RADIO STATION WMCA/WABC’S (NEW YORK CITY) TOP SINGLES OF 1962 (TOP 14)*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NT6jfvAy0o
1-MASHED POTATO TIME-DEE DEE SHARP-CAMEO-APRIL 814
2-BIG GIRLS DON’T CRY-FOUR SEASONS-VEE JAY-November 710
3-DUKE OF EARL-GENE CHANDLER-VEE JAY-March 670
4-I CAN’T STOP LOVING YOU-RAY CHARLES-ABC Paramount-June 668
5-SHERRY-FOUR SEASONS-Vee Jay-September 656
6-THE TWIST-CHUBBY CHECKER-Parkway-January 656
7-ROSES ARE RED-BOBBY VINTON-Epic-July 648
8-SOLDIER BOY-Shirelles-Scepter-May 646
9-LIMBO ROCK-Chubby Checker-Parkway-December 630
10-TWIST AND SHOUT-ISLEY BROTHERS-Wand-August 606
11-The Peppermint Twist-Joey Dee & The Starliters-Roulette-January 602
12-Hey! Baby-Bruce Channel-Smash-March 600
13-Do You Love Me-Contours-Gordy-October 582
14-Tell Him-Exciters-United Artist-December 570
15-The Wanderer-Dion-Laurie-February 570
16-The Stripper-David Rose-MGM-June 554
17-The Loco-Motion-Little Eva-Dimension-August 550
18-Wah Watusi-Orlons-Cameo-July 520
19-He’s A Rebel-Crystals-Philles-November 508
20-Monster Mash-Bobby “Boris” Pickett-Garpax-October 482
21-Bobby’s Girl-Marcie Blane-Seville-December 480
22-Palisades Park-Freddy Cannon-Swan-July 478
23-Midnight In Moscow-Kenny Ball-Kapp-March 468
24-Playboy-Marvelettes-Tamla-June 466
25-The One Who Really Loves You-Mary Wells-Motown-June 462
26-Stranger On The Shore-Mr. Acker Bilk-Atco-May 448
27-Johnny Angel-Shelley Fabares-Colpix-April 438
28-Green Onions-Booker T. & The MGs-Stax-October 438
29-Slow Twistin’-Chubby Checker-Parkway-March 424
30-I Know-Barbara George-AFO-January 422
31-She Cried-Jay & The Americans-United Artist-May 410
32-Sealed With A Kiss-Brian Hyland-ABC Paramount-July 402
33-All Alone Am I-Brenda Lee-Decca-November 402
34-I Love You-Volumes-Chex-June 380
35-Baby It’s You-Shirelles-Scepter-February 378
36-Let Me In-Sensations-Argo-May 372
37-What’s Your Name-Don & Juan-Big Top-March 370
38-Return To Sender-Elvis Presley-RCA-November 368
39-Breaking Up Is Hard To Do-Neil Sedaka-RCA-July 368
40-Uptown-Crystals-Philles-April 360
41-Ramblin’Rose-Nat King Cole-Capitol-September 356
42-Let’s Dance-Chris Montez-Monogram-September 354
43-You’ll Lose A Good Thing-Barbara Lynn-Jamie-August 348
44-Smokey Places-Corsairs-Tuff-March 346
45-Twistin’ The Night Away-Sam Cooke-RCA-March 346
46-Sheila-Tommy Roe-ABC Paramount-September 342
47-Telstar-Tornadoes-London-December 340
48-Surfin’ Safari-Beach Boys-Capitol-October 336
49-You Belong To Me-Duprees-Coed-September 336
50-Afrikaan Beat-Bert Kaempfert-Decca-February 314
51-Party Lights-Claudine Clark-Chancellor-September 308
52-I Wish That We Were Married-Ronnie & the Hi-Lites-Joy-April 300
53-Al Di La-Emillo Pericoli-Warner Brothers-July 296
54-Don’t Hang Up-Orlons-Cameo-November 292
55-Love Letters-Kitty Lester-Era-April 288
56-Norman-Sue Thompson-Hickory-February 276
57-You Beat Me To The Punch-Mary Wells-Motown-September 274
58-Dear Lady Twist-Gary U.S. Bonds-LeGrande-February 272
59-Don’t Play That Song-Ben E. King-Atco-June 268
60-You Don’t Know Me-Ray Charles-ABC Paramount-September 264
61-Ride!-Dee Dee Sharp-Cameo-November 262
62-Remember Then-The Earls-Old Town-December 256
63-Only Love Can Break Your-Gene Pitney-Musicor-October 246
64-Shout-Joey Dee & The Starliters-Roulette-May 246
65-I Sold My Heart to the Junkman-The Blue-Belles-Newtown-May 246
66-Beechwood 4-5789-Marvelettes-Tamla-September 244
67-Desafinado-Stan Getz/Charlie Byrd-Verve-November 244
68-Bring It on Home to Me-Sam Cooke-RCA-August 240
