A dark-haired man with a very thin mustache, wearing a jacket and necktie
Tennessee Ernie Ford's song "Sixteen Tons" ended the year at number one on two of the three charts.

In 1955, Billboard magazine published three charts covering the best-performing country music songs in the United States: Most Played in Juke Boxes, Best Sellers in Stores, and Most Played By Jockeys. The juke box chart was based on a "survey among operators thruout [sic] the country using a high proportion of country and western records", the best sellers chart on a survey of "dealers...with a high volume of country and western records" and the jockeys chart a survey of "top disk jockeys in all key markets".[1] All three charts are considered part of the lineage of the magazine's current country music songs charts.[2]

As in the previous year, the number one position on all three charts was dominated during 1955 by Webb Pierce, the most successful country singer of the mid-1950s.[3] His rendition of "In the Jailhouse Now", an early 20th-century song most associated in the country music field with 1920s country pioneer Jimmie Rodgers,[4][5] spent 21 weeks at number one on the juke box chart beginning in March. This run tied the record held by Eddy Arnold's "I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms)" (1947–48) and Hank Snow's "I'm Moving On" (1950) for the most weeks spent atop one of Billboard's country charts.[6] The three songs would share the record for more than fifty years until Florida Georgia Line spent a 22nd week at number one on the Hot Country Songs listing in 2013 with "Cruise".[6] "In the Jailhouse Now" was also the longest-running chart-topper of 1955 on both the best sellers and jockeys charts, spending 20 weeks and 15 weeks respectively in the top spot. Pierce's grip on the number one position was strongest on the juke box chart, on which he spent 47 weeks at number one, including one week when he tied for the top spot. Carl Smith (four weeks, including one tied with Pierce), Eddy Arnold (two weeks) and Tennessee Ernie Ford (one week) were the only other artists to top that listing in issues of Billboard with a cover date of 1955.

The same four artists were also the only ones to top the best sellers chart, but three other acts reached number one on the jockeys chart, including two who achieved their first chart-toppers in 1955. Faron Young reached number one for the first time in June with "Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young", which spent three weeks topping the listing.[7] The song was replaced in the top spot by "A Satisfied Mind" by Porter Wagoner, which was similarly the first appearance at number one for the singer.[8] The third artist to top only the jockeys chart was Hank Snow, who reached number one on the airplay-based listing with "Let Me Go, Lover!" The final number one of the year on both the juke box and best sellers charts was Tennessee Ernie Ford's "Sixteen Tons", which also crossed over to top the magazine's pop charts.[9] The last jockeys chart of 1955 had Pierce at number one with "Love, Love, Love".

Chart history

Beginning with the April 9 issue, Billboard listed both sides of a single jointly at number one on the Best Sellers and Juke Box charts if "significant action [was] reported on both sides of a record".[10] It did not indicate that the single was officially released or promoted as a double A-side.

Singer Eddy Arnold
Eddy Arnold ended Webb Pierce's eight-month occupation of the number one position on the juke box chart.
A dark-haired man wearing a suit with musical notes printed on it, playing a guitar
Webb Pierce held the number one position on the best sellers chart from February to October.
A man in an elaborately-patterned suit, sitting on a stool and leaning on the neck of a guitar. A blonde woman stands to his left, resting her hands on his shoulder.
Porter Wagoner (pictured with Dolly Parton) had his first number one in 1955.
Chart history
Issue date Juke Box Best Sellers Jockeys Ref.
Title Artist(s) Title Artist(s) Title Artist(s)
January 1 "More And More" Webb Pierce "More And More" Webb Pierce "More And More" Webb Pierce [1]
January 8 "Loose Talk" Carl Smith "Loose Talk" Carl Smith [11]
January 15 [12]
January 22[a] [13]
"Loose Talk" Carl Smith [13]
January 29 "Let Me Go, Lover!" Hank Snow [14]
February 5 [15]
February 12 "Loose Talk" Carl Smith [16]
February 19 "More And More" Webb Pierce [17]
February 26 "In the Jailhouse Now" Webb Pierce [18]
March 5 "In the Jailhouse Now"[b] "In the Jailhouse Now" Webb Pierce [19]
March 12 [20]
March 19 [21]
March 26 [22]
April 2 [23]
April 9 [10]
April 16 [24]
April 23 [25]
April 30 [26]
May 7 [27]
May 14 [28]
May 21 [29]
May 28 [30]
June 4 [31]
June 11 [32]
June 18 "Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young" Faron Young [33]
June 25 [34]
July 2 [34]
July 9 "A Satisfied Mind" Porter Wagoner [35]
July 16 "I Don't Care"[c] [36]
July 23 [37]
July 30 "I Don't Care"[d] [38]
August 6 "I Don't Care" Webb Pierce [39]
August 13 [40]
August 20 [41]
August 27 [42]
September 3 [43]
September 10 [44]
September 17 [45]
September 24 [46]
October 1 [47]
October 8 "Cattle Call" / "Kentuckian Song"[e] Eddy Arnold [48]
October 15 [49]
October 22 "That Do Make It Nice"[f] Eddy Arnold "Love, Love, Love" / "If You Were Me"[g] Webb Pierce [50]
October 29 "Love, Love, Love" [51]
November 5 "Love, Love, Love" / "If You Were Me"[h] Webb Pierce [52]
November 12 [53]
November 19 [54]
November 26 [55]
December 3 [56]
December 10 [57]
December 17 "Sixteen Tons" Tennessee Ernie Ford [58]
December 24 [59]
December 31 "Sixteen Tons" Tennessee Ernie Ford [60]
Notes

a. ^ Two singles tied for number one on the juke box chart.
b. ^ B-side "I'm Gonna Fall Out of Love With You" listed jointly at number one in the April 9 issue only
c. ^ B-side "Your Good For Nothing Heart" listed jointly at number one through the issue dated August 13 only
d. ^ B-side "Your Good For Nothing Heart" listed jointly at number one through the issue dated August 20 only
e. ^ Both sides listed jointly at number one in both issues
f. ^ B-side "Just Call Me Lonesome" listed jointly at number one in the October 22 issue only
g. ^ "If You Were Me" not listed jointly at number one in the November 12 issue
h. ^ "If You Were Me" not listed jointly at number one in the December 3 issue

See also

References

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  2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2005). Joel Whitburn's Top Country Songs: 1944-2005. Record Research. p. ix. ISBN 9780898201659.
  3. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Webb Pierce Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  4. ^ George-Warren, Holly (2007). Public Cowboy No. 1: The Life and Times of Gene Autry. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199884292.
  5. ^ Davis, Mary; Zanes, Warren (2009). Waiting for a Train: Jimmie Rodgers's America. Rounder Books. ISBN 9781579401238.
  6. ^ a b Whitaker, Sterling (August 1, 2013). "Florida Georgia Line set all-time chart record with 'Cruise'". The Boot. Townsquare Media. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  7. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Faron Young Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  8. ^ Willman, Chris (October 29, 2007). "Porter Wagoner, 1927-2007". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  9. ^ Collins, Ace (1996). The Stories Behind Country Music's All-time Greatest: 100 Songs. Berkeley Publishing Group. pp. 91–93. ISBN 9781572970724.
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