Richard performing at the State Theatre in Sydney, Australia in 2013
UK singles
159
German singles
22
Other singles
20
The singles discography of English singer Cliff Richard consists in excess of 200 singles, of which 159 singles have been released in the UK in varying vinyl, CD, cassette and digital formats. Listed alongside the UK singles in the discography below are a further 20 singles which were released in other territories, as well as 22 singles which were sung in German and only released in German-speaking countries.
Cliff Richard's debut single "Move It", recorded with his equally successful backing band the Drifters (later renamed the Shadows) was written by original guitarist Ian Samwell. It was released in August 1958, and was the first British rock and roll hit to make the UK Singles Chart top ten, reaching number two and spending 17 weeks on the chart. He achieved his first number one in August 1959 with his fifth single, "Living Doll", which spent six weeks at the summit while becoming the UK's highest selling single of 1959.[1] From then, through to December 1963, Richard achieved 19 consecutive top-four singles, including seven number ones and a further six peaking at number two. Richard accumulated a total of 28 weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart in this period. His biggest hit of this period, "The Young Ones", lifted from the film of the same name, debuted at number one on the charts, spent a total of six weeks at number one and went on to achieve the rare feat in the UK alone, of sales of over a million – it was only the sixth million seller in the UK and remains his highest selling single in the UK.[2]
From 1964, despite the emerging dominance of the Beatles and beat music, Richard continued achieving top 10 hits throughout the 1960s although the frequency of top-five hits dropped off. In 1968, the track "Congratulations" was chosen to be his first Eurovision Song Contest entry, and although it came second in the contest, it became his biggest hit of the last half of the sixties, reaching number one in the UK and a number of European countries.[3]
In the 1950s and 1960s, it is notable that singles were the dominant sales medium, generally far ahead of album sales. However, towards the end of the 1960s and into the 1970s, this shifted, with albums becoming dominant. For the first half of the 1970s, Richard struggled to achieve big hits, apart from his 1973 Eurovision Song Contest entry "Power to All Our Friends". It was not until 1975 that Richard changed the focus of his recording career from singles to albums, beginning with the recording of the I'm Nearly Famous album. It produced the lead single "Miss You Nights", released in late 1975 and "Devil Woman", which became his first US top-ten hit and biggest hit there. From this time, the singles were generally lifted from the albums, although not exclusively. In 1979, Richard's single "We Don't Talk Anymore" became the highest selling record of his career achieving worldwide sales over 4 million.
From the late 1970s through the 1980s and into the 1990s Richard not only continued to have many top 10 hit singles, including the seasonal number one '"Mistletoe and Wine" and with Saviour's Day" in 1990. Although from the mid-1990s Richard has suffered a lack of radio airplay, he still has continued to have success, rounding out the 1990s with the number one "The Millennium Prayer", Throughout the 2000s, he had top-five singles throughout the first decade, up until song downloads began to be included in the UK Singles Chart.
Richard has achieved 14 number one singles on the UK Singles Chart, including having the unique distinction of having two versions of the same song hitting number-one on the singles chart. "Living Doll" first topped the charts in 1959, then again 26 years later in a re-recording for the Comic Relief charity with the cast of British TV series The Young Ones. Richard also has the distinction of being the only artist to have achieved UK number-one singles in five consecutive decades, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.[4] Richard's sales of singles within the UK itself make him the highest selling British male solo artist of singles of all time.[4]
^ abcThe British Disc music paper awarded silver discs (for UK sales of 250,000) and gold discs (for UK sales of 1,000,000) from 1959 until 1973. Awards were based on sales figures submitted by record companies. In 1973, it was superseded by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) setting up an 'official' certification award system.[5]
^"Schoolboy Crush" was the original A-side and "Move It" the original B-side.
^"Travellin' Light" did not enter the Flanders chart, but did peak at number 38 on the Wallonia chart.[17]
^"Catch Me" was first released as a single in the US and Canada as "Catch Me, I'm Falling" in early 1961. It was later released in Australia in 1962 as "Catch Me".
^"Gee Whizz It's You" was not initially officially released in the UK (produced as an export release), but charted due to import sales.
^Similar to "Gee Whizz It's You", "What'd I Say" was only produced as an export release.
^"Forty Days" was only released as a single in Continental Europe and Southern Africa.
^"Outsider" was only released as a single in Australia, India and Southern Africa.
^"How Wonderful to Know (Anema e Core)" was only released as a single in Italy and Belgium.
^"Lessons in Love" was only released as a single in Europe and Southern Africa.
^The official Irish charts listed "It'll Be Me" for one week only, at number 10, in its inaugural publication, 10 October 1962. Because this is after it had peaked in the existing charts, the chart peak at number 2 in the Evening Herald (1 week, 21 September) and Billboard (2 weeks), has been used instead. Note, the Billboard publication lags 3 or 4 weeks behind the Irish official chart. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (sourced from Teenager Express, Dublin). 20 October 1962. p. 14. ISSN0006-2510.
^"Wonderful to Be Young" was only released as a single in the US and Canada.
^"Y'Arriva" was only released as a single in Scandinavia.
^"Maria No Mas" was only released as a single in Continental Europe and South America.
^"I Only Have Eyes for You" was only released as a single in Australia and the US.
^"I Only Have Eyes for You" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number 9 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, which acts as an extension to the Hot 100.[23]
^ abIn Canada, after the RPM charts became the default national Canadian music chart mid-1964, two of Richard's singles were more successful on the CHUM Chart: "On the Beach" reached number 12 and "I Could Easily Fall (in Love with You)" reached number 21.
