Billboard Hot 100 — November 20, 1961
The Billboard Hot 100 for the week of November 20, 1961. "Big Bad John" by Jimmy Dean held #1 for a 3rd straight week, on its way to 5 weeks on top. 13 songs entered the chart this week; the highest new entry was "Let's Twist Again" by Chubby Checker at #65, which would go on to peak at #8. The biggest climber was "Up A Lazy River" by Si Zentner And His Orchestra, up 33 places from #84 to #51.
Chart highlights
- At #1: "Big Bad John" by Jimmy Dean — 3 weeks at the top so far, 8 weeks on the chart since debuting October 2, 1961.
- New in the top 10: "Goodbye Cruel World" by James Darren (up from #12 to #4).
- Biggest fall: "Stick Shift" by Duals, down 40 places from #45 to #85.
- Longest run on this week's chart: "The Twist" by Chubby Checker, 20 weeks and counting (peak #1).
- Gone from the chart: "Take Good Care Of My Baby" by Bobby Vee after 15 weeks (peak #1); "You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby" by Bobby Darin after 11 weeks (peak #5); "Little Sister" by Elvis Presley after 13 weeks (peak #5).
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 | 8 | Big Bad John Jimmy Dean |
| 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 | Runaround Sue Dion |
| 3 | 3 | 3 | 8 | Fool #1 Brenda Lee |
| 4 | 12 | 4 | 6 | Goodbye Cruel World James Darren |
| 5 | 4 | 2 | 11 | Bristol Stomp The Dovells |
| 6 | 5 | 5 | 8 | Tower Of Strength Gene McDaniels |
| 7 | 6 | 1 | 11 | Hit The Road Jack Ray Charles and his Orchestra |
| 8 | 9 | 8 | 12 | Please Mr. Postman The Marvelettes |
| 9 | 8 | 6 | 10 | This Time Troy Shondell |
| 10 | 7 | 7 | 9 | The Fly Chubby Checker |
| 11 | 13 | 11 | 13 | You're The Reason Bobby Edwards |
| 12 | 15 | 5 | 12 | I Love How You Love Me The Paris Sisters |
| 13 | 29 | 13 | 6 | Tonight Ferrante & Teicher |
| 14 | 20 | 14 | 10 | I Understand (Just How You Feel) The G-Clefs |
| 15 | 19 | 15 | 5 | Crazy Patsy Cline |
| 16 | 16 | 16 | 8 | Everlovin' Rick Nelson |
| 17 | 10 | 5 | 12 | Sad Movies (Make Me Cry) Sue Thompson |
| 18 | 24 | 18 | 6 | God, Country And My Baby Johnny Burnette |
| 19 | 17 | 17 | 7 | Heartaches The Marcels |
| 20 | 11 | 11 | 8 | A Wonder Like You Rick Nelson |
| 21 | 30 | 21 | 6 | I Wanna Thank You Bobby Rydell |
| 22 | 26 | 22 | 7 | Moon River Jerry Butler |
| 23 | 14 | 8 | 12 | Let's Get Together Hayley Mills and Hayley Mills |
| 24 | 34 | 24 | 10 | Just Out Of Reach (Of My Two Open Arms) Solomon Burke |
| 25 | 18 | 7 | 11 | Ya Ya Lee Dorsey |
| 26 | 36 | 26 | 7 | Moon River Henry Mancini And His Orchestra |
| 27 | 55 | 1 | 20 | The Twist Chubby Checker |
| 28 | 32 | 28 | 6 | September In The Rain Dinah Washington |
| 29 | 57 | 29 | 2 | Run To Him Bobby Vee |
| 30 | 44 | 30 | 4 | Let There Be Drums Sandy Nelson |
| 31 | 46 | 31 | 4 | Walk On By Leroy Van Dyke |
| 32 | 38 | 25 | 12 | Foot Stomping - Part 1 The Flares |
| 33 | 21 | 21 | 8 | Big John The Shirelles |
| 34 | 22 | 2 | 15 | Crying Roy Orbison |
| 35 | 23 | 16 | 11 | Sweets For My Sweet The Drifters |
| 36 | 25 | 13 | 12 | The Way You Look Tonight The Lettermen |
| 37 | 49 | 37 | 6 | Gypsy Woman The Impressions |
| 38 | 33 | 14 | 9 | (He's My) Dreamboat Connie Francis |
| 39 | 43 | 39 | 7 | Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody Aretha Franklin |
| 40 | 41 | 28 | 10 | So Long Baby Del Shannon |
| 41 | 48 | 31 | 8 | Anybody But Me Brenda Lee |
| 42 | 52 | 42 | 6 | In The Middle Of A Heartache Wanda Jackson |
