# weeks in the top 40
# weeks in the top 20
highest rank (Billboard)
Billboard end of the year rank
Cashbox end of the year rank
G & T end of year rank
Elvis Era year rank
week began #1
# weeks #1

Note:
In 1955, Billboard magazine began publishing the Top 100 chart which combined three previously used charts (Best Sellers In Stores, Most Played by Jockeys and Most Played in Jukeboxes) -- those three charts continued to be published. In July of 1958, the "Hot 100" was first published. The rankings sited on this site from December 1956 to July 1958 are based on the "Top 100" chart. For Records charting after July 1958, the "Hot 100" list is used. For records before July, 1958, the "highest rank" displayed on the slide may be from one of the other charts, e.g. Most Played by Jockeys, while the top twenty list is from the "Top 100."

The year-end charts are based on a record's performance from the first week of January to the last week in November. For this reason, some records that ranked high on the charts but overlap years are ranked lower than would be expected, or even left out.