List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1961 explained

These are the Billboard Hot 100 number one hits of 1961.

That year, 16 acts achieved their first number one song, such as Bert Kaempfert, The Shirelles, Lawrence Welk, The Marcels, Del Shannon, Ernie K-Doe, Roy Orbison, Gary U.S. Bonds, Bobby Lewis, Joe Dowell, The Highwaymen, Bobby Vee, Dion, Jimmy Dean, The Marvelettes, and The Tokens. Pat Boone, despite having most of his songs hit number one prior to the creation of the Hot 100, earns his first number one song on the chart.

Chart history

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The yellow background indicates the #1 song on Billboard's 1961 Year-End Chart of Pop Singles.

width=30		Issue date	Song	Artist(s)	Reference
bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center	42	January 2	"Are You Lonesome Tonight?"	Elvis Presley	^[1]
bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=3	43	January 9	"Wonderland by Night"	Bert Kaempfert	^[2]
January 16	^[3]
January 23	^[4]
bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=2	44	January 30	"Will You Love Me Tomorrow"	The Shirelles	^[5]
February 6	^[6]
bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=2	45	February 13	"Calcutta"	Lawrence Welk	^[7]
February 20	^[8]
bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=3	46	February 27	"Pony Time"	Chubby Checker	^[9]
March 6	^[10]
March 13	^[11]
bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=2	47	March 20	"Surrender"	Elvis Presley	^[12]
March 27	^[13]
bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=3	48	April 3	"Blue Moon"	The Marcels	^[14]
April 10	^[15]
April 17	^[16]
bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=4	49	April 24	"Runaway"	Del Shannon	^[17]
May 1	^[18]
May 8	^[19]
May 15	^[20]
bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center	50	May 22	"Mother-in-Law"	Ernie K-Doe	^[21]
bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center	51	May 29	"Travelin' Man"	Ricky Nelson	^[22]
bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center	52	June 5	"Running Scared"	Roy Orbison	^[23]
bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center	re	June 12	"Travelin' Man"	Ricky Nelson	^[24]
bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center	53	June 19	"Moody River"	Pat Boone	^[25]
bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=2	54	June 26	"Quarter to Three"	Gary U.S. Bonds	^[26]
July 3	^[27]
bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=7	55	July 10	bgcolor=#FFFF99 align="center" rowspan="7"	"Tossin' and Turnin'"	Bobby Lewis	^[28]
July 17	^[29]
July 24	^[30]
July 31	^[31]
August 7	^[32]
August 14	^[33]
August 21	^[34]
bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center	56	August 28	"Wooden Heart"	Joe Dowell	^[35]
bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=2	57	September 4	"Michael"	The Highwaymen	^[36]
September 11	^[37]
bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=3	58	September 18	"Take Good Care of My Baby"	Bobby Vee	^[38]
September 25	^[39]
October 2	^[40]
bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=2	59	October 9	"Hit the Road Jack"	Ray Charles	^[41]
October 16	^[42]
bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=2	60	October 23	"Runaround Sue"	Dion	^[43]
October 30	^[44]
bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=5	61	November 6	"Big Bad John"	Jimmy Dean	^[45]
November 13	^[46]
November 20	^[47]
November 27	^[48]
December 4	^[49]
bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center	62	December 11	"Please Mr. Postman"	The Marvelettes	^[50]
bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=2	63	December 18	"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"	The Tokens	^[51]
December 25	^[52]

Number-one artists

List of number-one artists by total weeks at number one! Position! Artist! Weeks at No. 1

1	Bobby Lewis	7
2	Jimmy Dean	5
3	Del Shannon	4
4	Bert Kaempfert	3
	Chubby Checker
	Elvis Presley
	The Marcels
	Bobby Vee
9	The Shirelles	2
	Lawrence Welk
	Ricky Nelson
	Gary U.S. Bonds
	The Highwaymen
	Ray Charles
	Dion
	The Tokens
17	Ernie K-Doe	1
	Roy Orbison
	Pat Boone
	Joe Dowell
	The Marvelettes

See also

• 1961 in music
• List of Billboard number-one singles
• List of Billboard Hot 100 top-ten singles in 1961
• List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles from 1958 to 1969

Sources

• Fred Bronson's Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits, 5th Edition
• Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2008, 12 Edition
• Joel Whitburn Presents the Billboard Hot 100 Charts: The Sixties
• Additional information obtained can be verified within Billboard's online archive services and print editions of the magazine.

Notes and References

1. Web site: January 2, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
2. Web site: January 9, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
3. Web site: January 16, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
4. Web site: January 23, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
5. Web site: January 30, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
6. Web site: February 6, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
7. Web site: February 13, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
8. Web site: February 20, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
9. Web site: February 27, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
10. Web site: March 6, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
11. Web site: March 13, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
12. Web site: March 20, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
13. Web site: March 27, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
14. Web site: April 3, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
15. Web site: April 10, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
16. Web site: April 17, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
17. Web site: April 24, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
18. Web site: May 1, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
19. Web site: May 8, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
20. Web site: May 15, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
21. Web site: May 22, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
22. Web site: May 29, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
23. Web site: June 5, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
24. Web site: June 12, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
25. Web site: June 19, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
26. Web site: June 26, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
27. Web site: July 3, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
28. Web site: July 10, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
29. Web site: July 17, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
30. Web site: July 24, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
31. Web site: July 31, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
32. Web site: August 7, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
33. Web site: August 14, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
34. Web site: August 21, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
35. Web site: August 28, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
36. Web site: September 4, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
37. Web site: September 11, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
38. Web site: September 18, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
39. Web site: September 25, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
40. Web site: October 2, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
41. Web site: October 9, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
42. Web site: October 16, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
43. Web site: October 23, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
44. Web site: October 30, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
45. Web site: November 6, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
46. Web site: November 13, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
47. Web site: November 20, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
48. Web site: November 27, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
49. Web site: December 4, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
50. Web site: December 11, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
51. Web site: December 18, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.
52. Web site: December 25, 1961. Billboard Hot 100.