Billboard Hot 100 — October 16, 1961
The Billboard Hot 100 for the week of October 16, 1961. "Hit The Road Jack" by Ray Charles and his Orchestra held #1 for a 2nd straight week, the last week of its run. 18 songs entered the chart this week; the highest new entry was "Young Boy Blues" by Ben E. King at #75, which would go on to peak at #66. The biggest climber was "Hollywood" by Connie Francis, up 23 places from #71 to #48.
Chart highlights
- At #1: "Hit The Road Jack" by Ray Charles and his Orchestra — 2 weeks at the top so far, 6 weeks on the chart since debuting September 11, 1961.
- New in the top 10: "Sad Movies (Make Me Cry)" by Sue Thompson (up from #18 to #7); "Big Bad John" by Jimmy Dean (up from #17 to #8); "Ya Ya" by Lee Dorsey (up from #14 to #10).
- Biggest fall: "Michael" by The Highwaymen, down 33 places from #11 to #44.
- Longest run on this week's chart: "My True Story" by The Jive Five With Joe Rene And Orchestra, 16 weeks and counting (peak #3).
- Gone from the chart: "Wooden Heart" by Joe Dowell after 16 weeks (peak #1); "Hurt" by Timi Yuro after 12 weeks (peak #4).
TW = this week, LW = last week (NEW = first week on the chart), Peak = highest position reached up to this week, Wks = weeks on the chart up to this week.
| TW | LW | Peak | Wks | Song / Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | Hit The Road Jack Ray Charles and his Orchestra |
| 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | Runaround Sue Dion |
| 3 | 5 | 3 | 6 | Bristol Stomp The Dovells |
| 4 | 2 | 2 | 10 | Crying Roy Orbison |
| 5 | 6 | 5 | 7 | You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby Bobby Darin |
| 6 | 3 | 1 | 11 | Take Good Care Of My Baby Bobby Vee |
| 7 | 18 | 7 | 7 | Sad Movies (Make Me Cry) Sue Thompson |
| 8 | 17 | 8 | 3 | Big Bad John Jimmy Dean |
| 9 | 10 | 7 | 10 | Mexico Bob Moore and His Orch. |
| 10 | 14 | 10 | 6 | Ya Ya Lee Dorsey |
| 11 | 13 | 11 | 5 | This Time Troy Shondell |
| 12 | 12 | 12 | 7 | I Love How You Love Me The Paris Sisters |
| 13 | 9 | 9 | 7 | Let's Get Together Hayley Mills and Hayley Mills |
| 14 | 22 | 14 | 4 | The Fly Chubby Checker |
| 15 | 16 | 15 | 7 | The Way You Look Tonight The Lettermen |
| 16 | 7 | 2 | 12 | The Mountain's High Dick and DeeDee |
| 17 | 8 | 5 | 9 | Little Sister Elvis Presley |
| 18 | 19 | 18 | 8 | Look In My Eyes The Chantels |
| 19 | 24 | 19 | 6 | Sweets For My Sweet The Drifters |
| 20 | 28 | 20 | 4 | Don't Blame Me The Everly Brothers |
| 21 | 15 | 15 | 10 | Bless You Tony Orlando |
| 22 | 21 | 4 | 8 | (Marie's The Name) His Latest Flame Elvis Presley |
| 23 | 45 | 23 | 3 | Tower Of Strength Gene McDaniels |
| 24 | 46 | 24 | 8 | You're The Reason Bobby Edwards |
| 25 | 32 | 25 | 4 | (He's My) Dreamboat Connie Francis |
| 26 | 26 | 26 | 6 | Stick Shift Duals |
| 27 | 33 | 3 | 16 | My True Story The Jive Five With Joe Rene And Orchestra |
| 28 | 31 | 28 | 5 | So Long Baby Del Shannon |
| 29 | 30 | 9 | 8 | One Track Mind Bobby Lewis |
| 30 | 38 | 30 | 6 | (He's) The Great Impostor The Fleetwoods |
| 31 | 36 | 31 | 3 | Fool #1 Brenda Lee |
| 32 | 37 | 32 | 7 | Foot Stomping - Part 1 The Flares |
| 33 | 42 | 33 | 5 | I Understand (Just How You Feel) The G-Clefs |
| 34 | 39 | 34 | 3 | Everlovin' Rick Nelson |
| 35 | 52 | 35 | 7 | Please Mr. Postman The Marvelettes |
| 36 | 27 | 7 | 11 | Who Put The Bomp (In The Bomp, Bomp, Bomp) Barry Mann |
| 37 | 20 | 7 | 11 | Without You Johnny Tillotson |
| 38 | 58 | 38 | 3 | Anybody But Me Brenda Lee |
| 39 | 54 | 39 | 3 | A Wonder Like You Rick Nelson |
