MARY'S BOY CHILD
by HARRY BELAFONTE


Already dubbed King of Calypso after his album Calypso spent 31 weeks on top of the US chart, singer, actor and activist Harry Belafonte started to make impressions in the UK earlier in 1957 with his chart debut The Banana Boat Song, and ended the year with Mary’s Boy Child as the UK Christmas Number 1 1957

Mary’s Boy Child was the first UK Number 1 to have a playing time of over four minutes, and reached the top spot on the UK Singles Chart in November 1957 spending seven weeks there. It has gone on to become one of the UK's best-selling singles of all time.

Mary’s Boy Child has been a Christmas Number 1 twice for totally different artists, while Harry Belafonte topped the charts with it in 1957, Boney M took a one-horse open sleigh all the way to Number 1 with it (mashed up with Oh My Lord) in 1978.

Mary's Boy Child - Harry Belafonte UK sleeve

Official Charts logo Official Singles Chart

Chart facts

  • Peak position1
  • LabelRCA
  • Catalogue number1022
  • First Chart Date

Weeks on chart

  1. 7No1
  2. 9Top 10
  3. 14Top 20
  4. 19Top 40
  5. 19Top 75
  6. 19Top 100

Chart run

= Peak position = This week

12 weeks - 07/11/1957 to 23/01/1958

6 weeks - 04/12/1958 to 08/01/1959

1 week - 17/12/1959

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