Hot Country Songs is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music songs in the United States, published by Billboard magazine. In 1961, nine different singles topped the chart, which at the time was published under the title Hot C&W Sides, C&W being an abbreviation for country and western. Chart placings were based on playlists submitted by country music radio stations and sales reports submitted by stores. [1]
Each of the nine number ones during the year was by a different artist. In the first issue of 1961, dated January 9, [A] Johnny Horton reached number one with " North To Alaska", replacing Ferlin Husky's " Wings Of A Dove", the final chart-topper of 1960. [2] Horton's single spent five weeks at number one before Husky's song returned to the top of the chart for two further weeks. "North to Alaska" was a posthumous number one for Horton, who had died in an automobile accident the previous November. [3] Following Husky's spell in the top spot, Marty Robbins had the longest unbroken run at number one of the year, spending ten consecutive weeks atop the chart with " Don't Worry". Immediately after this run, Faron Young had a nine-week spell atop the listing with " Hello Walls", an early songwriting success for Willie Nelson, who would go on to be one of the most successful and celebrated singers in country music history. [4] Despite continuing to chart regularly, Young would not reach number one again until 1972. [5]
The final number one of the year was " Walk On By" by Leroy Van Dyke. The song first reached the top spot in September and by the end of the year had spent ten non-consecutive weeks atop the chart in three separate spells. It would go on to hold the position for a further nine weeks in 1962 for a cumulative total of nineteen weeks at number one. [6] This figure set a record for the most weeks at number one by a song since Billboard combined country music sales and airplay into a single chart in 1958. [6] It would retain the record for more than 50 years, until Florida Georgia Line spent 24 weeks at number one between December 2012 and August 2013 with the song " Cruise". [6] Despite its huge success, "Walk On By" was Van Dyke's first and only number one single. [7] Two other acts gained the first country number one singles of their respective careers in 1961. Patsy Cline spent two weeks at the top with " I Fall To Pieces", the first of two number ones which she would achieve before her death in a plane crash in 1963. [8] [9] Jimmy Dean spent a similar length of time in the peak position with his first and only number one, " Big Bad John", which also topped the all-genre Hot 100 chart. [10] [11] It was the only song to top both charts in 1961. [12]
Issue date | Title | Artist(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
January 9 | " North To Alaska" | Johnny Horton | [2] |
January 16 | [13] | ||
January 23 | [14] | ||
January 30 | [15] | ||
February 6 | [16] | ||
February 13 | " Wings Of A Dove" | Ferlin Husky | [17] |
February 20 | [18] | ||
February 27 | " Don't Worry" | Marty Robbins | [19] |
March 6 | [20] | ||
March 13 | [21] | ||
March 20 | [22] | ||
March 27 | [23] | ||
April 3 | [24] | ||
April 10 | [25] | ||
April 17 | [26] | ||
April 24 | [27] | ||
May 1 | [28] | ||
May 8 | " Hello Walls" | Faron Young | [29] |
May 15 | [30] | ||
May 22 | [31] | ||
May 29 | [32] | ||
June 5 | [33] | ||
June 12 | [34] | ||
June 19 | [35] | ||
June 26 | [36] | ||
July 3 | [37] | ||
July 10 | " Heartbreak U.S.A." | Kitty Wells | [38] |
July 17 | [39] | ||
July 24 | [40] | ||
July 31 | [41] | ||
August 7 | " I Fall To Pieces" | Patsy Cline | [42] |
August 14 | [43] | ||
August 21 | " Tender Years" | George Jones | [44] |
August 28 | [45] | ||
September 4 | [46] | ||
September 11 | [47] | ||
September 18 | [48] | ||
September 25 | " Walk On By" | Leroy Van Dyke | [49] |
October 2 | " Tender Years" | George Jones | [50] |
October 9 | [51] | ||
October 16 | " Walk On By" | Leroy Van Dyke | [52] |
October 23 | [53] | ||
October 30 | [54] | ||
November 6 | [55] | ||
November 13 | [56] | ||
November 20 | " Big Bad John" | Jimmy Dean | [57] |
November 27 | [58] | ||
December 4 | " Walk On By" | Leroy Van Dyke | [59] |
December 11 | [60] | ||
December 18 | [61] | ||
December 25 | [62] |
Notes
A.
^ The last issue of 1960 was dated December 31, but the next issue was dated January 9 due to a change in how Billboard dated its issues.
