3 Top 10 Hits From 1962 That Every 60s Kid Alive Still Remembers Today
Three 1962 Top 10 hits by Mary Wells, Dion and Elvis Presley are highlighted as songs still remembered by people who grew up in the 1960s. The article describes their themes and recording details, showing how varied popular music was in the early decade.
Wells’ “The One Who Really Loves You”, written by Smokey Robinson, was her first Top 10 single; she had two more that year, while “My Guy” later became her biggest hit. Dion wrote “Little Diane”, whose backing includes a kazoo. Presley’s “She’s Not You”, written by Doc Pomus, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, reached the Billboard Hot 100 top five and the R&B chart top 20; his album also featured the No. 1 “Good Luck Charm”.
In short
- Three 1962 hits by Wells, Dion and Presley remain familiar.
- Dion’s “Little Diane” features a kazoo.
- Presley’s “She’s Not You” reached the Hot 100 top five.
Explained simply
In 1962, American popular music drew on several styles, including Motown soul, rock and roll, and pop. The Billboard Hot 100 ranked singles by their popularity in the United States, while separate charts tracked music such as rhythm and blues.
Mary Wells was a Motown singer whose early success included songs written by Smokey Robinson. Dion, known for rock and roll, also wrote his own songs; Elvis Presley was already a major star whose recordings reached audiences across several charts.
These artists’ different sounds and routes to success show the range of music released in the early 1960s. Their records also reflect how singers, songwriters and record labels shaped the popular music of the period.