TOP ACT OVERALL Everly Brothers
TOP MALE ARTIST Elvis Presley
TOP FEMALE ARTIST Connie Francis
TOP GROUP Everly Brothers
TOP NEW ACT Champs
23 songs reached #1 on Billboard in 1958
A thirty-year old star from Italy crossed the Atlantic and landed with the biggest hit of 1958. "Nel Blu Dipito Di Blue" (better known as "Volare") made a one week jump from #58 to #2 on the new Billboard Hot 100 in August on it's way to topping the year end chart. The Everly Brothers became the top act of the year largely due to "All I Have To Do Is Dream", a number one single in late spring. Novelty songs made a strong showing with chart topping hits by Sheb Wooley and David Seville. Female soloists were hard to find in 1958. Connie Francis was the most successful with a pair of moderate hits, "Who's Sorry Now" and "Stupid Cupid". "Who's Sorry Now" was the biggest, closing out the year end end chart at #40. Elvis Presley began his two years in the US Army, but he wasn't absent from the charts. He placed three singles on the year end chart including the number seven single of the year, "Don't". Elvis remained the top male artist for the third consecutive year, yet fell just short of The Everly Brothers for the top act of 1958. Of all the new acts, a group of studio musicians from Los Angeles, known as The Champs, became the hottest new act when "Tequila" spent over a month at the top of the charts.
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.
