Robbie moves up in movers and shakers list

Chart star Robbie Williams is the music world’s biggest winner of 2003, according to a new list of the all-time greats today.

He has leapfrogged acts such as T Rex and Abba thanks to hits such as Come Undone and Something Beautiful in the past year.

The list, compiled by British hit singles experts, is based on the number of weeks spent on the chart and is again topped by Elvis Presley.

Although much of the list – compiled from data since the chart began in 1952 - remains unchanged, Williams saw the most dramatic climb, rocketing up 20 places

The singer, who played record-breaking shows at Knebworth in the summer, went from 66th position to number 46.

He has now amassed 261 weeks on the Official UK singles chart, 34 more than 2002.

Last year’s big winner Kylie Minogue shifted just two places from 25 to 23.

The top 18 of the list remain exactly the same and Oasis are the only act to move up in the top 20 – rising to 19 from 21 last year.

They are also the only act which first found fame in the 1990s to make the top 20.

Some acts such as Bon Jovi and Simply Red have seen a reversal of their fortunes.

In 2002 they were slipping down the list but have both headed upwards again this year – the US rockers going up three and Mick Hucknall sailing up eight places.

Names which slipped out of the top 100 this year include Buddy Holly and Yorkshire-born tenor David Whitfield who, although unknown to the pop generation, scored two chart-toppers in the 1950s.

They were replaced in the lower end of the list by troubled soul star R Kelly and Irish stars Westlife.

David Bowie is likely to overtake The Beatles in the list next year – he needs only another four weeks on the singles chart to catch the Fab Four.

The chart will appear in the 17th edition of the book of British Hit Singles, published by Guinness, next year.

:: Top 100 (with first 10 accompanied by number of weeks spent on chart):

1 (1) Elvis Presley (1193)

2 (2) Cliff Richard (1152)

3 (3) The Shadows (771)

4 (4) Elton John (623)

5 (5) Madonna (606)

6 (6) Diana Ross (560)

7 (7) Michael Jackson (509)

8 (8) Rod Stewart (477)

9 (9) Beatles (456)

10 (10) David Bowie (452)

11 (11) Frank Sinatra

12 (12) Queen

13 (13) Status Quo

14 (14) Stevie Wonder

15 (15) Paul McCartney

16 (16) Tom Jones

17 (17) Rolling Stones

18 (18) Bee Gees

19 (21) Oasis

20 (19) Roy Orbison

21 (20) Everly Brothers

22 (22) UB40

23 (25) Kylie Minogue

24 (23) Shirley Bassey

25 (24) Perry Como

26 (26) Jim Reeves

27 (27) Lonnie Donegan

28 (28) Hollies

29 (29) Four Tops

30 (30) Whitney Houston

31 (31) Pat Boone

32 (32) Supremes

33 (33) Prince

34 (34) Donna Summer

35 (35) Janet Jackson

36 (36) Hot Chocolate

37 (37) Frankie Laine

38 (45) Mariah Carey

39 (38) Beach Boys

40 (39) Billy Fury

41 (40) Slade

42 (41) Shakin’ Stevens

43 (44) U2

44 (42) Madness

45 (43) George Michael

46 (66) Robbie Williams

47 (46) Electric Light Orchestra

48 (47) Abba

49 (48) Adam Faith

50 (49) Celine Dion

51 (50) Nat ’King’ Cole

52 (51) Petula Clark

53 (52) The Who

54 (53) Connie Francis

55 (54) Bryan Adams

56 (55) Depeche Mode

57 (56) Engelbert Humperdinck

58 (59) Pet Shop Boys

59 (57) Andy Williams

60 (58) T Rex

61 (64) Phil Collins

62 (60) Jacksons

63 (61) Olivia Newton-John

64 (62) Ken Dodd

65 (63) Frankie Vaughan

66 (71) Bon Jovi

67 (75) Simply Red

68 (65) Cher

69 (67) Tina Turner

70 (68) Fleetwood Mac

71 (69) Duran Duran

72 (70) The Tremeloes

73 (72) Manfred Mann

74 (73) Steps

75 (74) Kinks

76 (76) Boyzone

77 (86) Erasure

78 (77) Gene Pitney

79 (78) Dusty Springfield

80 (19) Herman’s Hermits

81 (80) Brenda Lee

82 (81) Wet Wet Wet

83 (82) Showaddywaddy

84 (83) Eurythmics

85 (84) Kool and the Gang

86 (85) The Jam

87 (87) Temptations

88 (88) Marvin Gaye

89 (89) Bananarama

90 (90) Duane Eddy

91 (91) Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

92 (92) David Essex

93 (93) Bill Haley and His Comets

94 (94) John Lennon

95 (95) Cilla Black

96 (96) Kim Wilde

97 (97) Stranglers

98 (-) R Kelly

99 (98) New Order

100 (-) Westlife