1966 in country music explained

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in 1966.

Events

No dates

Top hits of the year

Number-one hits

United States

(as certified by Billboard)

DateSingle NameArtistWks. No.1Spec. Note
January 8Giddyup GoRed Sovine6
  • Sovine's first Number One hit in ten years since 1955's "Why Baby Why."
February 19Waitin' in Your Welfare Line/
In the Palm of Your Hand
Buck Owens and the Buckaroos7
April 9I Want to Go with YouEddy Arnold6
May 21Distant DrumsJim Reeves4
June 18Take Good Care of HerSonny James2
July 2Think of MeBuck Owens and the Buckaroos6
August 13Almost PersuadedDavid Houston9[1], [A]
  • The longest-running Number One country song by a male artist until Lonestar's single, "Amazed" in 1999.
October 15Blue Side of LonesomeJim Reeves1
October 22Open Up Your HeartBuck Owens and the Buckaroos4
November 19I Get the FeverBill Anderson1
November 26Somebody Like MeEddy Arnold4
December 24There Goes My EverythingJack Greene8[A]
Notes

Canada

(as certified by RPM)

DateSingle NameArtistWks. No.1Spec. Note
January 3Shadows of Your HeartDianne Leigh2[A]
January 17Iron TownRhythm Pals5[A]
February 21Don’t Knock on My DoorThe Canadian Sweethearts1[C]
February 28This They Say Is MeRhythm Pals2[B]
March 14The AuctioneerIrwin Prescott1[C]
December 5Whistling on the RiverMercey Brothers7[A], [2]
  • Fell to #2 on the week of January 21, 1967.
Notes

Other major hits

Singles released by American artists

USSingleArtist
2Ain't Had No Lovin'Connie Smith
6Almost Persuaded No. 2Ben Colder
17Anita, You're DreamingWaylon Jennings
16Another StoryErnest Tubb
13At Ease HeartErnest Ashworth
7BabyWilma Burgess
15Baby Ain't That FineGene Pitney and Melba Montgomery
10Back Pocket MoneyJimmy C. Newman
10Bad SeedJan Howard
2The Ballad of the Green BeretsStaff Sgt. Barry Sadler
12Blues Plus Booze (Means I Lose)Stonewall Jackson
12A Born LoserDon Gibson
3The Bottle Let Me DownMerle Haggard
18Bottom of a MountainTex Williams
18The Box It Came InWanda Jackson
13Catch a Little RaindropClaude King
19Coming Back to YouThe Browns
8The Company You KeepBill Phillips
14Count Me OutMarty Robbins
14Day for DecisionJohnny Sea
4Dear Uncle SamLoretta Lynn
2Don't Touch MeJeannie Seely
12Don't Touch MeWilma Burgess
11Don't You Ever Get Tired (Of Hurting Me)Ray Price
9Early Morning RainGeorge Hamilton IV
3England SwingsRoger Miller
17Everybody Loves a NutJohnny Cash
5Evil on Your MindJan Howard
2Flowers on the WallThe Statler Brothers
5Four-O-Thirty-ThreeGeorge Jones
5The Game of TrianglesBobby Bare, Norma Jean and Liz Anderson
14Get Your Lie the Way You Want ItBonnie Guitar
10Giddyup Go – AnswerMinnie Pearl
11Golden GuitarBill Anderson
18Guess My Eyes Were Bigger Than My HeartConway Twitty
9Happy to Be with YouJohnny Cash
2History Repeats ItselfBuddy Starcher
6How Long Has It BeenBobby Lewis
3The Hurtin's All OverConnie Smith
5Husbands and WivesRoger Miller
13I Can't Keep Away from YouThe Wilburn Brothers
17I Hear Little Rock CallingFerlin Husky
4I Love You DropsBill Anderson
16I'd Just Be Fool EnoughThe Browns
9I'll Take the DogJean Shepard and Ray Pillow
18I'm a NutLeroy Pullins
6I’m a PeopleGeorge Jones
9I'm Living in Two WorldsBonnie Guitar
13I've Been a Long Time Leavin' (But I'll Be a Long Time Gone)Roger Miller
10If Teardrops Were SilverJean Shepard
7If You Can't Bite, Don't GrowlTommy Collins
4It Takes a Lot of MoneyWarner Mack
14It's All Over (But the Crying)Kitty Wells
15It's Only LoveJeannie Seely
2Last Word in Lonesome Is MeEddy Arnold
17Little BuddyClaude King
13LonelyvilleDave Dudley
15Long Time GoneDave Dudley
8The Lovin' MachineJohnny Paycheck
13Many Happy Hangovers to YouJean Shepard
16The Men in My Little Girl's LifeArchie Campbell
2A Million and OneBilly Walker
4Misty BlueWilma Burgess
14My DreamsFaron Young
4Nobody But a Fool (Would Love You)Connie Smith
19One in a RowWillie Nelson
2The One on the Right Is on the LeftJohnny Cash
6Put It Off Until TomorrowBill Phillips
20Rainbows and RosesRoy Drusky
2Room in Your HeartSonny James
3The Shoe Goes On the Other Foot TonightMarty Robbins
3Sittin' On a Rock (Crying in a Creek)Warner Mack
3Skid Row JoePorter Wagoner
2SnowflakeJim Reeves
8Someone Before MeThe Wilburn Brothers
10Stand Beside MeJimmy Dean
5Standing in the ShadowsHank Williams, Jr.
17StatesideMel Tillis
15Steel Rail BluesGeorge Hamilton IV
15Stop the Start (Of Tears in My Heart)Johnny Dollar
5Streets of BaltimoreBobby Bare
4Sweet ThangNat Stuckey
5Swinging DoorsMerle Haggard
8Take MeGeorge Jones
3Talkin' to the WallWarner Mack
17Thank You Ma'amRay Pillow
9(That's What You Get) For Lovin' MeWaylon Jennings
17Time to Bum AgainWaylon Jennings
3The Tip of My FingersEddy Arnold
2Tippy ToeingThe Harden Trio
3Touch My HeartRay Price
3True Love's a BlessingSonny James
17The Twelfth of NeverSlim Whitman
7Unmitigated GallFaron Young
12Viet Nam BluesDave Dudley
7Walking on New GrassKenny Price
7A Way to SurviveRay Price
4What Kinda Deal Is ThisBill Carlisle
4What We're Fighting ForDave Dudley
15Where Is the CircusHank Thompson
14Where'd Ya Stay Last NightWebb Pierce
15A Woman Half My AgeKitty Wells
9Women Do Funny Things to MeDel Reeves
10The World Is RoundRoy Drusky
5Would You Hold It Against MeDottie West
16Write Me a PictureGeorge Hamilton IV
6(Yes) I'm HurtingDon Gibson
2You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Man)Loretta Lynn
15You Finally Said Something Good (When You Said Goodbye)Charlie Louvin

