I Believe

Album: Frankie Laine's Greatest Hits (1953)
Charted: 1 2
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Songfacts®:

  • This quasi-religious ballad was written by Erwin Drake (who also wrote the standards "Good Morning Heartache" for Billie Holiday and "It Was A Very Good Year" for Frank Sinatra), Irvin Graham, Jimmy Shirl and Al Stilman.
  • This spent a total of 18 weeks at #1 in the UK, a record for most non-consecutive weeks. It was the biggest-selling single of 1953 in the UK.

    "I Believe" held the record as the longest running chart topper in UK history for 73 years until Sam Fender and Olivia Dean's "Rein Me In" notched its 19th week at #1 in July 2026.
  • Frankie Laine once said of this: "It accomplished an awful lot in its day because it said all the things that need to be said in a prayer and yet it didn't use any of the holy words - Lord, God, Him, His, Thine, Thou. It said it all and it changed the whole spectrum of faith songs." (From 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh)
  • Later this was a #2 UK hit for the Irish trio the Bachelors in 1964 and #1 UK hit for Robson & Jerome in 1995.
  • Frankie Laine holds the record for most weeks at #1 for an artist in a single year: 27 weeks. This song stayed for 18 weeks, "Hey Joe!" 2 weeks and "Answer Me" 7 weeks. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England, for all above

Comments: 3

  • Anonymous from VirginiaStill in my Heart.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn May 23rd 1965, the Bachelors performed "I Believe" on the CBS-TV program 'The Ed Sullivan Show"...
    A little under a year earlier on June 21st, 1964 it had entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #83; six weeks later on August 2nd it would peak at #33 {for 1 week} and it stayed on the chart for 8 weeks...
    And on May 3rd, 1964 it reached #2 {for 1 week} on the United Kingdom's Singles chart; the week it was at #2, the #1 record for that week was "Don't Throw Your Love Away" by the Searchers...
    Between 1964 and 1967 the Bachelors had nine Top 100 records; with one making the Top 10, "Diane" peaked right at #10 in 1964.
  • Jonnie King from St. Louis, MoThis was a 2-sided hit for Frankie. He had a number of those during his career.
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