Titles
The biggest books on NYT Hardcover Fiction that entered the chart in the 1950s, ranked by Weeks at #1. Click a column to re-sort.
Book Power is the book's own figure: each week on the list is worth its position as a share of a full list — a #1 week is 14.5, a #6 week is 7.3, a #16 week is 1.8 — added up over the run. No credit split and no discount for what else the author had charting. What a book earned each author is on the author pages.
Ranked by Weeks at #1, part of the ChartReign Power model — not a list published by anyone else. How it works →
| # | Title | Book Power | Weeks at #1 | Top-ten weeks | Weeks on list | Peak | On list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HawaiiJames A. Michener | 1,112.3 | 49 | 85 | 94 | #1Jan 1960 | Nov 1959 → Sep 1961 |
| 2 | The Caine MutinyHerman Wouk | 1,342.3 | 48 | 110 | 123 | #1Aug 1951 | Apr 1951 → Sep 1953 |
| 3 | DesireeAnnemarie Selinko | 625.4 | 32 | 49 | 54 | #1Mar 1953 | Feb 1953 → Feb 1954 |
| 4 | Peyton PlaceGrace Metalious | 806.8 | 29 | 62 | 76 | #1Nov 1956 | Sep 1956 → Mar 1958 |
| 5 | Anatomy of a MurderRobert Traver | 640.8 | 29 | 53 | 59 | #1Mar 1958 | Jan 1958 → Apr 1959 |
| 6 | Advise and ConsentAllen Drury | 1,181.1 | 28 | 93 | 102 | #1Oct 1959 | Aug 1959 → Jul 1961 |
| 7 | Not as a StrangerMorton Thompson | 748.7 | 24 | 69 | 79 | #1Feb 1954 | Jan 1954 → Oct 1955 |
| 8 | Doctor ZhivagoBoris Pasternak | 642.0 | 24 | 53 | 57 | #1Nov 1958 | Sep 1958 → Nov 1959 |
| 9 | The CardinalHenry Morton Robinson | 631.9 | 24 | 51 | 56 | #1Apr 1950 | Apr 1950 → Apr 1951 |
| 10 | By Love PossessedJames Gould Cozzens | 481.1 | 24 | 36 | 41 | #1Sep 1957 | Sep 1957 → Jun 1958 |
| 11 | ExodusLeon Uris | 800.6 | 20 | 71 | 78 | #1May 1959 | Oct 1958 → Apr 1960 |
| 12 | From Here to EternityJames Jones | 599.4 | 20 | 53 | 66 | #1Mar 1951 | Mar 1951 → Nov 1953 |
| 13 | The Last HurrahEdwin O'Connor | 581.1 | 20 | 49 | 53 | #1Mar 1956 | Feb 1956 → Feb 1957 |
| 14 | The Silver ChaliceThomas B. Costain | 702.7 | 15 | 56 | 68 | #1Sep 1952 | Aug 1952 → Jan 1954 |
| 15 | Don't Go Near the WaterWilliam Brinkley | 429.4 | 15 | 35 | 39 | #1Aug 1956 | Jul 1956 → Apr 1957 |
| 16 | The View from Pompey's HeadHamilton Basso | 395.0 | 14 | 33 | 40 | #1Jan 1955 | Nov 1954 → Aug 1955 |
| 17 | The ScapegoatDaphne Du Maurier | 345.8 | 14 | 29 | 31 | #1Mar 1957 | Mar 1957 → Oct 1957 |
| 18 | Marjorie MorningstarHerman Wouk | 405.1 | 13 | 32 | 37 | #1Oct 1955 | Sep 1955 → May 1956 |
| 19 | AndersonvilleMacKinlay Kantor | 528.4 | 12 | 48 | 52 | #1Jan 1956 | Nov 1955 → Oct 1956 |
| 20 | Bonjour TristesseFrancoise Sagan | 411.2 | 12 | 36 | 38 | #1May 1955 | Mar 1955 → Dec 1955 |
