1961 Billboard Number One Hits: Every Hot 100 Chart-Topper

The 1961 Billboard Number One Hits list captured early-1960s pop before the British Invasion, when teen idols, vocal groups, instrumentals, dance records, country crossover, early Motown, R&B, and story songs all reached No. 1. Elvis Presley opened the year with Are You Lonesome Tonight?, Bobby Lewis ruled the summer with Tossin’ and Turnin’, and The Tokens closed the year with The Lion Sleeps Tonight.

This page follows the Billboard Hot 100 issue dates for 1961, shown here as reader-friendly weekly date ranges. Because Billboard chart weeks can cross calendar years, this list begins with Elvis Presley’s late-1960 carryover and continues into early 1962 with The Tokens’ The Lion Sleeps Tonight.

The Billboard Hot 100 ranks the most popular songs in the United States using radio airplay and sales. These are official Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 songs, not pop-only, R&B-only, country-only, adult-contemporary-only, or “this was definitely playing while someone adjusted the rabbit ears on the TV” rankings.

1961 Billboard Number One Hits by Week

January 1 – January 7, 1961: Are You Lonesome Tonight? – Elvis Presley
January 8 – January 28, 1961: Wonderland by Night – Bert Kaempfert
January 29 – February 11, 1961: Will You Love Me Tomorrow – The Shirelles
February 12 – February 25, 1961: Calcutta – Lawrence Welk
February 26 – March 18, 1961: Pony Time – Chubby Checker
March 19 – April 1, 1961: Surrender – Elvis Presley
April 2 – April 22, 1961: Blue Moon – The Marcels
April 23 – May 13, 1961: Runaway – Del Shannon
May 14 – May 20, 1961: Mother-in-Law – Ernie K-Doe
May 21 – May 27, 1961: Travelin’ Man – Ricky Nelson
May 28 – June 3, 1961: Running Scared – Roy Orbison
June 4 – June 10, 1961: Travelin’ Man – Ricky Nelson
June 11 – June 17, 1961: Moody River – Pat Boone
June 18 – July 1, 1961: Quarter to Three – Gary U.S. Bonds
July 2 – August 19, 1961: Tossin’ and Turnin’ – Bobby Lewis
August 20 – August 26, 1961: Wooden Heart – Joe Dowell
August 27 – September 9, 1961: Michael – The Highwaymen
September 10 – September 30, 1961: Take Good Care of My Baby – Bobby Vee
October 1 – October 14, 1961: Hit the Road Jack – Ray Charles
October 15 – October 28, 1961: Runaround Sue – Dion
October 29 – December 2, 1961: Big Bad John – Jimmy Dean
December 3 – December 9, 1961: Please Mr. Postman – The Marvelettes
December 10, 1961 – January 6, 1962: The Lion Sleeps Tonight – The Tokens

Song-by-Song Notes on the 1961 Billboard No. 1 Hits

Are You Lonesome Tonight? – Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley opened the 1961 Billboard Hot 100 calendar with Are You Lonesome Tonight?, a late-1960 carryover. The song’s spoken-word bridge and dramatic mood made it one of Elvis’ most memorable ballads from his post-Army period.

Its one 1961 chart week helped bridge Elvis’ 1960 comeback momentum into the new year. He was still one of the biggest singles artists in America, and the Hot 100 had not misplaced his phone number.

Wonderland by Night – Bert Kaempfert

Bert Kaempfert spent three weeks at No. 1 with Wonderland by Night, a lush instrumental led by trumpet. The German bandleader’s recording showed that instrumental pop still had serious commercial strength in the early 1960s.

It was Kaempfert’s first Hot 100 entry and his only No. 1. Not bad for a record without lyrics, teen idols, or anyone doing the Twist.

Will You Love Me Tomorrow – The Shirelles

The Shirelles spent two weeks at No. 1 with Will You Love Me Tomorrow, written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. It became the first Hot 100 No. 1 by an all-female Black vocal group and one of the defining girl-group records of the early 1960s.

The song’s emotional honesty and elegant arrangement gave teen-pop romance a more adult question. It was sweet, but it was not simple.

Calcutta – Lawrence Welk

Lawrence Welk reached No. 1 with Calcutta, an instrumental tied to his television-band style. Welk was already a familiar face to American TV audiences, and the record gave him his only Hot 100 chart-topper.

Its two-week run is a reminder that the early Hot 100 still had room for older bandleaders beside rock-and-roll, R&B, and teen pop.

