List of Hot Country Singles number ones of 1962

A grey-haired man playing a guitar and singing into a microphone
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]

In the issue of Billboard dated January 6, the number one song was "Walk On By" by Leroy Van Dyke, in its eleventh week in the top spot.[2] The single remained atop the chart through the issue dated March 3 for a final total of nineteen weeks at number one.[3] This figure set a record for the most weeks at number one on the Hot Country chart which would stand 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 in the peak position 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 chart entry, "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 novelty song "The Purple People Eater", but had never previously appeared on the country listing.[4][5] In April, Billy Walker achieved the only chart-topper of his career with "Charlie's Shoes",[6][7] and in June Claude King similarly topped the chart for the only time with "Wolverton Mountain".[8] Both acts would continue to chart regularly well into the 1970s but would never repeat the success of their 1962 singles.[9] In the issue of Billboard dated October 27, Bill Anderson reached the top spot for the first time with "Mama Sang a Song",[10][11] and two weeks later Hank Snow achieved his first Hot Country number one with "I've Been Everywhere". Snow had gained several chart-toppers in the early 1950s when Billboard published multiple country music charts which tracked sales, jukebox plays and radio airplay separately, but "I've Been Everywhere" was his first number one since the magazine launched an overall listing in 1958.[12][13] He would not top the chart again until 1974.[13] 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.[14]

  1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2005). Joel Whitburn's Top Country Songs: 1944–2005. Record Research. p. ix. ISBN 9780898201659.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference J7 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b "Sam Hunt Makes Chart History With "Body Like a Back Road"". CMT. August 1, 2017. Archived from the original on April 9, 2018. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
  4. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits. Watson-Guptill. p. 367. ISBN 9780823082896.
  5. ^ Aaker, Everett (2017). Television Western Players, 1960–1975: A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland. p. 449. ISBN 9781476662503. Archived from the original on April 14, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
  6. ^ Cooper, Dan. "Billy Walker Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on April 14, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
  7. ^ McCall, Michael; Rumble, John; Kingsbury, Paul (2004). The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Oxford University Press. p. 566. ISBN 9780199770557. Archived from the original on April 14, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
  8. ^ Dukes, Billy (March 7, 2013). "'Wolverton Mountain' Singer Claude King Dead". Taste of Country. Townsquare Media. Archived from the original on April 15, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
  9. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits. Watson-Guptill. pp. 175, 341. ISBN 9780823082896.
  10. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits. Watson-Guptill. p. 22. ISBN 9780823082896.
  11. ^ Huey, Steve. "Bill Anderson Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on April 14, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
  12. ^ Dicaire, David (2007). The First Generation of Country Music Stars: Biographies of 50 Artists Born Before 1940. McFarland. p. 81. ISBN 9780786485581. Archived from the original on April 14, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
  13. ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits. Watson-Guptill. pp. 299–301. ISBN 9780823082896.
  14. ^ "Carl & Pearl Butler Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on April 14, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2018.