What was the first number one record in France?
Every UK chart fan knows that the first number one hit was Al Martino's "Here In My Heart", which was on top in November 1952 when the New Musical Express published the first UK pop chart. Many Americans probably know that the first US number one was "I'll Never Smile Again" by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra, with vocals by none other than Frank Sinatra and the Pied Pipers, sitting at the top of the first ever Billboard list of best-selling records in July 1940. Actually, neither of the above facts are entirely true - at least, they are only true when it comes to record sales. Prior to that, hits were registered on the basis of sheet music sales, and so the first UK number one apparently dates to October 1936 and the first American one goes back to 1913 or 1914! But of course, they were not number one records... But what about France? Strange as it may seem, despite a thriving record (and sheet music) market before the war, France was slow to develop a hi