1951 in country music explained

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1951.

Events

See main article: 1951.

Top hits of the year

Number one hits

(As certified by Billboard magazine)

USSingleArtist
January 6"I Love You a Thousand Ways"Lefty Frizzell
January 6"The Golden Rocket"Hank Snow and His Rainbow Ranch Boys
January 13"The Shotgun Boogie"Tennessee Ernie Ford
February 10"There's Been a Change in Me"Eddy Arnold
March 31"The Rhumba Boogie"Hank Snow and His Rainbow Ranch Boys
May 12"Cold Cold Heart"Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys
May 19"Kentucky Waltz"Eddy Arnold
May 26"I Want to Be With You Always"Lefty Frizzell
July 14"I Wanna Play House With You"Eddy Arnold
August 11"Hey, Good Lookin'"Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys
September 1"Always Late with Your Kisses"Lefty Frizzell
November 3"Slow Poke"Pee Wee King and His Golden West Cowboys (feat. Redd Stewart)
December 22"Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way"Carl Smith

Note: Several songs were simultaneous No. 1 hits on the separate "Most Played Juke Box Folk (later Country & Western) Records," "Best Selling Retail Folk (later Country & Western) Records) and – starting December 10 – "Country & Western Records Most Played by Folk Disk Jockeys" charts.

Other major hits

USSingleArtist
3Alabama JubileeRed Foley
5Beautiful Brown EyesJimmy Wakely and the Les Baxter Chorus
9Blue ChristmasErnest Tubb
4Bluebird IslandHank Snow and Anita Carter
7Cherokee Boogie (Eh-Oh-Aleena)Moon Mullican
8Chew Tobacco RagZeb Turner
4Crazy HeartHank Williams
5Cryin' Heart BluesJohnnie & Jack
8Dear JohnHank Williams
9Don't Stay Too LongErnest Tubb
2Down the Trail of Achin' HeartsHank Snow and Anita Carter
5Down YonderDel Wood
7Driftwood On the RiverErnest Tubb
5Heart StringsEddy Arnold
6Hey La LaErnest Tubb
8Hobo BoogieRed Foley
5Hot Rod RaceArkie Shibley
7Hot Rod RaceRamblin' Jimmie Dolan
7Hot Rod RaceRed Foley
7Hot Rod RaceTiny Hill
3Howlin' at the MoonHank Williams
2I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)Hank Williams
5I Don't Want to Be FreeMargaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely
8I Love You a Thousand WaysHawkshaw Hawkins
10I'll Sail My Ship AloneTiny Hill
8I'm Waiting Just for YouHawkshaw Hawkins
8If Teardrops Were PenniesCarl Smith
8It Is No SecretStuart Hamblen
9Lonesome WhistleHank Williams
4Look What Thoughts Will DoLefty Frizzell
8May the Good Lord Bless and Keep YouEddy Arnold
3Mockin' Bird HillThe Pinetoppers
7Mockin' Bird HillLes Paul and Mary Ford
2Mom and Dad's WaltzLefty Frizzell
2Mr. and MississippiTennessee Ernie Ford
4Mr. MoonCarl Smith
6My Heart Cries for YouEvelyn Knight and Red Foley
7My Heart Cries for YouJimmy Wakely
9Old Soldiers Never DieGene Autry
8On Top of Old SmokyThe Weavers and Terry Gilkyson
4Poison LoveJohnnie & Jack
7Shine, Shave, Shower (It's Saturday)Lefty Frizzell
7Sick, Sober and SorryJohnny Bond
2Somebody's Been Beating My TimeEddy Arnold
4Something Old, Something NewEddy Arnold
10Sparrow in the TreetopRex Allen
5The Strange Little GirlCowboy Copas
9The Strange Little GirlRed Foley and Ernest Tubb
9The Strange Little GirlTennessee Ernie Ford
8Tailor Made WomanTennessee Ernie Ford and Joe "Fingers" Carr
2Tennessee Waltz, 6,000,000 sold by 1967[1] Patti Page
6Tennessee WaltzPee Wee King
5(There'll Be) Peace in the Valley (For Me)Red Foley
6Travelin' BluesLefty Frizzell
6Unwanted Sign Upon Your HeartHank Snow
7When You and I Were Young, Maggie BluesMargaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely

Births

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Book: Murrells, Joseph . The book of golden discs . 1978 . London : Barrie & Jenkins . Internet Archive . 978-0-214-20512-5.