Billboard Hot 100 — December 4, 1961
The Billboard Hot 100 for the week of December 4, 1961. "Big Bad John" by Jimmy Dean held #1 for a 5th straight week, the last week of its run. 18 songs entered the chart this week; the highest new entry was "Can't Help Falling In Love" by Elvis Presley With The Jordanaires at #57, which would go on to peak at #2. The biggest climber was "Soothe Me" by Sims Twins, up 28 places from #88 to #60.
Chart highlights
- At #1: "Big Bad John" by Jimmy Dean — 5 weeks at the top so far, 10 weeks on the chart since debuting October 2, 1961.
- New in the top 10: "The Twist" by Chubby Checker (up from #16 to #6); "Walk On By" by Leroy Van Dyke (up from #12 to #7); "I Understand (Just How You Feel)" by The G-Clefs (up from #14 to #9).
- Biggest fall: "Sometime" by Gene Thomas, down 36 places from #53 to #89.
- Longest run on this week's chart: "The Twist" by Chubby Checker, 22 weeks and counting (peak #1).
- Gone from the chart: "Crying" by Roy Orbison after 16 weeks (peak #2).
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 | 10 | Big Bad John Jimmy Dean |
| 2 | 3 | 2 | 14 | Please Mr. Postman The Marvelettes |
| 3 | 4 | 3 | 8 | Goodbye Cruel World James Darren |
| 4 | 2 | 1 | 11 | Runaround Sue Dion |
| 5 | 5 | 3 | 10 | Fool #1 Brenda Lee |
| 6 | 16 | 1 | 22 | The Twist Chubby Checker |
| 7 | 12 | 7 | 6 | Walk On By Leroy Van Dyke |
| 8 | 8 | 5 | 10 | Tower Of Strength Gene McDaniels |
| 9 | 14 | 9 | 12 | I Understand (Just How You Feel) The G-Clefs |
| 10 | 9 | 9 | 7 | Crazy Patsy Cline |
| 11 | 17 | 11 | 4 | Run To Him Bobby Vee |
| 12 | 13 | 12 | 8 | Tonight Ferrante & Teicher |
| 13 | 7 | 7 | 9 | Heartaches The Marcels |
| 14 | 20 | 14 | 9 | Moon River Jerry Butler |
| 15 | 11 | 7 | 11 | The Fly Chubby Checker |
| 16 | 27 | 16 | 6 | Let There Be Drums Sandy Nelson |
| 17 | 36 | 17 | 4 | The Lion Sleeps Tonight The Tokens |
| 18 | 6 | 2 | 13 | Bristol Stomp The Dovells |
| 19 | 10 | 6 | 12 | This Time Troy Shondell |
| 20 | 32 | 20 | 8 | Gypsy Woman The Impressions |
| 21 | 28 | 21 | 4 | Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen Neil Sedaka |
| 22 | 19 | 5 | 14 | I Love How You Love Me The Paris Sisters |
| 23 | 23 | 23 | 8 | September In The Rain Dinah Washington |
| 24 | 26 | 24 | 9 | Moon River Henry Mancini And His Orchestra |
| 25 | 18 | 11 | 10 | A Wonder Like You Rick Nelson |
| 26 | 38 | 26 | 6 | I Don't Know Why Linda Scott |
| 27 | 29 | 27 | 8 | In The Middle Of A Heartache Wanda Jackson |
| 28 | 15 | 11 | 15 | You're The Reason Bobby Edwards |
| 29 | 43 | 29 | 3 | Peppermint Twist - Part I Joey Dee & the Starliters |
| 30 | 24 | 24 | 12 | Just Out Of Reach (Of My Two Open Arms) Solomon Burke |
| 31 | 21 | 21 | 8 | I Wanna Thank You Bobby Rydell |
| 32 | 40 | 8 | 15 | Let's Twist Again Chubby Checker |
| 33 | 47 | 33 | 7 | 'Til The Angels |
| 34 | 35 | 25 | 14 | Foot Stomping - Part 1 The Flares |
| 35 | 55 | 35 | 3 | When I Fall In Love The Lettermen |
| 36 | 41 | 36 | 5 | Language Of Love John D. Loudermilk |
| 37 | 54 | 37 | 3 | When The Boy In Your Arms (Is The Boy In Your Heart) Connie Francis |
| 38 | 62 | 38 | 2 | Unchain My Heart Ray Charles and his Orchestra |
| 39 | 50 | 39 | 5 | Your Ma Said You Cried In Your Sleep Last Night Kenny Dino |
| 40 | 31 | 5 | 14 | Sad Movies (Make Me Cry) Sue Thompson |
| 41 | 60 | 41 | 4 | Well, I Told You The Chantels |
| 42 | 25 | 18 | 8 | God, Country And My Baby Johnny Burnette |
