List of ''Billboard'' number-one country songs of 1950

Hank Snow had lengthy runs at the top of all three charts with "I'm Movin' On".

In 1950 Billboard magazine published three charts covering the best-performing country music songs in the United States: Most-Played Juke Box (Country & Western) Records, Best-Selling Retail Folk (Country & Western) Records and Country & Western Records Most Played By Folk Disk Jockeys. The juke box chart was compiled based on a "weekly survey among a selected group of jukebox operators whose locations require country and western records", the best sellers chart based on a "survey among a selected group of retail stores, the majority of whose customers purchase country and western records", and the jockeys chart based on a "weekly survey among a select list of over 400 disk jockeys specializing in country and western tunes".^[1] All three charts are considered part of the lineage of the current Hot Country Songs chart, which was first published in 1958.^[2]

In the first issue of Billboard of 1950, Christmas songs were at number one on two charts, with "Blue Christmas" by Ernest Tubb in the top spot on the juke box chart and Gene Autry's original recording of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" atop the jockeys chart. The number one on the best sellers chart was "Slipping Around" by Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely. The longest-running number one of 1950 on all three charts was "I'm Movin' On" by Canadian singer Hank Snow, which spent 14 weeks in the top spot on the juke box chart, 18 on the best sellers listing, and 17 on the jockeys chart. The song would spend three further weeks at number one on the best sellers chart in 1951, tying the record set in 1948 by Eddy Arnold's "I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms)" for the highest number of weeks spent at number one on any one of Billboard's country singles charts.^[3] Red Foley spent the highest total number of weeks at number one on both the juke box and best sellers charts, topping each for 19 weeks. He also had the highest number of individual chart-toppers on each of the two listings, with four and three respectively. On the jockeys chart, Hank Williams was the only artist with more than one number one hit, and he also spent the most weeks at number one, totalling 19 weeks in the top spot with his three chart-toppers.

Five artists achieved their debut country number ones in 1950, including Hank Snow with "I'm Movin' On".^[4] Leon Payne spent two non-consecutive weeks atop the jockeys chart in January with "I Love You Because". Payne, who was better known as a songwriter for other country artists, thus achieved the unusual feat of topping the chart with the only hit of his performing career.^[5][6] In the same week that Payne reached number one on the jockeys chart, The Delmore Brothers gained their first and only number one when "Blues, Stay Away From Me" topped the juke box chart.^[7] In the summer Moon Mullican reached number one on both the juke box and best sellers charts with "I'll Sail My Ship Alone", his only number one.^[8] Finally, in December Lefty Frizzell made his first appearance at number one when "If You've Got the Money I've Got the Time", his debut single,^[9] was the final juke box chart-topper of the year. "Moanin' the Blues" by Hank Williams was the last number one of 1950 on the jockeys chart and Hank Snow's "I'm Movin' On" was the year's final best sellers chart-topper.

Chart history

Most-Played Juke Box (Country & Western) Records

Lefty Frizzell ended the year at number one with his debut chart-topper, "If You've Got the Money I've Got the Time".

Issue date	Title	Artist(s)	Ref.
January 7	"Blue Christmas"	Ernest Tubb	[10]
January 14	"Blues, Stay Away From Me"	The Delmore Brothers	[1]
January 21	"Slipping Around"	Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely	[11]
January 28	"Take Me in Your Arms and Hold Me"	Eddy Arnold	[12]
February 4	"Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy"	Red Foley	[13]
February 11			[14]
February 18			[15]
February 25			[16]
March 4			[17]
March 11
March 18			[18]
March 25			[19]
April 1			[20]
April 8			[21]
April 15			[22]
April 22			[23]
April 29			[24]
May 6	"Long Gone Lonesome Blues"	Hank Williams	[25]
May 13			[26]
May 20			[27]
May 27			[28]
June 3	"Birmingham Bounce"	Red Foley	[29]
June 10			[30]
June 17	"I'll Sail My Ship Alone"	Moon Mullican	[31]
June 24			[32]
July 1			[33]
July 8			[34]
July 15	"M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I"	Red Foley	[35]
July 22	"Why Don't You Love Me"	Hank Williams
July 29			[36]
August 5			[37]
August 12			[38]
August 19			[39]
August 26	"Goodnight, Irene"	Red Foley and Ernest Tubb	[40]
September 2			[41]
September 9			[42]
September 16	"I'm Movin' On"	Hank Snow	[43]
September 23			[44]
September 30			[45]
October 7			[46]
October 14
October 21			[47]
October 28			[48]
November 4			[49]
November 11			[50]
November 18			[51]
November 25			[52]
December 2			[53]
December 9			[54]
December 16			[55]
December 23	"If You've Got the Money I've Got the Time"	Lefty Frizzell	[56]
December 30			[57]

