1962 Music Hits: Twist Records, Surf Rock, Girl Groups, Soul, Teen Idols, and Early ’60s Pop

1962 music hits caught pop music in motion. The Twist was still going strong, surf rock was starting to rise, girl groups were moving toward their golden age, country and folk crossed into pop, and instrumental records could still become major hits. It was the kind of year where Misirlou, Twist and Shout, Do You Love Me, Can’t Help Falling in Love, The Loco-Motion, and Green Onions could all share radio space without anyone calling a meeting.

Chubby Checker’s The Twist had already been a bigger hit in 1960, but it returned to No. 1 in 1962, which made the dance craze feel almost impossible to escape. The year also brought Big Girls Don’t Cry, Sherry, Duke of Earl, Surfin’ Safari, Telstar, Stranger on the Shore, I Left My Heart in San Francisco, and Return to Sender.

The songs below mix early surf guitar, dance crazes, R&B, soul, teen pop, doo-wop leftovers, country crossover, folk, novelty records, instrumentals, and adult pop. 1962 still had plenty of polished early-’60s sweetness, but it also had grit, groove, saxophones, bongo drums, and enough of a twist to make everyone’s knees file a complaint.

Top 10 Songs of 1962

Misirlou – Dick Dale & His Del-Tones
Twist and Shout – The Isley Brothers
Do You Love Me – The Contours
Can’t Help Falling in Love – Elvis Presley
You Belong to Me – The Duprees
The Loco-Motion – Little Eva
Let’s Dance – Chris Montez
Return to Sender – Elvis Presley
Limbo Rock – Chubby Checker
Big Girls Don’t Cry – The Four Seasons

1962 Music Hits by Style

Twist, Dance Crazes, and Party Records

Dance records were everywhere in 1962. The Twist had already reshaped pop culture, but the dance-floor momentum kept rolling with Limbo Rock, Twistin’ the Night Away, Peppermint Twist, Slow Twistin’, The Wah-Watusi, Mashed Potato Time, and The Loco-Motion. Pop radio sounded like it was giving instructions and taking attendance.

These songs worked because they were simple, physical, and instantly social. A record did not just play; it told people what to do next. 1962 had a lot of dance steps, and almost all of them looked better before someone’s uncle tried them at a wedding.

The Loco-Motion – Little Eva
Limbo Rock – Chubby Checker
Twistin’ the Night Away – Sam Cooke
The Wah-Watusi – The Orlons
Peppermint Twist – Joey Dee & The Starliters
Mashed Potato Time – Dee Dee Sharp
Ride! – Dee Dee Sharp
Slow Twistin’ – Chubby Checker & Dee Dee Sharp
Dear Lady Twist – Gary U.S. Bonds
Shout – Joey Dee & The Starliters
Party Lights – Claudine Clark
Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out) – Ernie Maresca

Surf Rock, Hot Rod Songs, and Instrumentals

Surf rock was still emerging in 1962, but the sound was already becoming unmistakable. Dick Dale’s Misirlou gave surf guitar one of its most thrilling signatures, while The Beach Boys’ Surfin’ Safari, Surfin’, and 409 started building the California mythology that would soon define a whole branch of American pop.

Instrumentals were also still major players. Booker T. & The M.G.’s gave the year Green Onions, The Tornadoes delivered the space-age hit Telstar, David Rose turned The Stripper into a pop-culture cue, and Mr. Acker Bilk’s Stranger on the Shore proved a clarinet could still take over a radio.

Misirlou – Dick Dale & His Del-Tones
Surfin’ Safari – The Beach Boys
Surfin’ – The Beach Boys
409 – The Beach Boys
Green Onions – Booker T. & The M.G.’s
Telstar – The Tornadoes
The Stripper – David Rose & His Orchestra
Stranger on the Shore – Mr. Acker Bilk
Alley Cat – Bent Fabric
Baby Elephant Walk – Lawrence Welk
Route 66 Theme – Nelson Riddle
Bongo Stomp – Little Joey & The Flips
Rinky Dink – Dave “Baby” Cortez
…And Then There Were Drums – Sandy Nelson
Tuff – Ace Cannon
The Lonely Bull (El Solo Toro) – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

R&B, Soul, and Early Motown Momentum

R&B and soul were moving forward quickly in 1962. Ray Charles had a huge year with Unchain My Heart, I Can’t Stop Loving You, You Don’t Know Me, You Are My Sunshine, and his warm duet version of Baby, It’s Cold Outside with Betty Carter. Sam Cooke also hit hard with Twistin’ the Night Away, Having a Party, and Bring It On Home to Me.

