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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.

Events

  • 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

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, and other sources as specified, during 1940. Numerical rankings are approximate.

RankArtistTitleLabelRecordedReleasedChart Positions
1Bob Atcher and Bonnie Blue Eyestitle=Vocalion 78rpm numerical listing discography - 5000 series (main sequence)url=https://www.78discography.com/VOC5000.htmaccess-date=2022-04-07website=www.78discography.com}}Vocalion 05370US Hillbilly 1940 #1, US Hillbilly #1 for 5 weeks, 37 total weeks
2Bob Wills and His Texas Playboystitle=Vocalion (USA) 78rpm numerical listing discography: 4500 - 4999url=https://www.78discography.com/VOC4500.htmaccess-date=2022-04-09website=www.78discography.com}}Vocalion 04755US Hillbilly 1940 #2, Hillbilly #1 for 3 week, 18 total weeks, 1,000,000 sales
3Gene Autry"Goodbye Little Darlin' Goodbye"Vocalion 05463US Billboard 1940 #264, US #20 for 1 week, 1 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1940 #3, US Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 27 total weeks
4Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys"New San Antonio Rose"Okeh 05694US Billboard 1941 #126, US #16 for 1 week, 1 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1940 #4, Hillbilly #1 for 2 week, 29 total weeks
5Jimmie Davis""You Are My Sunshine"Decca 7004US Hillbilly 1940 #5, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 18 total weeks, 1,000,000 sales, Grammy Hall of Fame 1999, Library of Congress artifact added 2012
6Bob Skyles and His Skyrockets"Only in Dreams"Decca 5887US Hillbilly 1940 #6, Hillbilly #1 for 3 weeks, 15 total weeks
7Gene Autrytitle=Vocalion 78rpm numerical listing discography 5500 - 5600url=https://www.78discography.com/VOC5500.htmaccess-date=2022-04-07website=www.78discography.com}}Vocalion 05693US Hillbilly 1940 #7, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 18 total weeks
8Shelton Brothers"I'll Be Seein' You In Dallas, Alice"Decca 5844US Hillbilly 1940 #8, Hillbilly #1 for 3 week, 13 total weeks
9Cliff Bruner And His Boys"The Girl You Loved Long Ago"Decca 5827US Hillbilly 1940 #9, US #1 for 2 weeks, 16 total weeks
10Cliff Bruner And His Boys"Sorry (I'll Say I'm Sorry)"Decca 5860US Hillbilly 1940 #10, Hillbilly #1 for 3 weeks, 20 total weeks
11Jimmie Davis"I'd Love to Call You My Sweetheart"Decca 5803US Hillbilly 1940 #11, Hillbilly #1 for 3 week, 15 total weeks
12Roy Newman And His Boys"Take Me Back To My Home In The Mountains"Vocalion 5486US Hillbilly 1940 #12, Hillbilly #1 for 3 week, 14 total weeks
13Texas Jim Lewis and His Lone Star Cowboys"Rock And Rye Polka"Decca 5875US Hillbilly 1940 #13, Hillbilly #1 for 1 week, 14 total weeks
14Gene Autry"I'm Beginning To Care"Vocalion 5257US Hillbilly 1940 #14, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 13 total weeks
15Texas Jim Lewis and His Lone Star Cowboys"Seven Beers With The Wrong Woman"Decca 5874US Hillbilly 1940 #15, Hillbilly #1 for 1 week, 20 total weeks
16Shelton Brothers"I’m a Handy Man to Have Around"Decca 5833US Hillbilly 1940 #16, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 14 total weeks
17Hank Penny's Radio Cowboys"Cowboy Swing"Vocalion 5438US Hillbilly 1940 #17, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 12 total weeks
18Cliff Bruner And His Boys"Jessie"Decca 5769US Hillbilly 1940 #18, Hillbilly #2 for 2 weeks, 19 total weeks
19Ted Daffan's Texanstitle=OKeh (by CBS) numerical listing discography: 5600 - 5999url=https://www.78discography.com/OK5600.htmaccess-date=2022-04-07website=www.78discography.com}}Okeh 5668first= Josephlast= Murrellsyear= 1978title= The Book of Golden Discs
20Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys"Time Changes Everything"Okeh 05753US Hillbilly 1940 #20, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 16 total weeks

Births

  • 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

Main article: Deaths in 1940

References

References

  1. Whitburn, Joel. (1986). "Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954". Record Research.
  2. "Vocalion 78rpm numerical listing discography - 5000 series (main sequence)".
  3. "Vocalion (USA) 78rpm numerical listing discography: 4500 - 4999".
  4. "Complete National Recording Registry Listing".
  5. "Decca matrix 67157. You are my sunshine / Jimmie Davis - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
  6. "Decca matrix 92062. Only in dreams / Bob Skyles Skyrockets - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
  7. "Vocalion 78rpm numerical listing discography 5500 - 5600".
  8. "Decca matrix 92026. I'll be seein' you in Dallas / The Shelton Brothers - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
  9. "Decca matrix 66355. The girl that you loved long ago / Cliff Bruner and his Boys - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
  10. "Decca matrix 92053. Sorry (I'll say I'm sorry) / Cliff Bruner and his Boys - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
  11. "Decca matrix 67159. I'd love to call you my sweetheart / Jimmie Davis - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
  12. "Decca matrix DLA 2084. Rock and rye polka / Texas Jim Lewis and his Lone Star Cowboys - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
  13. "Decca matrix DLA 2083. Seven beers with the wrong woman / Texas Jim Lewis and his Lone Star Cowboys - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
  14. "Decca matrix 92036. I'm a handy man to have around / The Shelton Brothers - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
  15. "Decca matrix 66300. Jessie / Cliff Bruner and his Boys - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
  16. "OKeh (by CBS) numerical listing discography: 5600 - 5999".
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