List of Billboard number-one singles of the 1940s

Billboard's Hot 100 &
Best Sellers in Stores
number-one singles by decade
Before August 1958
After August 1958

This article is about the US number-one songs chart held during the 1940s.

Billboard number-one singles chart (which preceded the Billboard Hot 100 chart), which was updated weekly by the Billboard magazine, was the main singles chart of the American music industry since 1940 and until the Billboard Hot 100 chart was established in 1958.

Before the Billboard Hot 100 chart was established in August 1958, which was based on a formula combining sales data of commercially available singles and airplay on American radio stations, the Billboard used to publish several song popularity charts weekly. Throughout most of the 1940s the magazine published the following three charts:

The list below includes the best-selling singles chart only.

Number ones

Key
 ♪   – Number-one single of the year
Contents
1940 • 1941 1942 • 1943 • 1944 • 1945 • 1946 • 1947 • 1948 • 1949 • 1950s →
Bing Crosby had the highest number of hits at the top of the Billboard number-one singles chart during the 1940s (9 songs). In addition, Crosby remained the longest at the top of the Billboard number-one singles chart during the 1940s (55 weeks).
Jimmy Dorsey remained at the top of the Billboard number-one singles chart for 32 weeks.
Glenn Miller remained at the top of the Billboard number-one singles chart for 31 weeks.
Reached
number one		 Artist(s) Single Record label Weeks at
number one		 Ref
1940
July 27, 1940 Tommy Dorsey "I'll Never Smile Again"
12
 [1]
October 19, 1940 Bing Crosby "Only Forever"
9
 [1]
December 21, 1940 Artie Shaw "Frenesi"
RCA Victor
12
 [1]
1941
March 15, 1941 Glenn Miller "Song of the Volga Boatmen"
1
 [1]
March 22, 1941 Artie Shaw "Frenesi"
RCA Victor
1
 [1]
March 29, 1941 Jimmy Dorsey "Amapola (Pretty Little Poppy)"
Decca
10
 [1]
June 7, 1941 Jimmy Dorsey "My Sister and I"
Decca
1
 [1]
June 14, 1941 Jimmy Dorsey "Maria Elena"
Decca
1
 [1]
June 21, 1941 Sammy Kaye "Daddy"
RCA Victor
1
 [1]
June 28, 1941 Jimmy Dorsey "My Sister and I"
Decca
1
 [1]
July 5, 1941 Jimmy Dorsey "Maria Elena"
Decca
1
 [1]
July 12, 1941 Sammy Kaye "Daddy"
RCA Victor
7
 [1]
August 30, 1941 Jimmy Dorsey "Green Eyes (Aquellos Ojos Verdes)"
Decca
4
 [1]
September 27, 1941 Jimmy Dorsey "Blue Champagne"
Decca
1
 [1]
October 4, 1941 Freddy Martin "Piano Concerto in B Flat"
Bluebird
8
 [1]
November 29, 1941 Glenn Miller "Chattanooga Choo Choo"
Bluebird
3
 [1]
December 20, 1941 Glenn Miller "Elmer's Tune"
Bluebird
1
 [1]
December 27, 1941 Glenn Miller "Chattanooga Choo Choo"
Bluebird
6
 [1]
1942
February 7, 1942 Glenn Miller "A String of Pearls"
Bluebird
1
 [1]
February 14, 1942 Woody Herman "Blues in the Night (My Mama Done Tol' Me)"
Decca
1
 [1]
February 21, 1942 Glenn Miller "A String of Pearls"
Bluebird
1
 [1]
February 28, 1942 Glenn Miller "Moonlight Cocktail"
Bluebird
10
 [1]
May 9, 1942 Jimmy Dorsey "Tangerine"
Decca
6
 [1]
June 20, 1942 Harry James "Sleepy Lagoon"
4
 [1]
July 18, 1942 Kay Kyser "Jingle Jangle Jingle"
Columbia
8
 [1]
September 12, 1942 Glenn Miller "(I've Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo"
RCA Victor
7
 [1]
October 31, 1942 Bing Crosby "White Christmas"
Decca
11
 [1]
1943
January 16, 1943 Tommy Dorsey "There Are Such Things"
RCA Victor
4
 [1]
February 13, 1943 Harry James "I Had The Craziest Dream"
Columbia
2
 [1]
February 27, 1943 Tommy Dorsey "There Are Such Things"
RCA Victor
1
 [1]
March 6, 1943 Harry James "I've Heard That Song Before"
Columbia
12
 [1]
May 29, 1943 Glenn Miller "That Old Black Magic"
RCA Victor
1
 [1]
June 5, 1943 Harry James "I've Heard That Song Before"
Columbia
1
 [1]
June 12, 1943 Benny Goodman "Taking A Chance On Love"
Columbia
3
 [1]
July 3, 1943 The Song Spinners "Comin' In On A Wing And A Prayer"
Decca
3
 [1]
July 24, 1943 Dick Haymes "You'll Never Know"
Decca
4
 [1]
August 21, 1943 Tommy Dorsey "In The Blue Of Evening"
RCA Victor
3
 [1]
September 11, 1943 Bing Crosby "Sunday, Monday Or Always"
Decca
7