^In Belgium, "Just Another Guy" charted in 1980 when re-released with "The Minute You're Gone" as the B-side.[24]
^"Early in the Morning" was only released as a single in Continental Europe, Australasia, Japan and Southern Africa.
^"La Ballade de Baltimore" was only released as a single in France and Belgium.
^"La Ballade de Baltimore" did not enter the Flanders chart, but did peak at number 31 on the Wallonia chart.[17]
^"A Brand New Song" was Richard's first UK single not to enter the UK top 50, breaking a run of 57 consecutive chart hits over a period of 16 years. However, it did reach number one on the "Breakers List", which was an officially published BRMB list of the most popular records in the UK outside of the top 50.[27]
^"Power to All Our Friends" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number 9 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, which acts as an extension to the Hot 100.[23]
^"It's Only Me You've Left Behind" peaked at number ten on the official BRMB "Breakers List".[29]
^"Honky Tonk Angel" peaked at number five on the official BRMB "Breakers List".[30]
^"Devil Woman" did not enter the Flanders chart, but did peak at number 32 on the Wallonia chart.[17]
^"Don't Turn the Light Out" was only released as a single in the US and Canada.
^"Try a Smile" was only released as a single in the US and Canada.
^"Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music" was only released as a single in Continental Europe.
^"In the Night" was only released as a single in Germany.
^"Give a Little Bit More" was only released as a single in the US, Canada and New Zealand.
^"Wired for Sound" did not enter the RPM 50 Singles, but did peak at number 26 on the Contemporary Adult chart.[37]
^"The Only Way Out" did not enter the RPM 50 Singles, but did peak at number 3 on the Contemporary Adult chart.[38]
^"It Has to Be You, It Has to Be Me" was only released as a single in Continental Europe.
^After the UK release of "Baby You're Dynamite" / "Ocean Deep" finished its initial chart run (finishing on 5 May 1984), it was given a new picture cover with "Ocean Deep" as the A-side. It then re-entered the Top 75 chart at 72 for one week (on 15 May 1984).[39][40][41]
^"Donna" was only released as a single in the US and Canada.
^"Donna" did not enter the RPM 50 Singles, but did peak at number 7 on the Contemporary Adult chart.[42]
^The Rock 'n' Roll Silver album was only released as a part of the Silver album's box-set edition in 1983. All its tracks have been re-released as part of the remastered release of the album The Rock Connection (the original release included half of the Rock 'n' Roll Silver tracks; the remastered release also included the remainder as bonus tracks).
^The first Cliff Richard album to include the "All I Ask of You" single with Sarah Brightman was Private Collection: 1979–1988.
^"We Don't Talk Anymore" was remixed by PWL using the live recording from From a Distance: The Event. It was only released as a single in Continental Europe and Australia.
^"Scarlet Ribbons" was only released as a single in Continental Europe and New Zealand. It was later released in the UK as the B-side to "This New Year".
Top 100 (Kent Music Report) peaks to December 1969: Kent, David (2005). Australian Chart Book 1940–1969. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN0-646-44439-5. N.B. The chart information contained in this book was retrospectively calculated. The Kent Music Report was not Australia's official chart until May 1974.
Top 100 (Kent Music Report) peaks from January 1970 to 19 June 1988: Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 251. ISBN0-646-11917-6. N.B. The chart information between January 1970 and April 1974 in this book was retrospectively calculated. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid-1983 and 12 June 1988.
Top 100 (ARIA) peaks from January 1990 to December 2010: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 234. N.B. This book is missing data from the last ARIA Report of 1990, and therefore the peak for "Saviour's Day" is missing.
^ abcdCanadian singles chart. Prior to June 1964, peaks are on the CHUM Chart. Peaks afterwards are on the RPM chart:
For CHUM Chart peaks see: "CHUM Charts". chumtribute.com. The CHUM Tribute Site. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
A convenient list of every individual week and position number that Richard charted in the CHUM singles chart. Click on the date to view the CHUM chart for that week. These dates can also be cross-referenced with the charts at the CHUM Tribute website. "Cliff Richard on the 1050 CHUM Chart: Songs, charting dates, positions". chumtribute.com. 1050 CHUM MEMORIAL BLOG. 3 December 2014. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
^ abcdeThe Official Charts in Ireland began on 4 October 1962. Chart positions before that are taken from the Evening Herald Chart which was a Top Ten single chart published by the Irish daily newspaper Evening Herald between February 1959 and December 1962. "Cliff Richard's Irish positions". Irishcharts.ie. Archived from the original on 2 June 2009. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
See also: van Slooten, Johan[in Dutch] (2005). Top 40 Hitdossier 1965-2005 (inclusief alle 'prehistorische' hits van 1956 to 1965) (in Dutch) (9th ed.). Haarlem: J.H. Gottmer / H.J.W. Becht BV. ISBN90-230-1144-9.
^"Hits from 'The Young Ones' (EP)" (Media notes). Cliff Richard and the Shadows. Sydney, Australia: EMI (Columbia). 1962.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Lewry, Peter; Goodall, Nigel (1996). The Ultimate Cliff (Updated ed.). Simon and Schuster of Australia Pty Ltd, Sydney. pp. 364, 378. ISBN0-684-81696-2.
^Hooper, William (June–July 1988). "Baby You're Dynamite / Ocean Deep A-side flip (from: Cliff Richard Hit-Maker, Part 27 1984)". Dynamite International (118). Utrecht, Netherlands: The International Cliff Richard Movement: 4.