1973 in country music explained

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1973.

Events

Top hits of the year

Number one hits

United States

(as certified by Billboard)

DateSingle NameArtistWks. No.1CAN peakSpec. Note
January 20Soul SongJoe Stampley12[A]
January 27(Old Dogs, Children And) Watermelon WineTom T. Hall1
February 3She Needs Someone to Hold Her (When She Cries)Conway Twitty28
February 17I Wonder If They Ever Think of MeMerle Haggard1
February 24Rated "X"Loretta Lynn1
March 3The Lord Knows I'm DrinkingCal Smith12[A]
March 10'Til I Get it RightTammy Wynette1
March 17The Teddy Bear SongBarbara Fairchild2[C]
March 31Keep Me in MindLynn Anderson1
April 7Super Kind of WomanFreddie Hart1
April 14A Shoulder to Cry OnCharley Pride1
April 21SupermanDonna Fargo1
April 28Behind Closed DoorsCharlie Rich2[A]
May 12Come Live with MeRoy Clark1[C]
May 19What's Your Mama's NameTanya Tucker1[A]
May 26Satin SheetsJeanne Pruett33[2], [C]
  • Returned to Number One on June 23.
June 9You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me)Johnny Rodriguez1[A]
June 16Kids Say the Darndest ThingsTammy Wynette12
June 30Don't Fight the Feelings of LoveCharley Pride1
July 7Why MeKris Kristofferson1[A]
July 14Love Is the FoundationLoretta Lynn2
July 28You Were Always ThereDonna Fargo1
August 4Lord, Mr. FordJerry Reed12
August 11Trip to HeavenFreddie Hart1[B]
August 18Louisiana Woman, Mississippi ManConway Twitty
and Loretta Lynn
1
August 25Everybody's Had the BluesMerle Haggard2
September 8You've Never Been This Far BeforeConway Twitty3[1]
September 29Blood Red and Goin' DownTanya Tucker1
October 6You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened to MeRay Price12[B]
October 13Ridin' My Thumb to MexicoJohnny Rodriguez2
October 27We're Gonna Hold OnGeorge Jones
and Tammy Wynette
22
November 10Paper RosesMarie Osmond2[A]
November 24The Most Beautiful GirlCharlie Rich3
December 15Amazing LoveCharley Pride1
December 22If We Make It Through DecemberMerle Haggard4
Notes

Canada

(as certified by RPM)

DateSingle NameArtistWks. No.1U.S. peakSpec. Note
January 13Love's the AnswerTanya Tucker15[A]
January 20(Old Dogs, Children And) Watermelon WineTom T. Hall1[A]
January 27Danny's SongAnne Murray110
February 3I Wonder If They Ever Think of MeMerle Haggard1
February 10Rated "X"Loretta Lynn2
February 24'Til I Get it RightTammy Wynette1
March 3Any Old Wind That BlowsJohnny Cash23
March 17The Teddy Bear SongBarbara Fairchild2[A]
March 31Keep Me in MindLynn Anderson2
April 14Super Kind of WomanFreddie Hart1
April 21A Shoulder to Cry OnCharley Pride1
April 28SupermanDonna Fargo1
May 5Behind Closed DoorsCharlie Rich1[A]
May 12Nobody WinsBrenda Lee15[C]
May 19Come Live with MeRoy Clark1[A]
May 26What's Your Mama's NameTanya Tucker1
June 2Dirty Old ManGeorge Hamilton IV238[B]
June 16Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak TreeJohnny Carver15[C]
June 23You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me)Johnny Rodriguez1[A]
June 30Don't Fight the Feelings of LoveCharley Pride3[2]
  • Fell to #3 on the week of July 7.
July 7Ravishing RubyTom T. Hall13
July 14Why MeKris Kristofferson1[A]
July 21Love Is the FoundationLoretta Lynn1
August 11You Were Always ThereDonna Fargo1
August 18Top of the WorldLynn Anderson22
September 1Trip to HeavenFreddie Hart1
September 8Louisiana Woman, Mississippi ManConway Twitty and
Loretta Lynn
2
September 22Everybody's Had the BluesMerle Haggard1
September 29The Corner of My LifeBill Anderson12
October 6You've Never Been This Far BeforeConway Twitty2
October 20Blood Red and Goin' DownTanya Tucker1
October 27Kid StuffBarbara Fairchild12[B]
November 3Rednecks, White Socks and Blue Ribbon BeerJohnny Russell24[C]
November 17Ridin' My Thumb to MexicoJohnny Rodriguez1
November 24Paper RosesMarie Osmond2[A]
December 8The Most Beautiful GirlCharlie Rich4
Notes

