EVERY Billboard #1 country hit discussion thread 1970-1974

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by W.B., Mar 29, 2020.

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  1. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Having just reached the end of the 1960's with:

    EVERY Billboard #1 country hit of the 1960's discussion thread

    we now turn the page over to the first half of the 1970's, as the last half was already looked at year by year:

    EVERY Billboard #1 country hit of 1975 discussion thread
    EVERY Billboard #1 country hit of 1976 discussion thread.
    EVERY Billboard #1 country hit of 1977 discussion thread
    EVERY Billboard #1 country hit of 1978 discussion thread
    EVERY Billboard #1 country hit of 1979 discussion thread

    In this half, Conway Twitty attained full country superstardom, Loretta Lynn was at her peak, and such stars as Johnny Cash, Charley Pride, Merle Haggard and Tammy Wynette were still attaining hits with regularity. In the first year of this decade we would see #1's from such first-timers to the summit as Lynn Anderson, Hank Williams, Jr. and Tom T. Hall (and only-timers such as Dave Dudley and Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan). As the decade unfolded, George Jones would emerge from his Musicor shell with a change of labels to Epic (and of producers to Billy Sherrill), and such now-legends as Roy Clark, Jerry Reed, Sammi Smith, Charlie Rich, Waylon Jennings, Donna Fargo, Mel Tillis, Ronnie Milsap, Tanya Tucker, Joe Stampley, Barbara Fairchild, Johnny Rodriguez, Freddie Hart, Mickey Gilley, Billy "Crash" Craddock, and Dolly Parton would also have their first toppers.

    The TV series Hee Haw - begun as a summer replacement the prior year - would take off like a rocket, so much so that after CBS cancelled it in 1971 and it went into first-run syndication, it would become one of the three biggest successes of the syndicated world for the rest of the decade (along with another network orphan, The Lawrence Welk Show, and Soul Train). Over the years, Hee Haw would spotlight these and more top country acts.

    As we go by year, the number of chart #1's per year will increase exponentially. In 1970, 23 songs made the top spot; by 1974 that would go up to 41. Because of this, a new #1 will be unveiled every day, as we are doing with:

    EVERY Billboard #1 country hit discussion thread 1980-1984
    (the magnitude of which warrants dividing up the decade by two threads; 1985-1989 will follow)

    Meanwhile, for those more nostalgically inclined, there are these threads to peruse through and add any thoughts:

    EVERY Billboard #1 country hit discussion thread 1944-1949
    EVERY Billboard #1 country hit discussion thread 1950-1954
    EVERY Billboard #1 country hit discussion thread 1955-1959

    After a break, the first #1 of the 1970's.
     
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  2. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    And now for the first song of the new year (and the new decade) . . .
    "Baby, Baby (I Know You're A Lady)" by David Houston
    (#1 for 3 weeks - January 3-24, 1970)

    [​IMG]
    Wikipedia entry - and in those same four weeks, the Hot 100 had its first #1 of the '70's - "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" by B.J. Thomas. Would be both the first #1 for songwriter Norro Wilson, and the seventh and last for Mr. Houston.
     
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  3. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Now for one of a selection of first-timers at the top for 1970 . . .
    "A Week In A County Jail" by Tom T. Hall
    (#1 for 2 weeks - January 31-February 7, 1970)

    [​IMG]
    Wikipedia entry
     
  4. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    And the hits just keep on a-comin' for this . . . ahem . . .
    "It's Just A Matter Of Time" by Sonny James, The Southern Gentleman
    (#1 for 4 weeks - February 14-March 7, 1970)

    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    Wikipedia entry
     
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  5. MikeM

    MikeM Senior Member

    Location:
    Youngstown, Ohio
    Sheesh! Sonny James — the Linda Ronstadt of country music.

    A talented guy, but it seems like after a while ALL he did were covers of old songs.
     
  6. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Seemed most acute when Kelso Herston was producing him.

    He also seemed out to turn Bobbie Gentry (of "Ode To Billie Joe" fame) into another proto-Ronstadt. Two of his productions for her - covers of Bacharach-David tunes, "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" and "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" - were released as singles in Britain (but not in the U.S.), the former reaching #1 there.

    I suppose it's fortunate Buck Owens wasn't sucked into Herston's orbit.
     
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  7. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Now for another 'iconic' number . . .
    "The Fightin' Side Of Me" by Merle Haggard And The Strangers
    (#1 for 3 weeks - March 14-28, 1970)

    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    Wikipedia entry - another one for whom we should be grateful Kelso Herston didn't get to him.
     
