Personal top ten - September 1961 to February 1962

During late 1961 and early 1962 I continued to keep up my personal top ten at a furious pace. I was 15 and obsessed with pop music, but increasingly disillusioned by the top twenty which featured mostly UK productions, many of which were cover versions of American records. This batch carries the story through to 1962 and apologies again for the difficulty in reading my original lists, written as many of them were, in colour pencil. It should be easier to read them if you click on the individual scans.
List 121 saw 'Cryin' go to number one and new entries from Freddie Cannon and the Four Preps. There were new entries for Fats Domino, Neil Sedaka and Jackie Wilson in list 122; for Gary (US) Bonds and Jerry Lee Lewis in 123, and both sides of the latest Everly Brothers release in 124.

List 125 saw a new entry by the Halos; with new entries in list 126 from Bobby Darin, the Crickets and - gulp - Charlie Drake (how did that happen?) List 127 has a new entry by Mike Berry and one by the Kestrels and list 128 has new arrivals from Clarence Henry, the Ventures, the Drifters and a re-entry by the Crickets. I Like It Like That reached number one.

In list 129 there were new entries by Troy Shondell, Rick Nelson, the Fleetwoods and Ray Charles. Bobby Lewis and Dion ('Runaround Sue') were new entries in 130. There were no fewer than six new entries in list 131, by Bobby Vee (soon to be number one), two sides of Elvis, Sam Cooke, Dave Brubeck and Brenda Lee, but no new entries in list 132.

Curtis Lee, Gene McDaniels and Brenda Lee had new entries in list 133; Chubby Checker had two new entries in list 134 ('The Twist' being a re-entry from a year earlier); Jerry Lee Lewis and the Marcels had new entries in 135; and list 136 saw new entries by Diana Washington, Johnny Burnette, Freddie Cannon and Bobby Rydell.

New entries in list 137 were by Fats Domino, Patsy Cline, Eddie Cochran and Jackie Wilson; list 138 had the latest from Del Shannon plus one from Buddy Holly; Little Richard made an appearance in list 139 along with Gary (US) Bonds, James Darren and a re-entry from Gene McDaniels; list 140 had new entries by Pat Boone, Johnny Burnette, Neil Sedaka and the Ventures.

Moving into December there was a new entry from Tony Orlando in list 141; from Bobby Vee and Joe Brown in 142; from Bobby Darin, Leroy Van Dyke and the Marvelettes in 143 and Duane Eddy and John D Loudermilk in list 144.

The Christmas edition in 1961 (145) saw new entries by Sandy Nelson and Joey Dee and the Starliters; list 144 saw re-entries for both 'The Twist' and 'Let's Twist Again' and list 145 had new entries by Don Gibson and Brook Benton. List 148 - the first of 1962 - saw new entries by the Everly Brothers and the Crickets.

List 149 had new entries by Elvis, Brook Benton and a future number one from Dion; List 150 had new entries by the Showmen (also a future number one), Ernie K-Doe (so a good week for New Orleans), Ray Charles and Gene Pitney. In list 151 there was a new entry by Johnny and the Hurricanes and in list 152 by Ritchie Valens and Ray Peterson.

Just one new entry in list 153, by Bill Haley and in 154 by Jimmy Jones. The twist was going strong by now and there were new twist entries by Gary (US Bonds), Clay Cole and Lord Rockingham's XI, plus records by Gene McDaniels (the first on the UK Liberty label) and Brenda Lee in list 155. Nothing new in list 156 however.

Finally in this batch there were new twist entries by Danny and the Juniors and Sam Cooke (on his way to number one) in list 157; by Bobby Rydell, Lloyd Price and Clarence Henry in 158, and by Tony Orlando, Mark Dinning and the Shirelles in 159. List 160 saw the arrival of Lee Dorsey's 'Do Re Mi' and one by Bobby Vee.