Top 100 Songs of 1956: The Year-End Chart

“Heartbreak Hotel” by Elvis Presley was the biggest hit of 1956, finishing at No. 1 on the year-end Top 100 ahead of “Don't Be Cruel” by Elvis Presley and “Lisbon Antigua” by Nelson Riddle. The year-end chart ranks the songs that performed best across the whole year, not just in a single week.

14 acts placed more than one song on the list, led by Elvis Presley (5), The Platters (4), Pat Boone (4), Perry Como (4), Fats Domino (3).

The 1950s: the sound of the era

Rock ’n’ roll crashed the pop charts in the mid-1950s. Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and the doo-wop vocal groups shared the year-end lists with crooners, novelty records and lush orchestral pop, a mix that shows a business still deciding what teenagers wanted to hear.

Born in 1938? This was the year you turned 18. Tune the mixer to your year, or try today’s Name That Year game.

The full 1956 year-end Top 100

Source: Billboard’s year-end singles chart, as compiled on Wikipedia. Hey DJ 4U is an independent site, not affiliated with Billboard. ▶ plays the song in Hey DJ 4U; ♪ searches for it on Apple Music. Spotted an error? Tell us.