1944 in country music

Events

• January 8 – Billboard publishes its first "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records" chart, the first widespread method of tracking the nationwide popularity of current country music songs. The first No. 1 song is "Pistol Packin' Mama" by both Al Dexter and Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters. However, from January to August 26, 1944, "Race" records were also included. The September 2, 1944 chart forward is the predecessor to today's Hot Country Songs chart.
• 1944 - Elton Britt received the first gold record for a hillbilly/country music song, 1942's "There's a Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere."

Top hits of the year

Number one hits

from The Billboard's "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records" chart (As certified by Billboard magazine)

Top Hillbilly-Folk (Country) Recordings 1944

On August 1, 1942, a strike by the American Federation of Musicians ended all recording sessions. Record companies kept business going by releasing recordings from their vaults, but by mid-1943, alternate sources were running dry, as the strike continued. Decca was the first company to settle in September 1943, but RCA Victor and Columbia held on until November 1944. It comes as no surprise that eleven of the top twenty records of 1944 were released by Decca, with two more by Capitol, the second company to settle. The remaining seven were released by Okeh, the label revived in 1940 by CBS to replace Vocalion, now the C&W division of Columbia Records, and apparently unaffected by the strike. Sadly, it would be put to sleep again in 1945, when releases were switched to the parent label.

In response to the growing popularity of Hillbilly (Country) music, The Billboard's "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records" chart, began on January 8, 1944, but for reasons unknown, included "Race" records, despite a chart already existing for those. On September 2, race records were abruptly removed, including the two top records from the prior week. Our chart does not include R&B records, and is also supplemented with record sales information (the new chart only rates jukebox plays) and other factors. As always, numerical rankings are approximate.

Births

• January 26 – Dave Rowland, singer, member of Dave & Sugar (died 2018).
• April 27 – Herb Pedersen, musician, member of The Desert Rose Band.
• June 21 – Kenny O'Dell, singer-songwriter (died 2018).
• July 20 – T. G. Sheppard, pop-styled country performer, one of the most successful stars of the 1970s and 1980s.
• July 30 – Chris Darrow, American musician (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) (died 2020).
• August 8 – Michael Johnson, pop singer with a string of country hits in the 1980s (died 2017).
• August 19 – Eddy Raven, singer-songwriter, successfully fuses elements of cajun music with contemporary country sounds.
• October 31 – Kinky Friedman, Jewish American country singer-songwriter, satirist and political candidate (died 2024).
• December 4 – Chris Hillman, ex-member of The Byrds, forms 1980s country-rock band The Desert Rose Band.
• December 11 – Brenda Lee, "Little Miss Dynamite", pop-rockabilly singer, moves to country music in late 1960s.

References

References

1. (8 January 1944). "The Billboard Jan 8, 1944 pg 18".
2. Murrells, Joseph. (1978). "The book of golden discs". London : Barrie & Jenkins.
3. (16 January 1943). "The Billboard Jan 16, 1943 pg 59".
4. "Decca matrix 93739. They took the stars out of heaven / Floyd Tillman - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
5. "Capitol 100 - 499, 78rpm numerical listing discography".
6. "Decca matrix L 3205. Is you is or is you ain't my baby / Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
7. "Decca matrix L 50149. Soldier's last letter / Ernest Tubb - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
8. "Decca matrix 72135. Smoke on the water / Red Foley - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
9. Peter A. Soderbergh, "Olde Records Price Guide 1900–1947", Wallace–Homestead Book Company, Des Moines, Iowa, 1980, pp.136–139
10. "OKeh (by CBS) 78rpm numerical listing discography: 6500 - 6747 (end of series)".
11. "Decca matrix 72135. Smoke on the water / Red Foley - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
12. "Decca matrix L 50149. Soldier's last letter / Ernest Tubb - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
13. "Decca matrix L 3100. Try me one more time / Ernest Tubb - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
14. "Capitol 100 - 499, 78rpm numerical listing discography".
15. "Decca matrix L 50151. Yesterday's tears / Ernest Tubb - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
16. "Decca matrix L 3310. Too late to worry, too blue to cry / Texas Jim Lewis and his Lone Star Cowboys - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
17. "Decca matrix 71905. She broke my heart in three parts / Hoosier Hot Shots - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
18. "Decca matrix L 3268. I'm sending you red roses / Jimmy Wakely - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
19. "Decca matrix L 3363. Is it too late now? / Jimmie Davis - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
20. "Decca matrix 72004. Each night at nine / Floyd Tillman - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
21. "Decca matrix L 3362. There's a chill on the hill tonight / Jimmie Davis - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
22. [https://tasteofcountry.com/nitty-gritty-dirt-band-chris-darrow-dies/ Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Alum Chris Darrow Dies]