The Billboard Most-Played Folk Records of 1947 is a year-end chart compiled Billboard magazine ranking the year's top folk records based on the number of times the record was played on the nation's juke boxes. [1] In 1947, country music records were included on, and dominated, the Billboard folk records chart.
"Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)" by the Tex Williams Western Caravan was the No. 1 folk record of 1947, receiving 103 points on the juke box chart. "It's a Sin" by Eddy Arnold and His Texas Playboys was the No 2 record with 96 points, and "So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed by Merle Travis ranked third with 91 points. [1]
Three variations on the Cajun classic "Jole Blon" also appeared on the year-end folk chart: "New Jolie Blonde" by Red Foley (No. 7); "New Pretty Blonde" by Moon Mullican (no. 9); and "(Our Own) Jole Blon" by Roy Acuff (No. 15). [1]
Eddy Arnold led all artists with four records on the year-end folk chart, including three of the top five records. Red Foley, Merle Travis, Ernest Tubb, and Tex Williams each had two records included on the year-end chart. [1]
The top records were evenly distributed among the major labels with four records apiece for Capitol (including Capitol Americana), Columbia, Decca, and RCA Victor.
Juke box year-end [1] | Peak [note 1] [2] | Title | Artist(s) | Label |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)" | Tex Williams Western Caravan | Capitol Americana |
2 | 1 | "It's a Sin" | Eddy Arnold | Victor |
3 | 1 | "So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed | Merle Travis | Capitol |
4 | 1 | "What Is Life Without Love" | Eddy Arnold | Victor |
5 | 1 | "I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms)" | Eddy Arnold | Victor |
6 | 2 | "Temptation (Tim-tayshun)" | Red Ingle Natural Seven-Jo Stafford | Capitol |
7 | 1 | "New Jolie Blonde" | Red Foley | Decca |
8 | 1 | "Rainbow at Midnight" | Ernest Tubb | Decca |
9 | 2 | "New Pretty Blonde" | Moon Mullican | King |
10 | 1 | "Divorce Me C.O.D." | Merle Travis | Capitol |
11 | 1 | "Sugar Moon" | Bob Wills | Columbia |
12 | 2 | "To My Sorrow" | Eddy Arnold | Victor |
13 | 2 | "Filipino Baby" | Ernest Tubb | Decca |
14 | 4 | "That's What I Like About the West" | Tex Williams Western Caravan | Capitol Americana |
15 | 4 | "(Our Own) Jole Blon" | Roy Acuff | Columbia |
16 | 4 | "Down at the Roadside Inn" | Al Dexter | Columbia |
16 | 4 | "Feudin' and Fightin' | Dorothy Shay | Columbia |
16 | 2 | "Never Trust a Woman" | Red Foley | Decca |
Sollie Paul "Tex" Williams was an American Western swing musician from Ramsey, Illinois. He is best known for his talking blues style; his biggest hit was the novelty song, "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! ", which held the number one position on the Billboard charts for sixteen weeks in 1947. "Smoke" was the No. 5 song on Billboard's Top 100 list for 1947, and was No. 1 on the country chart that year. It can be heard during the opening credits of the 2006 movie Thank You for Smoking.
"Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! " is a Western swing novelty song written by Merle Travis and Tex Williams, for Williams and his talking blues style of singing. Travis wrote the bulk of the song. The original Williams version went to number one for 16 non-consecutive weeks on the Hot Country Songs chart and became a number one hit in August 1947 and remained at the top of the "Best Sellers in Stores" chart for six weeks. It was recorded on March 27, 1947, at Radio Recorders in Hollywood.
"Bouquet of Roses" is a 1948 song written by Steve Nelson (music) and Bob Hilliard (lyrics). It was originally recorded by Eddy Arnold and his Tennessee Plow Boys and his Guitar in Chicago on May 18, 1947. It was released by RCA Victor as catalogue number 20-2806 and by EMI on the His Master's Voice label as catalogue numbers BD 1234 and IM 1399. "Bouquet of Roses" was Eddy Arnold's third number one in a row on the Juke Box Folk Record chart and spent 19 weeks on the Best Selling Folk Records chart. In 1949, when RCA Victor introduced its new 45 RPM single format this record was among seven initial releases and the first in the Country and Western category. Arnold would re-record "Bouquet of Roses" several times during his career.
"So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed" is a 1947 song by Merle Travis, written by Travis, Eddie Kirk, and Cliffie Stone.
"New Jolie Blonde " is a 1947 song by Red Foley. The song was Foley's third number one on the Folk Juke Box chart, spending two weeks at number one and a total of sixteen weeks on the chart.
"Divorce Me C.O.D." is a 1946 honky-tonk song recorded by Merle Travis. One of many songs co-written by Travis and Cliffie Stone, it was Travis' first release to make it to number one on the Folk Juke Box charts where it stayed for fourteen weeks and a total of twenty-three weeks on the chart. The B-side of "Divorce Me C.O.D.," a song entitled "Missouri," peaked at number five on the same chart.
Jole Blon or Jolie Blonde is a traditional Cajun waltz, often called "the Cajun national anthem" because of the popularity it has in Cajun culture. The song was popularized on a nationwide scale by a series of renditions and references in late 1940s country songs. It has been the subject of occasional covers later in the 20th century by Cajun and classic country revival bands.
These are lists of Billboard magazine's "Top Country & Western Records" and "Top Country & Western Artists" for 1950, ranked by retail sales and juke box plays.
"You Can't Break My Heart" is a country music song written by Spade Cooley and Smokey Rogers, performed by Spade Cooley and His Orchestra, and released on the Columbia label. In April 1946, it reached No. 3 on the Billboard folk chart. It was also ranked as the No. 19 record in Billboard's 1946 year-end folk juke box chart.
"When You Leave, Don't Slam the Door" is a country music song written by Joe Allison, performed by Tex Ritter, and released on the Capitol label. In October 1946, it reached No. 3 on the Billboard folk chart. It was also ranked as the No. 23 record in Billboard's 1946 year-end folk juke box chart.
"To My Sorrow" is a country music song written by Vernice J. McAlpin, sung by Eddy Arnold, and released in 1947 on the RCA Victor label. In November 1947, it reached No. 2 on the Billboard folk juke box chart. It was also ranked as the No. 12 record on the Billboard 1947 year-end folk juke box chart.
"That's What I Like About the West" is a song written by Edith Bergdahl and Robert McGimsey, performed by the Tex Williams, and released in 1947 on the Capitol Americana label. In October 1947, it peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard folk chart. It was also ranked as the No. 14 record on the Billboard 1947 year-end folk juke box chart.
The Billboard Most-Played Folk Records of 1946 is a year-end chart compiled Billboard magazine ranking the year's top folk records based on the number of times the record was played on the nation's juke boxes. In 1946, country music records were included on, and dominated, the Billboard folk records chart.
The Billboard Top Folk Records of 1949 is made up of two year-end charts compiled by Billboard magazine ranking the year's top folk records based on record sales and juke box plays. In 1949, country music records were included on, and dominated, the Billboard folk records chart.
"That's How Much I Love You" is a country music song written by Arnold, Fowler, and Hall, sung by Eddy Arnold, and released in 1946 on the RCA Victor label. In October 1946, it reached No. 2 on the Billboard folk chart. It was also ranked as the No. 10 record on the Billboard 1946 year-end folk juke box chart.