List of Top Country LP's number ones of 1974

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John Denver had four separate runs at number one in 1974 with his album Back Home Again. John Denver 1974.jpg
John Denver had four separate runs at number one in 1974 with his album Back Home Again .

Top Country Albums is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music albums in the United States, published by Billboard . In 1974, 12 different albums topped the chart, which was at the time published under the title Top Country LP's, based on sales reports submitted by a representative sample of stores nationwide. [1]

In the issue of Billboard dated January 6, Charlie Rich was at number one with his album Behind Closed Doors . The album had spent four weeks at number one in June and July of the previous year. [2] Five months after it left the top spot, it returned to number one in December, in the same week that Rich's song "The Most Beautiful Girl" reached number one on Billboard's all-genre singles chart, the Hot 100. [3] The album would have several spells atop the chart in 1974 and eventually spend a total of 21 weeks at number one, a new record total for an album. [2] Rich also spent time at number one with There Won't Be Anymore and Very Special Love Songs during the year, and in total spent 21 weeks atop the chart in 1974, the most by any artist. Problems in his personal life, however, would soon contribute to a decline in his career. [4]

Two artists other than Rich achieved more than one number one in 1974. Conway Twitty topped the chart with Honky Tonk Angel and Country Partners , the latter a collaboration with Loretta Lynn. The two singers had a run of success with duet recordings in the early 1970s alongside their ongoing solo careers. [5] Olivia Newton-John spent time in the top spot with both Let Me Be There and If You Love Me, Let Me Know , her first two charting albums. [6] The success of the Anglo-Australian singer, who came from a pop music background, was controversial within the country music industry, and when she won the Female Vocalist of the Year award from the Country Music Association, some members of the organization resigned in protest. [7] [8] Her focus on the country genre would be brief, however; [8] after 1979 she would not appear on the country albums chart again for nearly 20 years. [6] The year's final number one album was Back Home Again by John Denver, a country-folk performer whose broad appeal made him the biggest-selling artist in America at the time. [9] First reaching the top spot in August, the album would have four separate runs at number one during the remainder of the year, spending a total of 12 weeks atop the listing.

Chart history

Olivia Newton-John had two number ones in 1974. Aankomst zangeres Olivia Newton John op Schiphol Olivia Newton John in de persk, Bestanddeelnr 930-0132.jpg
Olivia Newton-John had two number ones in 1974.
Room full of Roses was the first chart-topper for Mickey Gilley. Mickey Gilley.png
Room full of Roses was the first chart-topper for Mickey Gilley.
Behind Closed Doors by Charlie Rich spent its final week at number one in August 1974, more than a year after it had first reached the top spot. Charlie Rich 1973.JPG
Behind Closed Doors by Charlie Rich spent its final week at number one in August 1974, more than a year after it had first reached the top spot.
Issue dateTitleArtist(s)Ref.
January 5 Behind Closed Doors Charlie Rich [11]
January 12 [12]
January 19 [13]
January 26 [14]
February 2 [15]
February 9 [16]
February 16Amazing Love Charley Pride [17]
February 23 [18]
March 2 Let Me Be There Olivia Newton-John [19]
March 9 [20]
March 16 Behind Closed Doors Charlie Rich [21]
March 23 [22]
March 30 Elvis: A Legendary Performer Volume 1 Elvis Presley [23]
April 6 [24]
April 13There Won't Be Anymore Charlie Rich [25]
April 20 [26]
April 27Very Special Love Songs [27]
May 4 [28]
May 11 Behind Closed Doors [29]
May 18 [30]
May 25 [31]
June 1Honky Tonk Angel Conway Twitty [32]
June 8Very Special Love Songs Charlie Rich [33]
June 15 [34]
June 22 Behind Closed Doors [35]
June 29 [36]
July 6Very Special Love Songs [37]
July 13 If You Love Me, Let Me Know Olivia Newton-John [38]
July 20 [39]
July 27 [40]
August 3 [41]
August 10 [42]
August 17 Behind Closed Doors Charlie Rich [43]
August 24 Back Home Again John Denver [44]
August 31 [45]
September 7 [46]
September 14 [47]
September 21 Country Partners Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn [48]
September 28 If You Love Me, Let Me Know Olivia Newton-John [49]
October 5 [50]
October 12 [51]
October 19 Back Home Again John Denver [52]
October 26 [53]
November 2 [54]
November 9Room Full of Roses Mickey Gilley [55]
November 16 Back Home Again John Denver [56]
November 23 [57]
November 30 Merle Haggard Presents His 30th Album Merle Haggard and the Strangers [58]
December 7 [59]
December 14 Back Home Again John Denver [60]
December 21 [61]
December 28 [62]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Top Country Albums</span> Weekly country music rankings published by Billboard magazine in the United States

