Top Albums:

Elvis Presley - Blue Hawaii
Joey Dee & The Starliters -Doin' The Twist At The Peppermint Lounge
Chubby Checker - Your Twist Party
Henry Mancini - Breakfast at Tiffany's
Chubby Checker - The Twist

Billboard Top 40, February 17, 1962
Rank..Previous .. # Weeks .. Title .. Artist

#1 .. 2 / 6 Duke of Earl----------------------------Gene Chandler
#2 .. 1 / 14 Peppermint Twist-------------------Joey Dee & the Starliters
#3 .. 3 / 33 The Twist-------------------------------Chubby Checker
#4 .. 6 / 11 Norman----------------------------------Sue Thompson
#5 .. 7 / 11 The Wanderer----------------------------Dion
#6 .. 8 / 6 Break It To Me Gently-------------------Brenda Lee
#7 .. 5 / 14 I Know (You Don't Love Me No More)------Barbara George
#8 .. 4 / 12 Can't Help Falling in Love--------------Elvis Presley
#9 .. 14 / 6 Crying in the Rain----------------------The Everly Brothers
#10 .. 10 / 10 Dear Lady Twist-------------------------Gary U.S. Bonds
#11 .. 9 / 9 A Little Bitty Tear---------------------Burl Ives
#12 .. 11 / 9 Baby It's You---------------------------The Shirelles
#13 .. 21 / 4 Hey! Baby-------------------------------Bruce Channel
#14 .. 13 / 12 Cotton Fields---------------------------The Highwaymen
#15 .. 24 / 5 Chip Chip-------------------------------Gene McDaniels
#16 .. 12 / 15 The Lion Sleeps Tonight-----------------The Tokens
#17 .. 15 / 10 Irresistible You------------------------Bobby Darin
#18 .. 20 / 8 She's Everything------------------------Ral Donner
#19 .. 22 / 6 Shadrack--------------------------------Brook Benton
#20 .. 28 / 6 I'm Blue--------------------------------The Ikettes
#21 .. 19 / 10 Letter Full Of Tears----------Gladys Knight & The Pips
#22 .. 18 / 14 Run To Him------------------------------Bobby Vee
#23 .. 17 / 16 Town Without Pity-----------------------Gene Pitney
#24 .. 16 / 13 When I Fall In Love---------------------The Lettermen
#25 .. 34 / 4 The Cajun Queen-------------------------Jimmy Dean
#26 .. 26 / 8 Tuff------------------------------------Ace Cannon
#27 .. 35 / 7 Let Me In-------------------------------The Sensations
#28 .. 25 / 8 Smoky Places----------------------------The Corsairs
#29 .. 47 / 3 Midnight In Moscow----------------------Kenny Ball
#30 .. 32 / 9 Multiplication--------------------------Bobby Darin
#31 .. 50 / 3 Her Royal Majesty-----------------------James Darren
#32 .. 41 / 6 Surfer's Stomp--------------------------The Marketts
#33 .. 45 / 6 Percolator--------------Billy Joe & The Checkmates
#34 .. 37 / 6 The Greatest Hurt-----------------------Jackie Wilson
#35 .. 40 / 5 To A Sleeping Beauty--------------------Jimmy Dean
#36 .. 30 / 19 Moon River------------------------------Henry Mancini
#37 .. 42 / 6 My Boomerang Won't Come Back------------Charlie Drake
#38 .. 49 / 3 Twistin' The Night Away-----------------Sam Cooke
#39 .. 31 / 9 Do-Re-Mi--------------------------------Lee Dorsey
#40 .. 44 / 6 What's So Good About Good-by------------The Miracles

In February of 1962 the twist dance craze that had exploded in late 1961 was still in full swing -- three of the top ten records on 2/17/1962 were "twist" songs. Both "Peppermint Twist" and "The Twist" had previously been #1 records. "Dear Lady Twist" would peak at #9 the next week. Including its previous run on the chart in 1960, Chubby Checker's "The Twist" had been on the Hot 100 for 33 weeks. "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" was another previous #1. The highest newcomer to the top twenty at #13 was Bruce Channel's "Hey Baby" which would climb to the top spot in March. "Can't Help Falling in Love" was a carry-over from the 1961 Elvis Presley movie, "Blue Hawaii" which had peaked at #2.

Vee Jay had released Gene Chandler's "Duke of Earl" in January. The record was classic doo-wop and quickly climbed the chart, arriving at the top on February 17th. It would remain the #1 record for three weeks and would spend 15 weeks in Billboard's Top 40.

"Break It To Me Gently" was one of four songs Brenda Lee would have in the top twenty in 1962.