Billboard Hot 100 | Top 5 – Week of August 3, 1963
The Billboard Hot 100 for August 3, 1963 brought a new #1 song as The Tymes reached the top with “So Much In Love.” The smooth vocal-harmony ballad gave late summer one of its most romantic and elegant chart-toppers.
Little Stevie Wonder climbed to #2 with the explosive live recording “Fingertips (Part II),” while Jan & Dean slipped to #3 with former #1 “Surf City.” Elvis Presley moved higher with “(You’re The) Devil In Disguise,” and The Surfaris kept surf instrumentals strong with “Wipe Out.”
This week’s Top 5 balanced soft romance, Motown energy, surf music, Elvis pop-rock, and instrumental excitement. It showed how wide the American pop audience remained during the summer of 1963.
Further down the Top 10, Peter, Paul & Mary brought folk music higher with “Blowin’ In The Wind,” while Lesley Gore continued her teen-pop story with “Judy’s Turn To Cry.”
Top 5 Songs
1. So Much In Love – The Tymes
The Tymes reached #1 this week with “So Much In Love,” one of the most graceful vocal-harmony hits of 1963. The song’s soft romantic mood and smooth arrangement gave it a timeless quality.
The group’s harmonies were warm and polished, creating a record that felt intimate and dreamy. It stood apart from the louder surf and dance records around it by focusing on melody and atmosphere.
Its rise to #1 showed that classic harmony singing still had a strong place on the Billboard Hot 100 during a year filled with changing sounds.
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2. Fingertips (Part II) – Little Stevie Wonder
Little Stevie Wonder climbed to #2 with “Fingertips (Part II),” bringing one of the most exciting live records of the decade close to the top. The performance captured raw energy, youthful talent, and the excitement of a crowd responding in real time.
The harmonica bursts, call-and-response moments, and spontaneous feel made the record unlike most studio singles on the chart. It sounded alive in a way few pop hits did.
This record marked a major breakthrough for Stevie Wonder and pointed toward the extraordinary career still ahead of him.
3. Surf City – Jan & Dean
Jan & Dean slipped to #3 with “Surf City,” but the record remained one of the defining summer hits of 1963. Its bright harmonies and California beach imagery helped turn surf culture into a national pop fantasy.
Co-written with Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, the song captured sunshine, cars, beaches, and youthful freedom in a way that felt perfectly timed for summer radio.
Even after leaving #1, “Surf City” remained a major symbol of the surf-rock boom.
4. (You’re The) Devil In Disguise – Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley climbed to #4 with “(You’re The) Devil In Disguise,” proving he still had major chart power in 1963. The record mixed pop polish with a touch of rock and roll edge.
Elvis delivered the song with his usual confidence, shifting between charm and warning as the lyric unfolded. The Jordanaires added smooth backing vocals that gave the record its familiar RCA sound.
Its rise showed that Elvis remained a central figure on the Hot 100 even as surf music, Motown, folk, and girl groups continued changing the chart around him.
5. Wipe Out – The Surfaris
The Surfaris held at #5 with “Wipe Out,” one of the most powerful surf instrumentals of the decade. Its pounding drum break and sharp guitar sound gave the record instant excitement.
Unlike many vocal hits, “Wipe Out” relied on rhythm, energy, and attitude. It captured the wilder side of surf culture and became a favorite for dancers, drummers, and young rock fans.
The song’s continued strength showed that instrumental rock could still make a major impact when the sound was bold enough.
🎂 What Was the #1 Song on Your Birthday?
If you were born during the week ending August 3, 1963, this was your birthday song:
🎵 So Much in Love by The Tymes
▶ Watch and experience this song →
🎂 Try your own birthday:
- So Much In Love – The Tymes
- Fingertips (Part II) – Little Stevie Wonder
- Surf City – Jan & Dean
- (You’re The) Devil In Disguise – Elvis Presley
- Wipe Out – The Surfaris
- Blowin’ In The Wind – Peter, Paul & Mary
- Easier Said Than Done – The Essex
- Judy’s Turn To Cry – Lesley Gore
- Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport – Rolf Harris
- Just One Look – Doris Troy
Harmony Took The Top Spot
The August 3, 1963 Billboard Hot 100 showed that romantic vocal harmony could still rise above the louder sounds of summer. “So Much In Love” brought The Tymes to #1 with a soft, elegant record that stood apart from the surf and dance hits around it.
At the same time, the chart was full of energy. Little Stevie Wonder was racing toward history, Elvis Presley remained strong, and The Surfaris kept surf instrumentals in the Top 5.
Chart Movers This Week
This week captured the full range of 1963 pop: harmony, soul, surf rock, folk, teen drama, novelty records, and classic rock and roll all sharing the same national stage.