| 21 | Love Is EternalIrving Stone | 423.9 | 11 | 35 | 39 | #1Oct 1954 | Sep 1954 → Jun 1955 |
| 22 | East of EdenJohn Steinbeck | 401.3 | 11 | 34 | 39 | #1Nov 1952 | Oct 1952 → Jul 1953 |
| 23 | Mary AnneDaphne Du Maurier | 344.2 | 11 | 28 | 34 | #1Aug 1954 | Jun 1954 → Feb 1955 |
| 24 | Lord VanitySamuel Shellabarger | 315.5 | 10 | 26 | 30 | #1Nov 1953 | Nov 1953 → Jun 1954 |
| 25 | My Cousin RachelDaphne Du Maurier | 374.8 | 8 | 32 | 36 | #1Mar 1952 | Feb 1952 → Oct 1952 |
| 26 | The DisenchantedBudd Schulberg | 357.2 | 8 | 30 | 35 | #1Dec 1950 | Nov 1950 → Jul 1951 |
| 27 | Joy StreetFrances Parkinson Keyes | 354.0 | 8 | 31 | 34 | #1Jan 1951 | Dec 1950 → Aug 1951 |
| 28 | LolitaVladimir Nabokov | 507.9 | 7 | 48 | 54 | #1Sep 1958 | Aug 1958 → Sep 1959 |
| 29 | Across the River and Into the TreesErnest Hemingway | 226.1 | 7 | 19 | 21 | #1Oct 1950 | Sep 1950 → Feb 1951 |
| 30 | Beyond This PlaceA. J. Cronin | 366.0 | 6 | 31 | 34 | #1Oct 1953 | Aug 1953 → Mar 1954 |
| 31 | Sincerely, Willis WaydeJohn Phillips Marquand | 255.7 | 6 | 22 | 25 | #1Apr 1955 | Mar 1955 → Aug 1955 |
| 32 | Auntie MamePatrick Dennis | 890.6 | 5 | 96 | 112 | #1Aug 1955 | Feb 1955 → May 1957 |
| 33 | The WallJohn Hersey | 351.5 | 5 | 32 | 34 | #1Mar 1950 | Mar 1950 → Oct 1950 |
| 34 | The ParasitesDaphne Du Maurier | 200.7 | 5 | 17 | 21 | #1Feb 1950 | Jan 1950 → Jun 1950 |
| 35 | Something of ValueRobert Ruark | 363.0 | 2 | 33 | 42 | #1Jul 1955 | May 1955 → Feb 1956 |
| 36 | The Ugly AmericanWilliam J. Lederer & Eugene Burdick | 609.8 | 0 | 66 | 76 | #2Jul 1959 | Oct 1958 → Apr 1960 |
| 37 | The Cruel SeaNicholas Monsarrat | 578.9 | 0 | 55 | 61 | #2Sep 1951 | Aug 1951 → Oct 1952 |
| 38 | Dear and Glorious PhysicianTaylor Caldwell | 509.9 | 0 | 59 | 64 | #3Nov 1959 | Apr 1959 → Jul 1960 |
| 39 | No Time for SergeantsMac Hyman | 480.5 | 0 | 47 | 66 | #2Feb 1955 | Oct 1954 → Mar 1956 |
| 40 | CompulsionMeyer Levin | 466.1 | 0 | 47 | 54 | #2Feb 1957 | Nov 1956 → Dec 1957 |
| 41 | The High and the MightyErnest K. Gann | 453.1 | 0 | 50 | 56 | #3Aug 1953 | May 1953 → Jun 1954 |
| 42 | Rally Round the Flag Boys!Max Schulman | 430.4 | 0 | 41 | 51 | #2Nov 1957 | Sep 1957 → Aug 1958 |
| 43 | Battle CryLeon Uris | 384.6 | 0 | 40 | 51 | #2Jun 1953 | May 1953 → May 1954 |
| 44 | Jubilee TrailGwen Bristow | 352.7 | 0 | 39 | 46 | #3May 1950 | Feb 1950 → Jan 1951 |
| 45 | The Man in the Gray Flannel SuitSloan Wilson | 310.9 | 0 | 35 | 48 | #3Sep 1955 | Jul 1955 → Jul 1956 |
| 46 | The Houses in BetweenHoward Spring | 297.4 | 0 | 31 | 37 | #2Jul 1952 | May 1952 → Jan 1953 |
