List of Hot Country Singles number ones of 1962

George Jones had a six-week run at number one with "She Thinks I Still Care".

Hot Country Songs is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music songs in the United States, published by Billboard magazine. In 1962, 11 different singles topped the chart in 52 issues of the magazine, based on playlists submitted by country music radio stations and sales reports submitted by stores. The chart was published under the title Hot C&W Sides through the October 27 issue and Hot Country Singles thereafter, a title it would retain until 1990.^[1]

At the start of the year, the number one song was "Walk On By" by Leroy Van Dyke, which had been in the top spot since the issue of Billboard dated December 4, 1961.^[2] The song had spent ten non-consecutive weeks at the top of the chart in 1961 and held the position for a further nine weeks in 1962 for a total of nineteen weeks at number one.^[3] This figure set a record for the most weeks at number one since Billboard combined country music sales and airplay into a single chart in 1958 and would remain the record for more than 50 years until Florida Georgia Line spent 24 weeks at number one between December 2012 and August 2013 with the song "Cruise".^[3] Claude King tied Van Dyke for the most weeks spent at number one in the calendar year of 1962, with an unbroken run of nine weeks with the song "Wolverton Mountain". Marty Robbins had an eight-week run at the top with "Devil Woman".

In 1962, Sheb Wooley reached number one with his first country hit, "That's My Pa", which spent one week in the top spot in March. Wooley had achieved success on the pop charts in 1958 with the million-selling hit "The Purple People Eater", but never previously appeared on the country chart.^[4] In April, Billy Walker achieved the only chart-topper of his career with "Charlie's Shoes",^[5][6] and in June Claude King similarly topped the chart for the only time with "Wolverton Mountain".^[7] In the issue of Billboard dated October 27, Bill Anderson reached the top spot for the first time with "Mama Sang a Song",^[8] and two weeks later Hank Snow achieved his first Hot Country number one with "I've Been Everywhere". Snow had gained several chart-toppers on Billboard's earlier country music charts which tracked sales and airplay separately,^[9] but "I've Been Everywhere" was his first number one since the magazine amalgamated the charts into a combined overall listing in 1958.^[10] He would not top the chart again until 1974.^[10] The final number one of the year was "Don't Let Me Cross Over" by husband-and-wife duo Carl Butler and Pearl, another first-time chart-topper.^[11]

Chart history

Claude King spent nine consecutive weeks at number one with "Wolverton Mountain".

Porter Wagoner topped the chart with "Misery Loves Company".

Sheb Wooley had had previous pop hits, but "That's My Pa" was his first ever country hit.

See also

• 1962 in music
• 1962 in country music
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. country chart

References