  8. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Now for one act for whom this was both a first and last #1 . . .
    "Tennessee Bird Walk" by Jack Blanchard And Misty Morgan
    (#1 for 2 weeks - April 4-11, 1970)

    [​IMG]
    Wikipedia entry - also made #23 on Hot 100
     
  9. JamieC

    JamieC Senior Member

    Location:
    Detroit Mi USA
    The guy who owned the studio I used in the 90s was partners with Jack and Misty. His name was Donel Austin and he was a classic rock and roller from the early years. I know that Jack cut a number of singles for Donel's labels(Earth, MSK). Look up Donel Austin and the Dellos on YouTube.
    Love this record. It was SOO out of left field. What with birds walking south in dirty underwear. (chirp chirp)
     
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  10. Joey Self

    Joey Self Red Forman's Sensitivity Guru

    I was 11 when these were popular, living in Arkansas where country music was everywhere--except on my radio! Still, I remember hearing the last three. The David Houston and Tom T. Hall songs aren't familiar at all.

    I can't say I liked any of them at the time, and still don't have any in my collection. Merle Haggard has the distinction of being the only act I remember getting out of my seat and leaving his show; he opened for the Rolling Stones in North Little Rock in 2006, and I didn't enjoy the four songs I heard, so I decided to walk around to look at the arena.

    JcS
     
  11. JamieC

    JamieC Senior Member

    Location:
    Detroit Mi USA
    A real classic that I missed until I bought his Greatest Hits album. Like I said, I was deep into FM rock and top 40. It was a rare country record that punched through the Sabbath and Zeppelin et al.
     
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  12. Joey Self

    Joey Self Red Forman's Sensitivity Guru

    During this period, I was still more interested in The Cowsills than Led Zeppelin.

    The change for me started about a year later.

    JcS
     
  13. MikeM

    MikeM Senior Member

    Location:
    Youngstown, Ohio
    As I think I mentioned in another thread, Jack Blanchard has a regular column in a weekly country music E-newsletter I receive.

    It's often very entertaining. He's still married to Misty, and mentions her frequently.
     
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  14. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    And now we go to . . .
    "Is Anybody Goin' To San Antone" by Charley Pride
    (#1 for 2 weeks - April 18-25, 1970)

    [​IMG]
    Wikipedia entry
     
  15. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Next up . . .
    "My Woman, My Woman, My Wife" by Marty Robbins
    (#1 for 1 week - May 2, 1970)

    [​IMG]
    Wikipedia entry - 1971 Grammy winner for Best Country Song.
     
  16. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Amazingly, this gent's only Number One, despite an earlier number being far more famous and iconic . . .
    "The Pool Shark" by Dave Dudley
    (#1 for 1 week - May 9, 1970)

    [​IMG]
    Wikipedia entry - while his "calling card," "Six Days On The Road" from 1963, "only" got to #2 (and was his only pop Top 40 hit, peaking at #32).
     
  17. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    And once again, a "cover" surfaces, this time . . .
    "My Love" by Sonny James, The Southern Gentleman
    (#1 for 3 weeks - May 16-30, 1970)

    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    Wikipedia entry
     
  18. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Now for what basically became this individual's "signature tune":
    "Hello Darlin' " by Conway Twitty
    (#1 for 4 weeks - June 6-27, 1970)

    [​IMG]
    Wikipedia entry - would be the Number One country song of 1970; also, did manage to make #60 on Billboard's Hot 100.
     
  19. MikeM

    MikeM Senior Member

    Location:
    Youngstown, Ohio
    A certified classic.

    I have a huge repertoire of classic country songs I've sung over the years — more of them from the 50s than the 60s and beyond, actually. But this is the most recent addition I made to that repertoire. It always goes down well.

    Conway Twitty had an incredible career, with an amazing number of hits. But as you say, this song perhaps defines him as much as any song he ever wrote and recorded.
     
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  20. JamieC

    JamieC Senior Member

    Location:
    Detroit Mi USA
    Its been required for country cover bands for decades. One of those slow dancers, in spite of the words.
     
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  21. John54

    John54 Senior Member

    Location:
    Burlington, ON
    I hate Tennessee Birdwalk
     
  22. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    And now for the next one up . . .
    "He Loves Me All The Way" by Tammy Wynette
    (#1 for 3 weeks - July 4-18, 1970)

    [​IMG]
    Wikipedia entry - also made #97 on Hot 100
     
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  23. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    And then . . .
    "Wonder Could I Live There Anymore" by Charley Pride
    (#1 for 2 weeks - July 25-August 1, 1970)

    [​IMG]
    Wikipedia entry
     
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  24. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Now for this . . .
    "Don't Keep Me Hangin' On" by Sonny James, The Southern Gentleman
    (#1 for 4 weeks - August 8-29, 1970)

    [​IMG]
    Wikipedia entry - far from being a recast Supremes' cover, this time an original composition - and notice, a new producer.
     
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  25. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Now for this first-timer (the first half, anyway) . . .
    "All For The Love Of Sunshine" by Hank Williams, Jr. With The Mike Curb Congregation
    (#1 for 2 weeks - September 5-12, 1970)

    [​IMG]
    Wikipedia entry
     
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