| 40 | 43 | 40 | 4 | I Really Love You The Stereos |
| 41 | 59 | 41 | 3 | Big John The Shirelles |
| 42 | 44 | 42 | 3 | What A Party Fats Domino |
| 43 | 29 | 29 | 8 | Candy Man Roy Orbison |
| 44 | 11 | 1 | 15 | Michael The Highwaymen |
| 45 | 34 | 29 | 12 | Missing You Ray Peterson |
| 46 | 25 | 25 | 6 | Take Five The Dave Brubeck Quartet |
| 47 | 35 | 19 | 9 | The Astronaut (Parts 1 & 2) Jose Jimenez |
| 48 | 71 | 48 | 4 | Hollywood Connie Francis |
| 49 | 55 | 14 | 12 | It's Gonna Work Out Fine Ike & Tina Turner |
| 50 | 67 | 50 | 2 | Moon River Jerry Butler |
| 51 | 41 | 41 | 4 | Movin' Bill Black's Combo |
| 52 | 60 | 52 | 3 | It's Just A House Without You Brook Benton |
| 53 | 23 | 5 | 11 | Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavor (On The Bedpost Over Night) Lonnie Donegan And His Skiffle Group |
| 54 | 49 | 20 | 11 | Let Me Belong To You Brian Hyland |
| 55 | 40 | 40 | 14 | Water Boy Don Shirley Trio |
| 56 | 47 | 17 | 10 | More Money For You And Me The Four Preps |
| 57 | 53 | 19 | 9 | Big Cold Wind Pat Boone |
| 58 | 79 | 58 | 2 | Heartaches The Marcels |
| 59 | 56 | 56 | 4 | Sad Movies (Make Me Cry) The Lennon Sisters |
| 60 | 78 | 60 | 5 | Just Out Of Reach (Of My Two Open Arms) Solomon Burke |
| 61 | 57 | 57 | 7 | Don't Get Around Much Anymore The Belmonts |
| 62 | 64 | 62 | 5 | Bright Lights Big City Jimmy Reed |
| 63 | 74 | 63 | 2 | Morning After Mar-Keys |
| 64 | 65 | 64 | 4 | Feel It Sam Cooke |
| 65 | 48 | 48 | 7 | Human Tommy Hunt |
| 66 | 72 | 66 | 4 | Your Last Goodbye Floyd Cramer |
| 67 | 76 | 67 | 4 | Please Don't Go Ral Donner |
| 68 | 89 | 68 | 2 | Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody Aretha Franklin |
| 69 | 51 | 51 | 6 | It's Your World Marty Robbins |
| 70 | 50 | 10 | 12 | When We Get Married The Dreamlovers |
| 71 | 83 | 71 | 5 | Tonight I Won't Be There Adam Wade |
| 72 | 94 | 72 | 2 | I Apologize Timi Yuro |
| 73 | 96 | 73 | 3 | Let True Love Begin Nat King Cole |
| 74 | 91 | 74 | 4 | Berlin Melody Billy Vaughn And His Orchestra |
| 75 | NEW | 75 | 1 | Young Boy Blues Ben E. King |
| 76 | NEW | 76 | 1 | I Wanna Thank You Bobby Rydell |
| 77 | NEW | 77 | 1 | September In The Rain Dinah Washington |
| 78 | NEW | 78 | 1 | I'll Be Seeing You Frank Sinatra |
| 79 | 80 | 79 | 3 | You Don't Know What It Means Jackie Wilson |
| 80 | 88 | 80 | 5 | Back To The Hop Danny & The Juniors |
| 81 | NEW | 81 | 1 | God, Country And My Baby Johnny Burnette |
| 82 | NEW | 71 | 5 | Don't Cry No More Bobby Bland |
| 83 | NEW | 83 | 1 | Rockin' Bicycle Fats Domino |
| 84 | NEW | 84 | 1 | Tonight Ferrante & Teicher |
| 85 | NEW | 85 | 1 | Under The Moon Of Love Curtis Lee |
| 86 | NEW | 86 | 1 | The Bridge Of Love Joe Dowell |
| 87 | 86 | 86 | 2 | Come September Billy Vaughn And His Orchestra |
| 88 | NEW | 88 | 1 | Goodbye Cruel World James Darren |
| 89 | 99 | 89 | 2 | Late Date The Parkays |
| 90 | 93 | 90 | 2 | Moon River Henry Mancini And His Orchestra |
| 91 | NEW | 91 | 1 | 'Til The Angels |
| 92 | 82 | 82 | 3 | Muskrat The Everly Brothers |
| 93 | NEW | 93 | 2 | Broken Heart And A Pillow Filled With Tears Patti Page |
| 94 | 97 | 94 | 2 | Guilty Of Loving You Jerry Fuller |
| 95 | NEW | 95 | 1 | Why Not Now Matt Monro |
| 96 | NEW | 96 | 1 | In The Middle Of A Heartache Wanda Jackson |
| 97 | NEW | 97 | 1 | For Me And My Gal Freddy Cannon |
| 98 | 100 | 98 | 2 | Make Believe Wedding The Castells |
| 99 | NEW | 99 | 1 | Gypsy Woman The Impressions |
| 100 | NEW | 100 | 1 | Backtrack Faron Young |
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