This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1962.

Specific locations

Specific genres

Events

Bands formed

Albums released

Biggest hit singles

The following singles achieved the highest chart positions in 1962.

Singles released

• "409" – The Beach Boys • "A Forever Kind of Love" – Bobby Vee • "A Little Love a Little Kiss" – Karl Denver • "A Picture of You" – Joe Brown • "Adios Amigo" – Jim Reeves • "Ain't That Funny" – Jimmy Justice • "Al di là" – Emilio Pericoli • "All Alone Am I" – Brenda Lee • "Always You and Me" – Russ Conway • "Another Day, Another Dollar" – Wynn Stewart • "As You Like It" – Adam Faith • "Ave Maria" – Shirley Bassey • "Baby Face" – Bobby Darin • "Baby Take a Bow" – Adam Faith • "The Ballad of Paladin" – Duane Eddy • "Because of Love" – Billy Fury • "Bermuda" – Linda Scott • "Bésame Mucho" – Jet Harris • "Big Girls Don't Cry" – The Four Seasons • "Big Man in a Big House" – Leroy Van Dyke • "Blue Weekend" – Karl Denver • "Bobby's Girl", recorded by • *Marcie Blane • *Susan Maughan • "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" – Neil Sedaka • "Break It to Me Gently" – Brenda Lee • "Can't Help Falling in Love/Rock-A-Hula Baby" – Elvis Presley • "Chip Chip" – Gene McDaniels • "Cindy's Birthday" – Shane Fenton and the Fentones • "Close To Cathy" – Mike Clifford • "Clown Shoes" – Johnny Burnette • "The Comancheros" – Lonnie Donegan • "Come Along Please" – Bob Wallis and His Storyville Jazzmen • "Come Outside" – Mike Sarne with Wendy Richard • "Conscience" – James Darren • "Count Every Star" – Linda Scott • "The Crowd" – Roy Orbison • "Cry Myself to Sleep" – Del Shannon • "Crying in the Rain" – Everly Brothers • "Cutty Sark" – John Barry Seven • "D-Darling" – Anthony Newley • "Dance On! – The Shadows • "(Dance with the) Guitar Man" – Duane Eddy • "Dancin' Party" – Chubby Checker • "Dear Lady Twist" – Gary U.S. Bonds • "Dear One" – Larry Finnegan • "Deep in the Heart of Texas" – Duane Eddy • "Desafinado" – Ella Fitzgerald • *Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd • "Devil Woman" – Marty Robbins • "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You" – Connie Francis • "Don't Ever Change" – The Crickets • "Don't Stop Twist" – Frankie Vaughan • "Don't That Beat All" – Adam Faith • "Don't You Believe It" – Andy Williams • "Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)" – Roy Orbison • "Drummin' up a Storm" – Sandy Nelson • "Drums Are My Beat" – Sandy Nelson • "Duke of Earl" – Gene Chandler • "End of the World" – Skeeter Davis • "English Country Garden" – Jimmie Rodgers • "Ever Since You Said You Goodbye" – Marty Wilde • "Everybody Loves Me But You" – Brenda Lee • "Everybody's Twistin'" – Frank Sinatra • "Fanlight Fanny" – Clinton Ford • "Far Away" – Shirley Bassey • "Follow That Dream (EP)" – Elvis Presley • "Forget Me Not" – Eden Kane • "Funny Way of Laughin'" – Burl Ives • "Gina" – Johnny Mathis • "Ginny Come Lately" – Brian Hyland • "Go Away Little Girl", recorded by: • *Steve Lawrence • *Del Shannon • "Good Luck Charm" – Elvis Presley • "Goodbye Cruel World" – James Darren • "Gossip Calypso" – Bernard Cribbins • "Gotta See Baby Tonight" – Acker Bilk • "Green Leaves of Summer" – Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen • "Green Onions" – Booker T. & the M.G.s • "Guitar Tango" – The Shadows • "Half Heaven – Half Heartache" – Gene Pitney • "Heart in Hand" – Brenda Lee • "He Got What He Wanted" – Little Richard • "He's a Rebel" – The Crystals • "Her Royal Majesty" – James Darren • "Here Comes That Feeling" – Brenda Lee • "Hey! Baby" – Bruce Channel • "Hey Little Girl" – Del Shannon • "The Hole in the Ground" – Bernard Cribbins • "How Can I Meet Her?" – The Everly Brothers • "I Can't Stop Loving You" – Ray Charles • "I Don't Know Why" – Eden Kane • "I Love You" – The Volumes • "I Remember You" – Frank Ifield • "I Was Such a