List of Most Played Juke Box Folk Records number ones of 1946
![Nine men in cowboy hats, one man in a business suit, one man in a police uniform and two young women, all in front of a bus with "Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys" painted on the side](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/Bob_Wills_Texas_Playboys_Publicity_Photo_-_Cropped.jpg/300px-Bob_Wills_Texas_Playboys_Publicity_Photo_-_Cropped.jpg)
Billboard magazine published a chart that ranked the top-performing country music songs in the United States, based on the number of times a song had been played in jukeboxes, from 1944 until 1957; until 1948 it was the magazine's only country music chart. In 1946, 9 different songs topped the chart, then published under the title Most Played Juke Box Folk Records, in 52 issues of the magazine. The chart was compiled based on a survey of jukebox operators nationwide, and its methodology allowed for the possibility of records tying for a position. On several occasions during 1946 two or more different songs tied for the number one spot, including the issue of Billboard dated February 2, when four songs tied for the number-one position. The Juke Box Folk chart is considered part of the lineage of the current Hot Country Songs chart, which was first published in 1958.[1]
In 1946 the number one position was dominated by two records which each spent 16 weeks in the top spot and which between them topped the chart from February to September. In the issue of Billboard dated February 2, "Guitar Polka" by Al Dexter reached number one for the first time, albeit jointly with three other songs. After one week out of the top spot it returned to number one, where it spent fifteen consecutive weeks, one of them jointly with "New Spanish Two Step" by Bob Wills. After Dexter's run at number one ended, Wills's song returned to the top spot and went on to also spend fifteen consecutive weeks atop the chart. Wills had also topped the chart earlier in the year with "Silver Dew on the Blue Grass Tonight" and "White Cross on Okinawa" and was the only artist to take three different songs to number one in 1946. Dexter, however, had the highest number of total weeks at number one, spending 21 weeks in total (including two tied weeks) atop the chart with "Guitar Polka" and "Wine Women and Song". Wills and Dexter were the only acts with more than one chart-topper during the year.
In October, Merle Travis achieved his first number one with "Divorce Me C.O.D.", which spent 11 non-consecutive weeks in the top spot in 1946 and was at number one at the end of the year.[2] Although Travis would only experience a short spell of chart success, he would remain active until his death in 1983 and come to be regarded as one of the most influential guitarists in the country genre.[3] Two singers who had each topped the chart several times in its first three years of publication did so for the last time in 1946. Al Dexter's second chart-topper of the year, "Wine Women and Song" would prove to be his final appearance in the top spot.[4] After 1948 he did not return to the chart and concentrated on running his club in Dallas.[5] Tex Ritter also topped the chart for the last time in 1946.[6] He would be absent from the country chart altogether for more than a decade after 1950 but experience something of a career revival in the 1960s when he appeared regularly at the Grand Ole Opry.[7]
Chart history
![A man wearing a white cowboy hat and dark jacket, smiling broadly and holding a guitar](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6d/Al_Dexter.jpg/170px-Al_Dexter.jpg)
![A smiling man wearing a cowboy hat](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/Dick_Thomas_Billboard.jpg/170px-Dick_Thomas_Billboard.jpg)
a. ^ Multiple songs tied for the number one position.
See also
- 1946 in music
- 1946 in country music
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. country chart
References
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2005). Joel Whitburn's Top Country Songs: 1944-2005. Record Research. p. ix. ISBN 9780898201659.
- ^ Carlin, Richard (2005). Country. Infobase Publishing. p. 58. ISBN 9780816069774.
- ^ Eder, Bruce. "Merle Travis Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits. Watson-Guptill. p. 95. ISBN 0823076326.
- ^ Bush, John. "Al Dexter Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits. Watson-Guptill. p. 269. ISBN 0823076326.
- ^ Ankeny, Jason. "Tex Ritter Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. November 24, 1945. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. January 5, 1946. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. January 12, 1946. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. January 19, 1946. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. January 26, 1946. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. February 2, 1946. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. February 9, 1946. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. February 16, 1946. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. March 2, 1946. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. March 9, 1946. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. March 16, 1946. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. March 23, 1946. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. March 30, 1946. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. April 6, 1946. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. April 13, 1946. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. April 20, 1946. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. April 27, 1946. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. May 4, 1946. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. May 11, 1946. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. May 18, 1946. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. May 25, 1946. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. June 1, 1946. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. June 8, 1946. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. June 15, 1946. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. June 22, 1946. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. June 29, 1946. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. July 6, 1946. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. July 13, 1946. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. July 20, 1946. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. July 27, 1946. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. August 3, 1946. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. August 10, 1946. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. August 17, 1946. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. August 24, 1946. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. August 31, 1946. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. September 7, 1946. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. September 14, 1946. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. September 21, 1946. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. September 28, 1946. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. October 5, 1946. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. October 12, 1946. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. October 19, 1946. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. October 26, 1946. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. November 2, 1946. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. November 9, 1946. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. November 16, 1946. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. November 23, 1946. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. November 30, 1946. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. December 7, 1946. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. December 14, 1946. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. December 21, 1946. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
- ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. December 28, 1946. Retrieved June 26, 2018.