1963 in country music

Last updated

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in 1963.

Contents

Events

No dates

Top hits of the year

Number-one hits

United States

(as certified by Billboard)

DateSingle nameArtistWks. No.1Notes
January 5 Ruby Ann Marty Robbins 1
January 19 The Ballad of Jed Clampett Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs 3 [2]
April 13 Still Bill Anderson 7 [1], [2]
  • Returns to Number One on May 11, and then on July 6.
May 4 Lonesome 7-7203 Hawkshaw Hawkins 4 [2], [B]
  • Returns to Number One on June 1, and then on June 22.
  • After this song first appeared on the Billboard charts on March 2, it remained absent for 2 weeks, following his death March 5. The song reappeared March 23 and spent 25 weeks on the chart before reaching Number One.
June 15 Act Naturally Buck Owens 4 [2], [A]
  • Returns to Number One on June 29, and then on July 13.
July 27 Ring of Fire Johnny Cash 7
  • Cash's first Billboard Number One since "Don't Take Your Guns to Town" in 1959.
September 14 Abilene George Hamilton IV 4 [A]
October 12 Talk Back Trembling Lips Ernest Ashworth 1 [B]
October 19 Love's Gonna Live Here Buck Owens16
Notes
  • 1 ^ No. 1 song of the year, as determined by Billboard .
  • 2 ^ Song dropped from No. 1 and later returned to top spot.
  • A ^ First Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist.
  • B ^ Only Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist to date.

Other major hits

USSingleArtist
12Bayou Talk Jimmy C. Newman
20Better Times a Comin' Ray Godfrey
12Building a Bridge Claude King
13 Busted Johnny Cash with Carter Family
9Call Me Mr. Brown Skeets McDonald
11Can't Hang Up the Phone Stonewall Jackson
14Cigarettes and Coffee Blues Marty Robbins
13Cold and Lonely (Is the Forecast for Tonight) Kitty Wells
3Cowboy Boots Dave Dudley
18 Crazy Arms Marion Worth
6 Detroit City Bobby Bare
5Does He Mean That Much to You Eddy Arnold
13Don't Call Me From a Honky Tonk Johnny & Jonie Mosby
9Down by the River Faron Young
18Down to the River Rose Maddox
2 Eight by Ten Bill Anderson
2 End of the World Skeeter Davis
7 Faded Love Patsy Cline
14Fool Me Once Connie Hall
2 From a Jack to a King Ned Miller
17Going Through the Motions (Of Living) Sonny James
12Goodbye Kisses Cowboy Copas
3Guilty Jim Reeves
11Happy to Be Unhappy Gary Buck
12Head Over Heels in Love with You Don Gibson
5 Hello Trouble Orville Couch
13Hey Lucille!Claude King
14 I Can't Stay Mad at You Skeeter Davis
7 I Take the Chance Ernest Ashworth
18 I Wanna Go Home Billy Grammer
9 I'm Saving My Love Skeeter Davis
7I've Enjoyed as Much of This as I Can Stand Porter Wagoner
11I've Got the World by the TailClaude King
17In the Back Room Tonight Carl Smith
3Is This MeJim Reeves
18Knock Again, True Love Claude Gray
8 Leavin' on Your Mind Patsy Cline
17 Let's Invite Them Over George Jones and Melba Montgomery
11Little Ole YouJim Reeves
18 Lonely Teardops Rose Maddox
14Loving Arms Carl Butler and Pearl
2 Make the World Go Away Ray Price
9The Man Who Robbed the Bank at Santa Fe Hank Snow
12Mary Ann Regrets Burl Ives
2 The Matador Johnny Cash
13A Million Years or SoEddy Arnold
9 The Minute You're Gone Sonny James
2 Mountain of Love David Houston
8Mr. Heartache, Move On Coleman O'Neal
20My Baby's Not Here (In Town Tonight)Porter Wagoner
16My Father's Voice Judy Lynn
14NightmareFaron Young
2Ninety Miles an Hour (Down a Dead End Street)Hank Snow
13Not So Long AgoMarty Robbins
7 Not What I Had in Mind George Jones
8Old ShowboatStonewall Jackson
13The Only Girl I Can't Forget Del Reeves
13 The Other Woman Loretta Lynn
8Pearl Pearl Pearl Flatt & Scruggs
14 Please Talk to My Heart Johnny "Country" Mathis
15Robert E. Lee Ott Stephens
4Roll Muddy River The Wilburn Brothers
7Sands of Gold Webb Pierce
15SawmillWebb Pierce
3Second Hand Rose Roy Drusky
14 Shake Me I Rattle (Squeeze Me I Cry) Marion Worth
12Sheepskin ValleyClaude King
17Shoes of a Fool Bill Goodwin
3Sing a Little Song of HeartacheRose Maddox
2 Six Days on the Road Dave Dudley
18Somebody Told SomebodyRose Maddox
17A Stranger Was Here Darrell McCall
5 Sweet Dreams Patsy Cline
19Sweethearts in Heaven Buck Owens and Rose Maddox
5 T for Texas Grandpa Jones
6Take a Letter, Miss Gray Justin Tubb
10Tell Her SoThe Wilburn Brothers
3Thanks a Lot Ernest Tubb
9Those Wonderful YearsWebb Pierce
10 The Tip of My Fingers Roy Clark
18Unkind Words Kathy Dee
7Walk Me to the DoorRay Price
17The Way It Feels to Die Vernon Stewart
3 We Must Have Been Out of Our Minds George Jones and Melba Montgomery
15We're the Talk of the TownBuck Owens and Rose Maddox
13We've Got Something in CommonFaron Young
20 What's in Our Heart George Jones and Melba Montgomery
15Wild Wild WindStonewall Jackson
4The Yellow BandanaFaron Young
11Yesterday's MemoriesEddy Arnold
5 You Comb Her Hair George Jones
11You Took Her Off My Hands (Now Please Take Her Off My Mind)Ray Price
10You're for MeBuck Owens
12Your Best Friend and Me Mac Wiseman

Top new album releases

SingleArtistRecord Label
Blood, Sweat and Tears Johnny Cash Columbia
"Detroit City" and Other Hits by Bobby Bare Bobby Bare RCA
The Patsy Cline Story Patsy Cline Decca
Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash Johnny Cash Columbia
Still Bill Anderson Decca

Other top albums

SingleArtistRecord Label
Buck Owens Sings Tommy Collins Buck Owens Capitol
Cattle Call Eddy Arnold RCA
Country Music HootenannyVarious ArtistsCapitol
End of the World Skeeter Davis RCA
Great Gospel Songs Tennessee Ernie Ford Capitol
The Guitar Genius Chet Atkins RCA
Love Me Forever Wanda Jackson Capitol
Our Man in Nashville Chet Atkins RCA
On the Bandstand Buck Owens Capitol
Songs I Love to Sing Eddy Arnold Capitol
Songs That Made Him Famous Johnny Bond Starday
Teen Scene Chet Atkins RCA
This Song Is Just for You Hank Locklin RCA
Tips of My Fingers Roy Clark Capitol
Travelin' Chet Atkins RCA
The Ways of Life Hank LocklinRCA
Yodeling Hits Grandpa Jones Monument

Births

Deaths

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

There were no inductees in 1963.

Major awards

Grammy Awards

See also

Further reading