References
Hot Country Songs is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music songs in the United States, published by Billboard magazine. In 1961, nine different singles topped the chart, which at the time was published under the title Hot C&W Sides, C&W being an abbreviation for country and western. Chart placings were based on playlists submitted by country music radio stations and sales reports submitted by stores. [1]
Each of the nine number ones during the year was by a different artist. In the first issue of 1961, dated January 9, [A] Johnny Horton reached number one with " North To Alaska", replacing Ferlin Husky's " Wings Of A Dove", the final chart-topper of 1960. [2] Horton's single spent five weeks at number one before Husky's song returned to the top of the chart for two further weeks. "North to Alaska" was a posthumous number one for Horton, who had died in an automobile accident the previous November. [3] Following Husky's spell in the top spot, Marty Robbins had the longest unbroken run at number one of the year, spending ten consecutive weeks atop the chart with " Don't Worry". Immediately after this run, Faron Young had a nine-week spell atop the listing with " Hello Walls", an early songwriting success for Willie Nelson, who would go on to be one of the most successful and celebrated singers in country music history. [4] Despite continuing to chart regularly, Young would not reach number one again until 1972. [5]
The final number one of the year was " Walk On By" by Leroy Van Dyke. The song first reached the top spot in September and by the end of the year had spent ten non-consecutive weeks atop the chart in three separate spells. It would go on to hold the position for a further nine weeks in 1962 for a cumulative total of nineteen weeks at number one. [6] This figure set a record for the most weeks at number one by a song since Billboard combined country music sales and airplay into a single chart in 1958. [6] It would retain the record for more than 50 years, until Florida Georgia Line spent 24 weeks at number one between December 2012 and August 2013 with the song " Cruise". [6] Despite its huge success, "Walk On By" was Van Dyke's first and only number one single. [7] Two other acts gained the first country number one singles of their respective careers in 1961. Patsy Cline spent two weeks at the top with " I Fall To Pieces", the first of two number ones which she would achieve before her death in a plane crash in 1963. [8] [9] Jimmy Dean spent a similar length of time in the peak position with his first and only number one, " Big Bad John", which also topped the all-genre Hot 100 chart. [10] [11] It was the only song to top both charts in 1961. [12]
Issue date | Title | Artist(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
January 9 | " North To Alaska" | Johnny Horton | [2] |
January 16 | [13] | ||
January 23 | [14] | ||
January 30 | [15] | ||
February 6 | [16] | ||
February 13 | " Wings Of A Dove" | Ferlin Husky | [17] |
February 20 | [18] | ||
February 27 | " Don't Worry" | Marty Robbins | [19] |
March 6 | [20] | ||
March 13 | [21] | ||
March 20 | [22] | ||
March 27 | [23] | ||
April 3 | [24] | ||
April 10 | [25] | ||
April 17 | [26] | ||
April 24 | [27] | ||
May 1 | [28] | ||
May 8 | " Hello Walls" | Faron Young | [29] |
May 15 | [30] | ||
May 22 | [31] | ||
May 29 | [32] | ||
June 5 | [33] | ||
June 12 | [34] | ||
June 19 | [35] | ||
June 26 | [36] | ||
July 3 | [37] | ||
July 10 | " Heartbreak U.S.A." | Kitty Wells | [38] |
July 17 | [39] | ||
July 24 | [40] | ||
July 31 | [41] | ||
August 7 | " I Fall To Pieces" | Patsy Cline | [42] |
August 14 | [43] | ||
August 21 | " Tender Years" | George Jones | [44] |
August 28 | [45] | ||
September 4 | [46] | ||
September 11 | [47] | ||
September 18 | [48] | ||
September 25 | " Walk On By" | Leroy Van Dyke | [49] |
October 2 | " Tender Years" | George Jones | [50] |
October 9 | [51] | ||
October 16 | " Walk On By" | Leroy Van Dyke | [52] |
October 23 | [53] | ||
October 30 | [54] | ||
November 6 | [55] | ||
November 13 | [56] | ||
November 20 | " Big Bad John" | Jimmy Dean | [57] |
November 27 | [58] | ||
December 4 | " Walk On By" | Leroy Van Dyke | [59] |
December 11 | [60] | ||
December 18 | [61] | ||
December 25 | [62] |
Notes
A.
^ The last issue of 1960 was dated December 31, but the next issue was dated January 9 due to a change in how Billboard dated its issues.
References