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1955 in country music: Wikis

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This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1955.

List of years in country music (Table)
… 1945 • 1946 • 1947 • 1948 • 1949 • 1950 • 1951 •   
1952 • 1953 • 1954 – 1955 – 1956 • 1957 • 1958 •
   1959 • 1960 • 1961 • 1962 • 1963 • 1964 • 1965 …
Related time period or subjects
… 1952 • 1953 • 1954 – 1955 – 1956 • 1957 • 1958 …
… 1920s • 1930s • 1940s – 1950s – 1960s • 1970s • 1980s …
… 19th century – 20th century – 21st century …
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Contents

Events

  • 1955 was one of the most prolific years for new artists, many of whom would revolutionize country music. Some of the more prominent names were Johnny Cash, George Jones, Elvis Presley and Porter Wagoner; it was also the year one of the best-known duos ever — the Louvin Brothers (Charlie and Ira) — would join the Grand Ole Opry. Many of them would go on to record and popularize the best known songs in the genre, and have recording careers that lasted for decades. It would be more than 30 years before another gifted group this prominent would rise to fame and create a revolution in country music.
  • January 22 — Ozark Jubilee debuts on ABC-TV, the first popular country music show on network TV. It would run through September 1960.

Top hits of the year

Number one hits

United States

(as certified by Billboard)

Date Single Name Artist Wks. No.1 Spec. Note
January 8 Loose Talk Carl Smith 7
January 29 Let Me Go, Lover! Hank Snow 2
February 26 In the Jailhouse Now Webb Pierce 21 [1]
June 18 Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young Faron Young 3
July 9 A Satisfied Mind Porter Wagoner 4 [A]
  • Country artists Red Foley (with daughter Betty) and Jean Shepard both recorded versions of the song that reached the Top 5 on the Billboard country chart in 1955.
July 16 I Don't Care Webb Pierce 12
October 8 The Cattle Call Eddy Arnold 2
October 22 Love Love Love Webb Pierce 13 [2]
October 22 They Do Make It Nice Eddy Arnold 2
December 17 Sixteen Tons Tennessee Ernie Ford 10
Notes
  • 1^ No. 1 song of the year, as determined by Billboard.
  • 2^ Song dropped from No. 1 and later returned to top spot.
  • A^ First Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist.
Note: Several songs were simultaneous No. 1 hits on the separate "Most Played in Juke Boxes," "Most Played by Jockeys" and "Best Sellers in Stores" charts.

Other major hits

  • "Mystery Train"-[Elvis Presley]
  • That's What Makes The Jukebox Play"-[Jimmy Work]

Top new album releases

Births

  • March 11 — Jimmy Fortune, songwriter and member of The Statler Brothers (he sang tenor).
  • March 17 — Paul Overstreet, singer-songwriter who penned hit singles for artists such as Randy Travis and Tanya Tucker, and also had a career as a recording artist as well.
  • March 26 — Dean Dillon, songwriter whose works were instrumental in the new traditionalist movement of the 1980s.
  • March 28 — Reba McEntire, singer and actress who has enjoyed fame since the early 1980s.
  • May 11 — Mark Herndon, member of Alabama.
  • May 12 — Kix Brooks, half of Brooks & Dunn; host of radio's American Country Countdown.
  • May 24 — Roseanne Cash, daughter of Johnny Cash; rose to fame in the early 1980s for her "alternative country" style.
  • September 24 — Lane Brody, female vocalist best known for dueting with Johnny Lee on 1984's "The Yellow Rose."
  • November 1 — Keith Stegall, record producer who enjoyed a string of hits in the mid 1980s.

Deaths

Further reading

  • 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. "Top Country Songs 1944-2005 - 6th Edition." 2005.







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