Fool (To Fall in Love with You)" - Connie Francis • "I'll See You in My Dreams" – Pat Boone • "I'm Blue (The Gong-Gong Song)" – The Ikettes • "I'm Counting on You" – Petula Clark • "I'm Going Back to School" - Dee Clark • "I'm Just a Baby" – Louise Cordet • "I'm Lookin' Out the Window"/"Do You Want to Dance" – Cliff Richard/Cliff Richard and The Shadows • "I'm the Girl on Wolverton Mountain" – Jo Ann Campbell • "If a Man Answers" – Bobby Darin • "If I Had a Hammer – Peter, Paul and Mary • "If Only Tomorrow" – Ronnie Carroll • "Island of Dreams" – Springfields • "It Keeps Right on a Hurtin'" – Johnny Tillotson • "It Might as Well Rain Until September" – Carole King • "It Only Took a Minute" – Joe Brown • "It Started All Over Again" – Brenda Lee • "It'll Be Me" – Cliff Richard and The Shadows • "It's a Raggy Waltz" – Dave Brubeck • "It's All Over Now" – Shane Fenton and the Fentones • "James Bond Theme" – John Barry Orchestra • "Jeannie" – Danny Williams • "Jezebel" – Marty Wilde • "Johnny Angel", recorded by: • *Shelley Fabares • *Patti Lynn • "Johnny Get Angry" – Joanie Sommers • "King Kong" – Terry Lightfoot and His New Orleans Jazzmen • "King of Clowns" – Neil Sedaka • "Lana" – The Velvets • "The Language of Love" – John D. Loudermilk • "Last Night Was Made for Love" – Billy Fury • "Lemon Tree – Peter, Paul and Mary • "Lesson One" – Russ Conway • "Lessons in Love" – Allisons • "Let's Dance" – Chris Montez • "Let's Go (Pony)" – The Routers • "Let's Talk about Love" – Helen Shapiro • "Letter Full of Tears" – Billy Fury • "Let There Be Love" – Nat King Cole and George Shearing • "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance"- Gene Pitney • "Like I Do" – Maureen Evans • "Limbo Rock" – Chubby Checker • "A Little Bitty Tear" – Burl Ives and Miki & Griff • "Little Black Book" – Jimmy Dean • "Little Diane" – Dion • "Little Miss Lonely" – Helen Shapiro • "Little Red Rented Rowboat" – Joe Dowell • "The Loco-Motion" – Little Eva • "Lone Rider" – John Leyton • "Lonely City" – John Leyton • "Lonesome" – Adam Faith • "Lonely" – Acker Bilk • "Love and Fury" – The Tornados • "Love Came to Me" – Dion • "Love Me Warm and Tender" – Paul Anka • "Love Letters" – Ketty Lester • "Love Me Do" – The Beatles • "Love Me Tender" – Richard Chamberlain • "Lover Please", recorded by: • *Clyde McPhatter • *The Vernons Girls • "Lovers Who Wander" – Dion • "Lovesick Blues" – Frank Ifield • "Luigi Tenco" – Luigi Tenco • "Made to Love (Girls Girls Girls)" – Eddie Hodges • "The Main Attraction" – Pat Boone • "Main Title Theme from The Man with the Golden Arm" – Jet Harris • "Mashed Potato Time" – Dee Dee Sharp • "March of the Siamese Children" – Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen • "Me and My Shadow" – Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. • "Must Be Madison" – Joe Loss Orchestra • "My Love and Devotion" – Matt Monro • "Never Goodbye" – Karl Denver • "Next Door to an Angel" – Neil Sedaka • "The Next Time"/"Bachelor Boy" – Cliff Richard and The Shadows • "No One Can Make My Sunshine Smile" – The Everly Brothers • "Norman" – Sue Thompson • "Nut Rocker" – B. Bumble and the Stingers • "Oh Lonesome Me" – Craig Douglas • "Old Rivers" – Walter Brennan • "Once Upon a Dream" – Billy Fury • "Onward Christian Soldiers" – Harry Simeone Chorale • "Orange Blossom Special" – The Spotnicks • "Our Favourite Melodies" – Craig Douglas • "Palisades Park" – Freddy Cannon • "Party Lights" – Claudine Clark • "The Party's Over" – Lonnie Donegan • "Patches" – Dickey Lee • "The Pay Off" – Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen • "Peppermint Twist" – Joey Dee and the Starliters • "Pianissimo" – Ken Dodd • "Pick a Bale of Cotton" – Lonnie Donegan • "Please Don't Ask About Barbara" – Bobby Vee • "Popeye the Hitchhiker" - Chubby Checker • "P.S. I Love You" – The Beatles • "Puff" – Kenny Lynch • "Punish Her" – Bobby