Billboard Hot 100 | Top 5 – Week of September 19, 1960
The Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending September 19, 1960 marked a major turning point in pop music history as Chubby Checker’s “The Twist” finally climbed to #1. The record completed its rapid rise from summer dance hit to full national phenomenon, beginning one of the most important chart stories of the entire rock-and-roll era.
After four weeks at #1, Elvis Presley’s “It’s Now Or Never” slipped to #2, though it remained one of the biggest records of 1960. Connie Francis held strong at #3 with “My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own,” while Sam Cooke’s “Chain Gang” continued its powerful climb into the Top 5.
The week also saw major momentum building for future classics. “Save The Last Dance For Me” by The Drifters entered the Top 10 for the first time, while Brook Benton’s “Kiddio” and Ferrante & Teicher’s “Theme From The Apartment” continued climbing.
The chart for September 19, 1960 perfectly captured the changing sound of America as dance records, soul music, polished pop ballads, novelty songs, and instrumental rock all fought for radio dominance at the same time.
Top 5 Songs (September 19, 1960)
1. “The Twist” – Chubby Checker
Chubby Checker reached #1 with “The Twist,” officially launching one of the greatest dance crazes in music history.
The song was built around a simple dance that nearly everyone could perform, helping it spread rapidly through television appearances, school dances, parties, and jukeboxes across America.
Written by Hank Ballard, the song’s beat and instructions made it instantly memorable, while Chubby Checker’s clean, energetic performance helped it cross over to mainstream audiences.
Unlike many dance records of the era, “The Twist” would not disappear quickly. Instead, it became one of the defining songs of the early 1960s and one of the most culturally important records ever released.
2. “It’s Now Or Never” – Elvis Presley With The Jordanaires
After a long stay at #1, Elvis Presley slipped to #2 with “It’s Now Or Never.”
The dramatic ballad had already proven itself to be one of Elvis’ biggest post-Army successes and one of the strongest-selling records of 1960.
Using the melody from “O Sole Mio,” the song showcased Elvis’ ability to blend pop sophistication with emotional vocal power.
Even while falling from the top position, the record remained one of the dominant songs on American radio.
3. “My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own” – Connie Francis
Connie Francis remained at #3 with “My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own,” continuing her remarkable chart success during 1960.
The song combined emotional heartbreak themes with polished pop production and another strong vocal performance from Francis.
After the huge success of “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool,” this follow-up confirmed that Connie Francis was one of the most dependable female hitmakers in America.
The record’s emotional honesty and memorable hook kept it climbing steadily toward its eventual peak.
4. “Chain Gang” – Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke climbed to #4 with “Chain Gang,” one of the most powerful soul-pop crossover records of the early 1960s.
Inspired by Cooke hearing actual chain-gang workers during a road trip, the song blended rhythm-and-blues emotion with polished mainstream production.
The famous “hoh-ahh” work-song rhythm gave the record a distinctive sound that instantly separated it from other songs on radio.
“Chain Gang” helped further establish Sam Cooke as one of the most important voices in popular music.
5. “Mr. Custer” – Larry Verne
Larry Verne held the #5 spot with the novelty hit “Mr. Custer.”
The comedy record used spoken-word humor and historical storytelling centered around General Custer and the Battle of Little Bighorn.
Novelty songs remained extremely popular during 1960, and “Mr. Custer” became one of the biggest examples of the trend during the fall season.
Its unusual structure and comic personality helped it stand out against the growing wave of dance and soul records climbing the charts.
More Weeks at #1 for “The Twist”
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 24, 1960, this was your birthday song:
🎵 The Twist by Chubby Checker
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Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 – Week of September 19, 1960
- The Twist – Chubby Checker
- It’s Now Or Never – Elvis Presley With The Jordanaires
- My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own – Connie Francis
- Chain Gang – Sam Cooke
- Mr. Custer – Larry Verne
- Kiddio – Brook Benton
- Walk — Don’t Run – The Ventures
- Yogi – The Ivy Three
- Theme From The Apartment – Ferrante & Teicher
- Save The Last Dance For Me – The Drifters
The Twist Took Over America
The Billboard Hot 100 for September 19, 1960 represented one of the biggest turning points of the early rock-and-roll era.
“The Twist” had officially reached #1, beginning a dance phenomenon that would spread across the country and eventually around the world. Unlike most hit songs, the record would return to #1 again years later, something almost unheard of in Billboard history.
The chart also showed the growing strength of soul and rhythm-and-blues crossover music. Sam Cooke climbed into the Top 5 with “Chain Gang,” while Brook Benton continued rising with “Kiddio.”
At the same time, instrumental rock remained important through The Ventures’ “Walk — Don’t Run,” while traditional pop still survived through Elvis Presley and Connie Francis.
The week of September 19, 1960 stands as one of the clearest snapshots of America entering a brand-new musical era — one driven by dancing, youth culture, crossover soul, and television-powered pop hits.