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1968 in country music

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in 1968.

List of years in country music (table)
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Events

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No dates

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Top hits of the year

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Number one hits

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United States

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(as certified by Billboard)

Date Single Name Artist Wks. No.1 CAN peak Spec. Note
January 20 Sing Me Back Home Merle Haggard 2 7
February 3 Skip a Rope Henson Cargill 5 [C]
March 9 Take Me to Your World Tammy Wynette 1
March 16 A World of Our Own Sonny James 3
April 6 How Long Will My Baby Be Gone Buck Owens 1 16
April 13 You Are My Treasure Jack Greene 1
April 20 Fist City Loretta Lynn 1
April 27 The Legend of Bonnie and Clyde Merle Haggard 2 3
May 11 Have a Little Faith David Houston 1
May 18 I Wanna Live Glen Campbell 3 [2], [A]
  • Returned to Number One on June 15.
May 25 Honey Bobby Goldsboro 3 [C]
June 29 D-I-V-O-R-C-E Tammy Wynette 3
July 20 Folsom Prison Blues Johnny Cash 4 [1]
  • Originally the B-side single of "So Doggone Lonesome" in 1956, "Folsom Prison Blues" was re-released as a live cut, becoming the more-remembered version of the song.
August 17 Heaven Says Hello Sonny James 1 26
August 24 Already It's Heaven David Houston 1
August 31 Mama Tried Merle Haggard 4
September 28 Harper Valley PTA Jeannie C. Riley 3 [C]
  • Also peaked at Number One on the Billboard Pop and Adult Contemporary charts.
October 19 Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye Eddy Arnold 2 [B]
November 2 Next in Line Conway Twitty 1 2 [A]
  • Originally known as a Rock & Roll singer in the early 1960s, Conway Twitty crossed over into country music in the mid-1960s, with this song becoming the first of 45 Number One hits of his career.
November 9 I Walk Alone Marty Robbins 2 3
November 23 Stand by Your Man Tammy Wynette 3
  • Released during the height of the women's rights movement, "Stand by Your Man" was often derided by many feminist supporters.
December 14 Born to Be with You Sonny James 1 9
December 21 Wichita Lineman Glen Campbell 2
  • Also reached Number Three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and Number One on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart.
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^ Last Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist.
  • C^ Only Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist to date.

Canada

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(as certified by RPM)

Date Single Name Artist Wks. No.1 U.S. peak Spec. Note
January 13 Tell Me Not to Go Myrna Lorrie 2
January 27 By the Time I Get to Phoenix Glen Campbell 3 2 [A]
February 17 Here Comes Heaven Eddy Arnold 1 2 [A]
February 24 I Heard from a Heart Break Last Night Jim Reeves 1 9
March 2 Skip a Rope Henson Cargill 2 [C]
March 16 Take Me to Your World Tammy Wynette 1 [A]
March 23 Rosanna's Going Wild Johnny Cash 3 2 [A]
April 13 A World of Our Own Sonny James 1 [A]
April 20 Turn Down the Music Myrna Lorrie 2 [B]
May 4 You Are My Treasure Jack Greene 1 [C]
May 11 Fist City Loretta Lynn 1 [A]
May 18 Have a Little Faith David Houston 1
May 25 Wild Week-End Bill Anderson 1 2 [A]
June 1 Honey Bobby Goldsboro 2 [A]
June 15 I Wanna Live Glen Campbell 2
June 29 D-I-V-O-R-C-E Tammy Wynette 3
July 20 Folsom Prison Blues Johnny Cash 2
  • RPM didn't publish on July 27 or August 12.
August 19 What's Made Milwaukee Famous
(Has Made a Loser Out of Me)
Jerry Lee Lewis 1 2 [A]
August 26 Already It's Heaven David Houston 1
September 2 Dreams of the Everyday Housewife Glen Campbell 2 3
September 16 Harper Valley PTA Jeannie C. Riley 2 [A]
September 30 Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line Waylon Jennings 1 2 [A]
October 7 Applesauce Lynn Jones 2 [B]
October 21 Big Girls Don't Cry Lynn Anderson 1 12 [A]
October 28 I Just Came to Get My Baby Faron Young 1 8 [A]
November 4 Happy State of Mind Bill Anderson 1 2
November 11 Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye Eddy Arnold 1 [B]
November 18 When You Are Gone Jim Reeves 1 7
November 25 Mama Tried Merle Haggard 1 [A]
December 2 Where Love Used to Live David Houston 1 2
December 9 Stand by Your Man Tammy Wynette 1
December 16 Little Arrows Leapy Lee 1 11 [C]
December 23 I Take a Lot of Pride in What I Am Merle Haggard 3 3 [2]
  • Fell to #2 on the week of January 13, 1969.
Notes
  • 2^ Song dropped from No. 1 and later returned to top spot.
  • A^ First RPM No. 1 hit for that artist.
  • C^ Only RPM No. 1 hit for that artist.

