6 10 1959/02/02 1959/03/02
72 45 What A Difference A Day Makes Dinah Washington 92 8 8 14 1959/06/22 1959/08/10
73 57 Hawaiian Wedding Song Andy Williams 89 11 10 15 1959/01/12 1959/02/16
74 100 Seven Little Girls Paul Evans 78 9 7 11 1959/10/05 1959/11/09
75 86 Manhattan Spiritual Reg Owen 76 10 7 13 1958/12/22 1959/02/09
76 74 It's Late Ricky Nelson 74 9 6 10 1959/03/16 1959/04/06
77 Hound Dog Man Fabian 73 9 7 11 1959/11/30 1959/12/28
78 60 Tell Him No Travis & Bob 72 8 6 9 1959/04/06 1959/04/27
79 80 Along Came Jones The Coasters 71 9 6 8 1959/06/01 1959/06/22
80 76 Tall Paul Annette 70 7 8 9 1959/02/02 1959/02/23
81 70 Bobby Sox to Stockings Frankie Avalon 69 8 7 10 1959/06/01 1959/07/06
82 61 Frankie Connie Francis 68 9 7 11 1959/06/01 1959/07/06
83 Be My Guest Fats Domino 65 8 5 10 1959/11/09 1959/12/07
84 Oh Carol Neil Sedaka 63 9 8 13 1959/10/26 1959/12/07
85 Danny Boy Conway Twitty 60 10 7 13 1959/10/12 1959/12/07
86 78 Just A Little Too Much Ricky Nelson 54 9 5 9 1959/07/13 1959/08/17
87 73 I Only Have Eyes for You The Flamingos 54 11 7 11 1959/06/08 1959/07/13
88 Bimbombey Jimmie Rodgers 54 11 7 10 1958/12/01 1958/12/15
89 64 Enchanted The Platters 54 12 7 11 1959/04/06 1959/05/04
90 69 So Fine The Fiestas 51 11 5 11 1959/04/27 1959/06/15
91 65 Since I Don't Have You The Skyliners 51 12 6 10 1959/03/23 1959/04/13
92 82 A Boy Without A Girl Frankie Avalon 50 10 5 9 1959/06/15 1959/07/13
93 95 Baby Talk Jan & Dean 49 10 6 9 1959/08/10 1959/09/14
94 83 Sweeter Than You Ricky Nelson 46 9 5 8 1959/07/13 1959/08/03
95 84 It Was I Skip & Flip 46 11 6 9 1959/07/22 1959/08/31
96 Misty Johnny Mathis 44 12 7 12 1959/10/15 1959/11/30
97 87 Endlessly Brook Benton 41 12 5 9 1959/05/04 1959/06/08
98 94 Morgen Ivo Robic 39 13 6 11 1959/08/31 1959/09/21
99 77 The Tijuana Jail The Kingston Trio 38 12 5 9 1959/03/30 1959/04/20
100 93 My Wish Came True Elvis Presley 38 12 4 10 1959/07/13 1959/08/17