Top Songs of 1962

The musical landscape of 1962

Teen idols, dance records, vocal groups, country-pop and early soul shared the mainstream. Production was becoming more focused on younger listeners while older pop traditions remained visible.

The Top 20 is spread across 20 different credited artists, giving the year an unusually broad cast of performers.

What to listen for

Notice how compact arrangements, memorable hooks and vocal personality carry many of the year’s biggest records.

This list contains 20 different credited artists. The number gives a quick indication of whether the year was concentrated among repeat hitmakers or spread across a wider field.

Billboard Year-End Top 20 songs of 1962

Build a 1962 playlist

Start with “Stranger on the Shore” by Mr Acker Bilk, then alternate familiar high-ranking records with contrasting selections from the lower half of the list.

Open the playlist builder

How this page should be used

Year-End charts summarize performance across an extended chart year. They are not simply a list of songs that reached number one, and historical methodology has changed. Treat this page as a guided listening resource and compact chart-history reference rather than a mathematical comparison with other eras.