This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1974.

List of years in country music (table)
+...

Events

  • March 16 — The Grand Ole Opry moves from the Ryman Auditorium, its home of the past 41 years, to the newly constructed 4,400-seat Grand Ole Opry House, on the Opryland complex. President Richard Nixon is a guest at the Ryman's last show. The Ryman would essentially sit vacant for the next two decades before being renovated in the early 1990s as a historical landmark and concert hall.
  • July 17 — Don Rich, a key member of Buck Owens' backing band, The Buckaroos, is killed in a motorcycle crash on State Route 99 north of Bakersfield, California; he was 32. Owens is deeply saddened by Rich's death, and it will gravely affect his career for many years.[1]
  • October 17 — The pilot episode of Austin City Limits, featuring Willie Nelson, is recorded, and will air during PBS' 1975 pledge drive.

No dates

  • Country purists, long troubled by a growing trend of pop music-influenced country, form the Association of Country Entertainers, as a result of the outcry over the 1974 Country Music Association awards program, where pop diva Olivia Newton-John won Female Vocalist of the Year, and Danny Davis & the Nashville Brass was awarded another Instrumental Group of the Year.
  • The proliferation of No. 1 hits, as certified by Billboard, extends into 1974, when 40 songs reach the top of the Hot Country Singles chart. In fact, just nine songs – 10, counting Merle Haggard's "If We Make It Through December", which spent two of its four weeks at No. 1 in January – remain at the top spot for more than one week.
  • Dolly Parton leaves Porter Wagoner's band and his weekly television show, after seven years, to embark on a solo career.
  • Loretta Lynn releases "The Pill", a sexually frank song about birth control. The song is deemed too controversial and most country stations refuse to play it.

Top hits of the year

Number-one hits

United States

(as certified by Billboard)

Date Single Name Artist Wks. No.1 CAN peak Spec. Note
January 19 I Love Tom T. Hall 2
February 2 Jolene Dolly Parton 1
February 9 World of Make Believe Bill Anderson 1
February 16 That's the Way Love Goes Johnny Rodriguez 1 2
February 23 Another Lonely Song Tammy Wynette 2
March 9 There Won't Be Anymore Charlie Rich 2 [1]
March 23 There's a Honky Tonk Angel (Who'll Take Me Back In) Conway Twitty 1
March 30 Would You Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone) Tanya Tucker 1 7
April 6 A Very Special Love Song Charlie Rich 3
April 27 Hello Love Hank Snow 1 [B]
May 4 Things Aren't Funny Anymore Merle Haggard 1 2
May 11 Is It Wrong (For Loving You) Sonny James 1 75 [B]
May 18 Country Bumpkin Cal Smith 1 2
May 25 No Charge Melba Montgomery 1 [C]
June 1 Pure Love Ronnie Milsap 1 2 [A]

Written by Eddie Rabbitt.

June 8 I Will Always Love You Dolly Parton 1 4
June 15 I Don't See Me in Your Eyes Anymore Charlie Rich 1 7
June 22 This Time Waylon Jennings 1 [A]
June 29 Room Full of Roses Mickey Gilley 1 6 [A]
July 6 He Thinks I Still Care Anne Murray 2 11 [A]
July 20 Marie Laveau Bobby Bare 1 [C]
July 27 You Can't Be a Beacon If Your Light Don't Shine Donna Fargo 1
August 3 Rub It In Billy "Crash" Craddock 2 [A]
August 17 As Soon as I Hang Up the Phone Conway Twitty
and Loretta Lynn		 1
August 24 Old Man from the Mountain Merle Haggard 1
August 31 The Grand Tour George Jones 1 2
September 7 Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends Ronnie Milsap 2
September 21 I Wouldn't Want to Live If You Didn't Love Me Don Williams 1 10 [A]
September 28 I'm a Ramblin' Man Waylon Jennings 1 2
October 5 I Love My Friend Charlie Rich 1
October 12 Please Don't Stop Loving Me Porter Wagoner
and Dolly Parton		 1 45 [B] – Porter Wagoner
October 19 I See the Want To in Your Eyes Conway Twitty 2
November 2 I Overlooked an Orchid Mickey Gilley 1 15
November 9 Love Is Like a Butterfly Dolly Parton 1 2
November 16 Country Is Tom T. Hall 1
November 23 Trouble in Paradise Loretta Lynn 1 14
November 30 Back Home Again John Denver 1 [A]
December 7 She Called Me Baby Charlie Rich 1
December 14 I Can Help Billy Swan 2 [C]
December 28 What a Man My Man Is Lynn Anderson 1 [B]
Notes
  • 1^ No. 1 song of the year, as determined by Billboard.
  • A^ First Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist.
  • B^ Last Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist.
  • C^ Only Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist to date.

