1938 in country music explained

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1938.

Events

See main article: 1938.

Top Hillbilly-Folk (Country) Recordings 1938

The following songs were extracted from records included in Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954,^[1] record sales reported on the "Discography of American Historical Recordings" website, and other sources as specified. Numerical rankings are approximate, they are only used as a frame of reference.

Rank	Artist	Title	Label	Recorded	Released	Chart Positions
1		"Wabash Cannon Ball"^[2]	Vocalion 4466			US BB 1938 #223, US #12 for 1 week, 2 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1938 #1, 1,000,000 sales, National Recording Registry 2005
2		"It Makes No Difference Now"^[3]	Decca 5604			US Hillbilly 1938 #2
3		"Aura Lee"^[4]	Decca 5533			US Hillbilly 1938 #3 (this melody was used for Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender")
4		"The Man with the Whiskers"^[5]	Vocalion 4502			US BB 1938 #207, US #11 for 1 week, 2 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1938 #4
5	Roy Acuff with The Crazy Tennesseans	"Great Speckled Bird"^[6]	Melotone 70159			US BB 1938 #236, US #13 for 1 week, 3 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1938 #5
6		"Steel Guitar Stomp"^[7]	Vocalion 3997			US Hillbilly 1938 #6
7	Gene Autry	"Take Me Back to My Boots and Saddle"	Vocalion 4172			US Hillbilly 1938 #7
8	Claude Casey's Pinestate Playboys	"Pine State Honky Tonk"^[8]	Bluebird 7883			US Hillbilly 1938 #8
9	Roy Acuff and the Crazy Tennesseans	"Freight Train Blues"	Vocalion 4466			US Hillbilly 1938 #9
10		"The One Rose That's Left in My Heart"^[9]	Bluebird B-7280			US Hillbilly 1938 #10
11		"Hi-Ho Silver"	Vocalion 4190			US BB 1938 #250, US #13 for 1 week, 2 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1938 #10
12	Jimmie Davis w_Charles	"Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland"^[10]	Decca 5616			US BB 1938 #253, US #13 for 1 week, 12 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1938 #11
13		"Beautiful Ohio"	Vocalion 4158			US BB 1938 #18, US #2 for 1 week, 8 total weeks
14		"Red Hot Fannie"	Vocalion 4289			US Hillbilly 1938 #13
15		"Ragtime Cowboy Joe"	Vocalion 4292			US Hillbilly 1938 #14
16		"Tulsa Waltz"^[11]	Bluebird 7371			US Hillbilly 1938 #15
17		"Running Around".^[12]	Bluebird 4994			US Hillbilly 1938 #16
18	Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys	"The Maiden's Prayer"	Vocalion 3924			US Hillbilly 1938 #17
19		"Beautiful Texas"	Vocalion 4185			US Hillbilly 1938 #18
20	Cliff Bruner's Texas Wanderers	"Girl Of My Dreams"^[13]	Decca 5560			US Hillbilly 1938 #19
21	Gene Autry	"End of My Round-Up Days"	Vocalion 4146			US Hillbilly 1938 #20

Births

• January 30 - Norma Jean, female singer of the 1960s and regular on The Porter Wagoner Show from 1961 to 1967.
• March 12 – Lew DeWitt, songwriter and former member of The Statler Brothers (he sang tenor) (died 1990).
• March 18 – Charley Pride, the most successful African-American country music performer, active since the mid-1960s.
• April 4 – Norro Wilson, prominent songwriter and record producer (died 2017).
• August 18 – Allen Reynolds, prominent record producer, best known for his association with Garth Brooks.
• August 21 – Kenny Rogers, pop-styled country crooner who has enjoyed hits since the late 1960s (died 2020).

Further reading

• Kingsbury, Paul, "Vinyl Hayride: Country Music Album Covers 1947–1989," Country Music Foundation, 2003
• Millard, Bob, "Country Music: 70 Years of America's Favorite Music," HarperCollins, New York, 1993
• Whitburn, Joel. "Top Country Songs 1944–2005 – 6th Edition." 2005.

Notes and References

1. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954 . Record Research . 1986.
2. Web site: Vocalion 78rpm numerical listing discography: 4000 - 4500. 2022-01-06. www.78discography.com.
3. Web site: Decca matrix 64504. It makes no difference now / Cliff Bruner's Texas Wanderers - Discography of American Historical Recordings. 2022-01-04. adp.library.ucsb.edu.
4. Web site: Decca matrix 61825. Aura Lee / The Shelton Brothers - Discography of American Historical Recordings. 2022-01-06. adp.library.ucsb.edu.
5. Web site: Vocalion (USA) 78rpm numerical listing discography: 4500 - 4999 . 2022-03-02 . www.78discography.com.
6. Web site: MELOTONE 1937 numerical listing discography. 2022-01-06. www.78discography.com.
7. Web site: Vocalion 78rpm numerical listing discography: 3500 - 4000. 2022-01-06. www.78discography.com.
8. Web site: Victor matrix BS-027737. Pine State honky tonk / Claude Casey ; Pine State Playboys - Discography of American Historical Recordings . 2022-04-30 . adp.library.ucsb.edu.
9. Web site: Victor matrix PBVE-54857. The one rose (That's left in my heart) / Lani McIntire's Hawaiians ; Jimmie Rodgers . 2022-09-01 . Discography of American Historical Recordings.
10. Web site: Decca matrix 64563. Meet me tonight in dreamland / Jimmie Davis - Discography of American Historical Recordings. 2022-01-06. adp.library.ucsb.edu.
11. Web site: Victor matrix BS-07352. Tulsa waltz / Oklahoma Playboys ; Jimmie Revard - Discography of American Historical Recordings. 2022-01-06. adp.library.ucsb.edu.
12. Book: Russell . Tony . Pinson . Bob . September 26, 2008 . Country Music Records: A Discography, 1921–1942 . Oxford University Press . 1st . 978-0195366211 . registration .
13. Web site: Decca matrix 62972. Girl of my dreams / Cliff Bruner's Texas Wanderers - Discography of American Historical Recordings . 2022-05-03 . adp.library.ucsb.edu.