Other major hits

Singles released by American artists

USCANSingleArtist
2219Afraid I'll Want to Love Her One More TimeBilly "Crash" Craddock
2310After YouHank Williams, Jr.
147Ain't It Amazing GracieBuck Owens
1363All in the Name of LoveNarvel Felts
164Always on My MindElvis Presley
129Am I That Easy to ForgetJim Reeves
22Baby's GoneConway Twitty
225Blue Train (Of the Heartbreak Line)George Hamilton IV
74Bring It on Home (To Your Woman)Joe Stampley
1511Broad-Minded ManJim Ed Brown
64Can I Sleep in Your ArmsJeannie Seely
269Carry Me BackThe Statler Brothers
123Catfish JohnJohnny Russell
1820Cheating GameSusan Raye
3015ChildrenJohnny Cash
12Come Early MorningDon Williams
29Country SunshineDottie West
3318Daisy a DayJud Strunk
53Darling, You Can Always Come Back HomeJody Miller
24Do You Know What It's Like to Be LonesomeJerry Wallace
312Don't Give Up on MeJerry Wallace
848Drift AwayNarvel Felts
2012Drinking Wine Spo-Dee-O-DeeJerry Lee Lewis
59Dueling BanjosEric Weissberg and Steve Mandell
312The Emptiest Arms in the WorldMerle Haggard
99Good NewsJody Miller
23Good ThingsDavid Houston
1436Got Leaving on Her MindNat Stuckey
1214HankHank Williams, Jr.
1420Hello We're LonelyPatti Page and Tom T. Hall
1713Honky Tonk WineWayne Kemp
1211I Can't Believe That It's All OverSkeeter Davis
1014I Hate YouRonnie Milsap
43I Love You More and More EverydaySonny James
113I Need Somebody BadJack Greene
16I Recall a Gypsy WomanTommy Cash
2214I Used It All on YouNat Stuckey
2416I Wish (You Had Stayed)Brian Collins
710I'll Never Break These ChainsTommy Overstreet
88I'm Your WomanJeanne Pruett
1511If She Just Helps Me Get Over YouSonny James
35If Teardrops Were PenniesPorter Wagoner and Dolly Parton
22If You Can Live with It (I Can Live Without It)Bill Anderson
35If You Can't Feel It (It Ain't There)Freddie Hart
269If You're Goin' GirlDon Gibson
2216It'll Be HerDavid Rogers
2022It's a Man's World (If You Have a Man Like Mine)Diana Trask
1718Just Thank MeDavid Rogers
99Just What I Had in MindFaron Young
1910Keep on Truckin'Dave Dudley
34Last Love SongHank Williams, Jr.
711Let Me Be ThereOlivia Newton-John
1712LilaDoyle Holly
22Little Girl GoneDonna Fargo
86Love Is the Look You're Looking forConnie Smith
93Love MeMarty Robbins
1718Love Sure Feels Good in My HeartSusan Raye
58Lovin' on Back StreetsMel Street
75The Midnight OilBarbara Mandrell
2010Monday Morning SecretaryThe Statler Brothers
23Mr. LovemakerJohnny Paycheck
1510My Tennessee Mountain HomeDolly Parton
717Neither One of UsBob Luman
33Neon RoseMel Tillis
193No More Hanging OnJerry Lee Lewis
78Nothing Ever Hurt Me (Half as Bad as Losing You)George Jones
3317One Last TimeGlen Campbell
148Open Up Your HeartRoger Miller
97Pass Me By (If You're Only Passing Through)Johnny Rodriguez
137The Perfect StrangerFreddy Weller
114Ride Me Down EasyBobby Bare
1712SatisfactionJack Greene
25SawmillMel Tillis
158Say WhenDiana Trask
505Second Cup of CoffeeGeorge Hamilton IV
710Send Me No RosesTommy Overstreet
156She Fights That Lovin' FeelingFaron Young
113She Loves Me (Right Out of My Mind)Freddy Weller
36She's All WomanDavid Houston
2043She's My RockStoney Edwards
14The Shelter of Your EyesDon Williams
33Sing About LoveLynn Anderson
1413Slippin' and Slidin'Billy "Crash" Craddock
43Slippin' AwayJean Shepard
2815So Many WaysEddy Arnold
1020Something About You I LoveJohnny Paycheck
66Sometimes a Memory Ain't EnoughJerry Lee Lewis
2116Sound of GoodbyeJerry Wallace
66Southern LovingJim Ed Brown
3120Steamroller Blues/FoolElvis Presley
68Sunday SunriseBrenda Lee
68Sweet Country WomanJohnny Duncan
1014Take Time to Love HerNat Stuckey
1842Talkin' with My LadyJohnny Duncan
2112Thank You for Being YouMel Tillis
818'Till the Water Stops Runnin'Billy "Crash" Craddock
1223Too Far GoneJoe Stampley
87Too Much Monkey BusinessFreddy Weller
65Touch the MorningDon Gibson
2012Travelin' ManDolly Parton
116Walk Softly on the BridgesMel Street
65Walking Piece of HeavenMarty Robbins
1620Watergate BluesTom T. Hall
2817We Had It AllWaylon Jennings
6What My Woman Can't DoGeorge Jones
3217When a Man Loves a Woman (The Way That I Love You)Tony Booth
2030Wherefore and WhyGlen Campbell
1338Whole World's Making Love Again TonightBobby G. Rice
1311You Ain't Gonna Have Ol' Buck to Kick Around No MoreBuck Owens
88You Ask Me ToWaylon Jennings
72You Can Have HerWaylon Jennings
88You Give Me YouBobby G. Rice
3013You Know WhoBobby Bare
37You Lay So Easy on My MindBobby G. Rice
611You Really Haven't ChangedJohnny Carver
188You Took All the Ramblin' Out of MeJerry Reed
3619Your Side of the BedMac Davis

