The
UK Singles Chart is the official
record chart in the United Kingdom. Record charts in the UK began life in 1952 when Percy Dickins from
New Musical Express (NME) imitated an idea started in American
Billboard magazine and began compiling a
hit parade. Prior to this, a song's popularity was measured by the sales of
sheet music. Initially, Dickins telephoned a sample of around 20 shops asking for a list of the 10 best-selling songs. These results were then aggregated to give a Top 12 chart published in
NME on 14 November 1952. The number-one single was "
Here in My Heart" by
Al Martino.