♫ Music from 1962

Chart music from 1962 reflected a wide range of tastes from the post-war generation and their parents, who purchased their favourite songs. It was a mix of jazz, crooning ballads, rock and roll and the beginnings of pop - Beatlemania was just weeks away.

Vinyl had recently moved from large 78 r.p.m. discs to smaller 45 r.p.m. discs and usually came with a single recording on each side; consequently the common terms used were 78s, 45s (also called singles) and records. There were a few 45s that contained 4 or 5 songs in total and these were known as EPs (elongated play); LPs (long play) were larger discs (around 12") containing 8 to 14 tracks and were played at 33 r.p.m.

Charts were compiled each week by Melody Maker and other music-related media, using record sales (singles charts and LP charts) from a representative handful of record shops.

Elvis Presley (Return to Sender) and Cliff Richard (The Young Ones) featured - plus Bobby Vee, Billy Fury, Adam Faith, Lonnie Donegan, Sam Cooke and the Everly Brothers, all of whom released great records but not in this year, in my opinion.

Instrumentals
The Tornados: Telstar
Duane Eddy: Dance with the Guitar Man
The Shadows: Wonderful Land, Guitar Tango
Acker Bilk: Stranger on the Shore
Kenny Ball & his Jazzmen: Midnight in Moscow, March of the Siamese Children
Johnny Keating: Theme from Z-Cars

Comedic Songs
Bernard Cribbins: Hole in the Ground
Pat Boone: Speedy Gonzales
Mike Sarne with Wendy Richard: Come Outside

Other hits from 1962 including many Classics
The Four Seasons: Sherry
Bruce Channel: Hey Baby
Chubby Checker: Let's Twist Again
Dion: The Wanderer
Chris Montez: Let's Dance
Little Eva: The Loco-motion
Danny Williams: Moon River
Carole King: It Might as well Rain until September
Neil Sedaka: Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen
Joe Brown: A Picture of You
Bobby Darin: Things
Ketty Lester: Love Letters
Jimmy Justice: When My Little Girl is Smiling
Mark Wynter: Venus in Blue Jeans
Frank Ifield: I remember You
Eden Kane: Forget Me Not, I don't Know Why
Susan Maughan: Bobby's Girl
Miki & Griff: Little Bitty Tear / Burl Ives: Little Bitty Tear
Nat King Cole: Rambling Rose, Let There be Love
Jimmie Rodgers: English Country Garden
Ray Charles: I can't Stop Loving You
Karl Denver: Wimoweh
Brian Hyland: Ginny Come Lately, Sealed With A Kiss

 

Recommended Music Blog: soundsandvision 

Beebopalula