List of Hot Country Singles number ones of 1969

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A black-haired man wearing dark clothing
Sonny James had three number ones in 1969.

Hot Country Songs is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music songs in the United States, published by Billboard magazine. In 1969, 23 different singles topped the chart, which was published at the time under the title Hot Country Singles, in 52 weekly issues of the magazine. Chart placings were based on playlists submitted by country music radio stations and sales reports submitted by stores.[1]

In the issue of Billboard dated January 4, Johnny Cash's single "Daddy Sang Bass" climbed from number 19 to the top spot, replacing "Wichita Lineman" by Glen Campbell.[2] Cash's single remained at number one for six weeks, the longest unbroken run of the year. The singer returned to the top of the chart later in the year with "A Boy Named Sue", which spent five weeks at number one. His cumulative total of eleven weeks atop the chart was the highest by any artist in 1969. Merle Haggard, Sonny James and Buck Owens each reached number one with three different singles, the most by any act. All three of James' chart-toppers were cover versions of successful rock and roll and pop songs from the late 1950s and early 1960s; the singer achieved the majority of his more than 20 country number ones with versions of pop songs.[3] Owens also took a country reworking of a rock and roll classic to the top spot, with a live version of Chuck Berry's 1958 song "Johnny B. Goode".[4] Haggard's three chart-toppers included "Okie from Muskogee", one of the best-known songs of his career.[5]

In March, Jerry Lee Lewis, regarded as a legend of the rock and roll genre,[6][7] topped the chart with "To Make Love Sweeter For You". In doing so he achieved a country number one for the first time since Billboard combined sales and airplay into a single chart in 1958; his last country chart-topper had been on the C&W Best Sellers in Stores chart earlier in that year.[8][9] Lewis had gained some success on the country charts in the 1950s with songs such as "Great Balls of Fire" in the rockabilly style which incorporated elements of country and rock and roll.[10] In 1968, however, after a decade with little success, he mounted a surprise comeback when he concentrated fully on the country genre, and would go on to achieve a succession of country chart entries into the 1970s.[11][12] Charley Pride had his first chart-topper in August 1969 with "All I Have to Offer You (Is Me)",[13] and he quickly returned to the number one position with "(I'm So) Afraid of Losing You Again", which was the final number one of the year and thus of the decade. The first African-American performer to become a superstar in the country music genre, Pride would go on to achieve more than thirty number one singles on the Hot Country chart.[14]

Chart history[edit]