Canada

(as certified by RPM)

Date Single Name Artist Wks. No.1 U.S. peak Spec. Note
January 12 Amazing Love Charley Pride 1
January 19 If We Make It Through December Merle Haggard 1
January 26 I Love Tom T. Hall 2
February 9 Hey Loretta Loretta Lynn 1 3
February 16 Jolene Dolly Parton 1 [A]
February 23 World of Make Believe Bill Anderson 1
March 2 A Love Song Anne Murray 2 5
March 16 There Won't Be Anymore Charlie Rich 1
March 23 Another Lonely Song Tammy Wynette 1
March 30 There's a Honky Tonk Angel (Who'll Take Me Back In) Conway Twitty 1
April 6 Sweet Magnolia Blossom Billy "Crash" Craddock 1 3
April 13 A Very Special Love Song Charlie Rich 3
  • RPM didn't publish on May 4.
May 11 Hello Love Hank Snow 2 [B]
May 25 No Charge Melba Montgomery 1 [C]
June 1 Honeymoon Feelin' Roy Clark 1 4 [B]
June 8 The Streak Ray Stevens 1 3 [C]
June 15 If You Love Me (Let Me Know) Olivia Newton-John 2 2 [A]
June 29 When the Morning Comes Hoyt Axton 1 10 [C]
July 6 We Could Charley Pride 1 3
July 13 This Time Waylon Jennings 1
July 20 I'm Not Through Loving You Yet Conway Twitty 1 3
July 27 They Don't Make 'em Like My Daddy Loretta Lynn 1 4
August 3 Marie Laveau Bobby Bare 1 [C]
August 10 As Soon as I Hang Up the Phone Conway Twitty and
Loretta Lynn		 1
August 17 Rub It In Billy "Crash" Craddock 1
August 24 You Can't Be a Beacon If Your Light Don't Shine Donna Fargo 1
August 31 Old Man from the Mountain Merle Haggard 1
September 7 Talkin' to the Wall Lynn Anderson 2 7
September 21 Dance with Me (Just One More Time) Johnny Rodriguez 1 2
September 28 Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends Ronnie Milsap 1 [A]
October 5 I Love My Friend Charlie Rich 2
October 19 Bonaparte's Retreat Glen Campbell 1 3
October 26 I See the Want To in Your Eyes Conway Twitty 1
November 2 Woman to Woman Tammy Wynette 1 4
November 9 Mississippi Cotton Picking Delta Town Charley Pride 1 3
November 16 I Honestly Love You Olivia Newton-John 2 6
November 30 Carefree Highway Gordon Lightfoot 1 81
December 7 Country Is Tom T. Hall 1 [B]
December 14 I Can Help Billy Swan 1 [C]
December 21 Back Home Again John Denver 1 [A]
December 28 She Called Me Baby Charlie Rich 1
Notes
  • A^ First RPM No. 1 hit for that artist.
  • B^ Last RPM No. 1 hit for that artist.
  • C^ Only RPM No. 1 hit for that artist.

