Personal top ten - February to August 1963

I've started so I'll finish, and apologies for the difficulty in reading my personal top tens of the period. Too much use of colour pencil still I'm afraid. This set of lists marks the growth of the girl group sound and the start of the boom which saw R and B and blues artists gain a new prominence in the UK.
The first list, number 245, has the Crystals at number one and new entries by Dionne Warwick and Bobby Darin. List 246 has new entries by Roy Orbison (a future number one) and Dion ('Sandy' - also a number one, plus one by the Rockin' Rebels. List 247 has new ones by Little Eva, Gene McDaniels and Steve Alaimo, and 248 has a new entry by the Exciters and the B side by Little Eva.

List 249 has some old school rock and roll by Jerry Lee Lewis and Buddy Holly plus a new one from Patsy Cline; list 250 has new entries by Bobby Rydell and Skeeter Davis. The Miracles enter list 251 with a future number one, 'You Really Got A Hold On Me', and a new one by the Four Seasons. List 252 has new entries by Jackie Wilson ('Baby Workout'), the Everly Brothers, Johnny Burnette and Bob B Soxx and the Blue Jeans.

There was more girl group stuff in 253 with a new entry by the Chiffons which became a number one ('He's So Fine') and a new one by the Orlons in list 254. Bobby Comstock and Chuck Jackson had new entries in 255, while there were new ones by Dee Dee Sharp, the Drifters and Ben E King in list 256.

Gene Pitney and Brian Hyland had new ones in list 257; and there were new entries by Del Shannon, the Cookies and a re-entry by Ben E King in 258. There was a new (old) one by Eddie Cochran on the third anniversary of his death in 259 and a future number one by Jimmy Soul in 260.

List 261 had new entries by the Shirelles and Brook Benton, and there were new ones by Dion and the Rocky Fellers in 262. Sam Cooke had another number one enter in 263 and there was a new one by Bobby Rydell, and list 264 had new entries by Jerry Lee Lewis, Freddie Cannon and Ronnie Hawkins.

List 265 had new ones from the Dovells and Neil Sedaka; list 266 a new one by the Dartells ('Hot Pastrami'). Roy Orbison, Fats Domino, Lesley Gore (a future number one) and Maxine Brown had new ones in 267; while 268 had a re-entry by James Ray and a new one by the Rockin' Rebels.

List 269 saw the entry of another number one by the Crystals ('Da Doo Ron Ron') and new ones by the Everly Brothers and the Count Victors. Buddy Holly and the Four Seasons had new ones in 270; the Piltdown Men, Chubby Checker and Rick Nelson in 271; and a re-entry by the Rockin' Rebels and one by Dionne Warwick in 272.

List 273 had the first of many entries by the Beach Boys and one by Bobby Vinton; 274 had a new one by Jackie Wilson and Linda Hopkins; list 275 saw Chess records arrive with Bo Diddley's first entry plus one by the Rivingtons, whilst Elvis had a new one in 276.

There were new entries by Chuck Berry (a future number one), the Chiffons, Freddie Cannon and the Exciters in list 277. The Essex had a future number one enter in 278; Bob B Soxx and the Blue Jeans and Jimmy Reed entered in list 279, and the Five Du-Tones and Dee Dee Sharp entered in 280.

Dion and John Lee Hooker had new entries in list 281; the Surfaris had a new one in 282; the Orlons, Little Stevie Wonder and Jan and Dean (a future number one) entered in 283, and the Shirelles had a new entry in list 284.

This is the last lot in the current batch and there were new entries by Del Shannon, Lonnie Mack and Gene Pitney in list 285. List 286 had new entries by Jackie Wilson, Peter Paul and Mary, Doris Troy, Bobby Bare and a re-entry by Little Stevie Wonder in 286. The Four Seasons and Joey Dee's 'Dance Dance Dance' (not the Beach Boys) entered in 287 and there were new records by Freddie Scott, Freddie Cannon, the Isley Brothers and Fats Domino bringing us to the end of August.