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The No. 1s of

1959

Pick a day for its No. 1 song, film, and book — or scan every reign of 1959 below.

January

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February

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March

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April

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May

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June

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July

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August

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September

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October

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November

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December

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No. 1 songs · Billboard Hot 100

  1. The Chipmunk Song
    The Chipmunks With David Seville
    Jan 5, 1959
    2 weeks
  2. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
    The Platters
    Jan 19, 1959
    3 weeks
  3. Stagger Lee
    Lloyd Price
    Feb 9, 1959
    4 weeks
  4. Venus
    Frankie Avalon
    Mar 9, 1959
    5 weeks
  5. Come Softly To Me
    The Fleetwoods
    Apr 13, 1959
    4 weeks
  6. The Happy Organ
    Dave "Baby" Cortez
    May 11, 1959
    1 week
  7. Kansas City
    Wilbert Harrison
    May 18, 1959
    2 weeks
  8. The Battle Of New Orleans
    Johnny Horton
    Jun 1, 1959
    6 weeks
  9. Lonely Boy
    Paul Anka
    Jul 13, 1959
    4 weeks
  10. A Big Hunk O' Love
    Elvis Presley With The Jordanaires
    Aug 10, 1959
    2 weeks
  11. The Three Bells
    The Browns
    Aug 24, 1959
    4 weeks
  12. Sleep Walk
    Santo & Johnny
    Sep 21, 1959
    2 weeks
  13. Mack The Knife
    Bobby Darin
    Oct 5, 1959
    6 weeks
  14. Mr. Blue
    The Fleetwoods
    Nov 16, 1959
    1 week
  15. Mack The Knife
    Bobby Darin
    Nov 23, 1959
    3 weeks
  16. Heartaches By The Number
    Guy Mitchell
    Dec 14, 1959
    2 weeks
  17. Why
    Frankie Avalon
    Dec 28, 1959
    1 week

No. 1 films · U.S. weekend box office

  1. The Buccaneer
    Jan 7, 1959
    3 weekends
  2. Some Came Running
    Jan 28, 1959
    3 weekends
  3. Separate Tables
    Feb 18, 1959
    1 weekend
  4. Sleeping Beauty
    Feb 25, 1959
    1 weekend
  5. Separate Tables
    Mar 4, 1959
    1 weekend
  6. Sleeping Beauty
    Mar 11, 1959
    2 weekends
  7. Rio Bravo
    Mar 25, 1959
    1 weekend
  8. Some Like It Hot
    Apr 1, 1959
    3 weekends
  9. Imitation of Life
    Apr 22, 1959
    2 weekends
  10. Some Like It Hot
    May 6, 1959
    4 weekends
  11. Pork Chop Hill
    Jun 3, 1959
    1 weekend
  12. The Young Philadelphians
    Jun 10, 1959
    1 weekend
  13. Ask Any Girl
    Jun 17, 1959
    1 weekend
  14. Say One for Me
    Jun 24, 1959
    1 weekend
  15. The Horse Soldiers
    Jul 1, 1959
    1 weekend
  16. The Nun's Story
    Jul 8, 1959
    2 weekends
  17. A Hole in the Head
    Jul 22, 1959
    2 weekends
  18. Anatomy of a Murder
    Aug 5, 1959
    1 weekend
  19. North by Northwest
    Aug 12, 1959
    7 weekends
  20. That Kind of Woman
    Sep 30, 1959
    1 weekend
  21. But Not for Me
    Oct 7, 1959
    1 weekend
  22. The FBI Story
    Oct 14, 1959
    1 weekend
  23. Pillow Talk
    Oct 21, 1959
    6 weekends
  24. A Summer Place
    Dec 2, 1959
    2 weekends
  25. Pillow Talk
    Dec 16, 1959
    1 weekend
  26. On the Beach
    Dec 23, 1959
    1 weekend
  27. Solomon and Sheba
    Dec 30, 1959
    1 weekend

No. 1 books · NYT fiction best sellers

  1. Doctor Zhivago
    Boris Pasternak
    Jan 4, 1959
    19 weeks
  2. Exodus
    Leon Uris
    May 17, 1959
    20 weeks
  3. Advise and Consent
    Allen Drury
    Oct 4, 1959
    13 weeks