Below are the Nolan Method Top 40Adult Contemporary charts from the early 60’s through today. These charts are based on the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to Billboard by stations that are members of the Adult Contemporary radio panel. Over the years, the chart has gone under a series of name changes, being called Easy Listening (1961–1962; 1965–1979), Middle-Road Singles (1962–1964), Pop-Standard Singles(1964–1965), Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks (1979–1982) and Adult Contemporary (1983–present).
The Nolan Method ranking system was formulated by lead Top40Weekly contributor Jarrett Nolan and is based on a point system for an artist’s weekly chart performance on Billboard during the year.
1961
1 Michael
The Highwaymen
2 Mexico
Bob Moore & His Orchestra
3 Wooden Heart
Joe Dowell
4 Sad Movies
Sue Thompson
5 Hurt
Timi Yuro
6 Water Boy
Don Shirley Trio
7 Take Five
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
8 (Marie’s the Name) His Latest Flame
Elvis Presley
9 Big Bad John
Jimmy Dean
10 The Way You Look Tonight
The Lettermen
11 Don’t Bet Money Honey
Linda Scott
12 As If I Didn’t Know
Adam Wade
13 Together
Connie Francis
14 Never
The Chordettes
15 The Boll Weevil Song
Brook Benton
16 Big Cold Wind
Pat Boone
17 Moon River
Jerry Butler
18 More Money for You and Me
The Four Preps
19 I Fall to Pieces
Patsy Cline
20 My Kind of Girl
Matt Monro
21 Frankie and Johnny
Brook Benton
22 Just Out of my Reach (Of My Two Open Arms)
Solomon Burke
23 Missing You
Ray Peterson
24 San Antonio Rose
Floyd Cramer
25 I’ll Never Smile Again
The Platters
26 September in the Rain
Dinah Washington
27 Crazy
Patsy Cline
28 Yellow Bird
Arthur Lyman Group
29 Tonight
Ferrante and Teicher
30 The Astronaut (Parts 1 & 2)
Jose Jimenez
31 Moon River
Henry Mancini
32 Moody River
Pat Boone
33 The Bridge
Joe Dowell
34 Now and Forever
Bert Kaempfert & His Orchestra
35 I’ll Be Seeing You
Frank Sinatra
36 It’s Just a House Without You
Brook Benton
37 Should I
The String-A-Longs
38 Tears on My Pillow
The McGuire Sisters
39 Sad Movies (Make Me Cry)
The Lennon Sisters
40 It’s Your World
Marty Robbins
1962
1 Stranger on the Shore
Mr. Acker Bilk
2 I Left My Heart In San Francisco
Tony Bennett
3 All Alone Am I
Brenda Lee
4 Ramblin Rose
Nat King Cole
5 Midnight in Moscow
Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen
6 I Can’t Stop Loving You
Ray Charles
7 Only Love Can Break a Heart
Gene Pitney
8 Wolverton Mountain
Claude King
9 Don’t Break the Heart that Loves You
Connie Francis
10 The Stripper
David Rose
11 Cotton Fields
The Highwaymen
12 A Little Bitty Tear
Burl Ives
13 Alley Cat
Bent Fabric and his Piano
14 Theme from Dr. Kildare
Richard Chamberlain
15 She’s Got You
Patsy Cline
16 You Don’t Know Me
Ray Charles
17 Ai DI La
Emilio Pericoli
18 Moon River
Henry Mancini
19 P.T 109
Jimmy Dean
20 Gina
Johnny Mathis
21 Everybody Loves Me
Brenda Lee
22 Funny Way of Laughin’
Burl Ives
23 What Kind of Fool Am I
Sammy Davis Jr.