Motown and vocal-group R&B kept gaining traction through The Contours, Mary Wells, The Marvelettes, The Shirelles, and Eddie Holland. 1962 was not fully the Motown takeover yet, but the signs were everywhere. Detroit was already warming up the engine.

Do You Love Me – The Contours
Unchain My Heart – Ray Charles
I Can’t Stop Loving You – Ray Charles
You Don’t Know Me – Ray Charles
You Are My Sunshine – Ray Charles
Baby, It’s Cold Outside – Ray Charles & Betty Carter
Twistin’ the Night Away – Sam Cooke
Having a Party – Sam Cooke
Bring It On Home to Me – Sam Cooke
You Beat Me to the Punch – Mary Wells
The One Who Really Loves You – Mary Wells
Beechwood 4-5789 – The Marvelettes
Playboy – The Marvelettes
Soldier Boy – The Shirelles
Jamie – Eddie Holland
Release Me – Little Esther Phillips

Doo-Wop, Vocal Groups, and Teen Harmony

Doo-wop and vocal harmony were still strong in 1962. The Duprees’ You Belong to Me, The Shirelles’ Baby, It’s You, The Cookies’ Chains, The Sensations’ Let Me In, The Angels’ ’Til, and The Belmonts’ Come On Little Angel kept the harmony tradition close to pop radio.

The early 1960s were full of records that sat between doo-wop, teen pop, girl groups, and smooth vocal pop. They were sweet, dramatic, catchy, and sometimes just one background harmony away from a slow dance under gym lights.

You Belong to Me – The Duprees
Baby, It’s You – The Shirelles
Soldier Boy – The Shirelles
Chains – The Cookies
Let Me In – The Sensations
What’s Your Name – Don & Juan
She Cried – Jay & The Americans
’Til – The Angels
Come On Little Angel – The Belmonts
I Sold My Heart to the Junkman – The Blue-Belles
Don’t Hang Up – The Orlons
Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow – The Rivingtons

Teen Idols, Elvis, and Mainstream Pop

Mainstream pop in 1962 still had plenty of teen idols, polished crooners, and clean-cut radio favorites. Elvis Presley remained a major chart presence with Can’t Help Falling in Love, Return to Sender, Good Luck Charm, and She’s Not You. Neil Sedaka, Gene Pitney, Connie Francis, Shelley Fabares, Bobby Vinton, Brian Hyland, and Nat King Cole all helped define the year’s melodic pop side.

These songs were often romantic, dramatic, and built for big choruses. They were the kind of records that made heartbreak sound tidy enough for a jukebox, which is a neat trick if you can pull it off.

Can’t Help Falling in Love – Elvis Presley
Return to Sender – Elvis Presley
Good Luck Charm – Elvis Presley
She’s Not You – Elvis Presley
Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen – Neil Sedaka
Breaking Up Is Hard to Do – Neil Sedaka
Town Without Pity – Gene Pitney
Only Love Can Break a Heart – Gene Pitney
Johnny Angel – Shelley Fabares
Roses Are Red (My Love) – Bobby Vinton
Sealed with a Kiss – Brian Hyland
Ramblin’ Rose – Nat King Cole
Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You – Connie Francis
Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream) – Roy Orbison
Young World – Rick Nelson
Dear One – Larry Finnegan

Country, Folk, and Story Songs

Country and folk records were also part of the 1962 mix. Claude King’s Wolverton Mountain, Ray Charles’ country-influenced pop crossover hits, The Highwaymen’s Cotton Fields, and Peter, Paul & Mary’s If I Had a Hammer and Lemon Tree all showed how broad pop radio could be.

