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List of Hot C&W Sides number ones of 1961

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A dark-haired man wearing a cardigan sweater, smiling broadly
Marty Robbins spent 10 weeks at number one with "Don't Worry".

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 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]

Chart history

[edit]
A woman with long dark hair wearing a polka dot shirt
Kitty Wells spent four weeks at number one with "Heartbreak U.S.A."
A dark-haired man wearing a shirt and tie, holding a guitar and smiling broadly
Faron Young had the second-longest unbroken run at number one of 1961, spending nine weeks in the top spot with "Hello Walls".
A dark-haired man wearing a dark jacket and tie, sitting in a director's chair
Jimmy Dean's "Big Bad John" had a two-week run at the top.
Singer Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline had her first number one in 1961.
Chart history
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]

See also

[edit]

Notes and references

[edit]

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

  1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2005). Joel Whitburn's Top Country Songs: 1944-2005. Record Research. p. ix. ISBN 9780898201659.
  2. ^ a b "Hot Country Songs chart for January 9, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  3. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Johnny Horton Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 8, 2017. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  4. ^ Thanki, Juli (November 17, 2015). "Willie Nelson is first country star to receive Gershwin Prize". The Tennessean. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  5. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits. Watson-Guptill. pp. 33–374. ISBN 9780823082896.
  6. ^ a b c "Sam Hunt Makes Chart History With "Body Like a Back Road"". CMT. August 1, 2017. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
  7. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits. Watson-Guptill. p. 337. ISBN 9780823082896.
  8. ^ Cooper, Peter (March 5, 2016). "Patsy Cline: Country music remembers its darkest day". The Tennessean. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  9. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits. Watson-Guptill. p. 74. ISBN 9780823082896.
  10. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits. Watson-Guptill. p. 92. ISBN 9780823082896.
  11. ^ Huey, Steve. "Jimmy Dean Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 5, 2018. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
  12. ^ "Hot 100 – 1961 Archive". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 11, 2018. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  13. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for January 16, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  14. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for January 23, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 27, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  15. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for January 30, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  16. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for February 6, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 31, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  17. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for February 13, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 27, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  18. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for February 20, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  19. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for February 27, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  20. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for March 6, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 31, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  21. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for March 13, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  22. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for March 20, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  23. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for March 27, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  24. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for April 3, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  25. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for April 10, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  26. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for April 17, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  27. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for April 24, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 31, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  28. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for May 1, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  29. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for May 8, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 20, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  30. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for May 15, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  31. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for May 22, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 27, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  32. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for May 29, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 20, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  33. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for June 5, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 20, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  34. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for June 12, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 27, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  35. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for June 19, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  36. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for June 26, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 31, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  37. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for July 3, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 31, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  38. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for July 10, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  39. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for July 17, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  40. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for July 24, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 31, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  41. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for July 31, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 31, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  42. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for August 7, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  43. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for August 14, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 31, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  44. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for August 21, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 31, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  45. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for August 28, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 31, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  46. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for September 4, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 31, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  47. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for September 11, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  48. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for September 18, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  49. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for September 25, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  50. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for October 2, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  51. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for October 9, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 31, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  52. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for October 16, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  53. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for October 23, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 27, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  54. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for October 30, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  55. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for November 6, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  56. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for November 13, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  57. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for November 20, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 27, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  58. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for November 27, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  59. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for December 4, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  60. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for December 11, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 20, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  61. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for December 18, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  62. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for December 25, 1961". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.

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