24 Can’t Help Falling In Love
Elvis Presley
25 Where Have All the Flowers Gone
The Kingston Trio
26 Snap Your Fingers
Joe Henderson
27 Swingin’ Safari
Billy Vaughn
28 Caterina
Perry Como
29 Old Rivers
Walter Brennan
30 Desafinado
Stan Genz/Charlie Byrd
31 She’s Not You
Elvis Presley
32 Close to Cathy
Mike Clifford
33 Come Back Silly Girl
The Lettermen
34 I Remember You
Frank Ifield
35 That’s Old Fashioned Way
The Everly Brothers
36 Teenage Idol
Rick Nelson
37 Roses are Red
Bobby Vinton
38 Nothing Can Change This Love
Sam Cooke
39 Heart in Hand
Brenda Lee
40 Rain Rain Go Away
Bobby Vinton
1963
1 The End of the World
Skeeter Davis
2 Go Away Little Girl
Steve Lawrence
3 Can’t Get Used to Losing You
Andy Williams
4 Blue Velvet
Bobby Vinton
5 Blowin’ in the Wind
Peter, Paul, and Mary
6 Puff (The Magic Dragon)
Peter, Paul, and Mary
7 Sukiyaki
Kyu Sakamoto
8 Walk Right In
The Rooftop Singers
9 My Dad
Paul Petersen
10 I Wanna Be Around
Tony Bennett
11 Rhythm of the Rain
The Cascades
12 More
Kai Winding and Orchestra
13 I Love You Because
Al Martino
14 I Can’t Stay Mad
Skeeter Davis
15 Fly Me to the Moon- Bossa Nova
Joe Harnell and his Orchestra
16 Still
Bill Anderson
17 Days of Wine and Roses
Henry Mancini
18 It’s Up to You
Rick Nelson
19 The Night has a Thousand Eyes
Bobby Vee
20 Blue on Blue
Bobby Vinton
21 Our Winter Love
Bill Pursell
22 Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer
Nat King Cole
23 Losing You
Brenda Lee
24 What Will Mary Say
Johnny Mathis
25 Tie Me Kangaroo Down
Rolf Harris
26 That Sunday, That Summer
Nat King Cole
27 Painted, Tainted Rose
Al Martino
28 Young Lovers
Paul and Paula
29 Maria Elena
Los Indios Tabajaras
30 Hopeless
Andy Williams
31 Detroit City
Bobby Bare
32 Don’t Think Twice, Its All Right
Peter, Paul, and Mary
33 Cast Your Fate in the Wind
Vince Guaraldi Trio
34 Talk to Me by Sunny
The Sunglows
35 Washington Square
The Village Stompers
36 Danke Schoen
Wayne Newton and the Newton Brothers
37 Frankie and Johnny
Sam Cooke
38 The Good Life
Tony Bennett
39 Green, Green
The New Christy Minstrels
40 Mecca
Gene Pitney
1964
1 Hello Dolly!
Louis Armstrong and the All-Stars2 We’ll Sing in the SunshineGale Garnett3 Everybody Loves SomebodyDean Martin4 PeopleBarbra Streisand5 Love Me with All Your HeartThe Ray Charles Singers6 JavaAl Hirt7 Don’t Let the Rain Come DownThe Serendipity Singers8 A Summer SongChad and Jeremy9 There! I’ve Said it Again
Bobby Vinton
10 Diane
The Bachelors
11 Navy Blue
Diane Renay
12 In the Misty Moonlight
Jerry Wallace
13 White on White
Danny Williams
14 Popsicles and Icicles
The Murmaids
15 Today
The New Christy Minstrels
16 Cotton Candy
Al Hirt
17 The Girl from Ipanema
Getz/Gilberto
18 Forget Him
Bobby Rydell
19 Shangri-la
Robert Maxwell
20 I Love You More and More Everyday
Al Martino
21 The Door is Still Open to My Heart
Dean Martin
22 Softly, As I Leave You
Frank Sinatra
23 Since I Fell for You
Lenny Welch
24 As Usual
Brenda Lee
25 Dominique
The Singing Sun
26 My Heart Belongs to You
Bobby Vinton
27 See the Funny Little Clown
Bobby Goldsboro
28 Anyone Who Had a Heart
Dionne Warwick
29 You Don’t Have to Be a Baby to Cry
The Caravelles
30 Think
Brenda Lee
31 For You
Rick Nelson
32 Talk back Trembling Lips
Johnny Tilotson
33 Always Together
Al Martino
34 Who Can I Turn To
Tony Bennett
35 The Shelter of Your Arms
Sammy Davis Jr.
