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1973 in country music

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This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1973.

List of years in country music (table)
+...

Events

  • July — The Dean Martin Show becomes known as Dean Martin Presents Music Country for the longtime variety show's summer broadcasts. Country music becomes a staple of Martin's show for the 1973-1974 season — its last on the air, as it turns out.
  • July 4 — Willie Nelson hosts his first Fourth of July picnic.
  • July 14 — Billboard increases the number of positions for its Hot Country Singles chart to 100 (up from 75), which it would keep until January 1990. The expansion comes at a time when the number of No. 1 songs in a given year continues to increase; for the first time in history, there are at least 35 No. 1 songs in one year.
  • September — Jimmy Dean's third country music TV series, The Jimmy Dean Show, premieres in syndication for what will be a two-season run.
  • October 6 — Country music's most successful syndicated radio countdown program to date, "American Country Countdown," makes its debut. The three-hour program is created by Casey Kasem and Don Bustany, and is modeled after American Top 40 (which Kasem also hosted). Comedian Don Bowman is the original host, but by 1978, he would be replaced by Bob Kingsley.
  • October — The new Radio & Records magazine includes a 50-position country singles chart.
  • November 10 — One of Nashville's most notorious murders makes national headlines when David Akeman (aka Stringbean) and his wife, Estelle, are killed when they interrupt a burglary after returning home. Their bodies are found the next day. Their assailants—brothers John and Marvin Douglas—are later captured, convicted and sentenced to prison. Stringbean, who was 58, was best known to his audiences for his role on the syndicated series "Hee Haw."

No dates

  • A reported 51 percent of new single records are country.

Top hits of the year

Number one hits

United States

(as certified by Billboard)

Date Single Name Artist Wks. No.1 CAN peak Spec. Note
January 20 Soul Song Joe Stampley 1 2 [A]
January 27 (Old Dogs, Children And) Watermelon Wine Tom T. Hall 1
February 3 She Needs Someone to Hold Her (When She Cries) Conway Twitty 2 8
February 17 I Wonder If They Ever Think of Me Merle Haggard 1
February 24 Rated "X" Loretta Lynn 1
March 3 The Lord Knows I'm Drinking Cal Smith 1 2 [A]
March 10 'Til I Get it Right Tammy Wynette 1
March 17 The Teddy Bear Song Barbara Fairchild 2 [C]
March 31 Keep Me in Mind Lynn Anderson 1
April 7 Super Kind of Woman Freddie Hart 1
April 14 A Shoulder to Cry On Charley Pride 1
April 21 Superman Donna Fargo 1
April 28 Behind Closed Doors Charlie Rich 2 [A]
May 12 Come Live with Me Roy Clark 1 [C]
May 19 What's Your Mama's Name Tanya Tucker 1 [A]
May 26 Satin Sheets Jeanne Pruett 3 3 [2], [C]
  • Returned to Number One on June 23.
June 9 You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me) Johnny Rodriguez 1 [A]
June 16 Kids Say the Darndest Things Tammy Wynette 1 2
June 30 Don't Fight the Feelings of Love Charley Pride 1
July 7 Why Me Kris Kristofferson 1 [A]
July 14 Love Is the Foundation Loretta Lynn 2
July 28 You Were Always There Donna Fargo 1
August 4 Lord, Mr. Ford Jerry Reed 1 2
August 11 Trip to Heaven Freddie Hart 1 [B]
August 18 Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man Conway Twitty
and Loretta Lynn 		1
August 25 Everybody's Had the Blues Merle Haggard 2
September 8 You've Never Been This Far Before Conway Twitty 3 [1]
September 29 Blood Red and Goin' Down Tanya Tucker 1
October 6 You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me Ray Price 1 2 [B]
October 13 Ridin' My Thumb to Mexico Johnny Rodriguez 2
October 27 We're Gonna Hold On George Jones
and Tammy Wynette 		2 2
November 10 Paper Roses Marie Osmond 2 [A]
November 24 The Most Beautiful Girl Charlie Rich 3
December 15 Amazing Love Charley Pride 1
December 22 If We Make It Through December Merle Haggard 4
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

(as certified by RPM)

