Billboard Hot 100 | Top 5 – Week of June 5, 1965
The Billboard Hot 100 for June 5, 1965 kept The Beach Boys at #1 with “Help Me, Rhonda.” After reaching the top the previous week, the record held its position and continued to give American harmony pop a powerful presence during a year filled with British hits and Motown breakthroughs.
Sam The Sham and the Pharaohs made a major move to #2 with “Wooly Bully,” bringing one of the rowdiest and most distinctive records of the year close to the top. The Supremes stayed at #3 with “Back In My Arms Again,” while Elvis Presley climbed to #4 with “Crying In The Chapel.”
The Beatles slipped to #5 with “Ticket To Ride,” but their presence still gave the Top 5 enormous star power. This week’s upper chart blended California pop, garage-rock party energy, Motown polish, Elvis gospel-pop, and British rock — a strong snapshot of how varied 1965 had become.
Below the Top 5, the Four Tops made a big move with “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch),” Roger Miller jumped into the Top 10 with “Engine Engine #9,” and Tom Jones held on with “It’s Not Unusual.” The chart was setting up a busy summer with several major records still climbing.
Top 5 Songs
1. Help Me, Rhonda – The Beach Boys
“Help Me, Rhonda” remained at #1 this week, giving The Beach Boys another strong moment at the top of the Hot 100. The song’s bright harmonies and clean pop energy continued to stand out in a highly competitive chart.
The record carried the group’s classic California sound: layered vocals, youthful emotion, and a chorus built for radio. It was upbeat and direct, with enough momentum to hold off several strong challengers.
By staying at #1, “Help Me, Rhonda” confirmed that The Beach Boys were still one of America’s most important pop groups. Even in the middle of the British Invasion, they remained a major force.
2. Wooly Bully – Sam The Sham And The Pharaohs
“Wooly Bully” jumped from #5 to #2, becoming one of the biggest stories of the week. Sam The Sham and the Pharaohs brought a loose, wild energy that made the record sound very different from the polished songs around it.
The song’s driving rhythm, playful vocal, and garage-band feel helped it become instantly recognizable. It sounded like a party record, and that raw charm helped it cut through on radio.
Its rise to #2 showed that “Wooly Bully” was becoming one of the most important singles of 1965. The record’s momentum was still building, even with major acts all around it.
3. Back In My Arms Again – The Supremes
“Back In My Arms Again” held at #3, keeping The Supremes close to the top with another Motown hit. The group’s consistency was remarkable, and this record continued their run of polished pop-soul success.
The song had the classic Supremes formula: a strong lead vocal from Diana Ross, smooth backing support, and a bright arrangement that made the record easy to love on radio.
Its steady position showed that The Supremes were once again in striking distance of #1. By this point, every new Supremes single felt like a major chart event.
4. Crying In The Chapel – Elvis Presley With The Jordanaires
“Crying In The Chapel” climbed from #6 to #4, giving Elvis Presley another major Top 5 hit. The record had a gentle, spiritual quality that made it stand apart from many of the faster pop and rock records on the chart.
Elvis delivered the song with warmth and restraint, supported by The Jordanaires’ smooth harmonies. The result was a performance that felt sincere, reflective, and deeply familiar to fans of his gospel-influenced side.
Its Top 5 success showed that Elvis still had strong chart power in 1965, even as newer groups and labels were reshaping pop music around him.
5. Ticket To Ride – The Beatles
“Ticket To Ride” slipped from #2 to #5, but The Beatles remained one of the defining acts on the chart. The song had already reached #1 and continued to hold a place in the Top 5.
The record’s heavier rhythm and more serious mood made it one of the group’s more forward-looking singles of the period. It still had the melodic strength of a Beatles hit, but its tone suggested a more mature direction.
Even as it moved down the chart, “Ticket To Ride” remained an important part of The Beatles’ 1965 story and another sign of their evolving sound.
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More Weeks at #1 for “Help Me, Rhonda”
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 June 5, 1965, this was your birthday song:
🎵 Help Me, Rhonda by The Beach Boys
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🎂 Try your own birthday:
Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 This Week
- Help Me, Rhonda – The Beach Boys
- Wooly Bully – Sam The Sham And The Pharaohs
- Back In My Arms Again – The Supremes
- Crying In The Chapel – Elvis Presley With The Jordanaires
- Ticket To Ride – The Beatles
- Mrs. Brown You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter – Herman’s Hermits
- I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) – Four Tops
- Just A Little – The Beau Brummels
- Engine Engine #9 – Roger Miller
- It’s Not Unusual – Tom Jones
Chart Movers This Week
Why This Chart Week Mattered
The June 5, 1965 chart mattered because it showed The Beach Boys holding #1 while “Wooly Bully” surged to #2. Those two records represented very different sides of American pop: polished California harmony and raw garage-rock party energy.
Motown also remained strong, with The Supremes at #3 and the Four Tops entering the Top 10 with “I Can’t Help Myself.” That gave the chart another major sign of Detroit’s growing dominance during the summer of 1965.
With Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Herman’s Hermits, Roger Miller, Tom Jones, and The Beau Brummels also in the Top 10, this week captured a chart packed with variety. It was a moment where pop music felt wide open, with several styles competing for the same national audience.