Other major hits

Singles released by American artists

US CAN Single Artist
17 — After the Fire Is Gone Willie Nelson and Tracy Nelson
10 12 Ain't Love a Good Thing Connie Smith
19 37 Angels Are Hard to Find Hank Williams, Jr.
9 3 Annie's Song John Denver
13 24 At the Time Jean Shepard
13 57 Atta Way to Go Don Williams
51 15 Back in the Country Roy Acuff
6 2 Baby Doll Barbara Fairchild
14 21 The Baptism of Jesse Taylor Johnny Russell
11 15 Between Lust and Watching TV Cal Smith
22 17 Biff, the Friendly Purple Bear Dick Feller
4 2 Big Four Poster Bed Brenda Lee
8 7 Big Game Hunter Buck Owens
17 26 Bloody Mary Morning Willie Nelson
8 8 Boney Fingers Hoyt Axton and Renee Armand
9 14 Bring Back Your Love to Me Don Gibson
24 2 Can I Come Home to You Bill Anderson
9 13 Can You Feel It David Houston
19 — Come on In and Let Me Love You Lois Johnson
10 38 Credit Card Song Dick Feller
13 17 The Crude Oil Blues Jerry Reed
2 5 Daddy, What If Bobby Bare and Bobby Bare, Jr.
14 15 Delta Dirt Larry Gatlin
11 17 Don't Let Go Mel Tillis and Sherry Bryce
10 47 Don't Tell (That Sweet Ole Lady of Mine) Johnny Carver
12 13 Don't You Think Marty Robbins
10 — Drinkin' Thing Gary Stewart
7 5 Every Time I Turn the Radio On Bill Anderson
23 16 Field of Yellow Daisies Charlie Rich
3 6 Get on My Love Train LaCosta
12 17 A Good Woman's Love Jerry Reed
19 — Goodbye Rex Allen, Jr.
12 8 The Great Divide Roy Clark
18 44 Guess Who Jerry Wallace
2 — Hang in There Girl Freddie Hart
26 13 He Can Be Mine Jeannie Seely
8 4 He Can't Fill My Shoes Jerry Lee Lewis
6 4 Help Me Elvis Presley
17 23 Here We Go Again Brian Shaw
15 34 Highway Headin' South Porter Wagoner
20 35 Houston (I'm Comin' to See You) Glen Campbell
11 7 How Lucky Can One Man Be Joe Stampley
17 — I Just Started Hatin' Cheatin' Songs Today Moe Bandy
6 18 I Love You, I Love You David Houston and Barbara Mandrell
13 — I Never Knew (What That Song Meant Before) Connie Smith
19 23 I Wish That I Had Loved You Better Eddy Arnold
19 43 I'd Fight the World Jim Reeves
17 — I'll Do Anything It Takes (To Stay with You) Jean Shepard
7 2 I'll Think of Something Hank Williams, Jr.
6 — I'll Try a Little Bit Harder Donna Fargo
11 40 I'm Having Your Baby Sunday Sharpe
17 7 I'm Leaving It Up to You Donny and Marie Osmond
3 2 I'm Still Loving You Joe Stampley
4 96 I've Got a Thing About You Baby Elvis Presley
11 11 I've Just Got to Know (How Loving You Would Be) Freddy Weller
8 2 If I Miss You Again Tonight Tommy Overstreet
16 — It'll Come Back Red Sovine
6 9 (It's A) Monster's Holiday Buck Owens
10 — It's That Time of Night Jim Ed Brown
13 77 It's Time to Cross That Bridge Jack Greene
3 3 (Jeannie Marie) You Were a Lady Tommy Overstreet
8 — Last Time I Saw Him Dottie West
13 12 Lean It All on Me Diana Trask
15 — Like a First Time Thing Ray Price
11 7 Lovin' on Borrowed Time Mel Street
9 — Loving You Has Changed My Life David Rogers
11 17 Lucky Ladies Jeannie Seely
11 38 Makin' the Best of a Bad Situation Dick Feller
4 10 The Man That Turned My Mama On Tanya Tucker
3 3 Memory Maker Mel Tillis
4 3 A Mi Esposa Con Amor (To My Wife with Love) Sonny James
2 2 Midnight Me and the Blues Mel Tillis
64 16 My Girl Bill Jim Stafford
19 37 My Part of Forever Johnny Paycheck
9 3 My Wife's House Jerry Wallace
19 12 Old Home Filler-Up an' Keep On-a-Truckin' Cafe C. W. McCall
8 4 The Older the Violin, The Sweeter the Music Hank Thompson
9 13 On the Cover of the Music City News Buck Owens
3 65 Once You've Had the Best George Jones
8 30 One Day at a Time Don Gibson
19 — One Day at a Time Marilyn Sellars
16 22 The Rainbow in Daddy's Eyes Sammi Smith
13 21 Rainy Night in Georgia Hank Williams, Jr.
21 19 Red Rose from the Blue Side of Town George Morgan
13 9 The River's Too Wide Jim Mundy
17 33 Rosie Cries a Lot Ferlin Husky
51 11 Sally G Paul McCartney
20 20 Silver Threads and Golden Needles Linda Ronstadt
15 10 Smile for Me Lynn Anderson
12 23 Snap Your Fingers Don Gibson
8 6 Some Kind of a Woman Faron Young
6 11 Something Johnny Rodriguez
10 7 Sometime Sunshine Jim Ed Brown
2 5 Somewhere Between Love and Tomorrow Roy Clark
8 9 Song and Dance Man Johnny Paycheck
17 — Standing in Your Line Barbara Fairchild
10 6 Statue of a Fool Brian Collins
7 29 Still Loving You Bob Luman
3 4 Stomp Them Grapes Mel Tillis
40 11 Stop and Smell the Roses Mac Davis
18 30 Stop the World (And Let Me Off) Susan Raye
5 9 Take Me Home to Somewhere Joe Stampley
18 8 Tell Tale Signs Jerry Lee Lewis
14 9 Ten Commandments of Love David Houston and Barbara Mandrell
11 14 That Girl Who Waits on Tables Ronnie Milsap
2 2 That Song Is Driving Me Crazy Tom T. Hall
12 — This Time I Almost Made It Barbara Mandrell
12 19 Tonight Someone's Falling in Love Johnny Carver
10 9 Twentieth Century Drifter Marty Robbins
25 16 The Uptown Poker Club Jerry Reed
14 — Wake Me Into Love Bud Logan and Wilma Burgess
3 3 The Want-To's Freddie Hart
8 — We Loved It Away George Jones and Tammy Wynette
5 — We Should Be Together Don Williams
15 16 (We're Not) The Jet Set George Jones and Tammy Wynette
16 26 When I Get My Hands on You Diana Trask
14 14 When Your Good Love Was Mine Narvel Felts
10 12 Who Left the Door to Heaven Open Hank Thompson
27 18 Workin' at the Car Wash Blues Tony Booth
6 5 Wrong Ideas Brenda Lee
20 22 The Wrong in Loving You Faron Young
15 34 You Don't Need to Move a Mountain Jeanne Pruett
15 — You Make Me Feel More Like a Man Mel Street
16 20 You're Not Getting Older (You're Getting Better) Freddy Weller