Date Single Name Artist Wks. No.1 U.S. peak Spec. Note
January 13 Love's the Answer Tanya Tucker 1 5 [A]
January 20 (Old Dogs, Children And) Watermelon Wine Tom T. Hall 1 [A]
January 27 Danny's Song Anne Murray 1 10
February 3 I Wonder If They Ever Think of Me Merle Haggard 1
February 10 Rated "X" Loretta Lynn 2
February 24 'Til I Get it Right Tammy Wynette 1
March 3 Any Old Wind That Blows Johnny Cash 2 3
March 17 The Teddy Bear Song Barbara Fairchild 2 [A]
March 31 Keep Me in Mind Lynn Anderson 2
April 14 Super Kind of Woman Freddie Hart 1
April 21 A Shoulder to Cry On Charley Pride 1
April 28 Superman Donna Fargo 1
May 5 Behind Closed Doors Charlie Rich 1 [A]
May 12 Nobody Wins Brenda Lee 1 5 [C]
May 19 Come Live with Me Roy Clark 1 [A]
May 26 What's Your Mama's Name Tanya Tucker 1
June 2 Dirty Old Man George Hamilton IV 2 38 [B]
June 16 Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree Johnny Carver 1 5 [C]
June 23 You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me) Johnny Rodriguez 1 [A]
June 30 Don't Fight the Feelings of Love Charley Pride 3 [2]
  • Fell to #3 on the week of July 7.
July 7 Ravishing Ruby Tom T. Hall 1 3
July 14 Why Me Kris Kristofferson 1 [A]
July 21 Love Is the Foundation Loretta Lynn 1
August 11 You Were Always There Donna Fargo 1
August 18 Top of the World Lynn Anderson 2 2
September 1 Trip to Heaven Freddie Hart 1
September 8 Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man Conway Twitty and
Loretta Lynn 		2
September 22 Everybody's Had the Blues Merle Haggard 1
September 29 The Corner of My Life Bill Anderson 1 2
October 6 You've Never Been This Far Before Conway Twitty 2
October 20 Blood Red and Goin' Down Tanya Tucker 1
October 27 Kid Stuff Barbara Fairchild 1 2 [B]
November 3 Rednecks, White Socks and Blue Ribbon Beer Johnny Russell 2 4 [C]
November 17 Ridin' My Thumb to Mexico Johnny Rodriguez 1
November 24 Paper Roses Marie Osmond 2 [A]
December 8 The Most Beautiful Girl Charlie Rich 4
Notes
  • 2^ Song dropped from No. 1 and later returned to top spot.
  • A^ First RPM No. 1 hit for that artist.
  • B^ Last RPM No. 1 hit for that artist.
  • C^ Only RPM No. 1 hit for that artist.

