Billboard Hot 100 | Top 5 – Week of September 12, 1960
The Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending September 12, 1960 showed Elvis Presley still holding the #1 position with “It’s Now Or Never.” The song continued its impressive run at the top, giving Elvis one of the most successful and dramatic pop records of his post-Army career.
But the chart was clearly changing underneath him. Chubby Checker remained at #2 with “The Twist,” now standing just one step away from becoming the biggest dance record in America. Connie Francis surged from #9 to #3 with “My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own,” proving that her summer success with “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool” was not a one-time moment.
Larry Verne made a major leap to #4 with the novelty hit “Mr. Custer,” while The Ventures held strong at #5 with the influential guitar instrumental “Walk — Don’t Run.” That gave the Top 5 a remarkable mix: Elvis’ romantic pop drama, Chubby Checker’s dance-craze record, Connie Francis’ emotional pop, Larry Verne’s comedy novelty song, and The Ventures’ electric-guitar instrumental.
The week of September 12, 1960 also introduced major movement from Sam Cooke and Brook Benton. “Chain Gang” jumped from #22 to #6, while “Kiddio” climbed from #17 to #8, adding strong rhythm-and-blues crossover energy to a chart already packed with variety.
Top 5 Songs (September 12, 1960)
1. “It’s Now Or Never” – Elvis Presley With The Jordanaires
Elvis Presley remained at #1 with “It’s Now Or Never,” continuing one of the biggest chart runs of 1960.
The song’s melody was adapted from “O Sole Mio,” giving Elvis a sweeping romantic sound that moved far beyond the raw rock-and-roll style that first made him famous.
His vocal performance was polished, controlled, and dramatic, showing how successfully he could shift into a more mature pop direction.
By this week, “It’s Now Or Never” had become one of the defining records of Elvis’ post-Army comeback and a clear sign that he could dominate the new decade on his own terms.
2. “The Twist” – Chubby Checker
Chubby Checker held at #2 with “The Twist,” one of the most important dance records in American pop history.
Written by Hank Ballard, the song had a simple movement-based concept that teenagers could easily copy at parties, dances, and on television dance shows.
Checker’s version had a clean, bright energy that made it especially easy for mainstream audiences to embrace.
By September 12, “The Twist” was no longer just a strong chart hit. It was on the edge of becoming a national dance craze.
3. “My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own” – Connie Francis
Connie Francis jumped to #3 with “My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own,” continuing one of the strongest years of her career.
After making history earlier in the summer with “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool,” Francis returned quickly with another major hit built around heartbreak, emotional conflict, and polished pop production.
The song’s title gave it an instantly memorable hook, while Francis’ vocal delivered the struggle between logic and emotion with clarity and sincerity.
Its rapid rise showed that Connie Francis had become one of the most reliable hitmakers of 1960.
4. “Mr. Custer” – Larry Verne
Larry Verne surged to #4 with “Mr. Custer,” one of the most successful novelty records of the fall of 1960.
The song used comedy, spoken-word style vocals, and a historical setting based around the Battle of Little Bighorn to create a humorous story record that stood apart from the ballads and dance songs around it.
Novelty songs had already played a major role in 1960 with records like “Alley-Oop” and “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini.” “Mr. Custer” continued that trend with a different kind of comic storytelling.
Its rapid climb showed that listeners were still eager for funny, character-driven records when the concept was strong enough.
5. “Walk — Don’t Run” – The Ventures
The Ventures remained in the Top 5 with “Walk — Don’t Run,” one of the most influential guitar instrumentals of the early 1960s.
The record’s clean electric-guitar lead, steady rhythm, and sharp arrangement helped point toward the surf-rock sound that would become a major force in the next few years.
Unlike the orchestral instrumentals that succeeded earlier in 1960, this record sounded young, electric, and modern.
Its staying power near the top showed that instrumental rock had a strong future when built around a memorable guitar sound.
More Weeks at #1 for “It’s Now or Never”
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 September 17, 1960, this was your birthday song:
🎵 It’s Now or Never by Elvis Presley
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Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 – Week of September 12, 1960
- It’s Now Or Never – Elvis Presley With The Jordanaires
- The Twist – Chubby Checker
- My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own – Connie Francis
- Mr. Custer – Larry Verne
- Walk — Don’t Run – The Ventures
- Chain Gang – Sam Cooke
- Volare – Bobby Rydell
- Kiddio – Brook Benton
- Yogi – The Ivy Three
- Mission Bell – Donnie Brooks
The Chart Was Moving Toward Dance, Soul, and Novelty Pop
The Billboard Hot 100 for September 12, 1960 showed Elvis Presley still in control, but several other major trends were rising fast beneath him.
Chubby Checker’s “The Twist” was parked at #2 and clearly on the verge of becoming a national dance phenomenon. At the same time, Sam Cooke’s “Chain Gang” made a huge move to #6, bringing one of the most powerful soul-pop records of the year into the upper chart.
Brook Benton also climbed into the Top 10 with “Kiddio,” while Larry Verne’s “Mr. Custer” and The Ivy Three’s “Yogi” showed that novelty records still had a strong grip on radio listeners.
The week of September 12, 1960 remains a strong snapshot of a chart turning toward several early-1960s forces at once: dance-craze pop, soul crossover, electric guitar instrumentals, teen idols, and comic novelty records — all while Elvis still held the crown.