List of Billboard Easy Listening number ones of 1961

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A dark-skinned man with a thin mustache, smiling slightly
Brook Benton had the first number one on the Easy Listening chart.

Adult Contemporary is a chart published by Billboard ranking the top-performing songs in the United States in the adult contemporary music (AC) market. The chart debuted in the issue of Billboard dated July 17, 1961 under the title Easy Listening. Initially the listing was compiled simply by extracting from the magazine's all-genre chart, the Hot 100, those songs which were deemed to fit under the Easy Listening banner and ranking them according to their placings on the Hot 100.[1] In 1961 seven different songs topped the Easy Listening chart in 24 issues of the magazine.

The number one song on the first Easy Listening chart was "The Boll Weevil Song" by Brook Benton, which was at number 2 on the Hot 100 that week.[2] Benton had achieved a string of chart-toppers on the R&B chart,[3] but "The Boll Weevil Song" would prove to be his only Easy Listening number one.[4] The song held the top spot on the new chart for three weeks before being replaced by "Together" by Connie Francis.

The longest-running Easy Listening number one of 1961 was "Big Bad John" by Jimmy Dean, which spent the final ten weeks of the year in the top spot. The song was a multi-genre chart-topper, also reaching number one on the country chart as well as the Hot 100.[5] It was one of three songs to top the Hot 100 as well as the Easy Listening chart during the year, along with "Wooden Heart" by Joe Dowell and "Michael" by The Highwaymen.[6][7] As the chart was in its infancy and no act had more than one number one during 1961, every number one of the year was the first Easy Listening chart-topper for the artist. "Mexico" by Bob Moore and his Orchestra, which topped the chart for a single week, would prove to be the only appearance for Moore on both the Easy Listening chart and the Hot 100.[8] Moore, whose primary instrument was the bass guitar, was better known as a backing musician for other artists, including Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan.[9]

Chart history

A dark-haired young woman pressing one hand against her right cheek
Connie Francis topped the chart with her recording of the 1928 song "Together".
A dark-haired young man wearing a dark jacket and a necktie, smiling broadly while sitting in a chair and turning to look behind him
Jimmy Dean spent the last ten weeks of 1961 at number one.
Issue date Title Artist(s) Ref.
July 17 "The Boll Weevil Song" Brook Benton [10]
July 24 [11]
July 31 [12]
August 7 "Together" Connie Francis [13]
August 14 "Wooden Heart" Joe Dowell [14]
August 21 [15]
August 28 [16]
September 4 "Michael" The Highwaymen [17]
September 11 [18]
September 18 [19]
September 25 [20]
October 2 [21]
October 9 "Mexico" Bob Moore and his Orchestra [22]
October 16 "Sad Movies (Make Me Cry)" Sue Thompson [23]
October 23 "Big Bad John" Jimmy Dean [24]
October 30 [25]
November 6 [26]
November 13 [27]
November 20 [28]
November 27 [29]
December 4 [30]
December 11 [31]
December 18 [32]
December 25 [33]

References

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