The soundtrack to "West Side Story" had been #1 on the album chart for seven weeks in the spring of 1962, returned to the top spot for three weeks in the fall, and returned again on April 20th and 22nd.

Top Albums:

Soundtrack - West Side Story
Frankie Fontaine - Songs I Sing On The Jackie Gleason Show
Peter, Paul & Mary - Moving
Andy Williams - Moon River & Other Great Movie Themes
The Kingston Trio - Kingston Trio #1s

Billboard Top 20, April 27, 1963
Rank..Previous .. # Weeks .. Title .. Artist

#1 .. 3 / 6 I Will Follow Him-----------------------Little Peggy March
#2 .. 2 / 9 Can't Get Used to Losing You------------Andy Williams
#3 .. 1 / 10 He's So Fine----------------------------The Chiffons
#4 .. 4 / 7 Puff, The Magic Dragon------------------Peter, Paul & Mary
#5 .. 5 / 8 Baby Workout----------------------------Jackie Wilson
#6 .. 9 / 9 Pipeline--------------------------------The Chantays
#7 .. 8 / 9 Don't Say Nothin' Bad (About My Baby)---The Cookies
#8 .. 6 / 7 Young Lovers----------------------------Paul & Paula
#9 .. 12 / 6 On Broadway-----------------------------The Drifters
#10 .. 14 / 7 Watermelon Man--------------------------Mongo Santamaria
#11 .. 23 / 6 Surfin' U.S.A.--------------------------The Beach Boys
#12 .. 7 / 11 South Street----------------------------The Orlons
#13 .. 16 / 6 Mecca-----------------------------------Gene Pitney
#14 .. 11 / 14 The End of the World--------------------Skeeter Davis
#15 .. 32 / 5 If You Wanna Be Happy-------------------Jimmy Soul
#16 .. 31 / 4 Reverend Mr. Black----------------------The Kingston Trio
#17 .. 25 / 5 Charms----------------------------------Bobby Vee
#18 .. 29 / 6 Foolish Little Girl---------------------The Shirelles
#19 .. 20 / 7 Young and In Love-----------------------Dick & Dee Dee
#20 .. 10 / 9 Do The Bird-----------------------------Dee Dee Sharp
#21 .. 22 / 8 Over The Mountain-----------------------Bobby Vinton
#22 .. 13 / 12 Our Day Will Come------------Ruby & The Romantics
#23 .. 15 / 10 Twenty Miles----------------------------Chubby Checker
#24 .. 17 / 9 Follow The Boys-------------------------Connie Francis
#25 .. 34 / 6 Tom Cat---------------------------------The Rooftop Singers
#26 .. 33 / 4 Losing You------------------------------Brenda Lee
#27 .. 45 / 3 Take These Chains From My Heart---------Ray Charles
#28 .. 21 / 9 Sandy-----------------------------------Dion
#29 .. 18 / 12 In Dreams-------------------------------Roy Orbison
#30 .. 19 / 11 Mr. Bass Man----------------------------Johnny Cymbal
#31 .. 35 / 10 Linda-----------------------------------Jan & Dean
#32 .. 42 / 6 Little Band Of Gold---------------------James Gilreath
#33 .. 26 / 8 Don't Be Afraid, Little Darlin'---------Steve Lawrence
#34 .. 37 / 7 Days Of Wine And Roses------------------Andy Williams
#35 .. 51 / 5 Two Faces Have I------------------------Lou Christie
#36 .. 24 / 9 Out Of My Mind--------------------------Johnny Tillotson
#37 .. 28 / 7 I Got What I Wanted---------------------Brook Benton
#38 .. 41 / 14 Days Of Wine And Roses------------------Henry Mancini
#39 .. 60 / 3 Hot Pastrami----------------------------The Dartells
#40 .. 57 / 6 Killer Joe------------------------------The Rocky Fellers

In the same year that Betty Friedan published "The Feminine Mystique," Peggy March took a song that celebrated feminine subservience to the top of the Billboard chart.   In its sixth week in the  top forty, "I Will Follow Him" reached number one.  Peggy was only 15 years old – she was the youngest female to ever have a #1 record (beating out Brenda Lee's "I'm Sorry").  She protested having the record released under "Little Peggy March" but to no avail.  Unfortunately her career didn't follow Brenda Lee's pattern.  "I Will Follow Him" was her only top forty record.

In the early years of rock and roll, the boys had dominated the charts.  But by 1963, the girls were experiencing significant success, especially the "girl groups."  The Chiffons were an example.  "He's So Fine" was on its way down the chart on April 27th, but it had been the top record the previous four weeks.  Another girl group, The Cookies peaked with  "Don't Say Nothin'" on April 27th.  The Shirelles were one of the most successful  of the girl groups in the early 1960's and "Foolish Little Girl" was just entering the top twenty – it would go on to reach #4, their sixth top twenty record.  The Orlons were a mixed group who's "South Street" was on its way down from a #3 position. 

In addition to the groups, Dee Dee Sperling of Dick & Dee Dee (with Dick St. John) and Jill Jackson of Paul & Paula (with Ray Hilderbrand) made the top twenty as vocal duos.  "Young and in Love" was the second (and final) top twenty song for Dick & Dee Dee.  Jackson & Hilderbrand had changed their recording names to "Paul & Paula" when their #1 record "Hey Paula" first started getting attention in Atlanta and the master was obtained by the Phillips label.  "Young Lovers" was a sequel that had topped out at #6 the previous week.  It would also be their final appearance in the top twenty.

In addition to Little Peggy March, the top twenty also included single recordings by females Dee Dee Sharp and Skeeter Davis.  "Do The Bird" had been at its highest point the previous week (#10).  "The End of the World" was the most successful female recording of 1963.  It was in the top twenty for nine weeks climbing as high as #2 and was Billboard's #3 song of the year.

Adding Mary Travers of "Peter, Paul & Mary" with "Puff the Magic Dragon," female artists accounted for half of the top twenty songs on April 27th.

Also notable from this week is "If You Wanna Be Happy" by Jimmy Soul.  It would climb to #1 in May.  The Beach Boys had their biggest hit to date with "Surfin' U.S.A." as it would climb to #3.  And perhaps one of the most remembered songs from the April 27th chart is "On Broadway" which reached its top spot at #10.