List of Hot Country Singles number ones of 1976

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A group of four men sitting in a large car oddly constructed of mismatched parts. A fifth man in bib overalls is standing beside the car.
Johnny Cash reached number one in 1976 with the song "One Piece at a Time", about an assembly line worker who constructs his own car using stolen parts from a variety of different models. After the song became successful, an auto shop built the car described in the lyrics.[1] Cash is pictured in the driving seat of the car.

Hot Country Songs is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music songs in the United States, published by Billboard magazine. In 1976, 37 different singles topped the chart, which at the time was published under the title Hot Country Singles, in 52 issues of the magazine. Chart placings were based on playlists submitted by country music radio stations and sales reports submitted by stores.[2]

At the start of the year the song at the top of the chart was "Convoy" by C. W. McCall, its third week at number one.[3] The song remained in the top spot until the issue of Billboard dated January 31, 1976, when it was replaced by "This Time I've Hurt Her More than She Loves Me" by Conway Twitty. "Convoy" also topped the magazine's all-genres singles chart, the Hot 100.[4] It was one of three 1976 country number ones to capitalize on the prevailing fad for citizens band radio (CB), along with "The White Knight" by Cledus Maggard & the Citizen's Band and "Teddy Bear" by Red Sovine.[5][6] CB also featured, to a lesser extent, in the song "One Piece at a Time",[7] which was the final chart-topper for Country Music Hall of Famer and icon of the genre Johnny Cash.[8][9][10]

C. W. McCall's total of four weeks at number one in 1976 was matched by Willie Nelson, who spent one week in the top spot with "If You've Got the Money I've Got the Time" and three with "Good Hearted Woman" in collaboration with Waylon Jennings, as well as by Tammy Wynette, who spent three weeks at number one with two solo singles and a further week at the top with "Golden Ring", a duet with her former husband George Jones. The couple had divorced the previous year, but nonetheless continued to record together.[11] As well as Jennings, Conway Twitty, Marty Robbins and Red Sovine each spent three weeks at number one. Twitty was the only act to take three different singles to number one in 1976. Acts to top the chart for the first time in 1976 included novelty artist Cledus Maggard, who reached the number one position with his first ever Hot Country chart entry. He would go on to enter the listing with three more singles but his chart career ended in 1978,[12] after which Maggard (real name Jay Huguely) would concentrate on the field of television production.[13] Two female singers gained their first number ones via duets with established male vocalists: Mary Lou Turner with Bill Anderson and Helen Cornelius with Jim Ed Brown.[14][15][16] Vocal group Dave & Sugar topped the chart for the first time with "The Door Is Always Open",[17] the third version of the song to chart in less than three years, but by far the most successful.[18][19]

Chart history[edit]