 [1]
October 30, 1943 Al Dexter "Pistol Packin' Mama"
1
 [1]
November 6, 1943 Mills Brothers "Paper Doll"
Decca
12
 [1]
1944
January 29, 1944 Glen Gray "My Heart Tells Me (Should I Believe My Heart)"
Decca
5
 [1]
March 4, 1944 Jimmy Dorsey "Besame Mucho (Kiss Me Much)"
Decca
7
 [1]
April 22, 1944 Guy Lombardo "It's Love-Love-Love"
Decca
2
 [1]
May 6, 1944 Bing Crosby "I Love You"
Decca
5
 [1]
June 10, 1944 Harry James "I'll Get By (As Long as I Have You)"
Columbia
3
 [1]
July 1, 1944 Bing Crosby "I'll Be Seeing You"
Decca
1
 [1]
July 8, 1944 Harry James "I'll Get By (As Long as I Have You)"
Columbia
1
 [1]
July 15, 1944 Bing Crosby "I'll Be Seeing You"
Decca
3
 [1]
August 5, 1944 Bing Crosby "Swinging On A Star"
Decca
9
 [1]
October 7, 1944 Mills Brothers "You Always Hurt The One You Love"
Decca
1
 [1]
October 14, 1944 Dinah Shore "I'll Walk Alone"
RCA Victor
1
 [1]
October 21, 1944 Mills Brothers "You Always Hurt The One You Love"
Decca
2
 [1]
November 4, 1944 Dinah Shore "I'll Walk Alone"
RCA Victor
3
 [1]
November 25, 1944 Mills Brothers "You Always Hurt The One You Love"
Decca
2
 [1]
December 9, 1944 The Ink Spots and Ella Fitzgerald "I'm Making Believe"
Decca
2
 [1]
December 23, 1944 Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters "Don't Fence Me In"
Decca
8
 [1]
1945
February 17, 1945 The Andrews Sisters "Rum and Coca-Cola"
Decca
7
 [1]
April 7, 1945 Les Brown & Doris Day "My Dreams Are Getting Better All The Time"
Columbia
7
 [1]
May 26, 1945 Les Brown & Doris Day "Sentimental Journey"
Columbia
9
 [1]
July 28, 1945 Johnny Mercer "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe"
7
 [1]
September 15, 1945 Perry Como "Till The End Of Time"
RCA Victor
9
 [1]
November 17, 1945 Sammy Kaye "Chickery Chick"
RCA Victor
1
 [1]
November 24, 1945 Harry James "It's Been A Long, Long Time"
Columbia
2
 [1]
December 8, 1945 Bing Crosby and The Les Paul Trio "It's Been A Long, Long Time"
Decca
1
 [1]
December 15, 1945 Sammy Kaye "Chickery Chick"
RCA Victor
1
 [1]
December 22, 1945 Harry James "It's Been A Long, Long Time"
Columbia
1
 [1]
December 29, 1945 Sammy Kaye "Chickery Chick"
RCA Victor
1
 [1]
1946
January 5, 1946 Freddy Martin "Symphony"
RCA Victor
2
 [1]
January 19, 1946 Bing Crosby and Carmen Cavallaro "I Can't Begin To Tell You"
Decca
1
 [1]
January 26, 1946 Vaughn Monroe "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"
RCA Victor
5
 [1]
March 2, 1946 Betty Hutton "Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
1
 [1]
March 9, 1946 Johnny Mercer "Personality"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
1
 [1]
March 16, 1946 Frankie Carle "Oh! What It Seemed To Be"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
6
 [1]
April 27, 1946 Sammy Kaye "I'm A Big Girl Now"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
1
 [1]
May 4, 1946 Perry Como "Prisoner of Love"♪ (1946)
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
3
 [1]
May 25, 1946 The Ink Spots "The Gypsy"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
10
 [1]
August 3, 1946 Perry Como "Surrender"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
1
 [1]
August 10, 1946 Eddy Howard "To Each His Own"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
3
 [1]
August 31, 1946 Freddy Martin "To Each His Own"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
2
 [1]
September 14, 1946 Frank Sinatra "Five Minutes More"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
1
 [1]
September 21, 1946 The Ink Spots "To Each His Own"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
1
 [1]
September 28, 1946 Frank Sinatra "Five Minutes More"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
1
 [1]
October 5, 1946 Eddy Howard "To Each His Own"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
2
 [1]
October 19, 1946 Frankie Carle "Rumors Are Flying"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
8
 [1]
December 14, 1946 Kay Kyser "Ole Buttermilk Sky"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
2
 [1]
December 28, 1946 Sammy Kaye "The Old Lamp-Lighter"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
