Billboard Hot 100 | Top 5 – Week of January 9, 1961
The Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending January 9, 1961 opened with a new #1 as Bert Kaempfert And His Orchestra climbed to the top with “Wonderland By Night.” The smooth instrumental moved ahead of Elvis Presley’s “Are You Lonesome To-night?” and continued the strong late-1960 trend of orchestral and instrumental records dominating the upper chart.
Elvis slipped to #2 after a long stay at #1, while Ferrante & Teicher climbed to #3 with “Exodus.” Floyd Cramer remained strong at #4 with “Last Date,” giving the Top 5 three major instrumental records. The Shirelles made the biggest move near the top, jumping from #14 to #5 with “Will You Love Me Tomorrow.”
This week showed 1961 beginning with a fascinating mix of sounds: polished instrumentals, Elvis balladry, Nashville piano, and the first major signs of the girl-group era moving into the mainstream.
Top 5 Songs (January 9, 1961)
1. “Wonderland By Night” – Bert Kaempfert And His Orchestra
Bert Kaempfert And His Orchestra reached #1 with “Wonderland By Night,” a lush instrumental built around a smooth trumpet melody and elegant orchestration.
The record’s romantic, easy-listening sound stood apart from the teen-pop and rock-and-roll records around it. It was polished, spacious, and sophisticated, giving adult pop listeners a major hit at the start of 1961.
Its rise to #1 showed that instrumental records were still a major force on the Billboard Hot 100, especially when they carried a memorable melody and a strong mood.
2. “Are You Lonesome To-night?” – Elvis Presley With The Jordanaires
Elvis Presley slipped to #2 with “Are You Lonesome To-night?,” but the song remained one of the strongest ballads of his post-Army comeback.
The record had already reached #1 and continued to show Elvis in a softer, more dramatic style than his early rock-and-roll hits.
Its spoken-word section, gentle backing, and emotional vocal helped it remain near the top even as new records began climbing around it.
3. “Exodus” – Ferrante & Teicher
Ferrante & Teicher climbed to #3 with “Exodus,” another major instrumental hit on the early-1961 chart.
The record’s dramatic piano sound and sweeping movie-theme feel gave it a cinematic quality that made it stand out from lighter pop records.
With “Wonderland By Night” at #1 and “Last Date” at #4, “Exodus” helped make this one of the strongest instrumental-heavy Top 5 charts of the period.
4. “Last Date” – Floyd Cramer
Floyd Cramer held the #4 position with “Last Date,” continuing one of the most impressive instrumental chart runs of the era.
The song’s slip-note piano style gave it a soft, emotional sound that helped Nashville musicianship cross into mainstream pop.
Even as it moved down from its peak, “Last Date” remained one of the defining instrumental hits bridging 1960 and 1961.
5. “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” – The Shirelles
The Shirelles jumped to #5 with “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” one of the most important girl-group records of the early 1960s.
The song brought teenage romance into a more serious emotional space, asking a question that felt tender, vulnerable, and honest.
Its climb into the Top 5 showed that girl-group music was moving from a rising sound into a major commercial force.
More Weeks at #1 for “Wonderland by Night”
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 January 14, 1961, this was your birthday song:
🎵 Wonderland by Night by Bert Kaempfert
▶ Watch and experience this song →
🎂 Try your own birthday:
Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 – Week of January 9, 1961
- Wonderland By Night – Bert Kaempfert And His Orchestra
- Are You Lonesome To-night? – Elvis Presley With The Jordanaires
- Exodus – Ferrante & Teicher
- Last Date – Floyd Cramer
- Will You Love Me Tomorrow – The Shirelles
- Rubber Ball – Bobby Vee
- Angel Baby – Rosie And The Originals
- North To Alaska – Johnny Horton
- Corinna, Corinna – Ray Peterson
- You’re Sixteen – Johnny Burnette
Instrumentals Ruled, But The Shirelles Pointed Forward
The Billboard Hot 100 for January 9, 1961 was dominated by instrumental records. “Wonderland By Night,” “Exodus,” and “Last Date” all appeared inside the Top 5, showing how strongly orchestral, piano, and movie-theme instrumentals still connected with listeners.
But the most forward-looking record on the chart may have been “Will You Love Me Tomorrow.” The Shirelles were bringing girl-group music into the mainstream with emotional honesty and pop sophistication.
That contrast makes this week especially interesting. The chart still carried the polished instrumental sound of late 1960, but it also pointed toward the vocal-group and girl-group records that would help shape the early 1960s.
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