List of Hot Country Singles number ones of 1969

Sonny James had three number ones in 1969.

Hot Country Songs is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music songs in the United States, published by Billboard magazine. In 1969, 23 different singles topped the chart, then published under the title Hot Country Singles, in 52 issues of the magazine, based on playlists submitted by country music radio stations and sales reports submitted by stores.^[1]

In the first issue of Billboard of the new year, Johnny Cash's single "Daddy Sang Bass" rose from number 19 to the top spot, replacing "Wichita Lineman" by Glen Campbell.^[2] Cash's single remained at number one for six weeks, the longest unbroken run of the year. Cash returned to the top of the chart later in the year with "A Boy Named Sue", which spent five weeks at number one, and his total of eleven weeks atop the chart in 1969 was the highest by any artist. Merle Haggard, Sonny James and Buck Owens each reached number one with three different singles, the most by any act.

In August, Charley Pride had his first chart-topper with "All I Have to Offer You (Is Me)",^[3] and he quickly returned to the number one position with "(I'm So) Afraid of Losing You Again", which was the final number one of the year and thus of the decade. The first African-American performer to become a superstar in the country music genre, Pride would go on to achieve more than thirty number one singles on the Hot Country chart.^[4] Earlier in the year, rock and roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis topped the chart with "To Make Love Sweeter For You" and in doing so achieved a country number one for the first time since Billboard combined sales and airplay into a single chart in 1958; his last country chart-topper had been on the C&W Best Sellers in Stores chart earlier in that year.^[5][6] His 1950s recordings had gained some crossover success on the country charts, but were primarily rock and roll songs. In 1968, however, after a decade with little success, he mounted a surprise comeback when he concentrated fully on the country genre, and would go on to achieve a succession of country hits into the 1970s.^[7][8]

Chart history

Charley Pride had his first number one in 1969.

Johnny Cash spent eleven weeks at the top of the chart in 1969, the most by any artist.

Veteran rock and roll star Jerry Lee Lewis reached the top spot in the spring. He had begun a move into country music the previous year and went on to achieve a run of success within the genre.

See also

• 1969 in music
• 1969 in country music
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. country chart

References