The early 1960s folk revival was gaining visibility, while country story songs were still crossing over. 1962 could move from surf guitars to folk harmonies to country heartbreak without changing stations. Radio had range.

Wolverton Mountain – Claude King
Cotton Fields – The Highwaymen
If I Had a Hammer – Peter, Paul & Mary
Lemon Tree – Peter, Paul & Mary
Where Have All the Flowers Gone – The Kingston Trio
Patches – Dickey Lee
Little Black Book – Jimmy Dean
I Can’t Stop Loving You – Ray Charles
You Don’t Know Me – Ray Charles

Novelty, Comedy, and “Only in 1962” Songs

1962 had a strong novelty streak. Speedy Gonzales, Ahab, the Arab, Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow, Baby Elephant Walk, and Alley Cat all helped make the year strange, funny, and extremely memorable.

Novelty records were part of early-1960s pop culture, and radio made room for them beside serious ballads and R&B hits. Some of them are very much products of their time, but they still show how unpredictable the charts could be.

Speedy Gonzales – Pat Boone
Ahab, the Arab – Ray Stevens
Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow – The Rivingtons
Baby Elephant Walk – Lawrence Welk
Alley Cat – Bent Fabric
Dear Lady Twist – Gary U.S. Bonds
Rinky Dink – Dave “Baby” Cortez
The Lonely Bull (El Solo Toro) – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

Classic Pop, Jazz, and International Sounds

1962 was also a year for elegant adult pop, jazz crossover, and international sounds. Tony Bennett’s I Left My Heart in San Francisco, Sammy Davis Jr.’s What Kind of Fool Am I?, Mr. Acker Bilk’s Stranger on the Shore, and Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd’s Desafinado all added sophistication to the year’s pop mix.

Bossa nova was also entering wider American awareness. Desafinado and the Jazz Samba era helped set the stage for the bossa nova boom that would grow even stronger soon after.

I Left My Heart in San Francisco – Tony Bennett
What Kind of Fool Am I? – Sammy Davis Jr.
Me and My Shadow – Frank Sinatra & Sammy Davis Jr.
Stranger on the Shore – Mr. Acker Bilk
Desafinado – Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd
Midnight in Moscow – Kenny Ball
Baby, It’s Cold Outside – Ray Charles & Betty Carter
Route 66 Theme – Nelson Riddle

Overlap note: Several 1962 songs naturally fit multiple styles. The Loco-Motion is a dance craze, a girl-group-adjacent pop record, and a Brill Building-era classic. Green Onions is an instrumental, an R&B groove, and a future movie soundtrack favorite. Misirlou works as surf guitar, instrumental rock, and the sound of someone driving too fast in a movie scene before movies fully knew what to do with it.

