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List of Billboard number-one singles of 1940

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Bandleader Tommy Dorsey achieved the first Billboard number-one single with "I'll Never Smile Again", which topped the National Best Selling Retail Records chart for twelve consecutive weeks.
Singer Bing Crosby topped the chart for nine consecutive weeks with "Only Forever".
"Frenesi", an instrumental recorded by clarinetist Artie Shaw, occupied the number one position on the chart during the final two weeks of 1940.

In 1940, The Billboard began compiling and publishing the National Best Selling Retail Records chart. Debuting in the issue dated July 27, it marked the beginning of the magazine's nationwide tracking of record sales in the United States. Initially titled the "National List of Best Selling Retail Records", the weekly ten-position chart was tabulated using sales figures received from a selection of merchants across the country. Prior to its introduction, The Billboard had produced lists ranking music by various metrics such as performance in vaudeville venues, jukebox plays, sheet music sales, and regional airplay.[1][2]

The first National Best Selling Retail Records number-one single was "I'll Never Smile Again" by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra. Featuring vocals by Frank Sinatra and the vocal group the Pied Pipers, the song topped the chart for twelve consecutive weeks and elevated Sinatra to national popularity.[3]

Chart history

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Issue date Song Artist(s) Ref.
July 27 "I'll Never Smile Again" Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra with Frank Sinatra and the Pied Pipers [4]
August 3 [5]
August 10 [6]
August 17 [7]
August 24 [8]
August 31 [9]
September 7 [10]
September 14 [11]
September 21 [12]
September 28 [13]
October 5 [14]
October 12 [15]
October 19 "Only Forever" Bing Crosby with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra [16]
October 26 [17]
November 2 [18]
November 9 [19]
November 16 [20]
November 23 [21]
November 30 [22]
December 7 [22]
December 14 [23]
December 21 "Frenesi" Artie Shaw and His Orchestra [24]
December 28 [25]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Trust, Gary (November 2011). "On Billboard's 117th Birthday, a Look Back at the Magazine's Beginnings". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on 7 November 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  2. ^ Hajdu, David (6 March 2015). "Tearing Up the Pop Charts". The New Republic. Archived from the original on 6 March 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  3. ^ Kaplan, James (September 20, 2010). "The Night Sinatra Happened". Vanity Fair. Condé Nast. Archived from the original on August 28, 2019. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  4. ^ "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional List of Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 27 July 1940. p. 11. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  5. ^ "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional List of Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 3 August 1940. p. 11. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  6. ^ "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional List of Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 10 August 1940. p. 11. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  7. ^ "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional List of Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 17 August 1940. p. 11. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  8. ^ "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional List of Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 24 August 1940. p. 11. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  9. ^ "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional List of Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 31 August 1940. p. 19. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  10. ^ "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional List of Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 7 September 1940. p. 19. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  11. ^ "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 14 September 1940. p. 12. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  12. ^ "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 21 September 1940. p. 13. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  13. ^ "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 28 September 1940. p. 11. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  14. ^ "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 5 October 1940. p. 11. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  15. ^ "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 12 October 1940. p. 12. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  16. ^ "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 19 October 1940. p. 12. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  17. ^ "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 26 October 1940. p. 14. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  18. ^ "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 2 November 1940. p. 10. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  19. ^ "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 9 November 1940. p. 11. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  20. ^ "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 16 November 1940. p. 11. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  21. ^ "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 23 November 1940. p. 11. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  22. ^ a b "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 7 December 1940. p. 12. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  23. ^ "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 14 December 1940. p. 11. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  24. ^ "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 21 December 1940. p. 10. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  25. ^ "The Billboard Music Popularity Chart: National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records" (PDF). The Billboard. 28 December 1940. p. 62. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
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