1962 One Hit Wonders page |
| One Hit Wonders from 1962 at Tunecaster |
Here are the US 1962 one hit wonders. All the one hit wonder songs by the artists you remember, and maybe some one hit wonders you forgot. Find a one hit wonder.
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| blue # = pop chart |
| 1 | Small Sad Sam | 20 | Jan 1962 |
| Phil McLean |
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| Phil McLean squeezed onto the chart to make number 20 with this parody of the recent number one hit Big Bad John by Jimmy Dean. |
| 2 | Funny How Time Slips Away | Jan 1962 |
| Jimmy Elledge |
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| Jimmy Elledge had a top 20 near miss with Funny How Time Slips Away. In the 1970s, he received some renewed interest with the country song One By One. This song was written by Willie Nelson. |
| 3 | It Will Stand | Jan 1962 |
| The Showmen |
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| It Will Stand was the most popular song by The Showmen. The group received minor airplay with other songs like Our Love Will Grow. General Norman Johnson was the lead singer of The Showman, and of group Chairmen Of The Board. |
| 4 | I Know (You Don't Want Me No More) | 2 | Jan 1962 |
| Barbara George |
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| I Know was based on the gospel song Just A Closer Walk With Thee. Although I Know was the only top 20 hit for Barbara George, she received some radio airplay with other songs like You Talk About Love. This song was written by Barbara George. |
| 5 | Hey! Baby | 1 | Mar 1962 |
| Bruce Channel |
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| Hey! Baby featured harmonica player Delbert McClinton. Although Hey Baby was a number one hit for Bruce Channel, he never made the top 20 again. He received some airplay with other songs like the follow-up Number One Man. |
| 6 | Tuff | 20 | Mar 1962 |
| Ace Cannon |
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| Tuff was a top 20 one hit wonder instrumental for Ace Cannon. The follow-up, Blues (Stay Away From Me) was fairly popular too. Ace Cannon was a saxophone player for Bill Black's Combo, whose group played on solo records by Ace Cannon too. The song Tuff was from album Tuff-Sax. This song was written by Ace Cannon. |
| 7 | Percolator (Twist) | 11 | Mar 1962 |
| Billy Joe & The Checkmates |
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| Instrumental song Percolator (Twist) was a top 20 one hit wonder for Billy Joe And The Checkmates. He followed-up with Rocky's Theme, which received slight play. Billy Joe was actually Lew Bedell, a record producer, a New York radio and TV star, and comedian. The Checkmates here are not related to the Emile Ford Checkmates nor to The Checkmates, Ltd. This song was written by Lou Bideu and Ernie Freeman. |
| 8 | Let Me In | 3 | Mar 1962 |
| The Sensations |
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| Let Me In was the only top 20 hit for The Sensations. Leader Yvonne Baker, aka Yvonne Mills, recorded other popular soul songs with the group. This song was written by Yvonne Mills. |
| 9 | What's Your Name | 3 | Mar 1962 |
| Don & Juan |
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| What's Your Name was the only top 20 hit for Don & Juan. The duo followed-up with other songs that received slight radio airplay like Two Fools Are We. |
| 10 | Johnny Angel | 1 | Mar 1962 |
| Shelley Fabares |
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| Johnny Angel was turned into an episode of The Donna Reed Show on TV which featured Shelley Fabares as a guest. |
| 11 | You Better Move On | Apr 1962 |
| Arthur Alexander |
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| You Better Move On was a near top 20 miss for Arthur Alexander. He received airplay with some other songs too, like Anna (Go To Him). Arthur Alexander was a songwriter from Florence, Alabama. He wrote songs for many top artists of the 1960s and 1970s, including Sharing The Night Together, a 1978 number one song for Dr Hook. |
| 12 | Dear One | 10 | Apr 1962 |
| Larry Finnegan |
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| The popular version of Dear One was the original demo record. Larry Finnigan received airplay with other songs too, like The Other Ringo (A Tribute To Ringo Starr). |
| 13 | Cinderella | 20 | Apr 1962 |
| Jack Ross |
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| Before novelty singer Jack Ross had his first and only top 20 entry with Cinderella, he made a name for himself with song Happy Jose (Ching, Ching). |
| 14 | Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out) | 13 | May 1962 |
| Ernie Maresca |
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| Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out) was the only top 20 hit for Ernie Maresca. He had other songs that received slight radio airplay, like My Son. |
| 15 | I Wish That We Were Married | 7 | May 1962 |
| Ronnie And The Hi-Lites |
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| Ronnie Goodson was 12 years old when he wished that he was married. He later trumpeted on number one song Judy In Disguise (With Glasses) by John Fred & His Playboy Band. Although I Wish That We Were Married was the only top 20 hit for Ronnie And The Hi-Lites, the group received slight airplay with other songs, like A Slow Dance. |
| 16 | Village Of Love | 8 | Jun 1962 |
| Nathaniel Mayer And The Fabulous Twilights |
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| Although Village Of Love was the only top 20 hit for Nathaniel Mayer, he received minor airplay for other songs like I Had A Dream. |
| 17 | I Love You | 4 | Jun 1962 |
| The Volume's |