Pony Time – Chubby Checker

Chubby Checker spent three weeks at No. 1 with Pony Time, another dance-craze single following his enormous success with The Twist. The song helped keep Checker at the center of the early-1960s dance-record boom.

The title gave listeners the instructions, and the beat handled the rest. The early 1960s did not lack cardio.

Surrender – Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley returned to No. 1 with Surrender, adapted from the Italian song Torna a Surriento. The record blended Elvis’ pop-ballad style with a dramatic, almost operatic melody.

Its two-week run made Presley the only act with more than one Hot 100 No. 1 song during the 1961 issue-date year.

Blue Moon – The Marcels

The Marcels spent three weeks at No. 1 with Blue Moon, a doo-wop remake of the Rodgers and Hart standard. Their version opened with one of the most recognizable nonsense-syllable intros in pop history.

The song turned an old standard into a rock-and-roll-era hit. Somewhere, a traditionalist probably dropped a teacup.

Runaway – Del Shannon

Del Shannon spent four weeks at No. 1 with Runaway, one of the greatest early-1960s pop-rock singles. Its dramatic vocal and Max Crook’s Musitron keyboard solo gave the song a futuristic edge.

The record became Shannon’s signature hit and one of the year’s most enduring rock-and-roll records.

Mother-in-Law – Ernie K-Doe

Ernie K-Doe reached No. 1 with Mother-in-Law, a New Orleans R&B hit written and produced by Allen Toussaint. The song’s comic complaint and tight groove gave K-Doe his only Hot 100 chart-topper.

It remains one of the funnier No. 1 songs of the era. Family harmony was not exactly the theme, but the rhythm section behaved beautifully.

Travelin’ Man – Ricky Nelson

Ricky Nelson reached No. 1 with Travelin’ Man, a smooth pop song about romantic stops around the world. The song’s global postcard lyric fit Nelson’s clean teen-idol image.

Its run was interrupted by Roy Orbison’s Running Scared, then it returned to No. 1 for one more week. Apparently, the travel schedule had a layover.

Running Scared – Roy Orbison

Roy Orbison reached No. 1 with Running Scared, his first Hot 100 chart-topper. The song builds slowly toward one of Orbison’s trademark dramatic vocal climaxes.

Its one-week run was short, but it announced the emotional intensity that would define many of Orbison’s greatest records. Few singers made anxiety sound this grand.

Moody River – Pat Boone

Pat Boone reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 with Moody River, a dramatic pop ballad with a dark storyline. Boone had topped earlier Billboard pop charts before the Hot 100 era, but this was his only No. 1 on the consolidated Hot 100.

Its one-week run gave Boone one more major singles-chart moment as pop tastes were shifting toward R&B, rock, and younger vocal groups.

Quarter to Three – Gary U.S. Bonds

Gary U.S. Bonds spent two weeks at No. 1 with Quarter to Three, a rough, party-like R&B-and-rock-and-roll record. The song’s live-sounding production made it feel like a club performance breaking loose on the radio.

Its success helped make Bonds one of the early 1960s’ most energetic party-record voices. It sounds like the microphones barely survived.

Tossin’ and Turnin’ – Bobby Lewis

Bobby Lewis spent seven weeks at No. 1 with Tossin’ and Turnin’, the longest Hot 100 run of 1961. It was also Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 song of the year.

The song turns sleepless romantic frustration into a joyful R&B party record. Insomnia has rarely sounded this danceable.

Wooden Heart – Joe Dowell

Joe Dowell reached No. 1 with Wooden Heart, a song associated with Elvis Presley’s film G.I. Blues. Dowell’s version topped the U.S. Hot 100, while Elvis’ recording was better known internationally.

The song’s German folk roots and pop arrangement made it one of 1961’s more unusual chart-toppers.

Michael – The Highwaymen

The Highwaymen spent two weeks at No. 1 with Michael, a folk-pop version of the spiritual Michael, Row the Boat Ashore. The song reflected the growing commercial strength of folk music in the early 1960s.

Its success helped prepare the chart for more folk and folk-rock influence later in the decade.

Take Good Care of My Baby – Bobby Vee

Bobby Vee spent three weeks at No. 1 with Take Good Care of My Baby, written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. The song became Vee’s biggest hit and one of the era’s most polished teen-pop records.

Its gentle heartbreak fit early-1960s radio perfectly: sad enough to matter, sweet enough to hum.

Hit the Road Jack – Ray Charles

Ray Charles spent two weeks at No. 1 with Hit the Road Jack, one of his most famous pop and R&B crossover hits. The call-and-response vocal between Charles and Margie Hendrix gave the record its bite.

