US Top 40 Singles for the Week Ending 21st May, 1961

BYTop40weekly

UPDATED:Aug 19, 2026 9:07 AM

POSTED:Apr 7, 2026 10:09 AM

These are all the US Top 40 Singles for the Week Ending May 21, 1961

US Hot 40 Singles for the Week Ending 21st May, 1961

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US Top 40 Singles – 21st May, 1961

TW LW TITLE –•– Artist (Label)-Weeks on Chart (Peak To Date)

1 1 RUNAWAY –•– Del Shannon (Big Top)-11 (4 weeks at #1) (1)
2 2 MOTHER-IN-LAW –•– Ernie K-Doe (Minit)-8 (2)
3 3 A HUNDRED POUNDS OF CLAY –•– Gene McDaniels (Liberty)-9 (3)
4 4 I’VE TOLD EVERY LITTLE STAR –•– Linda Scott (Canadian American)-10 (3)
5 12 DADDY’S HOME –•– Shep and the Limelites (Hull)-8 (5)
6 6 YOU CAN DEPEND ON ME –•– Brenda Lee (Decca)-8 (6)
7 5 BLUE MOON –•– The Marcels (Colpix)-11 (1)
8 18 TRAVELIN’ MAN –•– Ricky Nelson (Imperial)-4 (8)
9 14 MAMA SAID –•– The Shirelles (Scepter)-5 (9)
10 7 TAKE GOOD CARE OF HER –•– Adam Wade (Coed)-10 (7)
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11 13 BREAKIN’ IN A BRAND NEW BROKEN HEART –•– Connie Francis (MGM)-5 (11)
12 9 PORTRAIT OF MY LOVE –•– Steve Lawrence (United Artists)-11 (9)
13 8 ONE MINT JULEP –•– Ray Charles (Impulse)-11 (8)
14 16 FLAMING STAR (From the “Elvis By Request” EP) –•– Elvis Presley (RCA Victor)-5 (14)
15 27 HELLO MARY LOU –•– Ricky Nelson (Imperial)-3 (15)
16 19 RUNNING SCARED –•– Roy Orbison (Monument)-6 (16)
17 10 ON THE REBOUND –•– Floyd Cramer (RCA Victor)-11 (4)
18 15 TONIGHT I FELL IN LOVE –•– The Tokens (Warwick)-11 (15)
19 23 BONANZA –•– Al Caiola and His Orchestra (United Artists)-7 (19)
20 22 JUST FOR OLD TIME’S SAKE –•– The McGuire Sisters (Coral)-10 (20)
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21 11 BUT I DO –•– Clarence (Frogman) Henry (Argo)-13 (4)
22 31 TRAGEDY –•– The Fleetwoods (Dolton)-5 (22)
23 34 LITTLE DEVIL –•– Neil Sedaka (RCA Victor)-3 (23)
24 26 GIRL OF MY BEST FRIEND –•– Ral Donner and the Starfires (Gone)-5 (24)
25 25 FUNNY –•– Maxine Brown (Nomar)-8 (25)
26 29 HELLO WALLS –•– Faron Young (Capitol)-6 (26)
27 24 (Dance the) MESS AROUND –•– Chubby Checker (Parkway)-4 (24)
28 21 BUMBLE BOOGIE –•– B. Bumble and the Stingers (Rendezvous)-8 (21)
29 20 BABY BLUE –•– The Echoes (Seg-way)-11 (12)
30 17 TONIGHT MY LOVE, TONIGHT –•– Paul Anka (ABC-Paramount)-10 (13)
——
31 38 THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC –•– Bobby Rydell (Cameo)-3 (31)
32 36 SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL –•– The Drifters (Atlantic)-9 (32)
33 35 THE CONTINENTAL WALK –•– Hank Ballard and the Midnighters (King)-7 (33)
34 30 WHAT’D I SAY –•– Jerry Lee Lewis (Sun)-7 (30)
35 43 LULLABYE OF LOVE –•– Frank Gari (Crusade)-6 (35)
36 48 TRIANGLE –•– Janie Grant (Caprice)-8 (36)
37 28 ASIA MINOR –•– Kokomo (Felsted)-13 (8)
38 47 I’M IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE –•– The Chimes (Tag)-8 (38)
39 32 APACHE –•– Jørgen Ingmann and His Guitar (Atco)-17 (2)
40 37 SAVED –•– LaVern Baker (Atlantic)-6 (37)

THIS WEEK’S DROPS – 21st May, 1961

50 33 PLEASE LOVE ME FOREVER –•– Cathy Jean and the Roommates (Valmor)-12 (12)

POWER PLAYS – 21st May, 1961

41 75 STAND BY ME –•– Ben E. King (Atco)-2 (41)
42 56 WHAT A SURPRISE –•– Johnny Maestro (Coed)-4 (42)
43 — I FEEL SO BAD –•– Elvis Presley (RCA Victor)-1 (43)
44 46 EXODUS –•– Eddie Harris (Vee-Jay)-6 (44)
45 50 THE TOUCHABLES IN BROOKLYN –•– Dickie Goodman (Mark-X)-4 (45)
46 52 (It Never Happens) IN REAL LIFE –•– Chuck Jackson (Wand)-6 (46)
47 45 GOOD, GOOD LOVIN’ –•– Chubby Checker (Parkway)-5 (43)
48 51 PEANUT BUTTER –•– The Marathons (Arvee)-4 (48)
49 44 UNDERWATER –•– The Frogmen (Candix)-7 (44)

NEW THIS WEEK – 21st May, 1961

43 — I FEEL SO BAD –•– Elvis Presley (RCA Victor)-1 (43)
59 — BARBARA-ANN –•– The Regents (Gee)-1 (59)
76 — YOU ALWAYS HURT THE ONE YOU LOVE –•– Clarence (Frogman) Henry (Argo)-1 (76)
77 — THE WRITING ON THE WALL –•– Adam Wade (Coed)-1 (77)
78 — (I’ve Got) SPRING FEVER –•– Little Willie John (King)-1 (78)
81 — EVERY BEAT OF MY HEART –•– The Pips (Vee-Jay)-1 (81)
83 — EVERY BEAT OF MY HEART –•– Gladys Knight and the Pips (Fury)-1 (83)
85 — I DON’T MIND –•– James Brown and the Famous Flames (King)-1 (85)
87 — MISS FINE –•– The New Yorkers (Wall)-1 (87)
90 — THE BOLL WEEVIL SONG –•– Brook Benton (Mercury)-1 (90)
91 — I CAN’T DO IT BY MYSELF –•– Anita Bryant (Carlton)-1 (91)
94 — IT KEEPS RAININ’ –•– Fats Domino (Imperial)-1 (94)
95 — FOR YOUR LOVE –•– The Wanderers (Cub)-1 (95)
98 — BROTHER-IN-LAW (He’s a Moocher) –•– Paul Peek (Fairlane)-1 (98)
99 — THE GIRL’S A DEVIL –•– The Dukays (Nat)-1 (99)
100 — HERE’S MY CONFESSION –•– Wyatt (Earp) McPherson (Savoy)-1 (100)