Billboard Hot 100 | Top 5 – Week of April 28, 1962
The Billboard Hot 100 for April 28, 1962 kept Elvis Presley at #1 with “Good Luck Charm,” giving the King another strong week at the top. Elvis had already moved through several different phases of success by this point, and this record showed how comfortably he could still fit into the early 1960s pop world. It was light, catchy, confident, and built for radio.
The rest of the Top 5 showed how much variety surrounded him. Shelley Fabares held at #2 with the dreamy “Johnny Angel,” Dee Dee Sharp stayed strong at #3 with “Mashed Potato Time,” and The Shirelles climbed to #4 with “Soldier Boy.” Chubby Checker and Dee Dee Sharp rounded out the Top 5 with “Slow Twistin’,” keeping the dance-craze energy alive.
This was also a week where several future storylines were clearly building. Mr. Acker Bilk’s “Stranger On The Shore” continued its climb, bringing a gentle instrumental sound into the Top 10. Gary U.S. Bonds entered with another Twist-themed record, while Joey Dee & the Starliters kept the party atmosphere alive with “Shout – Part I.”
Late April 1962 felt like a crossroads. Elvis still had the power to command the chart, teen-pop dreams were still strong, dance records were still moving feet, and girl groups were rising fast. The Hot 100 was no longer defined by one sound. It was becoming a lively mix of familiar stars and fresh new voices.
Top 5 Songs
1. Good Luck Charm – Elvis Presley
“Good Luck Charm” held #1 for another week, keeping Elvis Presley at the top of the Hot 100. The song had the kind of relaxed confidence that made Presley’s early 1960s pop records so effective. It sounded bright, easy, and completely natural.
The record’s charm came from its simplicity. Elvis did not need to oversing or force the performance. He carried the song with personality, rhythm, and that unmistakable vocal presence. The result was a hit that felt friendly and polished without losing its spark.
Its continued success showed that Elvis remained one of the most dependable forces in American music. Even as new dance records, teen idols, and girl groups crowded the chart, Presley could still rise above the noise with a song that sounded effortless.
2. Johnny Angel – Shelley Fabares
Shelley Fabares held steady at #2 with “Johnny Angel,” keeping one of the year’s sweetest teen-pop ballads near the top. The song had already reached #1 earlier in April, and its continued strength showed how deeply it had connected with young listeners.
The record’s soft vocal and idealized romance gave it a dreamy quality that fit perfectly into early 1960s pop culture. Fabares sounded sincere and gentle, which made the song feel like a private teenage daydream rather than a big dramatic production.
Even as more energetic records surrounded it, “Johnny Angel” remained powerful because of its emotional simplicity. It captured innocence in a way that few records could, making it one of the defining teen-romance hits of the season.
3. Mashed Potato Time – Dee Dee Sharp
Dee Dee Sharp stayed at #3 with “Mashed Potato Time,” keeping the next major dance craze firmly inside the Top 5. After the Twist had dominated the winter, the Mashed Potato was becoming one of the freshest sounds of the spring.
Sharp’s vocal gave the record its personality. She sounded young, lively, and completely comfortable leading the party. The song’s rhythm was easy to follow, and its energy made listeners feel like they could join in immediately.
“Mashed Potato Time” helped establish Dee Dee Sharp as one of the most important dance-record voices of 1962. Its continued success proved that America’s appetite for participatory dance hits was still very strong.
4. Soldier Boy – The Shirelles
The Shirelles climbed from #6 to #4 with “Soldier Boy,” bringing one of the most important girl-group records of the spring into the Top 5. The group had already helped open the door for female vocal groups with earlier hits, and this song continued their momentum beautifully.
“Soldier Boy” had a tender, loyal feeling that connected with the emotions of young love and separation. The Shirelles delivered it with warmth and sincerity, giving the record a softer kind of strength. It was romantic, but it also carried a sense of devotion that made it memorable.
The song’s rise showed how important girl groups were becoming to the sound of the early 1960s. Before long, this style would help shape the entire decade, and The Shirelles were among the artists leading the way.
5. Slow Twistin’ – Chubby Checker with Dee Dee Sharp
“Slow Twistin’” slipped from #4 to #5, but Chubby Checker and Dee Dee Sharp kept the dance-floor spirit alive in the Top 5. The record connected the original Twist era with the newer dance sounds that were starting to define the spring of 1962.
The duet had an easy, relaxed groove that separated it from some of the faster dance records of the period. Checker brought his established dance-craze identity, while Sharp added youthful energy and freshness. Together, they made the song feel like a natural continuation of the movement.
Its continued presence near the top showed that dance records were still a major force. The specific steps might change, but the idea of pop music as something to participate in — not just listen to — remained central to the era.
More Weeks at #1 for “Good Luck Charm”
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 April 28, 1962, this was your birthday song:
🎵 Good Luck Charm by Elvis Presley
▶ Watch and experience this song →
🎂 Try your own birthday:
- Good Luck Charm – Elvis Presley With The Jordanaires
- Johnny Angel – Shelley Fabares
- Mashed Potato Time – Dee Dee Sharp
- Soldier Boy – The Shirelles
- Slow Twistin’ – Chubby Checker with Dee Dee Sharp
- Young World – Rick Nelson
- Stranger On The Shore – Mr. Acker Bilk
- Lover Please – Clyde McPhatter
- Shout – Part I – Joey Dee & the Starliters
- Twist, Twist Senora – Gary U.S. Bonds
Chart Movers This Week
Elvis Held the Crown as New Sounds Rose
The April 28, 1962 Billboard Hot 100 showed Elvis Presley still fully capable of holding the top spot, but the surrounding chart made it clear that pop music was changing quickly. “Good Luck Charm” was a classic Elvis hit, yet below it were teen dreams, dance crazes, girl-group harmonies, and instrumental surprises.
The Shirelles’ climb with “Soldier Boy” was especially important. Girl groups were becoming one of the defining sounds of the early 1960s, and The Shirelles continued proving how powerful young female voices could be on the national chart.
At the same time, “Stranger On The Shore” was quietly moving upward, hinting at one of the year’s most unexpected #1 hits. That is what makes this chart so interesting: it balanced the familiar power of Elvis with the arrival of new sounds that would continue reshaping the Hot 100.