Longest span for a male artist to return to the US Top 10

Singer and actor Burl Ives (USA, 1909–95) took 56 years 231 days to return to the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. “Funny Way of Laughin’” spent one week at No.10 on 19 May 1962, before “A Holly Jolly Christmas” climbed to the same peak position on 5 January 2019.

Ives took the record from US singer Andy Williams (b. Howard Andrew Williams, 1927–2012), who, just one week earlier (29 December 2018), had returned to the Top 10 after 47 years 269 days with “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”. Williams’ previous appearance in the Top 10 was with “(Where Do I Begin) Love Story”, which spent one week at No.9 on 3 April 1971.

Ives enjoyed two Top 10 hits in 1962, with “A Little Bitty Tear” peaking at No.9 on 10 February before “Funny Way of Laughin’” made it to No.10. Before the Hot 100’s inauguration on 4 August 1958, Ives also reached No.10 with his 1951 hit “On Top of Old Smoky”, a collaboration with Percy Faith and his Orchestra.