The year 1962 was another exciting chapter in the early history of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was a time when dance crazes were sweeping the nation, teen idols were still dominating the radio, and the first hints of the British Invasion were beginning to appear on the horizon. From fun twist songs and romantic ballads to powerful vocal performances and catchy instrumentals, 1962 delivered a wide variety of sounds that kept America dancing and singing along.
This year saw the return of major stars like Elvis Presley and Connie Francis, while new acts such as The Four Seasons, Ray Charles, and Mr. Acker Bilk scored some of their biggest hits. Dance songs remained extremely popular, and one instrumental even became one of the most memorable tracks of the entire decade. It was still a relatively innocent era in pop music, but big changes were coming fast as the music scene prepared for the explosion of the British Invasion and the rise of Motown in the following years.
Here is the complete list of every song that reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962.
- Click on song title to listen to song
- Click any artist name to read the full artist bio.
- Click “See the Top 5 Songs for the week” to explore the complete chart for that week on our site
Every #1 Hit of 1962
What Made 1962 Special?
- “The Twist” by Chubby Checker returned to #1, proving it was one of the biggest dance crazes of the era.
- The Four Seasons had two long-running number one hits with “Sherry” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry.”
- Mr. Acker Bilk’s “Stranger on the Shore” became one of the most successful instrumentals of the decade.
- Ray Charles scored a huge crossover hit with “I Can’t Stop Loving You.”
1962 was still full of fun, innocent pop music, but it also hinted at bigger changes on the horizon as the British Invasion approached in 1964.
Explore More from 1962
- Read the full Connie Francis bio
- Read the full Mr. Acker Bilk bio
- Read the full The Four Seasons stories
- Read the full Elvis Presley bio
Which 1962 #1 song is your favorite?
Leave a comment below and tell us why!
Next: Check out our article for All #1 Songs on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963