In 1962, Billboard magazine published a chart ranking the top-performing songs in the United States which were considered to be "easy listening" or "middle of the road". The chart has undergone various name changes and since 1996 has been published under the title Adult Contemporary. Until 1965, the listing was compiled simply by extracting from Billboard's pop music chart, the Hot 100, those songs which were deemed by the magazine's staff to be of an appropriate style, and ranking them according to their positions on the Hot 100. In 1962, 15 different songs topped the chart in 52 issues of the magazine. The chart was published under the title Easy Listening through the issue of Billboard dated October 27, after which it was renamed Middle-Road Singles.

Ray Charles was the only artist with more than one number one in 1962. He reached the top with two tracks from his album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, which is considered to have been an innovative and highly influential record for its fusion of genres. "I Can't Stop Loving You" and "You Don't Know Me" spent a total of eight weeks in the top spot, the most for any artist. The former song also reached number one on the Hot 100, as well as the Hot R&B Sides chart. When Connie Francis reached number one with "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You" in March, she became the first act to top the Easy Listening chart twice, having spent a single week in the top spot in 1961 with "Together".

The longest unbroken run at number one on the Easy Listening/Middle-Road chart in 1962 was achieved by Acker Bilk, who spent seven consecutive weeks atop the listing with the instrumental "Stranger on the Shore". The track also reached number one on the Hot 100, the first time this feat had been achieved by a British artist. Bilk was one of two British band leaders associated with an early 1960s revival in the popularity of trad jazz to top the Easy Listening/Middle-Road chart in 1962; his number one came a month after Kenny Ball spent three weeks at number one with "Midnight in Moscow". Ball was one of a number of acts with an Easy Listening/Middle-Road number one in 1962 who never topped the Hot 100 during their careers, along with the Lettermen, Burl Ives, Frank Ifield and Gene Pitney. In addition to "I Can't Stop Loving You" and "Stranger on the Shore", three other songs which topped the Easy Listening/Middle-Road chart in 1962 also reached the peak position on the Hot 100. "The Stripper" by David Rose and "Roses Are Red (My Love)" by Bobby Vinton achieved the feat during July and August. The final Middle-Road number one of the year, "Go Away Little Girl" by Steve Lawrence, topped the Hot 100 early the following year.

Chart history

Chart history

Issue date	Title	Artist(s)	Ref.
January 6	"When I Fall in Love"	The Lettermen
January 13	"Can't Help Falling in Love"	Elvis Presley
January 20
January 27
February 3
February 10
February 17
February 24	"A Little Bitty Tear"	Burl Ives
March 3	"Midnight in Moscow"	Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen
March 10
March 17
March 24	"Don't Break the Heart That Loves You"	Connie Francis
March 31
April 7
April 14
April 21	"Stranger on the Shore"	Acker Bilk
April 28
May 5
May 12
May 19
May 26
June 2
June 9	"I Can't Stop Loving You"	Ray Charles
June 16
June 23
June 30
July 7	"The Stripper"	David Rose
July 14
July 21	"I Can't Stop Loving You"	Ray Charles
July 28	"Roses Are Red (My Love)"	Bobby Vinton
August 4
August 11
August 18
August 25	"You Don't Know Me"	Ray Charles
September 1
September 8
September 15	"Ramblin' Rose"	Nat King Cole
September 22
September 29
October 6
October 13
October 20	"I Remember You"	Frank Ifield
October 27	"Only Love Can Break a Heart"	Gene Pitney
November 3
November 10	"All Alone Am I"	Brenda Lee
November 17
November 24
December 1
December 8
December 15	"Go Away Little Girl"	Steve Lawrence
December 22
December 29

See also

• 1962 in music
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart