Top 100 Songs Of 1956

These are the top 100 songs of 1956 and the top 50 artists of 1956. On this page you will find two different chart types.

Official Billboard Top 100 Songs of 1956
This is Billboards official top 100 songs of 1956 also known as the Hot 100 of 1956 . To identify the Billboard chart, either the artist’s name or chart position will appear in RED.

Nolan Method (1956 cumulative points only)
The second Nolan Method chart is formulated using 1956 cumulative points only measured from December 1955 to November 1956 . To identify the Nolan Method 1956 chart, either the artist’s name or chart position will appear in GREEN.


Nolan Method Explained

The Nolan Method was formulated by lead Top40Weekly contributor Jarrett Nolan.

Using an inverse point-based system, songs earn points for each position that they’re in within the Top 40. Songs at #1 earn 40 points all the way down to 1 point at #40.

A song can earn bonus points if it debuts on the chart within the Top 40. If a song debuts between #11 and #40, the corresponding points for that position would be double with 10 points added.

Example: A song entering the chart at #38, earns 3 points. This would be doubled to 6 points plus 10 making the total score for that week 16 points.

If a song debuts within the Top 10, its entry points would be doubled with 20 points added.

Example: A song debuts on the chart at #1 earning 40 points. The points are doubled to 80 plus 20 for entering in the top 10 giving the song a 100 total for that week.

Bonus points can only be earned on a song’s debut week within the 40.

We welcome to you to join our Top40Weekly Forum to discuss the charts with like-minded enthusiasts.

Page Contents

Top 100 Songs of 1956 (side by side with Nolan Method)

Side by Side of Both Top 100 Songs of 1956

Top 50 Artists of 1956 (side by side with Nolan Method)

Top 100 Songs 1956

This list is a side by side of Billboard’s top songs of 1956 and Jarrett Nolan’s cumulative point method (aka the Nolan Method).

These top 100 songs of 1956 were created using data between December 1955 to the last week of November 1956 .

Billboard’s Hot 100 Year-end Of 1956

Billboard’s HOT 100 Songs are derived from radio airplay, sales data, and streaming data. RED.

This year’s most popular songs across all genres, ranked by radio airplay audience impressions as measured by Nielsen Music, sales data as compiled by Nielsen Music and streaming activity data provided by online music sources during the charts dated November 24, 1955, to November 16, 1956 .

The Nolan Method: Top 40 Weekly Year-end Of 1956

The Nolan Method totals all points accrued from all songs that entered the Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 from December 1, 1955 through November 30, 1956 . In the case of collaborations, each credited artist was given the total points a song earned. GREEN.

A song’s peak position is in parentheses after the title. If there is an asterisk next to the peak, it means that the song was still upwardly mobile as of the cutoff – November 30, 1956.