Singles released by Canadian artists

USCANSingleArtist
20All Them Irons in the FireCarroll Baker
12Blind Jonathon/Make It Over the HillDianne Leigh
18But Tomorrow There's Another DayHank Smith
5Carpenter of WoodCliff Edwards
18Champlain and St. Lawrence LineOrval Prophet
8The Farmer's SongMurray McLauchlan
16The Feeling's Too StrongFamily Brown
13Flying EastSharon Lowness
19Going Home to the CountryDick Damron
19Highway DrivingAlabama
4It's So Easy to Please MeMercey Brothers
12It's Worth Believin'Gordon Lightfoot
15Judgment Day ExpressOrval Prophet
19Meant to Be with MeMercey Brothers
7120North to ChicagoHank Snow
15Old Ira GrayDallas Harms
14Pictou County JailJim and Don Haggart
20The PrisonerShannon Two Feathers
7910Send a Little Love My WayAnne Murray
18Too Many MemoriesJoe Firth
202What About MeAnne Murray
465What Got to You (Before It Got to Me)Ray Griff
16The World I Know Is NowCarroll Baker

Top new album releases

SingleArtistRecord Label
BillBill AndersonMCA
Bubbling OverDolly PartonRCA
Can I Sleep in Your Arms/Lucky LadiesJeannie SeelyMCA
Country SunshineDottie WestRCA
Entertainer of the YearLoretta LynnDecca
Full MoonKris Kristofferson and Rita CoolidgeA&M
Good News!Jody MillerEpic
Honky Tonk HeroesWaylon JenningsRCA
Kid StuffBarbara FairchildColumbia
Louisiana Woman, Mississippi ManConway Twitty and Loretta LynnMCA
Love and MusicPorter Wagoner and Dolly PartonRCA
Love Is the FoundationLoretta LynnMCA
My Second AlbumDonna FargoDot
My Tennessee Mountain HomeDolly PartonRCA
Satin SheetsJeanne PruettMCA
Slippin' AwayJean ShepardUnited Artists
Shotgun WillieWillie NelsonAtlantic
Top of the WorldLynn AndersonColumbia
We Found ItPorter Wagoner and Dolly PartonRCA
What's Your Mama's NameTanya TuckerColumbia

Other top new albums

SingleArtistRecord Label
BrendaBrenda LeeMCA
Cheating GameSusan RayeCapitol
Country KeepsakesWanda JacksonCapitol
Daisy a DayJud StrunkMGM
Entertainer of the Year - LorettaLoretta LynnMCA
Keep Me in MindLynn AndersonColumbia
Let Me Be ThereOlivia Newton-JohnMCA
The Midnight OilBarbara MandrellColumbia
New SunriseBrenda LeeMCA
Rub it InBilly "Crash" CraddockABC-Dot
Where My Heart IsRonnie MilsapRCA

Births

Deaths

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

Major awards

Grammy Awards

Juno Awards

Academy of Country Music

Country Music Association

Further reading

References

Other links

External links