Hot Country Songs is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music songs in the United States, published by Billboard magazine. In 1979, 33 different singles topped the chart, which was published at the time under the title Hot Country Singles, in 52 issues of the magazine. Chart placings were based on playlists submitted by country music radio stations and sales reports submitted by stores. [1]
Waylon Jennings, Anne Murray, Kenny Rogers, and Conway Twitty tied for the highest total number of weeks spent at number one in 1979, each spending five weeks at the top of the chart. Jennings, Murray and Twitty each had a run of three consecutive weeks at number one with "Amanda", "I Just Fall in Love Again" and "Happy Birthday Darlin'" respectively. The three songs tied for the longest unbroken run in the top spot during 1979 with "Every Which Way but Loose" by Eddie Rabbitt, "Golden Tears" by Dave & Sugar and "If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me" by the Bellamy Brothers, each of which also spent three weeks atop the listing. Murray, Rogers and Twitty each had three number ones in 1979, the most by an individual act.
In January, John Conlee achieved the first of seven number one country singles with "Lady Lay Down"; [2] he would reach number one for the second time in May. Two weeks after Conlee's second number one, the Bellamy Brothers topped the chart for the first time. [3] The brother duo had topped Billboard's all-genres singles chart, the Hot 100, three years earlier with "Let Your Love Flow", but had not previously topped the country listing until the 1979 success of "If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me". [3] In August, the Charlie Daniels Band reached number one for the first and only time with "The Devil Went Down to Georgia". [4] The following month Leon Russell made his first appearance at the top of the country chart when he collaborated with Willie Nelson on a cover version of Elvis Presley's 1950s song "Heartbreak Hotel". [5] This was Russell's first song to appear on the country singles chart under the name which he used for the majority of his recording career, although he had previously entered the lower reaches of the chart with two songs released under the alter ego Hank Wilson. [6] [7] The final artist to top the Hot Country chart for the first time in 1979 was Moe Bandy, who achieved his first chart-topper in September when he collaborated with Joe Stampley on the novelty single "Just Good Ol' Boys", before going on to gain a solo number one with "I Cheated Me Right Out of You" in December. [8]
Leon Russell was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling records during his 60-year career that spanned multiple genres, including rock and roll, country, gospel, bluegrass, rhythm and blues, southern rock, blues rock, folk, surf and Tulsa Sound.
"Three Times a Lady" is a 1978 song by American soul group the Commodores for their album Natural High, written by lead singer Lionel Richie. It was produced by James Anthony Carmichael and the Commodores.
Marion Franklin "Moe" Bandy Jr. is an American country music singer. He was most popular during the 1970s, when he had several hit songs, both alone and with his singing partner, Joe Stampley.
"It's Only Make Believe" is a song written by drummer Jack Nance and Mississippi-born singer Conway Twitty, while both were touring across Ontario, Canada in 1958. The song was recorded on May 7 for MGM Records; produced by Jim Vienneau, it featured Floyd “Lightnin’” Chance on double bass. It was released on side B of "I'll Try" on July 14, 1958. Known as Harold Lloyd Jenkins until changing his name in 1957, Twitty was a relatively unknown rock n' roll singer at the time. That all changed when side B finally hit the chart in September, then made No. 1 twice, on November 10 and 24. The single topped both U.S. and the UK Singles Chart, and became the only No. 1 pop single of his career. Years later, on a segment of 'Pop Goes The Country', Twitty stated it was a hit in 22 countries, and sold over 8 million copies. He did not become a country music star until he crossed over in 1966.
"Use Somebody" is a song recorded by the American rock group Kings of Leon. It was the second single from the band's fourth studio album Only by the Night (2008), released on December 8, 2008.
"Uprising" is a song by the English rock band Muse. It was released on 4 August 2009 as the lead single from the band's fifth studio album, The Resistance (2009). The song was written by band member Matt Bellamy, produced by the band, and mixed by Spike Stent. "Uprising" peaked at number 37 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and peaked in the top 10 in seven countries. It was certified platinum in the United Kingdom, gold in four countries, platinum in three countries, and double-platinum in the United States, making it Muse's best-selling single.
"After the Fire Is Gone" is a song written by L. E. White, and recorded by American country music artists Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty as a duet. It was released in January 1971 as the only single from the LP We Only Make Believe. "After the Fire Is Gone" was the first number one on the U.S. country chart for Lynn and Twitty as a duo. It spent two weeks at number one and a total of 14 weeks on the chart. On the Billboard Hot 100, the single peaked at number 56.
"There's a Honky Tonk Angel " is a song best known for the 1974 recording by American country music artist Conway Twitty, who took it to number 1 on the Hot Country Singles chart. The song was written by Troy Seals and Denny Rice and originally released on Troy Seals' 1973 debut album Now Presenting Troy Seals.
"In My Eyes" is a song written by Barbara Wyrick, and originally recorded by Conway Twitty on his 1982 album Dream Maker. It was released by American country music artist John Conlee in October 1983 as the second single and title track from his album In My Eyes. The song was Conlee's fifth number one on the country chart. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of fifteen weeks on the country chart.
"I Love You Because" is a song written and recorded by country music singer and songwriter Leon Payne in 1949. The song has been covered by several artists throughout the years, including hit cover versions by Al Martino in 1963 and Jim Reeves in 1964.
"Rose Colored Glasses" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer John Conlee. It was released in April 1978 as the first single and title track from his debut album Rose Colored Glasses. The song peaked at number 5 in the United States and number 6 in Canada. Conlee wrote the song with George Baber.