Billboard Hot 100 | Top 5 – Week of March 14, 1960
The Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending March 14, 1960 showed “The Theme From “A Summer Place”” continuing its remarkable hold on the #1 position. Percy Faith And His Orchestra remained at the top with the lush instrumental that had become one of the defining sounds of early 1960.
Behind it, Jim Reeves held strong at #2 with “He’ll Have To Go,” keeping country-pop crossover music near the center of American radio. Bobby Rydell climbed to #3 with “Wild One,” bringing youthful energy and teen-idol excitement into a chart that had recently been dominated by ballads and instrumentals.
Jimmy Jones remained inside the Top 5 with “Handy Man,” while Jack Scott’s “What In The World’s Come Over You” continued giving the chart a moody emotional edge. Just below the Top 5, Dinah Washington and Brook Benton, Mark Dinning, Bobby Darin, Paul Anka, and The Platters helped create one of the most varied Top 10 lineups of the season.
The week of March 14, 1960 captured a Billboard chart that was no longer dominated by one trend. Instrumental pop, country crossover, teen rock-and-roll, vocal harmony, emotional ballads, and sophisticated duets were all competing for national attention.
Top 5 Songs (March 14, 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”,” continuing one of the most dominant instrumental runs in Billboard Hot 100 history.
The song’s sweeping orchestration and romantic melody gave listeners a polished, cinematic experience that stood apart from the vocal-driven records around it.
Its continued success proved that instrumental music could still become a massive pop phenomenon during the rock-and-roll era.
By mid-March, “A Summer Place” was not just a hit record — it had become one of the signature musical moments of 1960.
2. “He’ll Have To Go” – Jim Reeves
Jim Reeves held the #2 position with “He’ll Have To Go,” one of the smoothest and most important country-pop crossover ballads of the era.
The song’s quiet vocal delivery, intimate lyric, and understated arrangement gave it a calm emotional power that connected with listeners across both country and pop audiences.
Reeves helped bring Nashville sophistication into the mainstream Hot 100, showing that country music could thrive far beyond its traditional boundaries.
Its continued strength near the top of the chart made it one of the defining crossover records of early 1960.
3. “Wild One” – Bobby Rydell
Bobby Rydell climbed to #3 with “Wild One,” one of the liveliest teen-pop records on the chart.
The song’s upbeat rhythm, playful energy, and youthful attitude gave the Top 5 a burst of rock-and-roll excitement.
Rydell’s clean-cut image and energetic delivery made him one of the rising teen idols of the early 1960s.
“Wild One” helped show that, even as instrumentals and country-pop ballads dominated the upper chart, teenage dance records still had enormous commercial power.
4. “Handy Man” – Jimmy Jones
Jimmy Jones remained in the Top 5 with “Handy Man,” the bright pop hit that had been one of the most memorable records of the season.
The song’s catchy hook, playful lyric, and Jones’ distinctive falsetto helped it stand apart from the smoother ballads and orchestral recordings around it.
Its continued success showed how much listeners still loved rhythm-driven pop records with personality and instant radio appeal.
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 dramatic ballad filled with loneliness and emotional tension.
Scott’s deep vocal tone gave the song a serious, moody quality that fit perfectly into the emotional pop landscape of early 1960.
The record blended country, pop, and rock-and-roll influences into a style that felt both traditional and modern.
Its steady chart run helped reinforce Scott’s reputation 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 19, 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 March 14, 1960
- The Theme From “A Summer Place” – Percy Faith And His Orchestra
- He’ll Have To Go – Jim Reeves
- Wild One – Bobby Rydell
- Handy Man – Jimmy Jones
- What In The World’s Come Over You – Jack Scott
- Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes) – Dinah Washington & Brook Benton
- Teen Angel – Mark Dinning
- Beyond The Sea – Bobby Darin
- Puppy Love – Paul Anka
- Harbor Lights – The Platters
March 1960 Showed How Wide the Hot 100 Had Become
The Billboard Hot 100 for March 14, 1960 showed just how broad American popular music had become by the spring of the new decade.
At the top, Percy Faith represented the continuing power of orchestral instrumentals, while Jim Reeves showed the strength of country-pop crossover ballads. Bobby Rydell and Jimmy Jones brought youth-driven pop energy, while Jack Scott kept emotional male vocal ballads in the Top 5.
The lower half of the Top 10 added even more variety. Dinah Washington and Brook Benton brought smooth duet chemistry, Mark Dinning represented the lingering teenage tragedy trend, Bobby Darin delivered sophisticated pop with “Beyond The Sea,” Paul Anka returned with the teen ballad “Puppy Love,” and The Platters kept classic vocal-group elegance alive with “Harbor Lights.”
The week of March 14, 1960 remains an excellent example of a chart where almost every major pop style of the moment appeared together — instrumentals, country crossover, teen idols, vocal groups, emotional ballads, and rhythm-driven hits all sharing the same national stage.
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