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Billboard Hot 100 Charts of 1961

Browse every weekly Billboard Hot 100 chart from 1961 — 52 charts in all. 22 different songs reached #1 during the year. The song that spent the most weeks at #1 during 1961 was "Tossin' And Turnin'" by Bobby Lewis (7 weeks on top). Bobby Lewis held the #1 spot for the most weeks of any artist that year.

52weekly charts
22different #1 songs
7weeks at #1 for the year's biggest song
35weeks on the chart for the year's longest-running debut

Number-one songs of 1961

Reached #1Weeks at #1SongArtist
November 28, 1960 (continued from 1960)6Are You Lonesome To-night?Elvis Presley With The Jordanaires
January 9, 19613Wonderland By NightBert Kaempfert And His Orchestra
January 30, 19612Will You Love Me TomorrowThe Shirelles
February 13, 19612CalcuttaLawrence Welk And His Orchestra
February 27, 19613Pony TimeChubby Checker
March 20, 19612SurrenderElvis Presley With The Jordanaires
April 3, 19613Blue MoonThe Marcels
April 24, 19614RunawayDel Shannon
May 22, 19611Mother-In-LawErnie K-Doe
May 29, 19611Travelin' ManRicky Nelson
June 5, 19611Running ScaredRoy Orbison
June 12, 19611Travelin' ManRicky Nelson
June 19, 19611Moody RiverPat Boone
June 26, 19612Quarter To ThreeU.S. Bonds
July 10, 19617Tossin' And Turnin'Bobby Lewis
August 28, 19611Wooden HeartJoe Dowell
September 4, 19612MichaelThe Highwaymen
September 18, 19613Take Good Care Of My BabyBobby Vee
October 9, 19612Hit The Road JackRay Charles and his Orchestra
October 23, 19612Runaround SueDion
November 6, 19615Big Bad JohnJimmy Dean
December 11, 19611Please Mr. PostmanThe Marvelettes
December 18, 19613The Lion Sleeps TonightThe Tokens

Artists with the most weeks at #1 in 1961

  1. Bobby Lewis — 7 weeks
  2. Jimmy Dean — 5 weeks
  3. Del Shannon — 4 weeks
  4. Elvis Presley With The Jordanaires — 3 weeks
  5. Bert Kaempfert And His Orchestra — 3 weeks

Longest-running hits that debuted in 1961

Weeks on chartPeakSongArtistDebuted
35#4Stand By MeBen E. KingMay 8, 1961
26#11Moon RiverHenry Mancini And His OrchestraOctober 9, 1961
23#1Tossin' And Turnin'Bobby LewisApril 24, 1961
23#1Please Mr. PostmanThe MarvelettesSeptember 4, 1961
23#8Let's Twist AgainChubby CheckerJune 19, 1961
20#12I Fall To PiecesPatsy ClineMay 22, 1961
19#3My True StoryThe Jive Five With Joe Rene And OrchestraJuly 3, 1961
19#3I Know (You Don't Love Me No More)Barbara GeorgeNovember 13, 1961
19#13Town Without PityGene PitneyOctober 30, 1961
18#1Peppermint Twist - Part IJoey Dee & the StarlitersNovember 20, 1961

Every chart from 1961

January 2, 1961 January 9, 1961 January 16, 1961 January 23, 1961 January 30, 1961 February 6, 1961 February 13, 1961 February 20, 1961 February 27, 1961 March 6, 1961 March 13, 1961 March 20, 1961 March 27, 1961 April 3, 1961 April 10, 1961 April 17, 1961 April 24, 1961 May 1, 1961 May 8, 1961 May 15, 1961 May 22, 1961 May 29, 1961 June 5, 1961 June 12, 1961 June 19, 1961 June 26, 1961 July 3, 1961 July 10, 1961 July 17, 1961 July 24, 1961 July 31, 1961 August 7, 1961 August 14, 1961 August 21, 1961 August 28, 1961 September 4, 1961 September 11, 1961 September 18, 1961 September 25, 1961 October 2, 1961 October 9, 1961 October 16, 1961 October 23, 1961 October 30, 1961 November 6, 1961 November 13, 1961 November 20, 1961 November 27, 1961 December 4, 1961 December 11, 1961 December 18, 1961 December 25, 1961
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