Other major hits

Singles released by American artists

US CAN Single Artist
22 19 Afraid I'll Want to Love Her One More Time Billy "Crash" Craddock
23 10 After You Hank Williams, Jr.
14 7 Ain't It Amazing Gracie Buck Owens
13 63 All in the Name of Love Narvel Felts
16 4 Always on My Mind Elvis Presley
12 9 Am I That Easy to Forget Jim Reeves
2 2 Baby's Gone Conway Twitty
22 5 Blue Train (Of the Heartbreak Line) George Hamilton IV
7 4 Bring It on Home (To Your Woman) Joe Stampley
15 11 Broad-Minded Man Jim Ed Brown
6 4 Can I Sleep in Your Arms Jeannie Seely
26 9 Carry Me Back The Statler Brothers
12 3 Catfish John Johnny Russell
18 20 Cheating Game Susan Raye
30 15 Children Johnny Cash
12 — Come Early Morning Don Williams
2 9 Country Sunshine Dottie West
33 18 Daisy a Day Jud Strunk
5 3 Darling, You Always Come Back Jody Miller
2 4 Do You Know What It's Like to Be Lonesome Jerry Wallace
3 12 Don't Give Up on Me Jerry Wallace
8 48 Drift Away Narvel Felts
20 12 Drinking Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee Jerry Lee Lewis
5 9 Dueling Banjos Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell
3 12 The Emptiest Arms in the World Merle Haggard
9 9 Good News Jody Miller
2 3 Good Things David Houston
14 36 Got Leaving on Her Mind Nat Stuckey
12 14 Hank Hank Williams, Jr.
14 20 Hello We're Lonely Patti Page and Tom T. Hall
17 13 Honky Tonk Wine Wayne Kemp
12 11 I Can't Believe That It's All Over Skeeter Davis
10 14 I Hate You Ronnie Milsap
4 3 I Love You More and More Everyday Sonny James
11 3 I Need Somebody Bad Jack Greene
16 — I Recall a Gypsy Woman Tommy Cash
22 14 I Used It All on You Nat Stuckey
24 16 I Wish (You Had Stayed) Brian Collins
7 10 I'll Never Break These Chains Tommy Overstreet
8 8 I'm Your Woman Jeanne Pruett
15 11 If She Just Helps Me Get Over You Sonny James
3 5 If Teardrops Were Pennies Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton
2 2 If You Can Live with It (I Can Live Without It) Bill Anderson
3 5 If You Can't Feel It (It Ain't There) Freddie Hart
26 9 If You're Goin' Girl Don Gibson
22 16 It'll Be Her David Rogers
20 22 It's a Man's World (If You Have a Man Like Mine) Diana Trask
17 18 Just Thank Me David Rogers
9 9 Just What I Had in Mind Faron Young
19 10 Keep on Truckin' Dave Dudley
3 4 Last Love Song Hank Williams, Jr.
7 11 Let Me Be There Olivia Newton-John
17 12 Lila Doyle Holly
2 2 Little Girl Gone Donna Fargo
8 6 Love Is the Look You're Looking for Connie Smith
9 3 Love Me Marty Robbins
17 18 Love Sure Feels Good in My Heart Susan Raye
5 8 Lovin' on Back Streets Mel Street
7 5 The Midnight Oil Barbara Mandrell
20 10 Monday Morning Secretary The Statler Brothers
2 3 Mr. Lovemaker Johnny Paycheck
15 10 My Tennessee Mountain Home Dolly Parton
7 17 Neither One of Us Bob Luman
3 3 Neon Rose Mel Tillis
19 3 No More Hanging On Jerry Lee Lewis
7 8 Nothing Ever Hurt Me (Half as Bad as Losing You) George Jones
33 17 One Last Time Glen Campbell
14 8 Open Up Your Heart Roger Miller
9 7 Pass Me By (If You're Only Passing Through) Johnny Rodriguez
13 7 The Perfect Stranger Freddy Weller
11 4 Ride Me Down Easy Bobby Bare
17 12 Satisfaction Jack Greene
2 5 Sawmill Mel Tillis
15 8 Say When Diana Trask
50 5 Second Cup of Coffee George Hamilton IV
7 10 Send Me No Roses Tommy Overstreet
15 6 She Fights That Lovin' Feeling Faron Young
11 3 She Loves Me (Right Out of My Mind) Freddy Weller
3 6 She's All Woman David Houston
20 43 She's My Rock Stoney Edwards
14 — Shelter of Your Eyes Don Williams
3 3 Sing About Love Lynn Anderson
14 13 Slippin' and Slidin' Billy "Crash" Craddock
4 3 Slippin' Away Jean Shepard
28 15 So Many Ways Eddy Arnold
10 20 Something About You I Love Johnny Paycheck
6 6 Sometimes a Memory Ain't Enough Jerry Lee Lewis
21 16 Sound of Goodbye Jerry Wallace
6 6 Southern Loving Jim Ed Brown
31 20 Steamroller Blues/Fool Elvis Presley
6 8 Sunday Sunrise Brenda Lee
6 8 Sweet Country Woman Johnny Duncan
10 14 Take Time to Love Her Nat Stuckey
18 42 Talkin' with My Lady Johnny Duncan
21 12 Thank You for Being You Mel Tillis
8 18 'Till the Water Stops Runnin' Billy "Crash" Craddock
12 23 Too Far Gone Joe Stampley
8 7 Too Much Monkey Business Freddy Weller
6 5 Touch the Morning Don Gibson
20 12 Travelin' Man Dolly Parton
11 6 Walk Softly on the Bridges Mel Street
6 5 Walking Piece of Heaven Marty Robbins
16 20 Watergate Blues Tom T. Hall
28 17 We Had It All Waylon Jennings
6 — What My Woman Can't Do George Jones
32 17 When a Man Loves a Woman (The Way That I Love You) Tony Booth
20 30 Wherefore and Why Glen Campbell
13 38 Whole World's Making Love Again Tonight Bobby G. Rice
13 11 You Ain't Gonna Have Ol' Buck to Kick Around No More Buck Owens
8 8 You Ask Me To Waylon Jennings
7 2 You Can Have Her Waylon Jennings
8 8 You Give Me You Bobby G. Rice
30 13 You Know Who Bobby Bare
3 7 You Lay So Easy on My Mind Bobby G. Rice
6 11 You Really Haven't Changed Johnny Carver
18 8 You Took All the Ramblin' Out of Me Jerry Reed
36 19 Your Side of the Bed Mac Davis

