Most simultaneous UK Top 20 singles (female)

On the UK singles chart dated 18 March 1955, Ruby Murray (UK, 1935-96) achieved five simultaneous Top 20 hits, with "Softly, Softly" (her only UK chart-topper) at No.2, "Let Me Go Lover" at No.5, "Happy Days and Lonely Nights" at No.14, "Heartbeat" at No.15 and "If Anyone Finds This, I Love You" (a duet with Anne Warren) at No.17. The Belfast-born songstress' feat remains unmatched by a female singer in the 62-year history of the UK singles chart. In UK chart history (since November 1952), only one other female has managed as many as four simultaneous Top 20 entries: Lady Gaga (USA, b. Stefani Germanotta) did it on the chart dated 28 May 2011 with "The Edge of Glory" (No.6), "Judas" (No.8), "Hair" (No.13) and "Born This Way" (No.16). Madonna (USA, b. Madonna Ciccone), in 1985, Beyoncé (USA, b. Beyoncé Knowles), in 2009, and Rihanna (Barbados, b. Robyn Rihanna Fenty), in 2010, 2011 and 2012, are examples of other females who put three hits in the UK Top 20 simultaneously.

Bill Haley and his Comets (USA), in 1956, Elvis Presley (USA), in 1957, and Michael Jackson (USA), on 11 July 2009 (following his death), all matched Murray's achievement of five simultaneous songs in the UK Top 20. Ed Sheeran (UK) is the latest act to accomplish multiple Top 20 hits in the UK, with three ("Don't", "Thinking Out Loud" and "Sing") in August 2014. (In theory, with chart placings now determined almost entirely by digital sales and, since mid-2014, by streaming, acts have a much better chance of securing multiple hit singles due to the fact that record companies no longer have to produce physical singles and schedule release dates - hits can be instant and unlimited.)

The five songs that secured Ruby Murray this record represent 50% of her UK chart hits. Her other five hits were: "Evermore" (No.3, 1955 - the song that was at No.5 when the first copy of "The Guinness Book of Records" was bound on 27 August 1955), "I'll Come When You Call" (No.6, 1955), "You Are My First Love" (No.16, 1956), "Real Love" (No.18, 1958), and "Goodbye Jimmy, Goodbye" (No.10, 1959).

In securing the record, Murray's five hits made up 25% of the UK chart, which was officially a Top 20 in 1955. Nowadays, the Top 75 is regarded as the official portion of the chart.

In 1955, Murray had a total seven Top 10 hits (six of them released that year) and, combined with the five weeks debut single "Heartbeat" spent on the chart in 1954, she achieved at least one Top 20 single for 52 consecutive weeks (from 3 December 1954 until 25 November 1955).

Murray achieved the record two weeks after "Softly, Softly" had spent its third and final week at No.1 (on 4 March 1955). On 11 March 1955, "Softly, Softly" was replaced at No.1 by Tennessee Ernie Ford's "Give Me Your Word", which remained at No.1 for Murray's record-setting week.

When "Softly, Softly" reached No.1 on 18 February 1955, Murray (b. 29 March 1955) became the youngest singer to top the UK singles chart, aged 19 years 10 months 20 days. At that time, the UK chart was just two years and three months old (Al Martino's "Here in My Heart" was the UK's first No.1 record, on 14 November 1952).

Murray died of liver cancer on 17 December 1996, aged 61.