Billboard Top 40, November 17, 1962
Rank..Previous .. # Weeks .. Title .. Artist
#1 .. 2 / 5 Big Girls Don't Cry---------------------The Four Seasons
#2 .. 4 / 5 Return to Sender------------------------Elvis Presley
#3 .. 1 / 11 He's a Rebel----------------------------The Crystals
#4 .. 3 / 8 All Alone Am I--------------------------Brenda Lee
#5 .. 6 / 7 Next Door To An Angel-------------------Neil Sedaka
#6 .. 7 / 9 Gina------------------------------------Johnny Mathis
#7 .. 19 / 5 Bobby's Girl----------------------------Marcie Blane
#8 .. 16 / 6 Don't Hang Up---------------------------The Orlons
#9 .. 11 / 11 Limbo Rock------------------------------Chubby Checker
#10 .. 14 / 6 The Cha Cha Cha-------------------------Bobby Rydell
#11 .. 5 / 10 Only Love Can Break a Heart-------------Gene Pitney
#12 .. 13 / 8 Nothing Can Change This Love------------Sam Cooke
#13 .. 27 / 5 Ride------------------------------------Dee Dee Sharp
#14 .. 8 / 11 Monster Mash----------------------------Bobby Boris Pickett
#15 .. 12 / 10 Close to Cathy--------------------------Mike Clifford
#16 .. 9 / 15 Do You Love Me--------------------------The Contours
#17 .. 17 / 8 James (Hold the Ladder Steady)----------Sue Thompson
#18 .. 20 / 8 Desafinado---------------Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd
#19 .. 39 / 4 Lonely Bull----------------Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
#20 .. 10 / 9 Popeye (The Hitchhiker)-----------------Chubby Checker
#21 .. 24 / 7 Love Me Tender-----------------------Richard Chamberlain
#22 .. 23 / 6 I've Got A Woman (Part I)---------------Jimmy McGriff
#23 .. 30 / 7 The Guitar Man--------------------------Duane Eddy
#24 .. 28 / 7 I Was Such A Fool-----------------------Connie Francis
#25 .. 18 / 12 What Kind Of Fool Am I------------------Sammy Davis, Jr
#26 .. 37 / 5 My Own True Love------------------------The Duprees
#27 .. 22 / 15 I Left My Heart In San Francisco--------Tony Bennett
#28 .. 43 / 5 That Stranger Used To Be My Girl--------Trade Martin
#29 .. 31 / 7 Leah------------------------------------Roy Orbison
#30 .. 21 / 13 Patches---------------------------------Dickey Lee
#31 .. 25 / 15 Surfin' Safari--------------------------The Beach Boys
#32 .. 50 / 4 Release Me------------------------------Esther Phillips
#33 .. 44 / 4 I Can't Help It-------------------------Johnny Tillotson
#34 .. 15 / 13 Sherry----------------------------------The Four Seasons
#35 .. 40 / 7 Pop Pop Pop - Pie-----------------------The Sherrys
#36 .. 33 / 9 Workin' For The Man---------------------Roy Orbison
#37 .. 48 / 5 Wiggle Wobble-----------Les Cooper & the Soul Rockers
#38 .. 42 / 6 Mama Sang A Song------------------------Stan Kenton
#39 .. 71 / 3 Telstar---------------------------------The Tornadoes
#40 .. 26 / 15 Green Onions--------------Booker T. & The MGs
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After years of frustration, The Four Seasons finally hit it big with a #1 song in the summer of 1962, "Sherry." After such phenomenal success with their first record to make the charts, it would be a challenge to follow up with another top record, but that's exactly what Frankie Valli and his group did as their second release, "Big Girls Don't Cry" hit #1 on November 17th. Bob Gaudio confessed that "After the success of 'Sherry,' we had to follow it up with something vaguely similar." There are differing reports, but the inspiration for the song probably came from the line in the John Payne / Rhonda Fleming movie, "Slightly Scarlet." Amazingly, the group would score a trifecta as their next release would follow their first two to the top. "Big Girls" would maintain the #1 spot for four more weeks, keeping Elvis Presley's "Return to Sender" in the runner-up position.
In addition to the top two songs, four other records peaked on November 17th: "Next Door to An Angel," "Gina," "The Cha Cha Cha," "Nothing Can Change This Love,". Two previous number ones were on their way down the chart: "He's a Rebel," and "Monster Mash."
One notable newcomer appeared at #19 -- Herb Alpert's first top twenty record, "The Lonely Bull" would eventually reach #6. There would be a three year drought before his Tijuana Brass would make the chart again in 1965 with "Taste of Honey." He would eventually have two number ones as a single performer: "This Guy's in Love With You" ('68) and "Rise" ('79). |
