1940 in country music explained

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1940.

Events

• 1940 marked first year that sales exceeded 1929 levels
• April 4 — Ernest Tubb makes his first recordings for Decca Records, a label where he will remain for more than 30 years.

Top Hillbilly (Country) Recordings 1940

The following songs achieved the highest positions in Billboard magazine's 'Best Sellers in Stores' chart, monthly 'Hillbilly Hits' chart, supplemented by 'Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954' and record sales reported on the "Discography of American Historical Recordings" website,^[1] and other sources as specified, during 1940. Numerical rankings are approximate.

Rank	Artist	Title	Label	Recorded	Released	Chart Positions
1		"You Are My Sunshine"^[2]	Vocalion 05370			US Hillbilly 1940 #1, US Hillbilly #1 for 5 weeks, 37 total weeks
2		"San Antonio Rose"^[3]	Vocalion 04755			US Hillbilly 1940 #2, Hillbilly #1 for 3 week, 18 total weeks, 1,000,000 sales
3		"Goodbye Little Darlin' Goodbye"	Vocalion 05463			US Billboard 1940 #264, US #20 for 1 week, 1 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1940 #3, US Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 27 total weeks
4	Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys	"New San Antonio Rose"^[4]	Okeh 05694			US Billboard 1941 #126, US #16 for 1 week, 1 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1940 #4, Hillbilly #1 for 2 week, 29 total weeks
5		""You Are My Sunshine"^[5]	Decca 7004			US Hillbilly 1940 #5, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 18 total weeks, 1,000,000 sales, Grammy Hall of Fame 1999, Library of Congress artifact added 2012
6	Bob Skyles and His Skyrockets	"Only in Dreams"^[6]	Decca 5887			US Hillbilly 1940 #6, Hillbilly #1 for 3 weeks, 15 total weeks
7	Gene Autry	"Were You Sincere"^[7]	Vocalion 05693			US Hillbilly 1940 #7, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 18 total weeks
8		"I'll Be Seein' You In Dallas, Alice"^[8]	Decca 5844			US Hillbilly 1940 #8, Hillbilly #1 for 3 week, 13 total weeks
9		"The Girl You Loved Long Ago"^[9]	Decca 5827			US Hillbilly 1940 #9, US #1 for 2 weeks, 16 total weeks
10	Cliff Bruner And His Boys	"Sorry (I'll Say I'm Sorry)"^[10]	Decca 5860			US Hillbilly 1940 #10, Hillbilly #1 for 3 weeks, 20 total weeks
11	Jimmie Davis	"I'd Love to Call You My Sweetheart"^[11]	Decca 5803			US Hillbilly 1940 #11, Hillbilly #1 for 3 week, 15 total weeks
12		"Take Me Back To My Home In The Mountains"	Vocalion 5486			US Hillbilly 1940 #12, Hillbilly #1 for 3 week, 14 total weeks
13	Texas Jim Lewis and His Lone Star Cowboys	"Rock And Rye Polka"^[12]	Decca 5875			US Hillbilly 1940 #13, Hillbilly #1 for 1 week, 14 total weeks
14	Gene Autry	"I'm Beginning To Care"	Vocalion 5257			US Hillbilly 1940 #14, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 13 total weeks
15	Texas Jim Lewis and His Lone Star Cowboys	"Seven Beers With The Wrong Woman"^[13]	Decca 5874			US Hillbilly 1940 #15, Hillbilly #1 for 1 week, 20 total weeks
16	Shelton Brothers	"I’m a Handy Man to Have Around"^[14]	Decca 5833			US Hillbilly 1940 #16, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 14 total weeks
17		"Cowboy Swing"	Vocalion 5438			US Hillbilly 1940 #17, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 12 total weeks
18	Cliff Bruner And His Boys	"Jessie"^[15]	Decca 5769			US Hillbilly 1940 #18, Hillbilly #2 for 2 weeks, 19 total weeks
19		"Worried Mind"^[16]	Okeh 5668			US Hillbilly 1940 #19, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 17 total weeks, sold over 350,000 copies^[17]
20	Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys	"Time Changes Everything"	Okeh 05753			US Hillbilly 1940 #20, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 16 total weeks

Births

• January 8 — Cristy Lane, Christian singer who also enjoyed secular success as a country performer in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
• June 23 – Diana Trask, Australian-born singer who enjoyed American success in the early 1970s.
• August 5 — Bobby Braddock, prominent songwriter with more than 40 years of success; later, producer for Blake Shelton.
• August 10 – Jerry Kennedy, prominent producer from the 1960s through early 1990s.

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. "Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890–1954: The History of American Popular Music," Record Research Inc., Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, 1986 .

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 - 5000 series (main sequence) . 2022-04-07 . www.78discography.com.
3. Web site: Vocalion (USA) 78rpm numerical listing discography: 4500 - 4999 . 2022-04-09 . www.78discography.com.
4. Web site: Complete National Recording Registry Listing . 2022-04-18 . Library of Congress.
5. Web site: Decca matrix 67157. You are my sunshine / Jimmie Davis - Discography of American Historical Recordings . 2022-04-09 . adp.library.ucsb.edu.
6. Web site: Decca matrix 92062. Only in dreams / Bob Skyles Skyrockets - Discography of American Historical Recordings . 2022-04-09 . adp.library.ucsb.edu.
7. Web site: Vocalion 78rpm numerical listing discography 5500 - 5600 . 2022-04-07 . www.78discography.com.
8. Web site: Decca matrix 92026. I'll be seein' you in Dallas / The Shelton Brothers - Discography of American Historical Recordings . 2022-04-07 . adp.library.ucsb.edu.
9. Web site: Decca matrix 66355. The girl that you loved long ago / Cliff Bruner and his Boys - Discography of American Historical Recordings . 2022-04-09 . adp.library.ucsb.edu.
10. Web site: Decca matrix 92053. Sorry (I'll say I'm sorry) / Cliff Bruner and his Boys - Discography of American Historical Recordings . 2022-04-07 . adp.library.ucsb.edu.
11. Web site: Decca matrix 67159. I'd love to call you my sweetheart / Jimmie Davis - Discography of American Historical Recordings . 2022-04-07 . adp.library.ucsb.edu.
12. Web site: Decca matrix DLA 2084. Rock and rye polka / Texas Jim Lewis and his Lone Star Cowboys - Discography of American Historical Recordings . 2022-08-27 . adp.library.ucsb.edu.
13. Web site: Decca matrix DLA 2083. Seven beers with the wrong woman / Texas Jim Lewis and his Lone Star Cowboys - Discography of American Historical Recordings . 2022-08-27 . adp.library.ucsb.edu.
14. Web site: Decca matrix 92036. I'm a handy man to have around / The Shelton Brothers - Discography of American Historical Recordings . 2022-04-07 . adp.library.ucsb.edu.
15. Web site: Decca matrix 66300. Jessie / Cliff Bruner and his Boys - Discography of American Historical Recordings . 2022-08-27 . adp.library.ucsb.edu.
16. Web site: OKeh (by CBS) numerical listing discography: 5600 - 5999 . 2022-04-07 . www.78discography.com.
17. Book: Murrells, Joseph. 1978. The Book of Golden Discs. 2nd. Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. London. https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/30 30]. 0-214-20512-6. registration.