Singles released by Canadian artists

US CAN Single Artist
— 4 Anna Marie Bruce Miller
— 11 Ballad of the Hotel Waitress Roy MacCaull
— 20 The Balladeer Jim and Don Haggart
— 10 The Battle of New Orleans Mike Graham
— 2 Bitter Sweet Songs Dick Damron
— 2 Bittersweet Donna Moon
— 19 Blues Comin' Round Marg Osburne
— 14 Cardboard Cowboys Bob Ruzicka
— 9 Eastbound Highway Orval Prophet
— 19 Ghost Story Mike Graham
— 8 Great Canadian Tour Ian Tyson
— 18 Happy Anniversary Con Archer
— 13 He Jim and Don Haggart
91 18 The Hill Ray Griff
— 15 His Kind of Woman Dianne Leigh
— 12 House of Glass Allan Capson
— 17 I Love Your Kind of Lovin' Lynn Jones
— 10 I'd Go Through It All Again Carroll Baker
— 4 Kids in the Kitchen Family Brown
— 16 Little Boy Blue Carroll Baker
— 14 Love Is Simple Family Brown
— 3 Momma Brown R. Harlan Smith
— 6 Our Loving Times Mercey Brothers
— 19 Our Summer Song Tommy Ambrose
— 15 Shoeshine Workin' Song Murray McLauchlan
— 11 Sing-a-Long with Me Linda Brown
5 3 Son of a Rotten Gambler Anne Murray
— 14 Standing on the Promises Newman Sisters
13 4 Sundown Gordon Lightfoot
— 11 Sweet Jesus Roy Payne
— 3 Ten Little Fingers Carroll Baker
65 12 That Doesn't Mean (I Don't Love My God) Ray Griff
36 5 That's You and Me Hank Snow
— 15 What Used to Be a River Jim and Don Haggart
— 10 Whisper to Me Tina Roy Payne
— 13 A Window Mannikin Jo-Anne
— 16 You Do It Again Sharon Lowness

Top new album releases

Single Artist Record Label
Breakaway Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge Monument
Elvis: A Legendary Performer Volume 1 Elvis Presley RCA
Elvis: As Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis Elvis Presley RCA
Good Times Elvis Presley RCA
The Grand Tour George Jones Epic
Having Fun with Elvis on Stage Elvis Presley RCA
If You Love Me, Let Me Know Olivia Newton-John MCA
Jolene Dolly Parton RCA
Junkie and the Juicehead Minus Me Johnny Cash Columbia
Long Live Love Olivia Newton-John EMI
Phases and Stages Willie Nelson Atlantic
Ragged Old Flag Johnny Cash Columbia
Spooky Lady's Sideshow Kris Kristofferson Monument
Sundown Gordon Lightfoot Reprise
This Time Waylon Jennings RCA
Would You Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone) Tanya Tucker Columbia

Other top albums

Single Artist Record Label
Another Lovely Song Tammy Wynette Epic
Back Home Again John Denver RCA
Honky Tonk Amnesia Moe Bandy GRT
Honky Tonk Angel Conway Twitty MCA
House of the Rising Sun Jody Miller Epic
Houston (I'm Coming to See You) Glen Campbell Capitol
I-40 Country Jerry Lee Lewis Mercury
If We Make It Through December Merle Haggard Capitol
I'm Not Through Loving You Yet Conway Twitty MCA
Jeanne Pruett Jeanne Pruett MCA
The Midnight Oil Barbara Mandrell Columbia
My Third Album Johnny Rodriguez Mercury
Never Ending Song of Love Conway Twitty MCA
No Charge Melba Montgomery Elektra
Pure Love Ronnie Milsap RCA
Reunion: The Songs of Jimmy Webb Glen Campbell Capitol
Rub It In Billy "Crash" Craddock ABC
Songs About Ladies and Love Johnny Rodriguez Mercury
"Whispering" Bill Anderson Bill Anderson MCA
Woman to Woman Tammy Wynette Epic

Births

Deaths

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

Major awards

Grammy Awards

Juno Awards

Academy of Country Music

Country Music Association

Further reading

  • Kingsbury, Paul, "The Grand Ole Opry: History of Country Music. 70 Years of the Songs, the Stars and the Stories," Villard Books, Random House; Opryland USA, 1995
  • 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.

References

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