Top songs of 1961

What was the number one song of 1961?

The number one song of 1961 was “Tossin' and Turnin'” by Bobby Lewis, the top song on Billboard's year-end Hot 100 for 1961. It spent 7 weeks at number one on the weekly chart, starting with the chart dated July 10, 1961.

“Tossin' and Turnin'” by Bobby Lewis was number one for the most weeks of 1961: 7 of the year's 52 weekly charts, starting with the chart dated July 10, 1961.

Born in 1961? The birthday number one finder shows the song at number one in the exact week of your birthday, and the number one on every birthday since.

Chart data: Billboard Hot 100, as compiled on Wikipedia (number ones of 1961, year-end Hot 100 of 1961).

How many songs reached number one in 1961?

21 songs reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time in 1961. Counting “Are You Lonesome Tonight?”, which was already at number one when the year began, 22 songs held the top spot across the year's 52 weekly charts.

Of the songs that first reached number one in 1961, “Tossin' and Turnin'” by Bobby Lewis stayed there longest: 7 weeks in total, from the chart dated July 10, 1961.

Weeks at No. 1 counts every week the song spent at the top, including weeks in other years; the number in brackets is the weeks on charts dated 1961. Dates are chart issue dates.

Which artists had more than one number one in 1961?

Elvis Presley was the only act with more than one number one in 1961, counting lead and featured credits: “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” and “Surrender”.

What were the biggest songs of 1961?

The five biggest songs of 1961 on Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 were “Tossin' and Turnin'” by Bobby Lewis, “I Fall to Pieces” by Patsy Cline, “Michael” by The Highwaymen, “Crying” by Roy Orbison and “Runaway” by Del Shannon.

The year-end chart ranks songs by how they performed on the weekly Hot 100 across Billboard’s chart year, so a song that peaked late in the year can rank lower than its weekly peak suggests, or count toward the next year’s list. The top 30 below show each song’s length where we could match the recording.

Numbers 31 to 100

31. “Quarter to Three” Gary U.S. Bonds
32. “Who Put the Bomp (in the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)” Barry Mann
33. “Calendar Girl” Neil Sedaka
34. “I Like It Like That” Chris Kenner
35. “Apache” Jørgen Ingmann
36. “Don't Bet Money Honey” Linda Scott
37. “Without You” Johnny Tillotson
38. “Wings of a Dove” Ferlin Husky
39. “Little Sister” Elvis Presley
40. “Blue Moon” The Marcels
41. “Daddy's Home” Shep and the Limelites
42. “This Time” Troy Shondell
43. “(I Don't Know Why) But I Do” Clarence "Frogman" Henry
44. “Asia Minor” Kokomo
45. “Hello Walls” Faron Young
46. “Runaround Sue” Dion
47. “Yellow Bird” Arthur Lyman
48. “Hurt” Timi Yuro
49. “Hello Mary Lou” Ricky Nelson
50. “There's a Moon Out Tonight” The Capris
51. “Surrender” Elvis Presley
52. “I Love How You Love Me” The Paris Sisters
53. “Ya Ya” Lee Dorsey
54. “School Is Out” Gary U.S. Bonds
55. “Mexico” Bob Moore
56. “You Don't Know What You've Got (Until You Lose It)” Ral Donner
57. “Walk Right Back” The Everly Brothers
58. “The Way You Look Tonight” The Lettermen
59. “Moody River” Pat Boone
60. “One Mint Julep” Ray Charles
61. “Take Good Care of Her” Adam Wade
62. “Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes)” Carla Thomas
63. “Stand by Me” Ben E. King
64. “Spanish Harlem” Ben E. King
65. “It's Gonna Work Out Fine” Ike & Tina Turner
66. “Baby Blue” The Echoes
67. “Baby Sittin' Boogie” Buzz Clifford
68. “Hats Off to Larry” Del Shannon
69. “Those Oldies but Goodies” Little Caesar & the Romans
70. “The Fly” Chubby Checker
71. “(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame” Elvis Presley
72. “Wonderland by Night” Bert Kaempfert
73. “Bless You” Tony Orlando
74. “I've Told Every Little Star” Linda Scott
75. “One Track Mind” Bobby Lewis
76. “Angel Baby” Rosie and the Originals
77. “Pretty Little Angel Eyes” Curtis Lee
78. “Think Twice” Brook Benton
79. “Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour (On the Bedpost Overnight?)” Lonnie Donegan
80. “Breakin' in a Brand New Broken Heart” Connie Francis
81. “Mama Said” The Shirelles
82. “Let the Four Winds Blow” Fats Domino
83. “The Writing on the Wall” Adam Wade
84. “My Kind of Girl” Matt Monro
85. “Tonight My Love, Tonight” Paul Anka
86. “San Antonio Rose” Floyd Cramer
87. “Big Bad John” Jimmy Dean
88. “Good Time Baby” Bobby Rydell
89. “Rubber Ball” Bobby Vee
90. “Missing You” Ray Peterson
91. “Dum Dum” Brenda Lee
92. “I'm Gonna Knock on Your Door” Eddie Hodges
93. “You Can Depend on Me” Brenda Lee
94. “Let's Twist Again” Chubby Checker
95. “Take Five” The Dave Brubeck Quartet
96. “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” Elvis Presley
97. “Sea of Heartbreak” Don Gibson
98. “More Money for You and Me” The Four Preps
99. “You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby” Bobby Darin
100. “Please Stay” The Drifters

Chart data: Billboard Hot 100, as compiled on Wikipedia (number ones of 1961, year-end Hot 100 of 1961).

What songs should go on a 1961 mix CD?

A 1961 mix that fits one 80-minute CD holds 31 of the year's biggest songs, opening with “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” by The Shirelles and closing with “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by The Tokens, for 77:57 of music.

We built it from the year-end top 30 and every number one of 1961, taking songs in year-end order until the disc was full, then sequenced it to follow the year: the number ones in the order they reached the top, with the year’s other big hits placed between them. With a 2-second gap before each track it runs 78:59, under the 79 minutes we fill a CD to.

Lengths are the recordings matched in Deezer’s catalog. Single edits, album versions and remasters can run a little longer or shorter, so check your own playlist before you burn it.

Turn 1961 into a CD. Send us this list, or your own 1961 songs, and we burn it to a real audio CD, test-play it and post it. It makes a good gift for a birth year, a graduation year or a wedding year.

To change the songs, paste the list into the playlist length calculator to keep it under 80 minutes, then print an insert with the CD case template. Our guide to making a mixtape covers sequencing, and nostalgic gift ideas has more ways to give a year as a present.

What was popular music like in the 1960s?

Popular music in the 1960s moved from teen idols, girl groups and dance crazes to the British Invasion, Motown and folk rock. The Beatles' first US number one, "I Want to Hold Your Hand", topped the chart dated February 1, 1964, and Motown acts such as the Supremes and the Temptations reached number one through the rest of the decade.

From 1960 to 1969, 203 songs reached number one on the Hot 100, and no song stayed there for 10 weeks or more. Of those 203, “Theme from A Summer Place” by Percy Faith and his orchestra and “Hey Jude” by The Beatles spent the most weeks at number one, 9 each. The Beatles had the most number ones that reached the top in these years, with 18. The typical number one of these years ran 2:41 (the median of the 184 with a known length).