Top Country Albums is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. The 50-position chart lists the most popular country music albums in the country, calculated weekly by Broadcast Data Systems based on physical sales along with digital sales and streaming. The chart was first published in the issue of Billboard dated January 11, 1964, under the title Hot Country Albums, when the number one album was Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash by Johnny Cash.

References

  1. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 6. ISBN   9780898201734.
  2. 1 2 Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. pp. 333–334. ISBN   9780898201734.
  3. Breihan, Tom (April 30, 2019). "The Number Ones: Charlie Rich's "The Most Beautiful Girl"". Stereogum . Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  4. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Charlie Rich Biography & History". AllMusic . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  5. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Conway Twitty Biography & History". AllMusic . Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  6. 1 2 Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 179. ISBN   9780898201734.
  7. Windeler, Robert (July 31, 1978). "Ohh Sandy! – Olivia Newton-John". People . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  8. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Olivia Newton-John Biography & History". AllMusic . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  9. Ankeny, Jason. "John Denver Biography & History". AllMusic . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  10. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 99. ISBN   9780898201734.
  11. "Country Albums chart for January 5, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  12. "Country Albums chart for January 12, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  13. "Country Albums chart for January 19, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  14. "Country Albums chart for January 26, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  15. "Country Albums chart for February 2, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  16. "Country Albums chart for February 9, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  17. "Country Albums chart for February 16, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  18. "Country Albums chart for February 23, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  19. "Country Albums chart for March 2, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  20. "Country Albums chart for March 9, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  21. "Country Albums chart for March 16, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  22. "Country Albums chart for March 23, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  23. "Country Albums chart for March 30, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  24. "Country Albums chart for April 6, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  25. "Country Albums chart for April 13, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  26. "Country Albums chart for April 20, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  27. "Country Albums chart for April 27, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  28. "Country Albums chart for May 4, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  29. "Country Albums chart for May 11, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  30. "Country Albums chart for May 18, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  31. "Country Albums chart for May 25, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  32. "Country Albums chart for June 1, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  33. "Country Albums chart for June 8, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  34. "Country Albums chart for June 15, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  35. "Country Albums chart for June 22, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  36. "Country Albums chart for June 29, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  37. "Country Albums chart for July 6, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  38. "Country Albums chart for July 13, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  39. "Country Albums chart for July 20, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  40. "Country Albums chart for July 27, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  41. "Country Albums chart for August 3, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  42. "Country Albums chart for August 10, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  43. "Country Albums chart for August 17, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  44. "Country Albums chart for August 24, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  45. "Country Albums chart for August 31, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  46. "Country Albums chart for September 7, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  47. "Country Albums chart for September 14, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  48. "Country Albums chart for September 21, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  49. "Country Albums chart for September 28, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  50. "Country Albums chart for October 5, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  51. "Country Albums chart for October 12, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  52. "Country Albums chart for October 19, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  53. "Country Albums chart for October 26, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  54. "Country Albums chart for November 2, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  55. "Country Albums chart for November 9, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  56. "Country Albums chart for November 16, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  57. "Country Albums chart for November 23, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  58. "Country Albums chart for November 30, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  59. "Country Albums chart for December 7, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  60. "Country Albums chart for December 14, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  61. "Country Albums chart for December 21, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  62. "Country Albums chart for December 28, 1974". Billboard . Retrieved February 16, 2020.