Sir Ken Dodd will be remembered for his wit, his tickling stick and also for being one of the biggest selling recording artists of the 1960s along with The Beatles.
The comedian’s hit single Tears, released in 1965, was the third biggest selling single of the decade, and was only beaten by two tracks by the Fab Four.
According to data compiled by The Official Charts Company in 2010, only She Loves You and I Want To Hold Your Hand by The Beatles were more successful than Sir Ken’s track in the 1960s.
The comedian outsold monster hits such as Can’t Buy Me Love and I Feel Fine by the Liverpudlian rockers, which were placed in fourth and fifth position in the chart.
It meant the entire top five places in the chart were taken by acts from Liverpool.
Sir Ken was more successful in terms of music sales than popular acts of the era such as Engelbert Humperdinck, Cilla Black and The Rolling Stones.
Tears topped the chart for five weeks and was the highest seller of 1965 overall.
The Official Charts Company also revealed that the track is the 38th bestselling song of all time in the UK and, since its release, Tears has shifted more than 1.52 million copies, excluding streams.
As well as Tears, Sir Ken was known for a string of hits in the early 1960s, including what became his signature tune Happiness and other tracks such as Promises and his debut Love Is Like A Violin.
The top five tracks of the 1960s:
1. She Loves You – The Beatles
2. I Want To Hold Your Hand – The Beatles
3. Tears – Ken Dodd
4. Can’t Buy Me Love – The Beatles
5. I Feel Fine – The Beatles