36 A Fool Never Learns
Andy Williams
37 Tell Me Why
Bobby Vinton
38 Invisible Tears
Ray Conniff Singers
39 You Don’t Know How Glad I am
Nancy Wilson
40 Clinging Vine
Bobby Vinton
1965
1 You Were on my Mind
We Five
2 King of the Road
Roger Miller
3 Crying in the Chapel
Elvis Presley and The Jordaines
4 Hold me, Thrill me, Kiss me
Mel Carter
5 Cast Your Fate in the Wind
Sounds Orchestral
6 I’m Yours
Elvis Presley
7 Red Roses for a Blue Lady
Bert Kaempfert
8 Baby, The Rain Must Fall
Glenn Yarbrough
9 A Walk in the Black Forest
Horst Janowski
10 Goldfinger
Shirley Bassey
11 Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte
Patti Page
12 Too Many Rivers
Brenda Lee
13 Red Roses for a Blue
Lady Vic Dana
14 Taste of Honey
Herp Albert
15 I’ll Make all your Dreams Come True
Ronnie Dave
16 Send Me the Pillow You Dream on
Dean Martin
17 You Better Come Home
Petula Clark
18 Dear Heart
Andy Williams
19 Theme “A Summer Place”
The Lettermen
20 The Wedding
Julie Rogers
21 Engine Engine #9
Roger Miller
22 Marie
The Bachelors
23 Moon over Naples
Bert Kaempfert
24 The Race is On
Jack Jones
25 You’re Nobody till Somebody Loves You
Dean Martin
26 With These Hands
Tom Jones
27 Dream on Little Dreamer
Perry Como
28 A World of our Own
The Seekers
29 Willow Weep for Me
Chad and Jeremy
30 Have you Looked into your Heart
Jerry Vale
31 My Love, Forgive Me
Robert Goulet
32 Dear Heart
Jack Jones
33 A Little Bit of Heaven
Ronnie Dave
34 Save your Heart for Me
Gary Lewis and The Playboys
35 Moonlight and Roses
Vic Dana
36 Heartaches by the Number
Johnny Tilotson
37 If I Loved You
Chad and Jeremy
38 Red Roses for a Blue Lady
Wayne Newton
39 Hawaii Tattoo
The Waikikis
40 Somewhere in your Heart
Frank Sinatra
1966
1 The Impossible Dream (The Quest)
Jack Jones
2 Born Free
Roger Williams
3 Strangers In The Night
Frank Sinatra
4 Somewhere my Love
Ray Conniff
5 Crying Time
Ray Charles
6 Call Me
Chris Montez
7 In The Arms of Love
Andy Williams
8 Spanish Eyes
Al Martino
9 It Was a Very Good Year
Frank Sinatra
10 The More I See You
Chris Montez
11 Summer Samba
Walter Wanderley
12 Zorba the Greek
Herb Alpert
13 Lara’s theme from Dr. Zhivago
Roger Williams
14 I Want to Go With You
Eddy Arnold
15 The Wheel of Hurt
Margaret Whiting
16 Summer Wind
Frank Sinatra
17 Mas Que Nada Sergio
Mendes and Brasil 66′
18 My Love
Petula Clark
19 The Ballad of the Green Berets
Ssgt Barry Sadler
20 Somewhere There’s a Someone
Dean Martin
21 Love Me With All of Your Heart
The Bachelors
22 Make the World Go Away
Eddy Arnold
23 Strangers in the Night
Bert Kaempfert
24 Husbands and Wives
Roger Williams
25 Guantanamera
The Sandpipers
26 The Work Song
Herp Albert and the Tijuana brass
27 I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love
Petula Clark
28 Mame
Bobby Darin
29 I’m Comin’ Home, Cindy
Trini Lopez
30 Thunderball
Tom Jones
31 What Now my Love
Herp Albert
32 Where am I Going?
Barbra Streisand
33 A Time for Love
Tony Bennett
34 Come Running Back
Dean Martin
35 Mame
Louis Armstrong
36 Bye Bye Blues
Bert Kaempfer
37 Think I’ll Go Somewhere and Cry Myself to Sleep
Al Martino
38 Second Hand Rose
Barbra Streisand
39 Dommage, Dommage
Jerry Vale
40 The Men in my Little Girls Life
Mike Douglas
1967
1 My Cup Runneth Over
Ed Ames
2 Somethin’ Stupid
Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra
3 Lady
Jack Jones
4 It Must be Him
Vikki Carr
5 Stop! And Think it Over
Perry Como
6 I’ll Take Care of Your Cares
Frankie Laine
7 Wish me a Rainbow
The Gunter Kallmann Chorus
8 Mary in the Morning
Al Martino