Best-Selling Retail Folk (Country & Western) Records

Red Foley had three number ones on the best sellers chart.

Issue date	Title	Artist(s)	Ref.
January 7	"Slipping Around"	Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely	[10]
January 14			[1]
January 21			[11]
January 28			[12]
February 4	"Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy"	Red Foley	[13]
February 11			[14]
February 18			[15]
February 25			[16]
March 4			[17]
March 11
March 18			[18]
March 25			[19]
April 1			[20]
April 8			[21]
April 15			[22]
April 22			[23]
April 29	"Long Gone Lonesome Blues"	Hank Williams	[24]
May 6			[25]
May 13			[26]
May 20			[27]
May 27	"Birmingham Bounce"	Red Foley	[28]
June 3	"Long Gone Lonesome Blues"	Hank Williams	[29]
June 10	"Birmingham Bounce"	Red Foley	[30]
June 17	"Why Don't You Love Me"	Hank Williams	[31]
June 24	"Birmingham Bounce"	Red Foley	[32]
July 1			[33]
July 8	"Why Don't You Love Me"	Hank Williams	[34]
July 15			[35]
July 22	"I'll Sail My Ship Alone"	Moon Mullican
July 29	"Why Don't You Love Me"	Hank Williams	[36]
August 5			[37]
August 12			[38]
August 19	"I'm Movin' On"	Hank Snow	[39]
August 26	"Goodnight, Irene"	Red Foley and Ernest Tubb	[40]
September 2			[41]
September 9	"I'm Movin' On"	Hank Snow	[42]
September 16			[43]
September 23			[44]
September 30			[45]
October 7			[46]
October 14
October 21			[47]
October 28			[48]
November 4			[49]
November 11			[50]
November 18			[51]
November 25			[52]
December 2			[53]
December 9			[54]
December 16			[55]
December 23			[56]
December 30			[57]

Country & Western Records Most Played By Folk Disk Jockeys

Hank Williams spent a total of 19 weeks at number one on the jockeys chart.

Issue date	Title	Artist(s)	Ref.
January 7	"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"	Gene Autry	[10]
January 14	"I Love You Because"	Leon Payne	[1]
January 21	"Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy"	Red Foley	[11]
January 28	"I Love You Because"	Leon Payne	[12]
February 4	"Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy"	Red Foley	[13]
February 11			[14]
February 18			[15]
February 25			[16]
March 4			[17]
March 11
March 18			[18]
March 25			[19]
April 1			[20]
April 8			[21]
April 15			[22]
April 22	"Long Gone Lonesome Blues"	Hank Williams	[23]
April 29	"Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy"	Red Foley	[24]
May 6	"Long Gone Lonesome Blues"	Hank Williams	[25]
May 13			[26]
May 20			[27]
May 27			[28]
June 3			[29]
June 10			[30]
June 17			[31]
June 24	"Why Don't You Love Me"	Hank Williams	[32]
July 1			[33]
July 8			[34]
July 15			[35]
July 22
July 29			[36]
August 5			[37]
August 12			[38]
August 19			[39]
August 26			[40]
September 2	"I'm Movin' On"	Hank Snow	[41]
September 9			[42]
September 16			[43]
September 23			[44]
September 30			[45]
October 7			[46]
October 14
October 21			[47]
October 28			[48]
November 4			[49]
November 11			[50]
November 18			[51]
November 25			[52]
December 2			[53]
December 9			[54]
December 16			[55]
December 23			[56]
December 30	"Moanin' the Blues"	Hank Williams	[57]

See also

• 1950 in music
• 1950 in country music
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. country chart

References