Billboard Hot 100 | Top 5 – Week of February 29, 1960
The Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending February 29, 1960 showed Percy Faith And His Orchestra firmly in control with “The Theme From “A Summer Place”,” while the rest of the Top 5 revealed just how quickly American popular music was broadening beyond the teenage tragedy songs that had dominated the opening weeks of the year.
“Handy Man” by Jimmy Jones climbed to #2, bringing a bright rhythmic pop sound just beneath the lush orchestral instrumental at the top. Jim Reeves continued his smooth country-pop crossover rise with “He’ll Have To Go,” while Mark Dinning’s “Teen Angel” remained strong after its run at #1.
Jack Scott held the #5 position with “What In The World’s Come Over You,” adding another emotional male vocal ballad to a chart filled with longing, romance, and dramatic performance. Lower in the Top 10, Bobby Darin, The Everly Brothers, Dinah Washington, Brook Benton, and Bobby Rydell helped point toward the wide range of sounds that would shape the spring of 1960.
The week of February 29, 1960 captured a turning point where instrumental pop, country crossover, teen ballads, rhythm-driven pop, and sophisticated vocal duets all shared space on the national chart.
Top 5 Songs (February 29, 1960)
1. “The Theme From “A Summer Place”” – Percy Faith And His Orchestra
Percy Faith And His Orchestra remained at #1 with “The Theme From “A Summer Place”,” one of the most successful instrumental recordings in Billboard Hot 100 history.
The song’s sweeping string arrangement, romantic melody, and cinematic atmosphere made it stand apart from nearly everything else on radio in early 1960.
Its dominance proved that instrumental music still had enormous mainstream appeal, even as rock-and-roll, teen idols, and vocal ballads continued to shape youth culture.
By this point, “A Summer Place” was becoming more than a hit single — it was becoming one of the defining musical signatures of the year.
2. “Handy Man” – Jimmy Jones
Jimmy Jones climbed to #2 with “Handy Man,” bringing a lighter and more rhythmic pop sound into the upper reaches of the chart.
The song’s catchy melody, playful lyric, and Jones’ distinctive falsetto helped it cut through a chart filled with emotional ballads and orchestral drama.
Written by Otis Blackwell and Jimmy Jones, the record had a strong pop hook that made it instantly memorable on radio.
Its rise showed that early 1960 listeners were still eager for fun, energetic records that balanced the heavier emotional material dominating the chart.
3. “He’ll Have To Go” – Jim Reeves
Jim Reeves climbed to #3 with “He’ll Have To Go,” continuing one of the most important country-pop crossover runs of the early 1960s.
The song’s quiet intimacy, smooth vocal style, and conversational lyric gave it a different kind of emotional power than the teenage tragedy songs that had dominated previous weeks.
Reeves’ relaxed delivery helped country music feel polished and accessible to mainstream pop audiences.
Its success helped point toward the growing influence of Nashville-style crossover ballads on the national charts.
4. “Teen Angel” – Mark Dinning
Mark Dinning remained in the Top 5 with “Teen Angel,” the teenage tragedy ballad that had recently topped the Billboard Hot 100.
The song’s story of young love and sudden loss continued to resonate strongly with listeners, especially teenage audiences drawn to its emotional intensity.
Although its chart momentum had begun to fade, “Teen Angel” remained one of the defining records of early 1960.
Its continued presence showed just how deeply teenage tragedy songs had shaped the emotional tone of the year’s opening months.
5. “What In The World’s Come Over You” – Jack Scott
Jack Scott held the #5 position with “What In The World’s Come Over You,” a moody and emotional pop ballad filled with heartbreak and regret.
Scott’s deep vocal tone gave the song a serious, almost brooding quality that helped it stand apart from brighter teen-pop records.
The song fit perfectly into the emotional landscape of early 1960, when listeners were responding strongly to records about loneliness, loss, and romantic disappointment.
Its continued Top 5 success reinforced Scott’s place as one of the era’s strongest dramatic male vocalists.
More Weeks at #1 for “Theme From A Summer Place”
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 March 5, 1960, this was your birthday song:
🎵 Theme From A Summer Place by Percy Faith
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Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 – Week of February 29, 1960
- The Theme From “A Summer Place” – Percy Faith And His Orchestra
- Handy Man – Jimmy Jones
- He’ll Have To Go – Jim Reeves
- Teen Angel – Mark Dinning
- What In The World’s Come Over You – Jack Scott
- Beyond The Sea – Bobby Darin
- Running Bear – Johnny Preston
- Let It Be Me – The Everly Brothers
- Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes) – Dinah Washington & Brook Benton
- Wild One – Bobby Rydell
Pop Music Was Opening Up Again
The Billboard Hot 100 for February 29, 1960 showed popular music moving into a broader and more varied phase after the intense storytelling streak of January and early February.
“The Theme From “A Summer Place”” gave the chart an elegant orchestral center, while “Handy Man” added rhythmic pop charm and “He’ll Have To Go” brought country crossover intimacy into the Top 3.
Teen tragedy had not disappeared — “Teen Angel” remained in the Top 5 — but the overall chart was clearly expanding. Bobby Darin’s “Beyond The Sea,” The Everly Brothers’ “Let It Be Me,” and the Dinah Washington and Brook Benton duet “Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes)” all hinted at the wide musical range that would define spring 1960.
The week of February 29, 1960 remains an important snapshot of early 1960 pop because it shows the Billboard Hot 100 becoming less dominated by one trend and more open to instrumentals, country crossover, vocal duets, teen pop, and sophisticated ballads.