| 43 | 27 | 25 | 13 | Candy Man Roy Orbison |
| 44 | 39 | 39 | 9 | Please Don't Go Ral Donner |
| 45 | 62 | 45 | 2 | Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen Neil Sedaka |
| 46 | 28 | 28 | 5 | School Is In Gary U.S. Bonds |
| 47 | 66 | 47 | 4 | I Don't Know Why Linda Scott |
| 48 | 50 | 48 | 6 | Under The Moon Of Love Curtis Lee |
| 49 | 35 | 22 | 8 | What A Party Fats Domino |
| 50 | 53 | 50 | 6 | The Bridge Of Love Joe Dowell |
| 51 | 84 | 51 | 2 | Up A Lazy River Si Zentner And His Orchestra |
| 52 | 60 | 52 | 5 | Everybody's Gotta Pay Some Dues The Miracles |
| 53 | 68 | 53 | 3 | Your Ma Said You Cried In Your Sleep Last Night Kenny Dino |
| 54 | 65 | 54 | 5 | Blue Moon The Ventures |
| 55 | 70 | 55 | 2 | The Lion Sleeps Tonight The Tokens |
| 56 | 72 | 56 | 4 | Town Without Pity Gene Pitney |
| 57 | 81 | 57 | 5 | 'Til The Angels |
| 58 | 59 | 58 | 6 | I'll Be Seeing You Frank Sinatra |
| 59 | 63 | 59 | 3 | Smile Timi Yuro |
| 60 | 71 | 60 | 3 | Tonight Eddie Fisher |
| 61 | 75 | 61 | 3 | Language Of Love John D. Loudermilk |
| 62 | 37 | 25 | 11 | Take Five The Dave Brubeck Quartet |
| 63 | 58 | 58 | 5 | The Way I Am Jackie Wilson |
| 64 | 69 | 64 | 4 | Sometime Gene Thomas |
| 65 | NEW | 8 | 13 | Let's Twist Again Chubby Checker |
| 66 | 51 | 29 | 9 | I Really Love You The Stereos |
| 67 | 31 | 7 | 15 | Mexico Bob Moore and His Orch. |
| 68 | NEW | 68 | 1 | Peppermint Twist - Part I Joey Dee & the Starliters |
| 69 | 80 | 69 | 2 | Johnny Will Pat Boone |
| 70 | 76 | 70 | 6 | Three Steps From The Altar Shep And The Limelites |
| 71 | 74 | 71 | 6 | For Me And My Gal Freddy Cannon |
| 72 | 64 | 64 | 4 | Danny Boy Andy Williams |
| 73 | 90 | 73 | 3 | It's Too Soon To Know Etta James |
| 74 | 92 | 74 | 2 | Well, I Told You The Chantels |
| 75 | 88 | 68 | 5 | My Heart Belongs To Only You Jackie Wilson |
| 76 | 95 | 76 | 2 | A Certain Girl Ernie K-Doe |
| 77 | 78 | 77 | 4 | On Bended Knees Clarence Henry |
| 78 | 83 | 78 | 3 | The Gypsy Rover The Highwaymen |
| 79 | 67 | 67 | 5 | Somewhere Along The Way Steve Lawrence |
| 80 | NEW | 80 | 1 | When The Boy In Your Arms (Is The Boy In Your Heart) Connie Francis |
| 81 | 86 | 81 | 2 | It's All Because Linda Scott |
| 82 | 87 | 82 | 3 | I Cried My Last Tear Ernie K-Doe |
| 83 | NEW | 83 | 1 | Revenge Brook Benton |
| 84 | 85 | 84 | 2 | The Comancheros Claude King |
| 85 | 45 | 25 | 11 | Stick Shift Duals |
| 86 | 93 | 86 | 4 | I Wonder (If Your Love Will Ever Belong To Me) The Pentagons |
| 87 | 100 | 87 | 2 | Funny How Time Slips Away Jimmy Elledge |
| 88 | 89 | 88 | 2 | It Will Stand The Showmen |
| 89 | NEW | 89 | 1 | When I Fall In Love The Lettermen |
| 90 | NEW | 90 | 1 | If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody James Ray |
| 91 | NEW | 91 | 1 | Love (I'm So Glad) I Found You The Spinners |
| 92 | NEW | 92 | 1 | There's No Other (Like My Baby) The Crystals |
| 93 | NEW | 93 | 1 | Greetings (This is Uncle Sam) Valadiers |
| 94 | NEW | 94 | 1 | What A Walk Bobby Lewis |
| 95 | 99 | 95 | 2 | I Know (You Don't Love Me No More) Barbara George |
| 96 | 98 | 96 | 2 | Never, Never The Jive Five With Joe Rene And Orchestra |
| 97 | NEW | 97 | 1 | You're Following Me Perry Como |
| 98 | NEW | 97 | 3 | Turn Around, Look At Me Glen Campbell |
| 99 | NEW | 98 | 2 | Steps 1 And 2 Jack Scott |
| 100 | 91 | 91 | 2 | Tennessee Flat-Top Box Johnny Cash |
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