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| The Volume's followed-up I Love You with Come Back Into My Heart, which received slight radio airplay. |
| 18 | Theme From Ben Casey | Jun 1962 |
| Valjean |
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| Theme From Ben Casey was by far the most popular song by piano player Valjean. The theme received extra attention because Ben Casey was a TV series. |
| 19 | Snap Your Fingers | 9 | Jun 1962 |
| Joe Henderson |
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| Although Snap Your Fingers was the only top 20 hit for Joe Henderson, he received airplay with some other songs. This song was the follow-up to Baby Don't Leave Me. |
| 20 | Al Di La' | 7 | Jul 1962 |
| Emilio Pericoli With Giampiero Boneschi's Orchestra |
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| Al Di La' was the only top 20 hit for Emilio Pericoli, who did not have any noticeable airplay with any other song. This song was remade in 1964 by Ray Charles Singers, and hit number 19 for that group. Emilio Pericoli With Giampiero Boneschi's Orchestra song was from the movie Rome Adventure. |
| 21 | Johnny Get Angry | 9 | Jul 1962 |
| Joanie Sommers |
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| Johnny Get Angry featured a kazoo solo. Joanie Sommers was a TV and movie actress. She received some airplay with other songs, including Kookie's Love Song, from the TV show 77 Sunset Strip, where she replaced Connie Stevens. This song was written by Sherman Edwards and Hal David. |
| 22 | Bongo Stomp | Jul 1962 |
| Little Joey And The Flips |
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| Bongo Stomp was the only top 20 hit and the only song that received noticeable radio airplay by Little Joey And The Flips. |
| 23 | Summertime, Summertime | Jul 1962 |
| The Jamies |
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| Summertime, Summertime was a top 20 near miss song for The Jamies, who never received mentionable airplay with another song. The song was quite popular in 1958, but the 1962 revival was even more popular. |
| 24 | You'll Lose A Good Thing | 6 | Aug 1962 |
| Barbara Lynn |
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| Although You'll Lose A Good Thing was the only top 20 hit for Barbara Lynn, she received some radio airplay with other songs, like Second Fiddle Girl and This Is The Thanks I Get. |
| 25 | Party Lights | 8 | Aug 1962 |
| Claudine Clark |
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| Party Lights was a B-side hit. The A side, Disappointed, did not do very well. Claudine Clark received slight airplay with other songs too, like Telephone Game. |
| 26 | Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow | 20 | Sep 1962 |
| The Rivingtons |
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| Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow was the only top 20 song for The Rivingtons. The group later received some notice with The Bird's The Word. In 1964, The Trashmen put these two songs together to create Surfin' Bird, and had its own one hit wonder. |
| 27 | A Wonderful Dream | 8 | Sep 1962 |
| The Majors |
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| A Wonderful Dream was a top 20 one hit wonder for The Majors. The vocal group received some notice with later songs, but never reached the chart again. |
| 28 | Monster Mash | 1 | Oct 1962 |
| Bobby Boris Pickett And The Crypt-Kickers |
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| Bobby Boris Pickett And The Crypt-Kickers hit number one in 1962 with Monster Mash. The song became a top 20 one hit wonder and a Halloween classic. Later in 1962, the monsters mashed again with his Christmas song follow-up, Monsters Holiday, which was quite popular too. In 1973, the original Monster Mash was re-released and reached number 7. |
| 29 | I Remember You | 11 | Oct 1962 |
| Frank Ifield |
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| Although I Remember You was the only top 20 hit for Frank Ifield, he received some radio airplay with other songs like Lovesick Blues and No One Will Ever Know. |
| 30 | Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance) | 1 | Oct 1962 |
| The Contours |
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| Do You Love Me was the only top 20 hit for The Contours. The song hit the top 20 a second time in 1988 when it was featured in the movie Dirty Dancing. The Contours also received some airplay with other songs like Shake Sherry and Can You Do It. |
| 31 | Close To Cathy | 15 | Oct 1962 |
| Mike Clifford |
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| Close To Cathy was easily the most popular song by Mike Clifford. He received minor airplay with other songs too like What To Do With Laurie. |
| 32 | Torture | 20 | Oct 1962 |
| Kris Jensen |
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| This was the only top 20 tune for Kris Jensen. The follow-up, Don't Take Her From Me, received little notice. |
| 33 | Bobby's Girl | 1 | Dec 1962 |
| Marcie Blane |
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| Marcie Blane stopped recording immediately after Bobby's Girl was popular. Her follow up, What Does A Girl Do, was not very popular, leaving Marcie Blane as a number one song top 20 one hit wonder. |
| 34 | Telstar | 1 | Dec 1962 |
| The Tornadoes |
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| Telstar was inspired by the United States launch of the first communications satellite, which provided the first TV broadcasts across the continents. The Tornadoes followed-up Telstar with other instrumental songs that received some radio airplay like Ridin' The Wind and Robot. Telstar was written by Joe Meek. |