| 43 | 68 | 43 | 3 | There's No Other (Like My Baby) The Crystals |
| 44 | 44 | 44 | 6 | Town Without Pity Gene Pitney |
| 45 | 42 | 42 | 5 | Smile Timi Yuro |
| 46 | 57 | 46 | 5 | Tonight Eddie Fisher |
| 47 | 22 | 1 | 13 | Hit The Road Jack Ray Charles and his Orchestra |
| 48 | 30 | 16 | 10 | Everlovin' Rick Nelson |
| 49 | 37 | 37 | 9 | Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody Aretha Franklin |
| 50 | 45 | 45 | 4 | Up A Lazy River Si Zentner And His Orchestra |
| 51 | 33 | 8 | 14 | Let's Get Together Hayley Mills and Hayley Mills |
| 52 | 34 | 7 | 13 | Ya Ya Lee Dorsey |
| 53 | 63 | 53 | 5 | The Gypsy Rover The Highwaymen |
| 54 | 56 | 54 | 5 | It's Too Soon To Know Etta James |
| 55 | 66 | 55 | 4 | Johnny Will Pat Boone |
| 56 | 71 | 56 | 3 | Revenge Brook Benton |
| 57 | NEW | 57 | 1 | Can't Help Falling In Love Elvis Presley With The Jordanaires |
| 58 | 59 | 58 | 8 | Three Steps From The Altar Shep And The Limelites |
| 59 | NEW | 59 | 1 | The Peppermint Twist Danny Peppermint and the Jumping Jacks |
| 60 | 88 | 60 | 4 | Soothe Me Sims Twins |
| 61 | 74 | 61 | 4 | It's All Because Linda Scott |
| 62 | NEW | 62 | 1 | Rock-A-Hula Baby Elvis Presley With The Jordanaires |
| 63 | 76 | 63 | 4 | Funny How Time Slips Away Jimmy Elledge |
| 64 | NEW | 64 | 1 | The Majestic Dion |
| 65 | 80 | 65 | 4 | I Know (You Don't Love Me No More) Barbara George |
| 66 | NEW | 66 | 1 | Lonesome Number One Don Gibson |
| 67 | NEW | 67 | 1 | I Hear You Knocking Fats Domino |
| 68 | 78 | 68 | 2 | Hey! Little Girl Del Shannon |
| 69 | 72 | 69 | 5 | I Cried My Last Tear Ernie K-Doe |
| 70 | 52 | 52 | 7 | Everybody's Gotta Pay Some Dues The Miracles |
| 71 | 75 | 71 | 4 | A Certain Girl Ernie K-Doe |
| 72 | 67 | 64 | 6 | Danny Boy Andy Williams |
| 73 | 95 | 73 | 2 | Poor Fool Ike & Tina Turner |
| 74 | 87 | 74 | 3 | If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody James Ray |
| 75 | 85 | 75 | 4 | The Comancheros Claude King |
| 76 | 82 | 76 | 4 | It Will Stand The Showmen |
| 77 | 81 | 77 | 3 | What A Walk Bobby Lewis |
| 78 | 99 | 78 | 2 | Little Altar Boy Vic Dana |
| 79 | NEW | 79 | 1 | The Wanderer Dion |
| 80 | 77 | 77 | 4 | Never, Never The Jive Five With Joe Rene And Orchestra |
| 81 | NEW | 81 | 1 | Turn On Your Love Light Bobby Bland |
| 82 | 93 | 82 | 2 | Happy Times (Are Here To Stay) Tony Orlando |
| 83 | 91 | 83 | 2 | Searching Jack Eubanks |
| 84 | 100 | 84 | 2 | Cotton Fields The Highwaymen |
| 85 | 96 | 85 | 2 | Walkin' With My Angel Bobby Vee |
| 86 | NEW | 86 | 1 | Small Sad Sam Phil McLean |
| 87 | NEW | 87 | 1 | Unsquare Dance The Dave Brubeck Quartet |
| 88 | 90 | 88 | 4 | Tennessee Flat-Top Box Johnny Cash |
| 89 | 53 | 53 | 6 | Sometime Gene Thomas |
| 90 | NEW | 90 | 2 | Losing Your Love Jim Reeves |
| 91 | 94 | 91 | 2 | Let's Go Trippin' Dick Dale and The Del-Tones |
| 92 | 92 | 92 | 3 | You're Following Me Perry Como |
| 93 | NEW | 93 | 4 | Turn Around, Look At Me Glen Campbell |
| 94 | NEW | 94 | 1 | Norman Sue Thompson |
| 95 | NEW | 95 | 1 | (How Can I Write On Paper) What I Feel In My Heart Jim Reeves |
| 96 | NEW | 96 | 1 | Pop Goes The Weasel Anthony Newley |
| 97 | 98 | 97 | 3 | It Do Me So Good Ann-Margret |
| 98 | NEW | 98 | 1 | She Really Loves You Timi Yuro |
| 99 | NEW | 63 | 10 | Dreamy Eyes Johnny Tillotson |
| 100 | NEW | 100 | 1 | Walkin' Back To Happiness Helen Shapiro |
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