1Heartbreak Hotel (#1)
Elvis Presley
Lisbon Antigua (#2)
Nelson Riddle
2Don’t Be Cruel (#1)
Elvis Presley
The Wayward Wind (#1)
Gogi Grant
3Lisbon Antigua (#2)
Nelson Riddle
Heartbreak Hotel (#1)
Elvis Presley
4My Prayer (#1)
The Platters
Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be) (#2)
Doris Day
5The Wayward Wind (#1)
Gogi Grant
(The) Rock and Roll Waltz (#1)
Kay Starr
6The Poor People of Paris (#1)
Les Baxter
My Prayer (#1)
The Platters
7Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be) (#2)
Doris Day
Moonglow & Theme from Picnic (#2)
Morris Stoloff
8Hound Dog (#2)
Elvis Presley
The Poor People of Paris (#1)
Les Baxter
9Memories Are Made of This (#1)
Dean Martin
The Great Pretender (#1)
The Platters
10(The) Rock and Roll Waltz (#1)
Kay Starr
Memories Are Made of This (#1)
Dean Martin
11Moonglow & Theme from Picnic (#2)
Morris Stoloff
Allegheny Moon (#2)
Patti Page
12The Great Pretender (#1)
The Platters
I Almost Lost My Mind (#1)
Pat Boone
13I Almost Lost My Mind (#1)
Pat Boone
Don’t Be Cruel (#1)
Elvis Presley
14I Want You, I Need You, I Love You (#3)
Elvis Presley
Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom) (#2)
Perry Como
15Love Me Tender (#1)
Elvis Presley
Sixteen Tons (#1)
Tennessee Ernie Ford
16Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom) (#2)
Perry Como
Hound Dog (#2)
Elvis Presley
17Canadian Sunset (#2)
Eddie Heywood & Hugo Winterhalter
Canadian Sunset (#2)
Eddie Heywood & Hugo Winterhalter
18Blue Suede Shoes (#3)
Carl Perkins
I Want You, I Need You, I Love You (#3)
Elvis Presley
19Green Door (#1)
Jim Lowe
No, Not Much (#3)
The Four Lads
20No, Not Much (#3)
The Four Lads
Blue Suede Shoes (#3)
Carl Perkins
21Honky Tonk (#2)
Bill Doggett
Moonglow & Theme from Picnic (#4)
George Cates
22Sixteen Tons (#1)
Tennessee Ernie Ford
Band of Gold (#5)
Don Cherry
23Just Walkin’ in the Rain (#2)
Johnnie Ray
Ivory Tower (#6)
Cathy Carr
24Allegheny Moon (#2)
Patti Page
It’s Almost Tomorrow (#8)
the Dream Weavers
25I’m in Love Again (#5)
Fats Domino
I’ll Be Home (#5)
Pat Boone
26Tonight You Belong to Me (#6)
Patience and Prudence
Standing on the Corner (#3)
The Four Lads
27Be-Bop-A-Lula (#9)
Gene Vincent
I’m in Love Again (#5)
Fats Domino
28Why Do Fools Fall in Love (#7)
Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers Born to Be with You (#5)
The Chordettes
29Standing on the Corner (#3)
The Four Lads
I Hear You Knocking (#2)
Gale Storm
30The Flying Saucer (#7)
Buchanan & Goodman
Moments to Remember (#3)
the Four Lads
31Moonglow & Theme from Picnic (#4)
Ivory Tower (#6)
A Tear Fell (#7)
Teresa Brewer
32Better Now (#3)
Post Malone
Why Do Fools Fall in Love (#7)
Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers
33See You Later Alligator (#6)
Bill Haley & His Comets
Tonight You Belong to Me (#6)
Patience and Prudence
34I’ll Be Home (#5)
Pat Boone
(You’ve Got) The Magic Touch (#4)
The Platters
35On the Street Where You Live (#8)
Vic Damone
He (#7)
Al Hibbler
36(You’ve Got) The Magic Touch (#4)
The Platters
It Only Hurts for a Little While (#15)
The Ames Brothers
37Born to Be with You (#5)
The Chordettes
Honky Tonk (#2)
Bill Doggett
38Band of Gold (#5)
Don Cherry
See You Later Alligator (#6)
Bill Haley & His Comets
39More (#16)
Perry Como
Love and Marriage (#5)
Frank Sinatra
40Singing the Blues (#4*)
Guy Mitchell
Only You (And You Alone) (#5)
The Platters
41Blueberry Hill (#6*)
Fats Domino
On the Street Where You Live (#8)
Vic Damone
42The Fool (#9)
Sanford Clark
Dungaree Doll (#7)
Eddie Fisher
43The Happy Whistler (#9)
Don Robertson
Canadian Sunset (#8)
Andy Williams
44True Love (#6*)
Bing Crosby & Grace Kelly
Autumn Leaves (#1)
Roger Williams
45Long Tall Sally (#13)
Little Richard
Just Walkin’ in the Rain (#2)
Johnnie Ray
46A Sweet Old Fashioned Girl (#11)
Teresa Brewer
A Sweet Old Fashioned Girl (#11)
Teresa Brewer
47Transfusion (#13)
Nervous Norvus
Soft Summer Breeze (#12)
Eddie Heywood
48It Only Hurts for a Little While (#15)
The Ames Brothers
More (#16)
Perry Como
49A Tear Fell (#7)
Teresa Brewer
Moritat (A Theme from the Three Penny Opera) (#9)
the Dick Hyman Trio
50Rock Island Line (#10)
Lonnie Donegan
The Happy Whistler (#9)
Don Robertson

Side by Side Comparison

This list is a side by side comparison of both top songs of 1956 charts.