A dark-skinned man in a tuxedo singing into a microphone
Charley Pride had his first number one in 1969.
A black-haired man sitting on the grass in front of a wooden building
Johnny Cash spent eleven weeks at the top of the chart in 1969, the most by any artist.
A blond-haired man smiling broadly while resting his chin on his left hand
Veteran rock and roll star Jerry Lee Lewis reached the top spot in the spring. He had begun a move into country music the previous year and went on to achieve a run of success within the genre.
Issue date Title Artist(s) Ref.
January 4 "Daddy Sang Bass" Johnny Cash [2]
January 11 [15]
January 18 [16]
January 25 [17]
February 1 [18]
February 8 [19]
February 15 "Until My Dreams Come True" Jack Greene [20]
February 22 [21]
March 1 "To Make Love Sweeter For You" Jerry Lee Lewis [22]
March 8 "Only the Lonely" Sonny James [23]
March 15 [24]
March 22 [25]
March 29 "Who's Gonna Mow Your Grass" Buck Owens and his Buckaroos [26]
April 5 [27]
April 12 "Woman of the World (Leave My World Alone)" Loretta Lynn [28]
April 19 "Galveston" Glen Campbell [29]
April 26 [30]
May 3 [31]
May 10 "Hungry Eyes" Merle Haggard [32]
May 17 "My Life (Throw It Away If I Want To)" Bill Anderson [33]
May 24 [34]
May 31 "Singing My Song" Tammy Wynette [35]
June 7 [36]
June 14 "Running Bear" Sonny James [37]
June 21 [38]
June 28 [39]
July 5 "Statue of a Fool" Jack Greene [40]
July 12 [41]
July 19 "I Love You More Today" Conway Twitty [42]
July 26 "Johnny B. Goode" Buck Owens and his Buckaroos [43]
August 2 [44]
August 9 "All I Have to Offer You (Is Me)" Charley Pride [45]
August 16 "Workin' Man Blues" Merle Haggard [46]
August 23 "A Boy Named Sue" Johnny Cash [47]
August 30 [48]
September 6 [49]
September 13 [50]
September 20 [51]
September 27 "Tall Dark Stranger" Buck Owens [52]
October 4 "Since I Met You, Baby" Sonny James [53]
October 11 [54]
October 18 [55]
October 25 "The Ways to Love a Man" Tammy Wynette [56]
November 1 [57]
November 8 "To See My Angel Cry" Conway Twitty [58]
November 15 "Okie from Muskogee" Merle Haggard [59]
November 22 [60]
November 29 [61]
December 6 [62]
December 13 "(I'm So) Afraid of Losing You Again" Charley Pride [63]
December 20 [64]
December 27 [65]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2005). Joel Whitburn's Top Country Songs: 1944-2005. Record Research. p. ix. ISBN 9780898201659.
  2. ^ a b "Hot Country Singles chart for January 4, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  3. ^ Bush, John. "Sonny James Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  4. ^ Betts, Stephen L. (March 20, 2017). "See Brad Paisley Honor Chuck Berry With Blistering 'Johnny B. Goode'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  5. ^ Thanki, Juli (April 6, 2016). "Merle Haggard dead at 79". The Tennessean. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  6. ^ Bragg, Rick (October 19, 2014). "Jerry Lee Lewis: 'There was no pure rock'n'roll before Jerry Lee Lewis'". The Guardian. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  7. ^ Doyle, Patrick (February 19, 2020). "Jerry Lee Lewis Returns to Music: 'I Thought I Would Never Play Again'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  8. ^ Betts, Stephen L.; Crawford, Robert; McKenna, Brittney; Gage, Jeff (March 9, 2018). "10 Best Country and Americana Songs of the Week: Ashley McBryde, Del McCoury". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  9. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits. Watson-Guptill. p. 185. ISBN 9780823082896.
  10. ^ Carr, Joe; Munde, Alan (1996). Prairie Nights to Neon Lights: The Story of Country Music in West Texas. Texas Tech University Press. p. 120. ISBN 9780896723658.
  11. ^ Koda, Cub. "Jerry Lee Lewis Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  12. ^ Jerome, Jim (April 24, 1978). "Fame, Tragedy and Fame Again: Jerry Lee Lewis Has Been Through Great Balls of Fire, Otherwise Known as Hell". People. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  13. ^ Jurek, Thom. "Legendary Charley Pride - Charley Pride". AllMusic. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  14. ^ Vinopal, David. "Charley Pride Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  15. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for January 11, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  16. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for January 18, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  17. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for January 25, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  18. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for February 1, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  19. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for February 8, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  20. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for February 15, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  21. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for February 22, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  22. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for March 1, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  23. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for March 8, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  24. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for March 15, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  25. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for March 22, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  26. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for March 29, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  27. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for April 5, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  28. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for April 12, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  29. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for April 19, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  30. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for April 26, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  31. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for May 3, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  32. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for May 10, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  33. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for May 17, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  34. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for May 24, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  35. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for May 31, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  36. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for June 7, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  37. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for June 14, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  38. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for June 21, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  39. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for June 28, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  40. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for July 5, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  41. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for July 12, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  42. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for July 19, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  43. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for July 26, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  44. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for August 2, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  45. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for August 13, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  46. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for August 16, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  47. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for August 23, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  48. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for August 30, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  49. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for September 6, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  50. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for September 13, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  51. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for September 20, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  52. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for September 27, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  53. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for October 4, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  54. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for October 11, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  55. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for October 18, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  56. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for October 25, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  57. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for November 1, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  58. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for November 8, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  59. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for November 15, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  60. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for November 22, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  61. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for November 29, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  62. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for December 6, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  63. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for December 13, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  64. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for December 20, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  65. ^ "Hot Country Singles chart for December 27, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.