Vee • "Pushover"- Etta James • "Ramblin' Rose" – Nat King Cole • "Reminiscing" – Buddy Holly • "Return To Sender" – Elvis Presley • "Ride!" – Dee Dee Sharp • "Right Said Fred" – Bernard Cribbins • "Rinky Dink" – Dave "Baby" Cortez • "Rocket Man" – The Spotnicks • "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" – Brenda Lee • "Roses Are Red (My Love)", recorded by: • *Ronnie Carroll • *Bobby Vinton • "Rumors" – Johnny Crawford • "Sealed with a Kiss" – Brian Hyland • "Send Me the Pillow You Dream On" – Johnny Tillotson • "Sharing You" – Bobby Vee • "She's Got You" – Patsy Cline • "She's Not You" – Elvis Presley • "Sheila" – Tommy Roe • "Sherry" – The Four Seasons • "Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out)" – Ernie Maresca • "Slow Twistin'" – Chubby Checker • "Smoky Places" – The Corsairs • "So Do I" – Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen • "So This Is Love" – The Castells • "Softly, as I Leave You" – Matt Monro • "Soldier Boy" – Shirelles • "Some People" – Carol Deene • "Son This Is She" – John Leyton • "Spanish Harlem" – Jimmy Justice • "Speak to Me Pretty" – Brenda Lee • "Speedy Gonzales" – Pat Boone • "Stranger on the Shore", recorded by: • *Acker Bilk • *Andy Williams • "Sun Arise" – Rolf Harris • "Surfer's Stomp" – The Marketts • "Surfin' Safari" – The Beach Boys • "Susie Darlin'" – Tommy Roe • "Sweet Little Sixteen" – Jerry Lee Lewis • "Swinging in the Rain" – Norman Vaughan • "The Swiss Maid" – Del Shannon • "Monster Mash" – Bobby "Boris" Pickett • "Tears" – Danny Williams • "Teen Age Idol" – Rick Nelson • "Tell Me What He Said" – Helen Shapiro • "Telstar – The Tornados • "Ten Little Indians" – The Beach Boys • "That Noise" – Anthony Newley • "That Stranger Used To Be My Girl" – Trade Martin • "Theme from Dr. Kildare (Three Stars Will Shine Tonight)" – Richard Chamberlain • "Theme from Maigret" – Joe Loss • "Theme from Z-Cars", recorded by: • *Johnny Keating • *Norrie Paramor and His Orchestra • "Things" – Bobby Darin • "Tonight" – Shirley Bassey • "Torture" – Kris Jensen • "Town Without Pity" – Gene Pitney • "Tuff" – Ace Cannon • "The Twist" – Chubby Checker • "Twist, Twist Senora" – Gary U.S. Bonds • "Twistin' the Night Away" – Sam Cooke • "Unsquare Dance" – Dave Brubeck • "Up on the Roof" – Kenny Lynch • "Vacation" – Connie Francis • "Venus in Blue Jeans" – Mark Wynter • "Village Of Love" – Nathaniel Mayer and The Fabulous Twilights • "The Wah-Watusi" – The Orlons • "Walk Away" – Shane Fenton and the Fentones • "Walk On By" – Leroy Van Dyke • "Walk Right In" – The Rooftop Singers • "The Wanderer" – Dion • "Warmed Over Kisses" – Brian Hyland • "We're Gonna Go Fishin'" – Hank Locklin • "Welcome Home Baby" – The Brook Brothers • "Welcome Home, Baby" – The Shirelles • "What A Crazy World We're Living In" – Joe Brown • "What Kind of Fool Am I?/Gonna Build A Mountain" – Sammy Davis Jr. • "What Now My Love" – Shirley Bassey • "What's Your Name" – Don and Juan • "When My Little Girl Is Smiling", recorded by: • *Craig Douglas • *The Drifters • *Jimmy Justice • "Wiggle Wobble" – Les Cooper & the Soul Rockers • "Will I What" – Mike Sarne • "Wimoweh" – Karl Denver • "Wonderful Land" – The Shadows • "Wonderful World of the Young" – Danny Williams • "Ya Ya Twist" – Petula Clark • "Yes, My Darling Daughter" – Eydie Gorme • "You Are Mine" – Frankie Avalon • "You Don't Know Me" – Ray Charles • "You'll Lose a Good Thing" – Barbara Lynn • "The Young Ones" – Cliff Richard and The Shadows • "Young World" – Ricky Nelson • "Your Cheatin' Heart" – Ray Charles • "Your Ma Said You Cried in Your Sleep Last Night" – Doug Sheldon • "Your Tender Look" – Joe Brown

Published popular music

Other notable songs

Classical music

Premieres

Compositions

Opera

Film

Jazz

Musical theatre

Musical films

Births

Deaths

Awards

Eurovision Song Contest

Grammy Awards

Ivor Novello Awards