7
 [1]
1947
February 15, 1947 The King Cole Trio "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
1
 [1]
February 22, 1947 Count Basie "Open The Door, Richard!"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
1
 [1]
March 1, 1947 Freddy Martin "Managua, Nicaragua"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
2
 [1]
March 15, 1947 Ted Weems "Heartaches"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
12
 [1]
June 7, 1947 Art Lund "Mam'selle"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
2
 [1]
June 21, 1947 The Harmonicats "Peg O' My Heart"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
1
 [1]
June 28, 1947 Perry Como "Chi-Baba, Chi-Baba (My Bambino Go to Sleep)"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
3
 [1]
July 19, 1947 The Harmonicats "Peg O' My Heart"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
3
 [1]
August 9, 1947 Tex Williams "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
6
 [1]
September 20, 1947 Francis Craig "Near You"♪ (1947)
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
12
 [1]
December 13, 1947 Vaughn Monroe "Ballerina"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
10
 [1]
1948
February 21, 1948 Art Mooney "I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
3
 [1]
March 13, 1948 Peggy Lee "Mañana (Is Soon Enough for Me)"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
9
 [1]
May 15, 1948 Nat King Cole "Nature Boy"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
7
 [1]
July 3, 1948 Kay Kyser "Woody Wood-Pecker"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
6
 [1]
August 14, 1948 Al Trace "You Call Everybody Darlin'"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
2
 [1]
August 28, 1948 Pee Wee Hunt "Twelfth Street Rag"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
6
 [1]
October 9, 1948 Margaret Whiting "A Tree In The Meadow"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
2
 [1]
October 23, 1948 Pee Wee Hunt "Twelfth Street Rag"♪ (1948)
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
2
 [1]
November 6, 1948 Dinah Shore "Buttons And Bows"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
9
 [1]
1949
January 8, 1949 Spike Jones "All I Want For Christmas (is My Two Front Teeth)"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
1
 [1]
January 15, 1949 Dinah Shore "Buttons And Bows"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
1
 [1]
January 22, 1949 Evelyn Knight "A Little Bird Told Me"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
7
 [1]
March 12, 1949 Blue Barron "Cruising Down the River"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
2
 [1]
April 2, 1949 Russ Morgan "Cruising Down the River"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
7
 [1]
May 14, 1949 Vaughn Monroe "Riders In The Sky (A Cowboy Legend)"♪ (1949)
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
11
 [1]
July 30, 1949 Perry Como "Some Enchanted Evening"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
5
 [1]
September 3, 1949 Vic Damone "You're Breaking My Heart"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
4
 [1]
October 1, 1949 Frankie Laine "That Lucky Old Sun"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
8
 [1]
November 26, 1949 Frankie Laine "Mule Train"
data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; font-size: smaller; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A
6
 [1]

Statistics by decade

By artist

The following artists achieved four or more number-one hits during the 1940s. A number of artists had number-one singles. They also had number-one singles in collaborations with other artists.

Artists by total number of weeks at number-one

The following artists were featured in top of the chart for the highest total number of weeks during the 1940s.

Songs by total number of weeks at number-one

The following songs were featured in top of the chart for the highest total number of weeks during the 1940s.

See also

References

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