1925 in country music

Events

• November 28 – Nashville radio station WSM begins a national institution with its first broadcast of the "WSM Barn Dance" – the weekly program that would go on to be known as the Grand Ole Opry.
• January 1925, the major labels were still releasing country material on pop labels. The record companies hadn't quite yet settled on the moniker of ‘hillbilly music’ for this new style of music. Descriptions included “Old- Time Tunes” (OKeh), “Old Familiar Tunes” (Columbia), “tunes from Dixie” (Brunswick), and “Olde Time Fiddlin’ Tunes from the Sunny South” (Victor). The term first appeared on an OKeh release from 1925, a recording of a string band from Watauga County, NC, who showed up at the New York recording studio without having decided what to call themselves. When Ralph Peer, who was supervising the sessions, asked for their names, one of the group's members responded, “We’re nothing but a bunch of hillbillies from North Carolina and Virginia. Call us anything.” So Peer released the sides under the name “the Hill Billies.”
• Aug 1924 thru March 1926 to 1930 "The Prisoner's Song" by Vernon Dalhart becomes country music's first-ever million-seller, and has two waves of popularity — during the early summer months and again at the end of the year. The song goes on to sell 7 million copies. On March 18, 1926, Dalhart re-cut electronic versions of both sides of Victor 19427, which were released with the same disc number, and are included in the sales figures. 1924 Prisoner's Song was take 2, and 1926 version was take 6; The Wreck of the Old 97 take 1 1924, and 1926 was take 4.

No dates

• Radio station WSM signs on the air, and is credited for helping spread the popularity of the fledgling country music genre.
• Beginning of "Old Familiar Melodies" series on Columbia Records.
• Bradley Kincaid joins the cast of WLS Barn Dance.

Top Hillbilly (Country) Recordings

The following songs were extracted from records included in Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954, record sales reported on the "Discography of American Historical Recordings" website, and other sources as specified. Numerical rankings are approximate, they are only used as a frame of reference.

Births

• May 23 – Mac Wiseman, leading bluegrass artist from the 1940s onward (died 2019).
• August 7 – Felice Bryant, songwriter (with husband Boudleaux) of many 1950s and 1960s hits (died 2003).
• August 15 – Rose Maddox, fiddle player, leader of the Maddox Brothers and Rose, and early innovator of rockabilly (died 1998).
• August 28 – Billy Grammer, Grand Ole Opry member best known for his hit "Gotta Travel On" (died 2011).
• September 3 – Hank Thompson, singer who fused western swing and honky tonk for a series of successful records from the 1940s through 1970s (died 2007).
• September 26 – Marty Robbins, multi-genre singer-songwriter and television host (died 1982).
• December 3 – Ferlin Husky, honky-tonk styled singer of the 1950s through early 1970s, best known for "Gone" and "Wings of a Dove," and hits under his comic alias "Simon Crum" ("Country Music is Here to Stay") (died 2011).

References

References

1. "Appalachian History".
2. "Victor matrix BVE-30633. The prisoner's song / Vernon Dalhart - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
3. Whitburn, Joel. (1986). "Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954". Record Research.
4. "Victor matrix B-30633. The prisoner's song / Vernon Dalhart - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
5. "The Victor Talking Machine Company".
6. "Carl Tyler Sprague b. 10 May 1896 Manvel, Brazoria Co., TX, USA d. 21 Feb 1979 Bryan, Brazos Co., TX, USA: The Guild Sprague Site".
7. "Columbia matrix W140789. Don't let your deal go down blues / North Carolina Ramblers; Charlie Poole - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
8. Charles K. Wolfe. (2002). "Classic Country: Legends of Country Music". Routledge.
9. "Victor matrix BVE-33374. Death of Floyd Collins / Vernon Dalhart - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
10. "OKeh matrix S-72788. The Titanic / Ernest V. Stoneman - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
11. "OKeh matrix S-72713. The pal that I loved stole the gal that I loved / Vernon Dalhart - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
12. "OKeh matrix S-73039. Old Dan Tucker / Fiddlin' John Carson - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
13. "Victor matrix B-31585. Rovin' gambler / Kelly Harrell - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
14. "Victor matrix B-31905. Way down home / Gene Austin; Carson Robison - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
15. "Victor matrix BVE-33347. The convict and the rose / Vernon Dalhart - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
16. "Brunswick matrix E15768-E15769. The letter edged in black / Vernon Dalhart - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
17. "Victor matrix B-32226. In the baggage coach ahead / Vernon Dalhart - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
18. "Victor matrix B-30582. Old Joe Clark / Fiddlin' Powers & Family - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
19. "OKeh matrix 8709. Run, nigger, run / Fiddlin' John Carson - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
20. "Victor matrix B-31584. New River train / Kelly Harrell - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
21. "Victor matrix BVE-33373. Wreck of the Shenandoah / Vernon Dalhart - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
22. "OKeh matrix 8769. South / Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
23. "OKeh matrix S-72936. Anytime / Emmett Miller; Walter Rothrock - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
24. "Vocalion matrix 13333-13335. Hillbilly blues / Uncle Dave Macon - Discography of American Historical Recordings".