Wonderful Britain

Heard about the death of Al Martino this week and couldn't believe that he had the UK's first number 1 in the Singles Chart, back in 1952! I really hadn't given much thought to the fact that the charts had been around for that long. They just always seemed to have been there, since I was old enough to have an interest in music. NME (New Musical Express), was always on my shopping list and the fact that it was launched in March 1952, with the first Singles Chart appearing in November 1952, never entered my mind. Listening to some of those early chart topping hits now, can both, evoke good memories and also give that slight "cringe" factor !