1940 in country music

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This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1940.

1940 in music
By location
By genre
By topic
List of years in country music (table)
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Events[edit]

  • 1940 marked first year that sales exceeded 1929 levels
  • April 4 — Ernest Tubb makes his first recordings for Decca Records, a label where he will remain for more than 30 years.

Top Hillbilly (Country) Recordings 1940[edit]

The following songs achieved the highest positions in Billboard magazine's 'Best Sellers in Stores' chart, monthly 'Hillbilly Hits' chart, supplemented by 'Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954' and record sales reported on the "Discography of American Historical Recordings" website,[1] and other sources as specified, during 1940. Numerical rankings are approximate.

Rank Artist Title Label Recorded Released Chart Positions
1 Bob Atcher and Bonnie Blue Eyes "You Are My Sunshine"[2] Vocalion 05370 January 17, 1940 (1940-01-17) February 1940 (1940-02) US Hillbilly 1940 #1, US Hillbilly #1 for 5 weeks, 37 total weeks
2 Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys "San Antonio Rose"[3] Vocalion 04755 November 28, 1938 (1938-11-28) April 1939 (1939-04) US Hillbilly 1940 #2, Hillbilly #1 for 3 week, 18 total weeks, 1,000,000 sales[1]
3 Gene Autry "Goodbye Little Darlin' Goodbye"[2] Vocalion 05463 March 12, 1940 (1940-03-12) April 1940 (1940-04) US Billboard 1940 #264, US #20 for 1 week, 1 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1940 #3, US Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 27 total weeks
4 Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys "New San Antonio Rose"[4][5] Okeh 05694 April 16, 1940 (1940-04-16) August 1940 (1940-08) US Billboard 1941 #126, US #16 for 1 week, 1 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1940 #4, Hillbilly #1 for 2 week, 29 total weeks
5 Jimmie Davis ""You Are My Sunshine"[6][5] Decca 7004 February 5, 1940 (1940-02-05) March 24, 1940 (1940-03-24) US Hillbilly 1940 #5, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 18 total weeks, 1,000,000 sales,[1] Grammy Hall of Fame 1999, Library of Congress artifact added 2012
6 Bob Skyles and His Skyrockets "Only in Dreams"[7] Decca 5887 April 9, 1940 (1940-04-09) September 1940 (1940-09) US Hillbilly 1940 #6, Hillbilly #1 for 3 weeks, 15 total weeks
7 Gene Autry "Were You Sincere"[8] Vocalion 05693 October 15, 1937 (1937-10-15) August 1940 (1940-08) US Hillbilly 1940 #7, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 18 total weeks
8 Shelton Brothers "I'll Be Seein' You In Dallas, Alice"[9] Decca 5844 April 6, 1940 (1940-04-06) May 29, 1940 (1940-05-29) US Hillbilly 1940 #8, Hillbilly #1 for 3 week, 13 total weeks
9 Cliff Bruner And His Boys "The Girl You Loved Long Ago"[10] Decca 5827 September 1, 1939 (1939-09-01) December 1939 (1939-12) US Hillbilly 1940 #9, US #1 for 2 weeks, 16 total weeks
10 Cliff Bruner And His Boys "Sorry (I'll Say I'm Sorry)"[11] Decca 5860 April 8, 1940 (1940-04-08) June 20, 1940 (1940-06-20) US Hillbilly 1940 #10, Hillbilly #1 for 3 weeks, 20 total weeks
11 Jimmie Davis "I'd Love to Call You My Sweetheart"[12] Decca 5803 February 5, 1940 (1940-02-05) February 1940 (1940-02) US Hillbilly 1940 #11, Hillbilly #1 for 3 week, 15 total weeks
12 Roy Newman And His Boys "Take Me Back To My Home In The Mountains"[2] Vocalion 5486 December 1, 1938 (1938-12-01) April 1940 (1940-04) US Hillbilly 1940 #12, Hillbilly #1 for 3 week, 14 total weeks
13 Texas Jim Lewis and His Lone Star Cowboys "Rock And Rye Polka"[13] Decca 5875 August 23, 1940 (1940-08-23) September 1940 (1940-09) US Hillbilly 1940 #13, Hillbilly #1 for 1 week, 14 total weeks
14 Gene Autry "I'm Beginning To Care"[2] Vocalion 5257 September 12, 1939 (1939-09-12) January 2, 1940 (1940-01-02) US Hillbilly 1940 #14, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 13 total weeks
15 Texas Jim Lewis and His Lone Star Cowboys "Seven Beers With The Wrong Woman"[14] Decca 5874 August 8, 1940 (1940-08-08) September 1940 (1940-09) US Hillbilly 1940 #15, Hillbilly #1 for 1 week, 20 total weeks
16 Shelton Brothers "I’m a Handy Man to Have Around"[15] Decca 5833 April 6, 1940 (1940-04-06) May 1940 (1940-05) US Hillbilly 1940 #16, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 14 total weeks
17 Hank Penny's Radio Cowboys "Cowboy Swing"[2] Vocalion 5438 November 9, 1938 (1938-11-09) March 1940 (1940-03) US Hillbilly 1940 #17, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 12 total weeks
18 Cliff Bruner And His Boys "Jessie"[16] Decca 5769 August 26, 1939 (1939-08-26) December 6, 1939 (1939-12-06) US Hillbilly 1940 #18, Hillbilly #2 for 2 weeks, 19 total weeks
19 Ted Daffan's Texans "Worried Mind"[4] Okeh 5668 April 25, 1940 (1940-04-25) July 1940 (1940-07) US Hillbilly 1940 #19, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 17 total weeks, sold over 350,000 copies[17]
20 Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys "Time Changes Everything"[4] Okeh 05753 April 15, 1940 (1940-04-15) August 1940 (1940-08) US Hillbilly 1940 #20, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 16 total weeks

