The singer who spent a record-breaking 220 weeks in the charts in the 20th-century
Spending 220 weeks in the charts means that you’ve spent over four years constantly making your presence known there. Some people have entire careers that are shorter.
Yet when it comes to Pat Boone, his dulcet tones were ones that people simply could not get enough of in the 1950s, as he transformed from teen starlet into an out-and-out powerhouse of entertainment, first rivalling Elvis Presley before then becoming one of his greatest friends, taking on the rock and roll cause as firm allies.
That rapture for every word to come out of Boone’s mouth caused a pop culture sensation. Sadly, you can’t necessarily say the same for today, when it feels like each thing he says is more Draconian and stark than the last. But even still, back in the day when stardom and fame were at their most traditional peak, Boone was very much the main man.
This was what ultimately secured him his 220-week stint in the charts, beginning in 1955 and almost seeing him soar into a new decade, until he ultimately got pipped to the post. It was a record that would remain unbeaten for the next half a century afterwards, though, so he had more than enough time to revel in all the glory.
What was perhaps even more remarkable about the already mammoth feat was that Boone didn’t need to have a particularly extensive discography to achieve it. He gained five number one singles over the course of the decade, which is not to be sniffed at, and yet it spoke to the conditions of a chart landscape where artists could far more easily rule supreme.
What number ones created Pat Boone’s 220-week run?
Boone started out his number one stint with ‘Ain’t That A Shame’ in 1955 and continued that chart-topping stretch throughout the remainder of the ‘50s until ‘April Love’ in 1957. In between this, he also managed to have over 25 singles reach the top 20, which put him in a league of largely unparalleled artists.
That even included his foe-turned-friend Presley, who was the only person to ever surpass him in terms of all-time chart hits for the period. They were brothers in arms, facing up to this brand new rock and roll world that they were largely responsible for creating. It was only right that they then reaped the rewards for it.
However, the interesting thing was what happened in the cultural aftermath. Of course, by that time Boone had garnered more than enough acclaim and money to see him through the rest of his life, but with only one other number one taking him into the ‘60s, ‘Moody River’, the changing of the rock music tides was more than apparent.
Nevertheless, there was no one before, and no one who came after, who was close to Boone. It was clear from when he first started making chart waves in 1955 that he was in it for the long haul – 220 weeks, to be precise. That legacy alone paints him as one of the giants that the rest of the rock and roll world would stand on the shoulders of.