Singles released by Canadian artists

USCANSingleArtist
3Come Home NewfoundlanderTom Jim Garth
2Goodbye My FriendBob King
10I Don't NeverOdie Workman
18I've Cried a MileHank Snow
7Ice on the RoadGraham Townsend
2Lost LoveArtie MacLaren
4Loving You AgainJohnny Burke
6Muddy WaterBert Cuff
8Play Me One More Country SongRon McMunn
4Rambling ShoesBob King
3Three Plays for a QuarterRalph Carlson
2Working on the Country RoadBob King

Top new album releases

SingleArtistRecord Label
Bad SeedJan HowardDecca
The Best of Bobby BareBobby BareRCA
Born to SingConnie SmithRCA
Confessions of a Broken ManPorter WagonerRCA
Conway Twitty SingsConway TwittyDecca
Distant DrumsJim ReevesRCA
Don't Touch MeWilma BurgessDecca
Folk-CountryWaylon JenningsRCA
The Girls Get PrettierHank LocklinRCA
I Love You DropsBill AndersonDecca
I Want to Go with YouEddy ArnoldRCA
I'm a PeopleGeorge JonesMusicor
Jan Howard Sings Evil on Your MindJan HowardDecca
Jimmy Dean's Greatest HitsJimmy DeanColumbia
Look Into My TeardropsConway TwittyDecca
Many Happy HangoversJean ShepardCapitol
The Seely StyleJeannie SeelyMonument
Somebody Like MeEddy ArnoldRCA
The Streets of BaltimoreBobby BareRCA
Suffer TimeDottie WestRCA
There Goes My EverythingJack GreeneDecca
Wanda Jackson Salutes the Country Music Hall of FameWanda JacksonCapitol

Births

Deaths

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

Major awards

Grammy Awards

Academy of Country Music

See also

Further reading

External links