Births[edit]

  • January 8 — Cristy Lane, Christian singer who also enjoyed secular success as a country performer in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
  • June 23 – Diana Trask, Australian-born singer who enjoyed American success in the early 1970s.
  • August 5 — Bobby Braddock, prominent songwriter with more than 40 years of success; later, producer for Blake Shelton.
  • August 10 – Jerry Kennedy, prominent producer from the 1960s through early 1990s.

Deaths[edit]

Main article: Deaths in 1940
Further information: Category:1940 deaths

Further reading[edit]

  • 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. "Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890–1954: The History of American Popular Music," Record Research Inc., Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, 1986 (ISBN 0-89820-083-0).

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Record Research.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Vocalion 78rpm numerical listing discography - 5000 series (main sequence)". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  3. ^ "Vocalion (USA) 78rpm numerical listing discography: 4500 - 4999". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 2022-04-09.
  4. ^ a b c "OKeh (by CBS) numerical listing discography: 5600 - 5999". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  5. ^ a b "Complete National Recording Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
  6. ^ "Decca matrix 67157. You are my sunshine / Jimmie Davis - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-09.
  7. ^ "Decca matrix 92062. Only in dreams / Bob Skyles Skyrockets - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-09.
  8. ^ "Vocalion 78rpm numerical listing discography 5500 - 5600". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  9. ^ "Decca matrix 92026. I'll be seein' you in Dallas / The Shelton Brothers - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  10. ^ "Decca matrix 66355. The girl that you loved long ago / Cliff Bruner and his Boys - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-09.
  11. ^ "Decca matrix 92053. Sorry (I'll say I'm sorry) / Cliff Bruner and his Boys - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  12. ^ "Decca matrix 67159. I'd love to call you my sweetheart / Jimmie Davis - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  13. ^ "Decca matrix DLA 2084. Rock and rye polka / Texas Jim Lewis and his Lone Star Cowboys - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2022-08-27.
  14. ^ "Decca matrix DLA 2083. Seven beers with the wrong woman / Texas Jim Lewis and his Lone Star Cowboys - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2022-08-27.
  15. ^ "Decca matrix 92036. I'm a handy man to have around / The Shelton Brothers - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  16. ^ "Decca matrix 66300. Jessie / Cliff Bruner and his Boys - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2022-08-27.
  17. ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/30 30]. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
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