List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1940s

The following lists the number one singles on the Australian Singles Chart during the 1940s.

Australian number-one singles of the 1940s
Australian top 25 singles
1940     1941     1942     1943     1944
1945     1946     1947     1948     1949
Australian top 25 albums
1940     1941     1942     1943     1944
1945     1946     1947     1948     1949

The source for this decade is the "Kent Music Report". These charts were calculated in the 1990s in retrospect, by David Kent, using archival data. Before 1949, charts in Australia were only available on a monthly basis.

Note: during the 1940s, often more than one version of a particular song by different artists charted at the same time, thus more than one artist may be listed for a song. Different versions are separated by a semi-colon ;

1940

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Date Artist Single Months at number one
January Joe Loss; Carson Robison "South of the Border (Down Mexico Way)" 3 months
February
March
April The Andrews Sisters; Joe Loss "Beer Barrel Polka (Roll Out The Barrel)" 1 month
May Joe Loss; Glenn Miller "Blue Orchids" 3 months
June
July
August Joe Loss "Till the Lights of London Shine Again" 3 months
September
October
November Kate Smith; Glenn Miller "The Woodpecker Song" 5 months
December

1941

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Date Artist Single Months at number one
January Kate Smith; Glenn Miller "The Woodpecker Song" 5 months
February
March
April The Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra; Dick Robertson "Ferryboat Serenade" 1 month
May Vera Lynn; West End Players "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" 4 months
June
July
August
September Shep Fields; West End Players "Down Argentina Way" 1 month
October Judy Garland; The Jesters "It's a Great Day for the Irish" 2 months
November George Formby "Bless 'em All" 1 month
December Judy Garland; The Jesters "It's a Great Day for the Irish" 2 months

1942

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Date Artist Single Months at number one
January Glenn Miller & Joe Loss "In the Mood" 5 months
February
March
April
May
June The Andrews Sisters; Sammy Kaye "Daddy" 1 month
July Vera Lynn; Jean Cerchi "(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover" 3 months
August
September
October Horace Heidt; Ink Spots "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire" 2 months
November
December Gene Autry; Horace Heidt "Deep in the Heart of Texas" 2 months

1943

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Date Artist Single Months at number one
January Gene Autry; Horace Heidt "Deep in the Heart of Texas" 2 months
February Harry James "I Don't Want to Walk Without You" 4 months
March
April
May
June Bing Crosby "White Christmas" 5 months
July
August
September
October
November Dinah Shore "Why Don't You Fall in Love With Me" 1 month
December Vera Lynn; Harry James "I Had the Craziest Dream" 1 month

1944

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Date Artist Single Months at number one
January Ink Spots "Ev'ry Night About This Time" 1 month
February Vera Lynn & Joe Loss "You'll Never Know" 3 months
March
April
May Frank Sinatra; George Trevare "Sunday, Monday or Always" 2 months
June
July Ink Spots "Whispering Grass (Don't Tell the Trees)" 1 month
August Dinah Shore; Glenn Miller "Happy In Love" 1 month
September Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters "Vict'ry Polka" 1 month
October Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters "Pistol Packin' Mama" 1 month
November Joe Loss; Vera Lynn "No Other Love" 1 month
December Ink Spots; Frank Sinatra "A Lovely Way to Spend An Evening" 1 month

1945

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Date Artist Single Months at number one
January Geraldo; Lale Andersen "Lili Marlene" 1 month
February Bing Crosby "Amor, Amor" 2 months
March
April Bing Crosby & Joe Loss "Swinging on a Star" 1 month
May Bing Crosby; Dinah Shore "Long Ago (and Far Away)" 1 month
June Bing Crosby; Dinah Shore "It Could Happen to You" 2 months
July
August Bing Crosby; Joe Loss "I'll Be Seeing You" 1 month
September Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters "Don't Fence Me In" 3 months
October
November
December Bing Crosby "(Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ral) That's an Irish Lullaby" 1 month

1946

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Date Artist Single Months at number one
January The Organ, The Dance Band and Me; Les Brown "My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time" 1 month
February The Andrews Sisters "Rum and Coca-Cola" 2 months
March
April Ink Spots & Ella Fitzgerald "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall" 1 month
May Bing Crosby; Frank Sinatra "A Friend of Yours" 2 months
June
July Ella Fitzgerald & The Ink Spots; Duke Ellington "I'm Beginning to See the Light" 1 month
August Bing Crosby; Judy Garland "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" 2 months
September
October Bing Crosby; Freddy Martin "Symphony" 2 months
November
December Bing Crosby; Kate Smith "Sioux City Sue" 1 month

