Cliff, Britain’s biggest ever hit maker!

Cliff Richard is scheduled to perform his first-ever concert in Sri Lanka on February 23 at the Convention and Exhibition Centre

The Beatles, despite ceasing to exist nigh on four decades, still remain the benchmark in music. They literally set the world on fire with their trend-setting style, en-route to becoming the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful pop musicians of all time!

While that is a fact and will never be challenged, there’s a bloke who has quietly set about achieving what even the Beatles would have been proud of.

Colombo-bound Sir Cliff Richard charted more times than the Fab Four did before, during and after their time on Planet Earth!

While this extraordinary claim is certain to be dismissed in some quarters as sheer sacrilege, nothing can deny the fact that Sir Cliff has the runs on the board to prove this point!

Like it or not, he is Britain’s biggest ever hit maker, and has certainly outlasted them all!

Sir Cliff had 21 hits before the arrival of the Beatles; that’s between 1958 and 1962. They were - Move It, High Class Baby, Livin' Lovin' Doll, Mean Streak, Never Mind, Living Doll, Dynamite, Travellin' Light, Expresso Bongo (EP), Voice In The Wilderness, Fall In Love With You, Please Don't Tease, Nine Times Out Of Ten, I Love You, Theme For A Dream, Gee Whiz It's You, A Girl Like You, When The Girl In Your Arms, The Young Ones, I'm Looking Out The Window/ Do You Want To Dance, It'll Be Me.

This catalogue of songs includes five No. 1s, five No. 2s, four No.3s, one No. 4, 17 Top Ten hits and 20 Top 20 hits!

Cliff then scored 31 hits during the time of the Beatles – between 1962 and 1970. The Next Time/Bachelor Boy, Summer Holiday, Lucky Lips, It's All In The Game, Don't Talk To Him, I'm The Lonely One, Constantly, On The Beach, The Twelfth Of Never, I Could Easily Fall, The Minute You're Gone, On My Word, The Time In Between, Wind Me Up, Blue Turns To Grey, Visions, Time Drags By, In The Country, It's All Over, I'll Come Running, The Day I Met Marie, All My Love, Congratulations, I'll Love You Forever Today, Marianne, Don't Forget To Catch Me, Good Times (Better Times), Big Ship, Throw Down A Line, With The Eyes Of A Child, The Joy Of Living.

This can be broken down to four No.1s, three No.2s, one No. 4, 21 Top Ten and 25 Top 20s.

In contrast, the Beatles could muster only 25. Yes, I too was surprised when I saw the figures, but records (no pun intended) never lie!

And, then, after seeing off the Boys from Liverpool, Sir Cliff notched up another 76, between 1970 and 2005 That’s an average of two per year!

They are: Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha, I Ain't Got Time Anymore, Sunny Honey Girl, Silvery Rain, Flying Machine, Sing A Song Of Freedom, Jesus, Living In Harmony, Power To All Our Friends, Help It Along/Tomorrow Rising, Take Me High, You Keep Me Hangin' On, Miss You Nights, Devil Woman, I Can't Ask For Anymore Than You, Hey Mr Dream Maker, My Kinda Life, When Two Worlds Drift Apart, Green Light, We Don't Talk Anymore, Hot Shot, Carrie, Dreamin', Suddenly, A Little In Love, Wired For Sound, Daddy's Home, The Only Way Out, Where Do We Go From Here, Little Town, She Means Nothing To Me, True Love Ways, Drifting, Never Say Die, Please Don't Fall In Love, Baby You're Dynamite, Shooting From The Heart, Heart User, She's So Beautiful, It's In Every One Of Us, Living Doll, All I Ask Of You, Slow Rivers, My Pretty One, Some People, Remember Me, Two Hearts, Mistletoe And Wine, The Best Of Me, I Just Don't Have The Heart, Lean On You, Whenever God Shines His Light, Stronger Than That, Silhouettes, From A Distance, Saviour's Day, More To Life, We Should Be Together, This New Year, I Still Believe In You, Peace In Our Time, Human Work Of Art, Never Let Go, Healing Love, All I Have To Do Is Dream/ Miss You Nights, Misunderstood Man, Had To Be, The Wedding, Be With Me Always, Can't Keep This Feeling In, The Miracle, The Millennium Prayer, Over The Rainbow/Wonderful World, Let Me Be The One, Santa's List, Somethin' Is Goin' On, I Cannot Give You My Love, What car.

That’s five No.1s, two No.2s, three No.3s, three No. 4s, one No.5, 28 Top Ten hits and 50 Top 20 hits!

Wow! That’s 128 hits in a career clocking 48 years . . . and still ticking!!

Sir Cliff turned 66 about a month ago, and has embarked on yet another World Tour. He is currently in the middle of its first leg, a sell-out swing through the United Kingdom.

His Asian leg starts in Dubai in February, and he is scheduled to perform his first-ever concert in Sri Lanka on February 23 at the Convention and Exhibition Centre.

This eagerly awaited concert event is presented by easy listening station, Gold FM, in association with veteran promoter, Damayantha Kuruppu.