This is a list of number-one songs in the United States during the year 1942 according to Billboard magazine.
The "National List of Best Selling Retail Records" was the first to poll retailers nationwide on record sales.
The new chart was billed as a "trade service feature," based on the "10 best selling records of the past week" at a selection of national retailers from New York to Los Angeles.
Shown is a list of songs that topped the National List of Best Selling Retail Records chart.
| Issue date | Song | Artist(s) | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 3 | "Chattanooga Choo Choo" | Glenn Miller | |
| January 10 | |||
| January 17 | |||
| January 24 | |||
| January 31 | |||
| February 7 | "A String of Pearls" | ||
| February 14 | "Blues in the Night (My Mama Done Tol' Me)" | Woody Herman | |
| February 21 | "A String of Pearls" | Glenn Miller | |
| February 28 | "Moonlight Cocktail" | ||
| March 7 | |||
| March 14 | |||
| March 21 | |||
| March 28 | |||
| April 4 | |||
| April 11 | |||
| April 18 | |||
| April 25 | |||
| May 2 | |||
| May 9 | "Tangerine" | Jimmy Dorsey | |
| May 16 | |||
| May 23 | |||
| May 30 | |||
| June 6 | |||
| June 13 | |||
| June 20 | "Sleepy Lagoon" | Harry James | |
| June 27 | |||
| July 4 | |||
| July 11 | |||
| July 18 | "Jingle Jangle Jingle" | Kay Kyser | |
| July 25 | |||
| August 1 | |||
| August 8 | |||
| August 15 | |||
| August 22 | |||
| August 29 | |||
| September 5 | |||
| September 12 | "(I've Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo" | Glenn Miller | |
| September 19 | |||
| September 26 | |||
| October 3 | |||
| October 10 | |||
| October 17 | |||
| October 24 | |||
| October 31 | "White Christmas" | Bing Crosby | |
| November 7 | |||
| November 14 | |||
| November 21 | |||
| November 28 | |||
| December 5 | |||
| December 12 | |||
| December 19 | |||
| December 26 |
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