1962 Top 100 Music Hits Chart

Misirlou – Dick Dale & His Del-Tones
Twist and Shout – The Isley Brothers
Do You Love Me – The Contours
Can’t Help Falling in Love – Elvis Presley
You Belong to Me – The Duprees
The Loco-Motion – Little Eva
Let’s Dance – Chris Montez
Return to Sender – Elvis Presley
Limbo Rock – Chubby Checker
Big Girls Don’t Cry – The Four Seasons
Party Lights – Claudine Clark
Twistin’ the Night Away – Sam Cooke
The Wah-Watusi – The Orlons
Duke of Earl – Gene Chandler
Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen – Neil Sedaka
Surfin’ Safari – The Beach Boys
Good Luck Charm – Elvis Presley
Hey! Baby – Bruce Channel
Alley Cat – Bent Fabric
Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out) – Ernie Maresca
Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream) – Roy Orbison
The Stripper – David Rose & His Orchestra
Desafinado – Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd
Unchain My Heart – Ray Charles
The Wanderer – Dion
Town Without Pity – Gene Pitney
Green Onions – Booker T. & The M.G.’s
Sherry – The Four Seasons
Having a Party – Sam Cooke
I Can’t Stop Loving You – Ray Charles
Soldier Boy – The Shirelles
Breaking Up Is Hard to Do – Neil Sedaka
Peppermint Twist – Joey Dee & The Starliters
Lovers Who Wander – Dion
Surfin’ – The Beach Boys
What’s Your Name – Don & Juan
Baby, It’s Cold Outside – Ray Charles & Betty Carter
Baby Elephant Walk – Lawrence Welk
Johnny Angel – Shelley Fabares
Baby, It’s You – The Shirelles
Bring It On Home to Me – Sam Cooke
Bongo Stomp – Little Joey & The Flips
Palisades Park – Freddy Cannon
I Left My Heart in San Francisco – Tony Bennett
Route 66 Theme – Nelson Riddle
You Beat Me to the Punch – Mary Wells
I Sold My Heart to the Junkman – The Blue-Belles
Beechwood 4-5789 – The Marvelettes
Telstar – The Tornadoes
Me and My Shadow – Frank Sinatra & Sammy Davis Jr.
Stranger on the Shore – Mr. Acker Bilk
Sheila – Tommy Roe
Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You – Connie Francis
Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow – The Rivingtons
Midnight in Moscow – Kenny Ball
Bobby’s Girl – Marcie Blane
You Don’t Know Me – Ray Charles
Shout – Joey Dee & The Starliters
Norman – Sue Thompson
Roses Are Red (My Love) – Bobby Vinton
I Know (You Don’t Love Me No More) – Barbara George
She Cried – Jay & The Americans
Let Me In – The Sensations
What Kind of Fool Am I? – Sammy Davis Jr.
Young World – Rick Nelson
Mashed Potato Time – Dee Dee Sharp
Ride! – Dee Dee Sharp
Chains – The Cookies
Speedy Gonzales – Pat Boone
Don’t Hang Up – The Orlons
Wolverton Mountain – Claude King
You Are My Sunshine – Ray Charles
Playboy – The Marvelettes
409 – The Beach Boys
Lover Please – Clyde McPhatter
’Til – The Angels
Release Me – Little Esther Phillips
Sealed with a Kiss – Brian Hyland
The One Who Really Loves You – Mary Wells
Ramblin’ Rose – Nat King Cole
Dear Lady Twist – Gary U.S. Bonds
Slow Twistin’ – Chubby Checker & Dee Dee Sharp
Rinky Dink – Dave “Baby” Cortez
Only Love Can Break a Heart – Gene Pitney
Dear One – Larry Finnegan
…And Then There Were Drums – Sandy Nelson
Come On Little Angel – The Belmonts
Patches – Dickey Lee
Jamie – Eddie Holland
Little Black Book – Jimmy Dean
Hide & Go Seek – Bunker Hill
The Lonely Bull (El Solo Toro) – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
Cotton Fields – The Highwaymen
If I Had a Hammer – Peter, Paul & Mary
Tuff – Ace Cannon
Ahab, the Arab – Ray Stevens
Where Have All the Flowers Gone – The Kingston Trio
Lemon Tree – Peter, Paul & Mary
She’s Not You – Elvis Presley

1962 Music Trivia

The Twist had already changed pop culture in 1960, but it returned to No. 1 in 1962, making Chubby Checker’s dance hit one of the strangest repeat chart stories in rock-and-roll history.
Misirlou became one of surf rock’s most recognizable guitar records, and its later pop-culture life made it feel even bigger than its original chart run.
Green Onions by Booker T. & The M.G.’s became one of the great instrumental grooves of the era and helped define the Stax sound.
Telstar by The Tornadoes captured the early space-age mood of the 1960s, arriving in the same year the Telstar communications satellite helped make live transatlantic television possible.
Desafinado helped introduce many American listeners to bossa nova through the Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd Jazz Samba era.
Ray Charles’ country-flavored crossover success in 1962 showed that pop, R&B, jazz, and country could overlap far more than genre purists sometimes admitted.
The Beach Boys were just starting to build their California surf identity in 1962, with Surfin’ Safari, Surfin’, and 409 setting up the bigger wave that followed.
Novelty hits like Speedy Gonzales, Ahab, the Arab, and Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow show how much room early-1960s pop radio still made for oddball records.