Other major hits

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Singles released by American artists

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US CAN Single Artist
20 24 Age of Worry Billy Walker
19 6 Ain't Got Time to Be Unhappy Bob Luman
16 13 Angry Words Stonewall Jackson
4 Another Place, Another Time Jerry Lee Lewis
12 20 Anything Leaving Town Today Dave Dudley
3 6 As Long as I Live George Jones
15 2 Autumn of My Life Bobby Goldsboro
7 7 Baby's Back Again Connie Smith
14 7 Ballad of Two Brothers Autry Inman
16 Be Proud of Your Man Porter Wagoner
11 Blue Lonely Winter Jimmy C. Newman
21 8 Born a Fool Freddie Hart
20 35 Born to Love You Jimmy C. Newman
23 11 The Cajun Stripper Jim Ed Brown
50 3 The Canadian Railroad Trilogy/It's My Time George Hamilton IV
41 17 Christopher Robin The Stonemans
16 6 Count Your Blessings, Woman Jan Howard
15 5 Country Girl Dottie West
8 The Country Hall of Fame Hank Locklin
20 Cry, Cry, Cry Connie Smith
4 5 The Day the World Stood Still Charley Pride
45 15 Down in the Flood Flatt & Scruggs
2 2 The Easy Part's Over Charley Pride
13 11 The Enemy Jim Ed Brown
15 5 Find Out What's Happening Bobby Bare
8 Flower of Love Leon Ashley
18 15 Foggy River Carl Smith
72 18 For Loving You Skeeter Davis & Don Bowman
10 10 From Heaven to Heartache Bobby Lewis
30 20 Gentle on My Mind Glen Campbell
52 17 Gypsy King Kitty Wells
22 10 Happy Street Slim Whitman
24 18 Harper Valley P.T.A. (Later That Same Day) Ben Colder
18 Heaven Help the Working Girl Norman Jean
4 Here Comes the Rain, Baby Eddy Arnold
15 21 Hey Daddy Charlie Louvin
13 2 Hey Little One Glen Campbell
7 17 Holding on to Nothin' Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton
10 30 I Believe in Love Bonnie Guitar
4 2 I Got You Waylon Jennings and Anita Carter
14 6 I Keep Coming Back for More Dave Dudley
26 13 I Promised You the World Ferlin Husky
27 8 I Still Believe in Love Jan Howard
11 I'd Give the World (To Be Back Loving You) Warner Mack
10 I'll Love You More (Than You Need) Jeannie Seely
38 11 I'm Coming Back Home to Stay The Buckaroos
7 10 I'm Gonna Move On Warner Mack
11 35 I've Been There Before Ray Price
5 6 I've Got You on My Mind Again Buck Owens
5 2 The Image of Me Conway Twitty
16 14 In Love Wynn Stewart
12 20 It's a Long, Long Way to Georgia Don Gibson
11 It's All Over David Houston and Tammy Wynette
3 3 It's All Over but the Crying Hank Williams, Jr.
4 15 It's Over Eddy Arnold
24 9 Jody and the Kid Roy Drusky
17 8 Just Because I'm a Woman Dolly Parton
4 Just for You Ferlin Husky
17 Last Goodbye Dick Miles
7 4 The Last Thing on My Mind Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton
4 3 Let the Chips Fall Charley Pride
7 36 Let the World Keep on A-Turnin' Buck Owens and Buddy Alan
14 7 Little Bit Later on Down the Line Bobby Bare
6 33 Little Green Apples Roger Miller
22 8 Little Things Willie Nelson
18 2 Little World Girl George Hamilton IV
5 4 Looking at the World Through a Windshield Del Reeves
10 11 Love Is in the Air Marty Robbins
14 8 Love Me Love Me Bobby Barnett
4 4 Love Takes Care of Me Jack Greene
7 Love's Gonna Happen to Me Wynn Stewart
24 7 Luzianna Webb Pierce
14 4 Mental Journey Leon Ashley
12 Milwaukee, Here I Come George Jones and Brenda Carter
21 16 Mother, May I Lynn Anderson and Liz Anderson
17 My Can Do Can't Keep Up with My Want To Nat Stuckey
11 My Goal for Today Kenny Price
8 19 No Another Time Lynn Anderson
7 12 On Tap in the Can or in the Bottle Hank Thompson
9 8 Plastic Saddle Nat Stuckey
4 Promises, Promises Lynn Anderson
45 18 Raggedy Ann Charlie Rich
17 6 Rainbows Are Back in Style Slim Whitman
8 14 Ramona Billy Walker
14 16 Remembering Jerry Reed
19 6 Reno Dottie West
10 Repeat After Me Jack Reno
11 3 Row Row Row Henson Cargill
10 18 Run Away Little Tears Connie Smith
8 Say It's Not You George Jones
2 2 She Still Comes Around (To Love What's Left of Me) Jerry Lee Lewis
6 7 She Wears My Ring Ray Price
14 32 She Went a Little Bit Further Faron Young
10 20 Something Pretty Wynn Stewart
17 Something Special Mel Tillis
4 Son of Hickory Holler's Tramp O. C. Smith
41 17 The Sounds of Goodbye Tommy Cash
13 Stop the Sun Bonnie Guitar
37 7 The Straight Life Bobby Goldsboro
18 Sundown Mary Billy Walker
2 4 Sweet Rosie Jones Buck Owens
31 11 Take Me Along with You Van Trevor
8 3 Take Me As I Am (Or Let Me Go) Ray Price
9 5 That's When I See the Blues (In Your Pretty Brown Eyes) Jim Reeves
10 5 There Ain't No Easy Run Dave Dudley
16 18 There's a Fool Born Every Minute Skeeter Davis
21 14 A Thing Called Love Jimmy Dean
24 13 Togetherness Freddie Hart
16 21 Town That Broke My Heart Bobby Bare
15 14 Tupelo Mississippi Flash Jerry Reed
10 Undo the Right Johnny Bush
5 5 Walk on Out of My Mind Waylon Jennings
5 We'll Get Ahead Someday Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton
18 Weakness in a Man Roy Drusky
25 18 White Fences and Evergreen Trees Ferlin Husky
18 5 Wild Blood Del Reeves
20 22 Will You Visit Me on Sundays? Charlie Louvin
3 With Pen in Hand Johnny Darrell
14 Wonderful World of Women Faron Young
2 You've Just Stepped In (From Stepping Out on Me) Loretta Lynn
3 17 Your Squaw Is on the Warpath Loretta Lynn