A woman with long grey hair wearing a long green jacket, playing a guitar and singing into a microphone
Emmylou Harris (pictured in 2005) had two number ones in 1976.
A woman with long grey hair wearing a pink and black striped jacket
Helen Cornelius (pictured in 2012) achieved her only chart-topper with a duet with Jim Ed Brown.
A black-haired man wearing a dark jacket
Conway Twitty was the only artist to have three number ones in 1976.
Issue date Title Artist(s) Ref.
January 3 "Convoy" C. W. McCall [3]
January 10 [20]
January 17 [21]
January 24 [22]
January 31 "This Time I've Hurt Her More than She Loves Me" Conway Twitty [23]
February 7 "Sometimes" Bill Anderson & Mary Lou Turner [24]
February 14 "The White Knight" Cledus Maggard & the Citizen's Band [25]
February 21 "Good Hearted Woman" Waylon & Willie [26]
February 28 [27]
March 6 [28]
March 13 "The Roots of My Raising" Merle Haggard [29]
March 20 "Faster Horses (The Cowboy and the Poet)" Tom T. Hall [30]
March 27 "'Til the Rivers All Run Dry" Don Williams [31]
April 3 "You'll Lose a Good Thing" Freddy Fender [32]
April 10 "'Til I Can Make It on My Own" Tammy Wynette [33]
April 17 "Drinkin' My Baby (Off My Mind)" Eddie Rabbitt [34]
April 24 "Together Again" Emmylou Harris [35]
May 1 "Don't the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time" Mickey Gilley [36]
May 8 "My Eyes Can Only See As Far As You" Charley Pride [37]
May 15 "What Goes On When the Sun Goes Down" Ronnie Milsap [38]
May 22 "After All the Good Is Gone" Conway Twitty [39]
May 29 "One Piece at a Time" Johnny Cash [40]
June 5 [41]
June 12 "I'll Get Over You" Crystal Gayle [42]
June 19 "El Paso City" Marty Robbins [43]
June 26 [44]
July 3 "All These Things" Joe Stampley [45]
July 10 "The Door Is Always Open" Dave & Sugar [46]
July 17 "Teddy Bear" Red Sovine [47]
July 24 [48]
July 31 [49]
August 7 "Golden Ring" George Jones and Tammy Wynette [50]
August 14 "Say It Again" Don Williams [51]
August 21 "Bring It On Home to Me" Mickey Gilley [52]
August 28 "(I'm a) Stand by My Woman Man" Ronnie Milsap [53]
September 4 [54]
September 11 "I Don't Want to Have to Marry You" Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius [55]
September 18 [56]
September 25 "If You've Got the Money I've Got the Time" Willie Nelson [57]
October 2 "Here's Some Love" Tanya Tucker [58]
October 9 "The Games That Daddies Play" Conway Twitty [59]
October 16 "You and Me" Tammy Wynette [60]
October 23 [61]
October 30 "Among My Souvenirs" Marty Robbins [62]
November 6 "Cherokee Maiden" Merle Haggard [63]
November 13 "Somebody Somewhere (Don't Know What He's Missin' Tonight)" Loretta Lynn [64]
November 20 [65]
November 27 "Good Woman Blues" Mel Tillis [66]
December 4 [67]
December 11 "Thinkin' of a Rendezvous" Johnny Duncan [68]
December 18 [69]
December 25 "Sweet Dreams" Emmylou Harris [70]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Martin, Keith (2007). Strange But True Tales of Car Collecting: Drowned Bugattis, Buried Belvederes, Felonious Ferraris and Other Wild Stories of Automotive Misadventure. Motorbooks. p. 164. ISBN 9780760353608.
  2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2005). Joel Whitburn's Top Country Songs: 1944–2005. Record Research. p. ix. ISBN 9780898201659.
  3. ^ a b "Hot Country Songs chart for January 3, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  4. ^ Hoffmann, Frank (2016). Chronology of American Popular Music, 1900–2000. Routledge. ISBN 9781135868857.
  5. ^ Mansour, David (2011). From Abba to Zoom: A Pop Culture Encyclopedia of the Late 20th Century. Andrews McMeel Publishing. p. 76. ISBN 9780740793073.
  6. ^ Kreps, Daniel; Menconi, David; Ryan, Linda; Harvilla, Rob; Murray, Nick; Drell, Cady; Powell, Mike; Moss, Marissa R.; Harris, Keith (September 26, 2014). "40 Saddest Country Songs of All Time: Red Sovine, "Teddy Bear"". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  7. ^ Wilson, Bill (March 25, 2014). "Johnny Cash's "One Piece at a Time" Car: Working Class Ingenuity". Motor1.com. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  8. ^ Betts, Stephen L. (July 6, 2017). "Flashback: Hear Johnny Cash's Rare Take on Kenny Rogers' 'The Gambler'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  9. ^ Thompson, Gayle (October 13, 2017). "37 Years Ago: Johnny Cash is Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame". The Boot. Townsquare Media. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  10. ^ "10 Reasons to Celebrate Johnny Cash's Legend". The Boot. Townsquare Media. February 26, 2018. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  11. ^ Pareles, Jon (April 8, 1998). "Tammy Wynette, Country Singer Known For 'Stand by Your Man,' Is Dead at 55". The New York Times. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
  12. ^ "Cledus Maggard Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 10, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  13. ^ "Obituary: James Wesley Huguely". Los Angeles Times. April 26, 2009 – via Legacy.com.
  14. ^ "Mary Lou Turner Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 3, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  15. ^ "Helen Cornelius Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 10, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  16. ^ "Jim Ed Brown & Helen Cornelius Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 7, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  17. ^ Mayor, Alan (2014). The Nashville Family Album: A Country Music Scrapbook. Macmillan. p. 196. ISBN 9781466885677.
  18. ^ "Tennessee Pulleybone Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  19. ^ "Lois Johnson Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  20. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for January 10, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  21. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for January 17, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  22. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for January 24, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  23. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for January 31, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  24. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for February 7, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  25. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for February 14, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  26. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for February 21, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  27. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for February 28, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  28. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for March 6, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  29. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for March 13, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  30. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for March 20, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  31. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for March 27, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  32. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for April 3, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  33. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for April 10, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  34. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for April 17, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  35. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for April 24, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  36. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for May 1, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  37. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for May 8, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  38. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for May 15, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  39. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for May 22, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  40. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for May 29, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  41. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for June 5, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  42. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for June 12, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  43. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for June 19, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  44. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for June 26, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  45. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for July 3, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  46. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for July 10, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  47. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for July 17, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  48. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for July 24, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  49. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for July 31, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  50. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for August 7, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  51. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for August 14, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  52. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for August 21, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  53. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for August 28, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  54. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for September 4, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  55. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for September 11, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  56. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for September 18, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  57. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for September 25, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  58. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for October 2, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  59. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for October 9, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  60. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for October 16, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  61. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for October 23, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  62. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for October 30, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  63. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for November 6, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  64. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for November 13, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  65. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for November 20, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  66. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for November 27, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  67. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for December 4, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  68. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for December 11, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  69. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for December 18, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  70. ^ "Hot Country Songs chart for December 25, 1976". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2010.