The Beatles Singles Chart Facts and Feats
- Total Weeks On Chart = 456
- This total actually leaves The Beatles as the act in seventh place of "most in charts", with the top position
taken by Elvis with 1168 weeks on the chart.
- Number Ones = 17
- This tops the list of "Most number Ones by any single act", although unfortunately it's as a tie with Elvis, who
has also had 17 number ones. Elvis had a further no.1 in 2002 taking his total to 18, but this was not as
"Elvis" but was in fact a D.J. remix with the name of Elvis sharing the track billing.
- Consecutive Christmas Number One's = 3
- Again, this is a record, but again jointly held with The Spice Girls.
- Consecutive Top Ten Hits = 18
- Top is Madonna with 35, then Cliff Richard with 21. Abba also had 18.
- First British Act To Have U.S. Number One.
- The first British No.1 in the U.S. was ... NOT the Beatles, it was The Tornados with "Telstar"
The Beatles were second with "I Want To Hold Your Hand" over a year later.
- Largest single sale in one week = 970,000
- This is the largest ever sale in one week by a non-charity single, and was by "I Want To Hold Your Hand".
- Largest advance sale of a single in one week = 1,400,000
- This is the largest ever advance sale by a non-charity single, and was for "Can't Buy Me Love".
Chart Information by The Guinness Book Of British Hit Singles
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