69-What Kind of Fool Am I-Sammy Davis, Jr.-Reprise-November 234
70-Dear One-Larry Finnegan-Old Town-April 232
71-Zip-a-Dee Doo-Dah-Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans-Philles-December 228
72-Popeye-Chubby Checker-Parkway-October 218
73-A Wonderful Dream-Majors-Imperial-September 218
74-Release Me-“Little Esther”Phillips-Lenox-December 214
75-Any Day Now(My Wild Beautiful Bird)-Chuck Jackson-Wand-June 212
76-Can’t Help Falling In Love-Elvis Presley-RCA-January 210
77-Good Luck Charm-Elvis Presley-RCA-May 208
78-Speedy Gonzales-Pat Boone-Dot-August 194
79-Keep Your Hands Off My Baby-Little Eva-Dimension-December 194
80-Gravy(For My Mashed Potatoes)-Dee Dee Sharp-Cameo-July 174
81-Theme From Dr. Kildare-Richard Chamberlain-MGM-July 146
82-Echo-Emotions-Kapp-November 146
83-Snap Your Fingers-Joe Henderson-Todd-July 144
84-Soul Twist-King Curtis & Noble Knights-Enjoy-March 142
85-Lover Please-Clyde McPhatter-Mercury-May 140
86-Lie To Me-Brook Benton-Mercury-October 134
87-Don’t Break The Heart That Loves You-Connie Francis-MGM-April 120
88-Twist,Twist Senora-Gary U.S. Bonds-LeGrande-May 120
89-Patches-Dicky Lee-Smash-October 116
90-I Need Your Loving-Don Gardner & Dee Dee Ford-Fire-July 116
91-Village of Love-Nathaniel Mayer & Fabulous Twilights-Fortune-June 116
92-Town Without Pity-Gene Pitney-Musicor-January 114
93-Multiplication-Bobby Darin-Atco-January 114
94-Irresistible You-Bobby Darin-Atco-January 114
95-It Keeps Right On A Hurtin’-Johnny Tillotson-Cadence-June 110
96-Our Anniversary-Shep & the Limelites-Hull-February 106
97-Please Mr. Postman-The Marvelettes-Tamla-January 86
98-Wiggle Wobble-Les Cooper & the Soul Rockers-Everlast-December 82
99-Having a Party-Sam Cooke-RCA-July 80
100-Dream Baby-Roy Orbison-Monument-April 80
101-There’s No Other(Like My Baby)-The Crystals-Philles-January 80
102-Lovers Who Wander-Dion-Laurie-June 78
103-Wolverton Mountain-Claude King-Columbia-August 78
104-Break It To Me Gently-Brenda Lee-Decca-March 76
105-The Lonely Bull-The Tijuana Brass-A&M-December 74
106-Shout! Shout!(Knock Yourself Out)-Ernie Maresca-Seville-May 72
107-Young World-Rick Nelson-Imperial-April 72
108-She’s Not You-Elvis Presley-RCA-September 70
109-Ahab,The Arab-Ray Stevens-Mercury-August 70
110-Poor Fool-Ike and Tina Turner-Sue-January 68
111-What Kind of Love Is This -Joey Dee & the Starliters-Roulette-September 42
112-Nothing Can Change This Love-Sam Cooke-RCA-October 40
113-Gina-Johnny Mathis-Columbia–November 38
114-I’ve Got Bonnie-Bobby Rydell-Cameo-March 38
115-Little Diane-Dion-Laurie-August 36
116-A Little Bitty Tear-Burl Ives-Decca-February 36
117-Venus In Blue Jeans-Jimmy Clanton-Ace-October 34
118-Crying In The Rain-Everly Brothers-Warner Brothers-March 34
119-Letter Full of Tears-Gladys Knight & the Pips-Fury-February 34
* On August 1,1962 Radio Station WMCA introduced it’s first on-air survey.So all the surveys
used in the compilation of this list for the weeks of August 1st and there after are surveys
from Radio Station WMCA. Surveys used in this compilationfor the weeks prior to August 1
in 1962 are the surveys of Radio station WABC.Like WMCA,WABC is a radio station from New York
City.
WMCA off-air surveys ,all from December of 1961,are also used in the compilation of this list.
They are used in computing the scores for songs that peaked on the WABC chart in 1962.As more
off-air WMCA surveys come into my possession this more than likely will change the positions of
songs on this list. So this list is basically tentative.