Billboard Hot 100 | Top 5 – Week of February 10, 1962
By February 10, 1962, the Billboard Hot 100 was still dancing to the rhythm of the Twist craze, but a new challenger was rapidly approaching the top. Joey Dee & the Starliters held onto #1 with “Peppermint Twist,” while Gene Chandler’s dramatic “Duke Of Earl” surged from #7 to #2 in one of the biggest jumps of the young year.
The chart itself felt wonderfully alive. Chubby Checker’s “The Twist” was still sitting inside the Top 3 after one of the most remarkable runs in Billboard history, Elvis Presley remained near the summit with “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” and Barbara George continued giving rhythm and blues a strong voice in the Top 5.
Below them, the chart showed just how diverse early 1962 pop music had become. Dion’s “The Wanderer” brought streetwise rock and roll swagger, Brenda Lee continued climbing with “Break It To Me Gently,” Burl Ives carried traditional storytelling into the Top 10, and Gary U.S. Bonds added yet another Twist-themed hit to the national dance-party atmosphere.
This week feels like one of the last great moments of the Twist era before rhythm and blues and vocal-group records began taking even larger control of the charts. The music was still playful and energetic, but the sound of the decade was beginning to deepen. February 1962 was becoming more soulful, more dramatic, and more urban with every passing week.
Top 5 Songs
1. Peppermint Twist – Joey Dee & the Starliters
“Peppermint Twist” held the #1 spot for another week, keeping Joey Dee & the Starliters at the center of America’s biggest dance craze. The record had transformed the energy of New York’s Peppermint Lounge into a nationwide hit that sounded loud, exciting, and impossible to sit still through.
The song succeeded because it felt real. Rather than sounding overly polished, it carried the atmosphere of an actual nightclub packed with dancers and excitement. That authenticity helped listeners feel connected to the growing youth culture surrounding the Twist movement.
Its continued success also proved that dance-oriented records were no longer temporary novelties. Songs built around movement and participation were becoming major commercial forces. “Peppermint Twist” represented the peak of that early 1962 phenomenon.
2. Duke Of Earl – Gene Chandler
Gene Chandler exploded from #7 to #2 this week with “Duke Of Earl,” turning one of the year’s newest records into an immediate sensation. The song’s dramatic vocal opening made it instantly unforgettable and gave the Hot 100 a completely different kind of energy from the dance hits surrounding it.
“Duke Of Earl” blended doo-wop harmony with rhythm and blues power in a way that sounded both classic and modern. Chandler’s smooth but commanding vocal gave the record authority, while the deep chant-like intro created one of the most recognizable openings in early 1960s music.
The song’s rapid climb suggested that the public was ready for something beyond the Twist craze. While dance records still dominated, “Duke Of Earl” hinted at a more vocal-driven and emotionally dramatic direction for pop music as 1962 continued.
3. The Twist – Chubby Checker
Chubby Checker remained at #3 with “The Twist,” extending one of the longest and most influential chart runs of the era. By this point, the song had become much bigger than its chart position. It had permanently changed American social dancing.
The beauty of “The Twist” was its simplicity. Anyone could participate. The dance removed many of the formal rules that had defined earlier styles, giving young listeners a sense of freedom and individuality that perfectly matched the changing culture of the early 1960s.
Even with newer Twist-themed songs appearing on the chart, Checker’s original remained the foundation of the entire movement. Few songs in Hot 100 history have ever maintained this level of cultural importance for so long.
4. Can’t Help Falling In Love – Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley slipped from #2 to #4 this week, but “Can’t Help Falling In Love” remained one of the most elegant and enduring records on the chart. While the Twist craze brought energy and motion to the Hot 100, Elvis continued to deliver romance and emotional warmth.
The song’s gentle arrangement allowed Presley’s voice to carry the emotional weight naturally. Instead of overpowering the listener, he sang with calm sincerity, giving the record a timeless quality that separated it from many faster-moving pop trends.
Its success showed Elvis Presley’s remarkable adaptability. Even as popular music evolved around him, he could still command attention with a beautifully performed ballad. “Can’t Help Falling In Love” would eventually become one of the defining love songs of his entire career.
5. I Know (You Don’t Love Me No More) – Barbara George
Barbara George held steady at #5 with “I Know (You Don’t Love Me No More),” continuing one of the strongest rhythm and blues runs on the early 1962 chart. The record’s New Orleans flavor gave it a distinctive groove that stood apart from the dance-pop surrounding it.
George’s vocal performance remained the key to the song’s emotional power. She sounded direct, believable, and deeply connected to the heartbreak in the lyric. That sincerity helped the song connect with both pop and R&B audiences.
Its continued Top 5 presence reflected the growing crossover success of rhythm and blues records. The Hot 100 was slowly becoming more open to soul, groove, and urban musical influences, helping shape the sound of the decade ahead.
More Weeks at #1 for “Peppermint Twist”
This song spent multiple weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Explore each chart week below:
🎂 What Was the #1 Song on Your Birthday?
If you were born during the week ending February 10, 1962, this was your birthday song:
🎵 Peppermint Twist by Joey Dee and the Starliters
▶ Watch and experience this song →
🎂 Try your own birthday:
- Peppermint Twist – Joey Dee & the Starliters
- Duke Of Earl – Gene Chandler
- The Twist – Chubby Checker
- Can’t Help Falling In Love – Elvis Presley With The Jordanaires
- I Know (You Don’t Love Me No More) – Barbara George
- Norman – Sue Thompson
- The Wanderer – Dion
- Break It To Me Gently – Brenda Lee
- A Little Bitty Tear – Burl Ives
- Dear Lady Twist – Gary U.S. Bonds
Chart Movers This Week
The Charts Began Shifting Toward a New Sound
The February 10, 1962 Billboard Hot 100 still belonged to the Twist craze, but the chart was beginning to evolve around it. “Peppermint Twist” remained #1, yet Gene Chandler’s rapid climb with “Duke Of Earl” suggested that vocal-group drama and rhythm and blues were becoming increasingly powerful forces.
At the same time, the Top 10 remained wonderfully varied. Elvis Presley represented timeless romance, Dion brought urban rock and roll attitude, Brenda Lee delivered emotional pop, and Burl Ives reminded listeners that traditional storytelling still had a place on American radio.
This mixture is what makes the early 1962 charts so fascinating. They captured a moment where many different styles still coexisted comfortably before the decade’s later musical revolutions began reshaping everything. The Hot 100 was becoming more diverse, more rhythmic, and more culturally influential with every passing week.