1947

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Date Artist Single Months at number one
January Sammy Kaye; The Merry Macs "Laughing on the Outside (Crying on the Inside)" 1 month
February Ink Spots; Perry Como "Prisoner of Love" 2 months
March
April Ink Spots; Freddy Martin "To Each His Own" 1 month
May Frank Sinatra; Tex Beneke "Five Minutes More" 1 month
June Bing Crosby; Dinah Shore "You Keep Coming Back Like a Song" 1 month
July Bing Crosby; Perry Como "They Say It's Wonderful" 2 months
August
September Al Jolson; Bing Crosby "The Anniversary Song" 5 months
October Frank Sinatra; Dick Haymes "Mam'selle" 1 month
November Bing Crosby; Dick Haymes & The Andrews Sisters "(There's No Business Like) Show Business" 1 month
December Al Jolson; Bing Crosby "The Anniversary Song" 5 months

1948

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Date Artist Single Months at number one
January Al Jolson; Bing Crosby "The Anniversary Song" 5 months
February
March
April Bing Crosby; Dick Haymes & The Andrews Sisters "Near You" 4 months
May Perry Como; Joe Loss "Chi-Baba, Chi-Baba (My Bambino Go to Sleep)" 1 month
June Bing Crosby; Dick Haymes & The Andrews Sisters "Near You" 4 months
July
August
September Sammy Kaye; Geraldo "Serenade of the Bells" 1 month
October Bing Crosby; Gracie Fields "Now Is the Hour (Maori Farewell Song)" 1 month
November George Trevare; Art Mooney "I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover" 1 month
December Al Jolson; Perry Como "When You Were Sweet Sixteen" 1 month

1949

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Week beginning Artist Single Weeks at number one
1 January Dick Haymes & The Andrews Sisters "Teresa" 1 week
8 January Dinah Shore; Gene Autry "Buttons and Bows" 13 weeks
15 January
22 January
29 January
5 February
12 February
19 February
26 February
5 March
12 March
19 March
26 March
2 April
9 April Perry Como; Tony Pastor "Rambling Rose" 5 weeks
16 April
23 April
30 April
7 May
14 May Danny Kaye & The Andrews Sisters; Ray McKinley "Put 'em in a Box, Tie 'em with a Ribbon" 2 weeks
21 May
28 May Kay Kyser "(I'd Like to Get You on a) Slow Boat to China" 6 weeks
4 June
11 June
18 June
25 June
2 July
9 July Patty Andrews & Bob Crosby "The Pussy Cat Song (Nyow! Nyot Nyow!)" 4 weeks
16 July
23 July
30 July
6 August Ink Spots; Joe Loss "Say Something Sweet to Your Sweetheart" 2 weeks
13 August
20 August Bing Crosby; Joe Loss "Far Away Places" 5 weeks
27 August
3 September
10 September
17 September
24 September Evelyn Knight (singer); Sammy Kaye "Powder Your Face with Sunshine" 2 weeks
1 October
8 October Buddy Clark; Larry Green "It's a Big, Wide, Wonderful World" 4 weeks
15 October
22 October
29 October
5 November Vaughn Monroe; Bing Crosby "Riders in the Sky" 5 weeks
12 November
19 November
26 November
3 December
10 December Evelyn Knight (singer); Joe Loss "A Little Bird Told Me" 2 weeks
17 December
24 December Burl Ives; Dinah Shore "Lavender Blue (Dilly Dilly)" 6 weeks (4 weeks in 1950)
31 December

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Allan's7th Song Hit Folio". Allan's Song Hit Folio series. Vol. VII, no. 1. New South Wales, Australia. 1 January 1948. p. 6. Retrieved 18 November 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ "THESE TWO ARE AUSTRALIA'S ACE SONG-WRITING TEAM". Smith's Weekly. Vol. XXXI, no. 42. New South Wales, Australia. 17 December 1949. p. 6. Retrieved 18 November 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "BITS AND PIECES". Warwick Daily News. No. 9650. Queensland, Australia. 12 July 1950. p. 2. Retrieved 18 November 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "Publican Composer". Truth. No. 3058. New South Wales, Australia. 29 August 1948. p. 32. Retrieved 19 November 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ Parlophone A-7703 copy held at NFSA