TOP ACT OVERALL Elvis Presley
TOP MALE ARTIST Elvis Presley
TOP FEMALE ARTIST Debbie Reynolds
TOP GROUP Everly Brothers
TOP NEW ACT Everly Brothers
20 songs reached #1 on Billboard in 1957
Elvis Presley captured the top single of the year by a narrow margin over Pat Boone's "Love Letters In The Sand". Elvis added four more number one songs to his list of hits, easily becoming the top act of 1957. Male musicians dominated the year end Top 40. Only two female artists are represented. Gale Storm ended the year at #33 with "Dark Moon". Debbie Reynolds scored her only number one single with the theme to her movie Tammy And The Bachelor. Eager to jump on Elvis Presley's bandwagon, no less than a dozen new acts made the year end Top 40 in 1957. The most successful were Phil and Don Everly. Their first single, "Bye Bye Love" spent four weeks at number two on Billboard, but their second release, "Wake Up Little Susie" made it to the top for four weeks. One of the most promising new artists of the year was Buddy Holly, leader of The Crickets. Their first single, "That'll Be The Day' reached number one in September. Holly's bright future was cut short in a tragic plane just over a year later that also claimed the lives of The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens. A second single by The Crickets, "Peggy Sue" was a top five single at the end of 1957. Cover battles were still popular. "Young Love" was a number one single for Tab Hunter as well as Sonny James. Both versions finished in the top five of 1957.
UU-BRU Radio Playlist was created in 1978. All UU-BRU Radio Gold Archives prior to 1978 are a compilation of year end charts from national trade magazines, several radio stations and other sources. Weeks at number one refer to Billboard.