Singles released by Canadian artists

US CAN Single Artist
— 20 All Them Irons in the Fire Carroll Baker
— 12 Blind Jonathon/Make It Over the Hill Dianne Leigh
— 18 But Tomorrow There's Another Day Hank Smith
— 5 Carpenter of Wood Cliff Edwards
— 18 Champlain and St. Lawrence Line Orval Prophet
— 8 The Farmer's Song Murray McLauchlan
— 16 The Feeling's Too Strong Family Brown
— 13 Flying East Sharon Lowness
— 19 Going Home to the Country Dick Damron
— 19 Highway Driving Alabama
— 4 It's So Easy to Please Me Mercey Brothers
— 12 It's Worth Believin' Gordon Lightfoot
— 15 Judgment Day Express Orval Prophet
— 19 Meant to Be with Me Mercey Brothers
71 20 North to Chicago Hank Snow
— 15 Old Ira Gray Dallas Harms
— 14 Pictou County Jail Jim and Don Haggart
— 20 The Prisoner Shannon Two Feathers
79 10 Send a Little Love My Way Anne Murray
— 18 Too Many Memories Joe Firth
20 2 What About Me Anne Murray
46 5 What Got to You (Before It Got to Me) Ray Griff
— 16 The World I Know Is Now Carroll Baker

Top new album releases

Other top new albums

Births

  • March 6 — Trent Willmon, rising country music star of the early- to mid-2000s (decade).
  • June 6 — Lisa Brokop, Canadian country star of the 1990s and early-2000s (decade).
  • June 26 — Gretchen Wilson, singer-songwriter and key member of the MuzikMafia of the 2000s (decade).
  • July 29 — James Otto, rising male vocalist of the 2000s (decade).
  • August 8 — Mark Wills, country star of the mid-to-late-1990s and early-2000s (decade) ("19-Something," "Wish You Were Here").
  • August 13 — Andy Griggs, country music star of late-1990s and early-2000s (decade).
  • November 19 — Billy Currington, rising star of the mid-2000s (decade).

Deaths

  • March 26 - Don Messer, 63, Canadian Fiddler and Folk Music Icon, began his radio career over the CBC network in 1933. Moving to Television in 1956, his "Don Messer's Jubilee" was Canada's top rated program for almost its entire run. In a still-controversial decision, the CBC cancelled the program in 1969, but Messer moved the series to syndication where it continued until his death (Heart Attack).
  • September 19 — Gram Parsons, 26, influential country rock and alt-country singer-songwriter-guitarist who was a member of such bands as The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers, and also recorded a critically acclaimed body of solo recordings (drug overdose).
  • November 10 — Stringbean, 58, banjo player and comedian on the TV series Hee Haw (homicide).

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

Major awards

Grammy Awards

Juno Awards

Academy of Country Music

Country Music Association

Further reading

  • 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.

References

  • Brooks, Tim and Earl Marsh. The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows Eighth Ed., Ballantine Books, 2003. ISBN 0-345-45542-8
  • Erickson, Hal. Syndicated Television: The First Forty Years, 1947-1987. McFarland & Co. Inc. Publishers, Jefferson, North Carolina, 1989. ISBN 0-89950-410-8.
  • Hendler, Herb, Year by Year in the Rock Era: Events and Conditions Shaping the Rock Generations That Reshaped America, Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut, 1983. ISBN 0-313-23456-6
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