The song later won a Grammy Award and became one of the most quoted send-off records in American music. Few exits have had better rhythm.

Runaround Sue – Dion

Dion spent two weeks at No. 1 with Runaround Sue, a doo-wop-influenced rock-and-roll hit. The song’s handclap rhythm and street-corner vocal energy made it one of Dion’s defining solo records.

Its success helped move him beyond Dion and the Belmonts and into a strong solo career.

Big Bad John – Jimmy Dean

Jimmy Dean spent five weeks at No. 1 with Big Bad John, a spoken-sung story song about a heroic coal miner. The record also topped Billboard’s country and easy listening charts, making it one of the year’s strongest crossover hits.

Its booming narration and dramatic ending made it a natural radio story record. Big John did not say much, but the chart did.

Please Mr. Postman – The Marvelettes

The Marvelettes reached No. 1 with Please Mr. Postman, the first Motown single to top the Billboard Hot 100. Its urgent vocal, handclaps, and mail-waiting lyric made it one of the key early Motown breakthroughs.

The song later returned to No. 1 in a version by The Carpenters in 1975, giving the mail route a second chart delivery.

The Lion Sleeps Tonight – The Tokens

The Tokens closed the 1961 Billboard Hot 100 year with The Lion Sleeps Tonight, which carried into January 1962. The song’s roots trace back to Solomon Linda’s South African song Mbube, giving it a long and complicated history before its American pop success.

Its cross-year run made it one of the most famous vocal-group records of the early 1960s. The lion slept, woke up, joined oldies radio, and eventually wandered into movie history.

Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Stories of 1961

Tossin’ and Turnin’ Was Billboard’s Year-End No. 1

Bobby Lewis’ Tossin’ and Turnin’ spent seven weeks at No. 1 and finished as Billboard’s top Hot 100 song of 1961. Its long summer run made Lewis the act with the most weeks at No. 1 that year.

Elvis Presley Was the Only Repeat No. 1 Act

Elvis Presley topped the 1961 Hot 100 with Are You Lonesome Tonight? and Surrender. He was the only act with two No. 1 songs during the issue-date year.

Motown Reached No. 1 for the First Time

The Marvelettes’ Please Mr. Postman became the first Motown single to top the Billboard Hot 100. That made it one of the most important early milestones for the Detroit label.

Instrumentals Still Had Real Chart Power

Wonderland by Night and Calcutta both reached No. 1 in early 1961. The early Hot 100 still had room for bandleaders and instrumentals beside Elvis, teen idols, vocal groups, and R&B hits.

Story Songs and Folk-Pop Were Strong

Big Bad John, Michael, and The Lion Sleeps Tonight showed that narrative, folk-based, and traditional-rooted material could still reach the top of the pop chart before rock bands took over later in the decade.

1961 Billboard Number One Hits Trivia

Tossin’ and Turnin’ by Bobby Lewis was Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 song of 1961.
Tossin’ and Turnin’ spent seven weeks at No. 1, the longest Hot 100 run of the year.
Elvis Presley was the only act with two No. 1 songs during the 1961 issue-date year.
Travelin’ Man had an interrupted No. 1 run when Roy Orbison’s Running Scared briefly took over.
Will You Love Me Tomorrow was a major early girl-group milestone.
Please Mr. Postman was Motown’s first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single.
Big Bad John topped the Hot 100, country, and easy listening charts.
Hit the Road Jack became one of Ray Charles’ signature crossover hits.
The Lion Sleeps Tonight closed 1961 and carried into the 1962 Billboard chart year.

Why the 1961 Billboard Number One Hits Matter

The 1961 Billboard Number One Hits list shows early-1960s pop before the Beatles, before Motown’s full explosion, and before rock bands fully took over the Hot 100. The year still had room for Elvis Presley, instrumental bandleaders, doo-wop, girl groups, teen idols, R&B, country crossover, folk-pop, and novelty-flavored records.

The year also gave us several chart firsts and turning points: Motown’s first No. 1, The Shirelles’ breakthrough, Roy Orbison’s first No. 1, and Bobby Lewis’ seven-week summer run. It was a transitional year, but not a quiet one.

For chart fans, 1961 had lonesome Elvis, twist-era energy, runaway heartbreak, a very demanding mother-in-law, sleepless Bobby Lewis, Big Bad John, Motown’s first delivery, and a lion waiting at the edge of 1962.