Songs are listed in alphabetically according to the artist or band’s name.

Key:

  • RED – Official Billboard Top 100 Songs of 1956
  • GREEN – Nolan Method 1956 cumulative points only
He (#7)35
Al Hibbler
Canadian Sunset (#8)43
Andy Williams
Honky Tonk (#2)2137
Bill Doggett
See You Later Alligator (#6)3338
Bill Haley & His Comets
True Love (#6*)44
Bing Crosby & Grace Kelly
The Flying Saucer (#7)30
Buchanan & Goodman
Blue Suede Shoes (#3)1820
Carl Perkins
Ivory Tower (#6)3223
Cathy Carr
Memories Are Made of This (#1)910
Dean Martin
Band of Gold (#5)3822
Don Cherry
The Happy Whistler (#9)4350
Don Robertson
Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be) (#2)74
Doris Day
Dungaree Doll (#7)42
Eddie Fisher
Soft Summer Breeze (#12)47
Eddie Heywood
Canadian Sunset (#2)1717
Eddie Heywood & Hugo Winterhalter
Don’t Be Cruel (#1)213
Elvis Presley
Heartbreak Hotel (#1)13
Elvis Presley
Hound Dog (#2)816
Elvis Presley
I Want You, I Need You, I Love You (#3)1418
Elvis Presley
Love Me Tender (#1)15
Elvis Presley
Blueberry Hill (#6*)41
Fats Domino
I’m in Love Again (#5)2527
Fats Domino
Love and Marriage (#5)39
Frank Sinatra
Why Do Fools Fall in Love (#7)2832
Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers
I Hear You Knocking (#2)29
Gale Storm
Be-Bop-A-Lula (#9)27
Gene Vincent
Moonglow & Theme from Picnic (#4)3121
George Cates
The Wayward Wind (#1)52
Gogi Grant
Singing the Blues (#4*)40
Guy Mitchell
Green Door (#1)19
Jim Lowe
Just Walkin’ in the Rain (#2)2345
Johnnie Ray
(The) Rock and Roll Waltz (#1)105
Kay Starr
The Poor People of Paris (#1)68
Les Baxter
Long Tall Sally (#13)45
Little Richard
Rock Island Line (#10)50
Lonnie Donegan
Moonglow & Theme from Picnic (#2)117
Morris Stoloff
Lisbon Antigua (#2)31
Nelson Riddle
Transfusion (#13)47
Nervous Norvus
I Almost Lost My Mind (#1)1312
Pat Boone
I’ll Be Home (#5)3425
Pat Boone
Tonight You Belong to Me (#6)2633
Patience and Prudence
Allegheny Moon (#2)2411
Patti Page
Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom) (#2)1614
Perry Como
More (#16)3948
Perry Como
Autumn Leaves (#1)44
Roger Williams
The Fool (#9)42
Sanford Clark
Sixteen Tons (#1)2215
Tennessee Ernie Ford
A Sweet Old Fashioned Girl (#11)4646
Teresa Brewer
A Tear Fell (#7)4931
Teresa Brewer
It Only Hurts for a Little While (#15)4836
The Ames Brothers
Born to Be with You (#5)3728
The Chordettes
Moritat (A Theme from the Three Penny Opera) (#9)49
the Dick Hyman Trio
It’s Almost Tomorrow (#8)24
the Dream Weavers
Moments to Remember (#3)30
the Four Lads
No, Not Much (#3)2019
The Four Lads
Standing on the Corner (#3)2926
The Four Lads
(You’ve Got) The Magic Touch (#4)3634
The Platters
My Prayer (#1)46
The Platters
Only You (And You Alone) (#5)40
The Platters
The Great Pretender (#1)129
The Platters
On the Street Where You Live (#8)3541
Vic Damone