| 47 | The Winthrop WomanAnya Seton | 296.5 | 0 | 28 | 31 | #2Mar 1958 | Mar 1958 → Oct 1958 |
| 48 | The Gown of GloryAgnes Sligh Turnbull | 291.2 | 0 | 31 | 37 | #3Apr 1952 | Apr 1952 → Jan 1953 |
| 49 | Ten North FrederickJohn O'Hara | 286.5 | 0 | 28 | 32 | #2Mar 1956 | Dec 1955 → Jul 1956 |
| 50 | Blue CamelliaFrances Parkinson Keyes | 272.1 | 0 | 29 | 37 | #3Apr 1957 | Feb 1957 → Oct 1957 |
| 51 | Steamboat GothicFrances Parkinson Keyes | 269.6 | 0 | 28 | 34 | #3Jan 1953 | Nov 1952 → Jul 1953 |
| 52 | Ice PalaceEdna Ferber | 266.0 | 0 | 25 | 28 | #2Jun 1958 | Mar 1958 → Oct 1958 |
| 53 | Around the World with Auntie MamePatrick Dennis | 256.1 | 0 | 27 | 29 | #2Oct 1958 | Aug 1958 → Mar 1959 |
| 54 | KatherineAnya Seton | 255.2 | 0 | 27 | 29 | #2Nov 1954 | Oct 1954 → May 1955 |
| 55 | Lady Chatterly's LoverD.H. Lawrence | 250.6 | 0 | 25 | 27 | #2Jul 1959 | May 1959 → Nov 1959 |
| 56 | On the BeachNevil Shute | 248.5 | 0 | 24 | 29 | #2Sep 1957 | Aug 1957 → Feb 1958 |
| 57 | GiantEdna Ferber | 235.0 | 0 | 23 | 27 | #2Nov 1952 | Oct 1952 → Apr 1953 |
| 58 | The President's LadyIrving Stone | 231.7 | 0 | 28 | 33 | #3Jan 1952 | Oct 1951 → May 1952 |
| 59 | Below the SaltThomas B. Costain | 227.5 | 0 | 25 | 26 | #3Nov 1957 | Oct 1957 → Apr 1958 |
| 60 | Return to ParadiseJames A. Michener | 222.5 | 0 | 23 | 26 | #3Jun 1951 | May 1951 → Oct 1951 |
| 61 | Time and Time AgainJames Hilton | 222.2 | 0 | 22 | 27 | #2Nov 1953 | Sep 1953 → Mar 1954 |
| 62 | Melville Goodwin, USAJohn Marquand | 218.6 | 0 | 21 | 23 | #3Oct 1951 | Oct 1951 → Mar 1952 |
| 63 | The MandarinsSimone de Beauvoir | 211.6 | 0 | 22 | 24 | #3Jul 1956 | Jun 1956 → Nov 1956 |
| 64 | Never Victorious, Never DefeatedTaylor Caldwell | 210.1 | 0 | 23 | 29 | #2Jun 1954 | May 1954 → Dec 1954 |
| 65 | The Enemy CampJerome Weidman | 208.2 | 0 | 21 | 23 | #2Jul 1958 | Jul 1958 → Dec 1958 |
| 66 | Bless This HouseNorah Lofts | 207.7 | 0 | 22 | 25 | #2May 1954 | Apr 1954 → Oct 1954 |
| 67 | Sweet ThursdayJohn Steinbeck | 206.5 | 0 | 23 | 25 | #3Jul 1954 | Jun 1954 → Dec 1954 |
| 68 | The Last Angry ManGerald Green | 202.6 | 0 | 25 | 31 | #4Jun 1957 | Feb 1957 → Sep 1957 |
| 69 | The Devil's AdvocateMorris L. West | 202.4 | 0 | 27 | 38 | #4Mar 1960 | Oct 1959 → Jul 1960 |
| 70 | SayonaraJames A. Michener | 202.3 | 0 | 18 | 21 | #2Mar 1954 | Feb 1954 → Jul 1954 |
| 71 | From the TerraceJohn O'Hara | 198.0 | 0 | 21 | 27 | #3Jan 1959 | Dec 1958 → Jul 1959 |
| 72 | CASH McCALLCameron Hawley | 195.5 | 0 | 23 | 29 | #3Jan 1956 | Nov 1955 → Aug 1956 |
| 73 | Poor No MoreRobert Ruark | 192.2 | 0 | 21 | 26 | #3Dec 1959 | Nov 1959 → May 1960 |
