List of Hot Country Singles number ones of 1965

Connie Smith (pictured in 2007) ended an eight-week run at number one in January. This would remain the longest run in the top spot by a female vocalist for nearly 50 years.

Hot Country Songs is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music songs in the United States, published by Billboard magazine. In 1965, 19 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]

At the start of the year, Connie Smith was at number one with "Once a Day", which had been in the top spot since the issue of Billboard dated November 28, 1964^[2] and remained at number one until the issue dated January 23, 1965, a total of eight consecutive weeks at the top of the chart. This set a new record for the longest unbroken run at number one by a female singer which stood until 2012, when Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" remained atop the chart for nine weeks.^[3] Smith was the only solo female vocalist to appear at number one in 1965; the only other female artist to reach the top spot during the year was Priscilla Mitchell, who topped the chart with "Yes, Mr. Peters", a duet with Roy Drusky.

One of the most successful recording artists of the mid-1960s,^[4] Buck Owens spent the most weeks at number one in 1965 with thirteen. He also had the most number ones of the year, taking four different singles to the top spot. Three other artists achieved multiple number ones during the year, each topping the chart twice. Eddy Arnold, one of the biggest country music stars of the 1940s and early 1950s, had revitalised his somewhat declining career by embracing the "Nashville sound", a newer style of country music which eschewed elements of the earlier honky-tonk style in favour of smooth productions which had a broader appeal,^[5][6] and in 1965 he gained two number ones, his first chart-toppers since Billboard combined country music sales and airplay into a single chart in 1958.^[7] Jim Reeves also achieved two chart-toppers in 1965, both of which were posthumous; the singer had been killed in a plane crash the previous year.^[8] Sonny James also topped the chart twice during the year. Five acts achieved their first career number ones in 1965: Del Reeves,^[9] Warner Mack,^[10] Little Jimmy Dickens,^[11] Johnnie Wright,^[12] and the duet pairing of Roy Drusky and Priscilla Mitchell.^[13]

Chart history

Warner Mack achieved his only number one in 1965.

Little Jimmy Dickens took the novelty song "May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose" to number one in November.

Sonny James had two chart-toppers during the year.

The number-one hit "Yes, Mr. Peters" was one of a number of duets which Roy Drusky (pictured) recorded with Priscilla Mitchell.

See also

• 1965 in music
• 1965 in country music
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. country chart

References