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Songs · Billboard Hot 100

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

The Tokens

Entered Nov 13, 1961 · 15 weeks on the chart, last seen Feb 24, 1962

Apple Music
Billboard Hot 100 · #1, 15 wkUK Singles Chart · #11, 12 wk
Record Power
35.1
share-weeks: a #1 week is 3.5
Peak
#1
3 weeks there · first Dec 18, 1961
Top-ten weeks
8
weeks at #10 or better
Weeks on chart
15
November 1961 – February 1962

Ranked by Record Power, part of the ChartReign Power model — not a chart published by anyone else. How it works →

The run

Position by week; a gap is a spell off the chart.

What it earned each artist

Record Power is the song's own figure. Power contributed is what it earned each artist's Career Power: a featured credit takes its reduced share, and a week where the artist had other songs charting is split between them.

ArtistCreditCredit sharePower contributed
The Tokensprimary100%36.1

The top ten the week it peaked

See Dec 18, 1961 on the timeline →
  1. #1The Lion Sleeps TonightThe Tokens
  2. #2Please Mr. PostmanThe Marvelettes
  3. #3Run To HimBobby Vee
  4. #4The TwistChubby Checker
  5. #5Walk On ByLeroy Van Dyke
  6. #6Goodbye Cruel WorldJames Darren
  7. #7Let There Be DrumsSandy Nelson
  8. #8Happy Birthday, Sweet SixteenNeil Sedaka
  9. #9Big Bad JohnJimmy Dean
  10. #10Peppermint Twist - Part IJoey Dee & the Starliters

The #1 songs of 1961

1961 in music →

Every other song that reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961.

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