| 74 | The Catcher in the RyeJ.D. Salinger | 190.7 | 0 | 23 | 29 | #4Aug 1951 | Jul 1951 → Mar 1952 |
| 75 | The Royal BoxFrances Parkinson Keyes | 188.6 | 0 | 23 | 26 | #3Jul 1954 | Jun 1954 → Dec 1954 |
| 76 | Mrs. Arris Goes to ParisPaul Gallico | 187.4 | 0 | 27 | 37 | #6Mar 1959 | Jan 1959 → Oct 1959 |
| 77 | The End of the AffairGraham Greene | 187.1 | 0 | 22 | 26 | #4Nov 1951 | Nov 1951 → May 1952 |
| 78 | Golden AdmiralFrancis Van Wyck Mason | 186.6 | 0 | 20 | 26 | #3Apr 1953 | Mar 1953 → Aug 1953 |
| 79 | Imperial WomanPearl S. Buck | 186.0 | 0 | 19 | 24 | #2May 1956 | Apr 1956 → Sep 1956 |
| 80 | Away All BoatsKenneth Dodson | 179.8 | 0 | 19 | 30 | #3Apr 1954 | Mar 1954 → Oct 1954 |
| 81 | The PhiladelphianRichard Powell | 179.5 | 0 | 22 | 26 | #3Mar 1957 | Jan 1957 → Jul 1957 |
| 82 | The World of Suzie WongRichard Mason | 178.6 | 0 | 23 | 29 | #4Sep 1957 | Aug 1957 → Mar 1958 |
| 83 | The Old Man and the SeaErnest Hemingway | 174.6 | 0 | 21 | 26 | #3Oct 1952 | Sep 1952 → Mar 1953 |
| 84 | World and Enough TimeRobert Penn Warren | 174.6 | 0 | 16 | 18 | #2Jul 1950 | Jul 1950 → Nov 1950 |
| 85 | The AdventurerMika Waltari | 174.5 | 0 | 20 | 22 | #3Oct 1950 | Oct 1950 → Mar 1951 |
| 86 | A Thing of BeautyA. J. Cronin | 173.0 | 0 | 21 | 21 | #2Jul 1956 | Jun 1956 → Oct 1956 |
| 87 | Star MoneyKathleen Winsor | 171.1 | 0 | 19 | 22 | #3May 1950 | Apr 1950 → Oct 1950 |
| 88 | Atlas ShruggedAyn Rand | 170.7 | 0 | 20 | 22 | #3Dec 1957 | Oct 1957 → Mar 1958 |
| 89 | The War LoverJohn Hersey | 166.8 | 0 | 20 | 22 | #2Nov 1959 | Oct 1959 → Mar 1960 |
| 90 | Silver SpoonEdwin Gilbert | 166.0 | 0 | 19 | 26 | #2Aug 1957 | May 1957 → Nov 1957 |
| 91 | A Certain SmileFrancoise Sagan | 165.7 | 0 | 16 | 19 | #2Sep 1956 | Aug 1956 → Dec 1956 |
| 92 | MosesSholem Asch | 165.0 | 0 | 21 | 26 | #4Dec 1951 | Oct 1951 → Apr 1952 |
| 93 | The Lady of ArlingtonHarnett T. Kane | 164.4 | 0 | 21 | 28 | #4Jan 1954 | Oct 1953 → May 1954 |
| 94 | Proud New FlagsF. Van Wyck Mason | 164.2 | 0 | 17 | 22 | #3May 1951 | May 1951 → Oct 1951 |
| 95 | Soldier of FortuneErnest Kellogg Gann | 158.6 | 0 | 19 | 25 | #4Dec 1954 | Oct 1954 → Apr 1955 |
| 96 | MatadorBarnaby Conrad | 157.9 | 0 | 19 | 21 | #3Aug 1952 | Jul 1952 → Dec 1952 |
| 97 | The DollmakerHarriette Arnow | 157.2 | 0 | 22 | 31 | #4Jun 1954 | May 1954 → Jan 1955 |
| 98 | Too Late the PhalaropeAlan Paton | 157.1 | 0 | 16 | 22 | #2Oct 1953 | Sep 1953 → Feb 1954 |
| 99 | The Tribe That Lost Its HeadNicholas Monsarrat | 156.0 | 0 | 15 | 20 | #3Dec 1956 | Nov 1956 → Mar 1957 |
| 100 | The Fountain OverflowsRebecca West | 155.7 | 0 | 16 | 20 | #2Jan 1957 | Dec 1956 → May 1957 |