9 Time, Time
Ed Ames
10 The World We Knew (Over and Over)
Frank Sinatra
11 Casino Royale
Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass
12 More and More
Andy Williams
13 You Only Live Twice
Nancy Sinatra
14 This is My Song
Petula Clark
15 Love me Forever
Roger Williams
16 Daddy’s Little Girl
Al Martino
17 Only Love Can Break a Heart
Margaret Whiting
18 Music to Watch Girls
Bob Crewe Generation
19 Little by Little and Bit by Bit
The Ray Charles Singers
20 Sugar Town
Nancy Sinatra
21 More Than a Miracle
Roger Williams
22 It’s Such a Pretty World Today
Andy Russell
23 That’s Life
Frank Sinatra
24 Turn the World Around
Eddy Arnold
25 I Love You (And You Love Me)
The Billy Vaughn Singers
26 Sunrise, Sunset
Roger Williams
27 Stout-Hearted Man
Barbra Streisand
28 A Banda
Herb Alpert and The Tijuana brass
29 People Like You
Eddie Fisher
30 Music to Watch Girls
Andy Williams
31 Mame
Herp Albert and The Tijuana Brass
32 A Strange Song
Harry Belafonte
33 It Hurts to Say Goodbye
Vera Lynn
34 Don’t Sleep in the Subway
Petula Clark
35 More Than the Eye Can See
Al Martino
36 Making Memories
Frankie Laine
37 All
James Darren
38 Anything Goes
Harpers Bizarre
39 Sweet Maria
The Billy Vaughn Singers
40 The 59th Street Bridge Song
Harpers Bizarre
1968
1 Love is Blue
Paul Mauriat
2 The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Hugo Montenegro and his Orchestra and Chorus
3 This Guy’s In Love With You
Herb Alpert
4 The Look of Love
Sergio Mendes and Brasil ’66
5 Turn Around, Look at Me
The Vogues
6 The Fool on the Hill
Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66
7 Classical Gas
Mason Williams
8 Honey
Bobby Goldsboro
9 Ame Caline (Soul Coaxing)
Raymond Lefevre
10 A Man Without Love
Engelbert Humperdinck
11 Master
Jack Four Jacks and a Jill
12 Sweet Memories
Andy Williams
13 Dream a Little Dream of Me
Mama Cass /Mamas and Papas
14 My Special Angel
The Vogues
15 Autumn of my Life
Bobby Goldsboro
16 Hang em High
Hugo Montenegro, his Orchestra and Chorus
17 Mrs. Robinson
Simon and Garfunkel
18 Don’t Give Up
Petula Clark
19 Goin’ Out of my Head
The Lettermen
20 Cab Driver
The Mills Brothers
21 The Impossible Dream
Roger Williams
22 My Way of Life
Frank Sinatra
23 Help Yourself
Tom Jones
24 Do You Know The Way to San Jose
Dionne Warwick
25 The Unicorn
The Irish Rovers
26 In the Misty Moonlight
Dean Martin
27 Love is Blue
Al Martino
28 You’ve Still Got a Place In my Heart
Dean Martin
29 Am I That Easy to Forget
Engelbert Humperdinck
30 The Other Man’s Grass, is Always Greener
Petula Clark
31 My Shy Violet
The Mills Brothers
32 Those Were the Days
Mary Hopkin
33 Over You
Gary Puckett and The Union Gap
34 I’ve Gotta be Me
Steve Lawrence
35 Theme from ” Valley of the Dolls”
Dionne Warwick
36 Chattanooga Choo Choo
Harpers Bizarre
37 The Lesson
Vikki Carr
38 Kiss me Goodbye
Petula Clark
39 Holly
Andy Williams
40 Dreams of the Everyday Housewife
Glen Campbell
1969
1 Hurt so Bad
The Lettermen
2 I’ve Gotta be Me
Sammy Davis Jr. with The Mike Curb Congregation
3 Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet
Henry Mancini
4 You Gave me a Mountain
Frankie Laine
5 With Pen in Hand
Vikki Carr
6 Jean
Oliver
7 My Way
Frank Sinatra
8 Wichita Lineman
Glen Campbell
9 Happy Heart
Andy Williams
10 Seattle
Perry Como
11 Galveston
Glen Campbell
12 I’ll Never Fall in Love Again
Tom Jones
13 Johnny One Time
Brenda Lee
14 Aquarius/Let the Sunshine in
The 5th Dimension
15 This Girl’s in Love With You
Dionne Warwick
16 Sweet Caroline (Sweet Times Never Seemed so Good)