Top Albums:

Soundtrack - Exodus
Lawrence Welk - Calcutta
Bert Kaemfert - Wonderland by Night
Various Artists - Great Motion Picture Themes
Original Cast - Camelot

Billboard Top 40,2/25/1961
Rank..Previous .. # Weeks .. Title .. Artist

#1 .. 4 / 6 Pony Time-------------------------------Chubby Checker
#2 .. 1 / 12 Calcutta--------------------------------Lawrence Welk
#3 .. 5 / 9 There's a Moon Out Tonight--------------The Capris
#4 .. 24 / 2 Surrender-------------------------------Elvis Presley
#5 .. 15 / 5 Don't Worry About Me--------------------Marty Robbins
#6 .. 9 / 10 Dedicated to the One I Love-------------The Shirelles
#7 .. 11 / 7 Where the Boys Are----------------------Connie Francis
#8 .. 2 / 12 Shop Around-----------------------------The Miracles
#9 .. 18 / 5 Ebony Eyes------------------------------The Everly Brothers
#10 .. 10 / 8 Wheels----------------------------------The String-A-Longs
#11 .. 3 / 15 Will You Love Me Tomorrow---------------The Shirelles
#12 .. 12 / 8 Baby Sittin' Boogie---------------------Buzz Clifford
#13 .. 14 / 6 Good Time Baby--------------------------Bobby Rydell
#14 .. 8 / 16 Exodus----------------------------------Ferrante & Teicher
#15 .. 6 / 11 Calendar Girl---------------------------Neil Sedaka
#16 .. 7 / 9 Emotions--------------------------------Brenda Lee
#17 .. 13 / 14 The Wings of a Dove---------------------Ferlin Husky
#18 .. 21 / 9 Spanish Harlem--------------------------Ben E. King
#19 .. 19 / 9 All In My Mind--------------------------Maxine Brown
#20 .. 26 / 6 Apache----------------------------------Jorgen Ingmann
#21 .. 25 / 4 Little Boy Sad--------------------------Johnny Burnette
#22 .. 28 / 10 Angel On My Shoulder--------------------Shelby Flint
#23 .. 16 / 7 The Story Of My Love--------------------Paul Anka
#24 .. 31 / 5 You Can Have Her------------------------Roy Hamilton
#25 .. 27 / 8 Jimmy's Girl----------------------------Johnny Tillotson
#26 .. 40 / 5 Gee Whiz--------------------------------Carla Thomas
#27 .. 22 / 6 What A Price----------------------------Fats Domino
#28 .. 39 / 4 Walk Right Back-------------------------The Everly Brothers
#29 .. 56 / 3 Think Twice-----------------------------Brook Benton
#30 .. 17 / 12 Angel Baby------------------------------Rosie & The Originals
#31 .. 32 / 6 Ram-Bunk-Shush--------------------------The Ventures
#32 .. 34 / 11 Utopia----------------------------------Frank Gari
#33 .. 35 / 6 Ain't That Just Like A Woman------------Fats Domino
#34 .. 38 / 7 No One----------------------------------Connie Francis
#35 .. 37 / 4 Lazy River------------------------------Bobby Darin
#36 .. 20 / 16 Wonderland By Night---------------------Bert Kaempfert
#37 .. 41 / 5 Wait A Minute---------------------------The Coasters
#38 .. 45 / 3 Stayin' In------------------------------Bobby Vee
#39 .. 43 / 5 I Wanna Love My Life Away---------------Gene Pitney
#40 .. 33 / 11 Pepe------------------------------------Duane Eddy

The Billboard Top Twenty for February 25, 1961 included three current and former number ones and one on its way to the top.  Chubby Checker’s “Pony Time” had just replaced “Calcutta” in the top spot.  “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” had preceded it.  “Surrender” would reach #1 in March.  Chubby Checker was just beginning to make his career with his dance records – “The Twist” had been a #1 record in 1960 and “The Huckebuck” reached number fourteen that year.  By the end of 1963, Checker would place fifteen records in the top twenty.  Checker had copied “The Twist” from Hank Ballard; “Pony Time” was copied from Don Convey who recorded it in 1960 with The Goodtimers. 

The Shirelles had the distinction of having two records in the top twenty at the same time.  As “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” was headed down, “Dedicated to the One I Love” was rising and would eventually peak at #3.  “Exodus” was another successful record headed down after peaking at #2 in January.  Ferrante & Teicher’s movie theme had the most weeks in the top forty in 1961 – eighteen.  Another motion picture theme, Connie Francis’s “Where the Boys Are” was climbing the chart and would peak at #4 in March. 

Two other records (besides “Exodus”) would complete their chart journey in the second position.  “Shop Around” was the first success for Barry Gordy’s Tamla label – it had peaked at #2 the previous week.  Just entering the top twenty on February 25th, “Apache” would finish at #2 in April.