Singles released by Canadian artists

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US CAN Single Artist
8 Blue Day Bob King
3 Calgary Gary Buck
4 Changing of the Seasons Myrna Lorrie
12 Chaser for the Blues Bernie Early
68 12 Come on Home Debbie Lori Kaye
19 For Breaking Up My Heart Wayne King
2 Gonna Put Some Lovin' On You Lynn Jones
2 Half a World Away Tommy Hunter
20 5 The Late and Great Love (Of My Heart) Hank Snow
3 Ride Ride Ride Debbie Lori Kaye
19 Such a Lovely Day Jeanie Ward
50 14 The Sugar from My Candy Ray Griff
16 Thunderation Odie Workman
13 The Wife You Save May Be Your Own Dianne Leigh

Top new album releases

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Single Artist Record Label
The Best of Bobby Bare Vol. 2 Bobby Bare RCA
The Best of Wanda Jackson Wanda Jackson Capitol
Big Girls Don't Cry Lynn Anderson Chart
The Bottom of the Bottle Porter Wagoner RCA
Count Your Blessings, Woman Jan Howard Decca
Country Girl Dottie West RCA
Cream of the Crop Wanda Jackson and The Party Timers Capitol
Country Hall of Fame Hank Locklin RCA
D-I-V-O-R-C-E Tammy Wynette Epic
Glen Campbell and Bobbie Gentry Glen Campbell and Bobbie Gentry Capitol
Happy State of Mind Bill Anderson Decca
Harper Valley PTA Jeannie C. Riley Plantation
Honey Bobby Goldsboro United Artists
I'll Love You More Jeannie Seely Monument
Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison Johnny Cash Columbia
Just Because I'm a Woman Dolly Parton RCA
Liz Anderson Sings Her Favorites Liz Anderson RCA
Little Things Jeannie Seely Monument
The Many Moods of Wanda Jackson Wanda Jackson Capitol
My Love Song for You Hank Locklin RCA
Softly Hank Locklin RCA
Something Pretty Wynn Stewart Capitol
Walking in Love Land Eddy Arnold RCA
Wild Weekend Bill Anderson Decca

Births

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Deaths

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Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

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Major awards

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Grammy Awards

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Academy of Country Music

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Country Music Association

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Further reading

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  • Kingsbury, Paul, "The Grand Ole Opry: History of Country Music. 70 Years of the Songs, the Stars and the Stories," Villard Books, Random House; Opryland USA, 1995
  • Kingsbury, Paul, "Vinyl Hayride: Country Music Album Covers 1947–1989," Country Music Foundation, 2003 (ISBN 0-8118-3572-3)
  • Millard, Bob, "Country Music: 70 Years of America's Favorite Music," HarperCollins, New York, 1993 (ISBN 0-06-273244-7)
  • Whitburn, Joel, "Top Country Songs 1944–2005 – 6th Edition." 2005.
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