List of Most Played Juke Box Folk Records number ones of 1947

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A dark-haired man smiling broadly
Tex Williams (pictured in later life) spent 15 consecutive weeks at number one with "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)".

From 1944 until 1957, Billboard magazine published a chart that ranked the most-played country music songs in jukeboxes in the United States, based on a survey of over 3000 operators "in all sections of the country";[1] until 1948 it was the magazine's only country music chart. In 1947, nine songs topped the chart, which was published under the title Most Played Juke Box Folk Records with the exception of the issues of Billboard dated September 6 through November 1, when it was titled Most Played Juke Box Hillbilly Records. The Juke Box Folk chart is considered the start of the lineage of the magazine's current country music songs charts.[2]

The number-one position was dominated in 1947 by three artists who each topped the chart for at least 14 weeks. At the start of the year, Merle Travis was at number one with "Divorce Me C.O.D." which had spent 11 weeks in the top spot in 1946,[3] and spent three further non-consecutive weeks atop the chart in 1947, interrupted for a single week by Ernest Tubb's "Rainbow at Midnight". Tubb's song replaced "Divorce Me C.O.D." at number one again in the issue of Billboard dated February 1, but the following week Travis returned to number one with a different single, "So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed". This song spent fourteen consecutive weeks at number one, giving him a total of seventeen weeks atop the chart in 1947, the most by any artist. Two weeks after Travis relinquished the number-one position, Eddy Arnold achieved the first chart-topper of his career with "What Is Life Without Love".[4] He had two more number ones before the end of the year, making him the only artist with three chart-toppers in 1947. He ended the year atop the listing with "I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms)". Arnold would dominate the Juke Box Folk chart the following year, spending almost all of 1948 at number one, and remain popular into the 1950s before his career went into a decline.[5] He revived his fortunes in the mid-1960s, however, by embracing the "Nashville sound", a newer style of country music which eschewed elements of the earlier honky-tonk style in favor of smooth productions which had a broader appeal,[6] and ended his career with a record total of 28 number-one country singles.[4][5]

The longest unbroken run at number one in 1947 was the fifteen consecutive weeks achieved by Tex Williams with "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)", which was atop the chart from July until October. This was the first chart-topper for Williams in his own right, although he had been the uncredited vocalist on Western swing bandleader Spade Cooley's 1945 number one "Shame on You".[7][8] Following the success of that record, Cooley and Williams had fallen out, leading to Williams leaving Cooley's band and taking most of the musicians with him to form the new group Western Caravan, which backed him on "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke!"[9] Despite the success of the single, which was the first million-selling record released on the Capitol label, it would prove to be the only number one for Williams.[10] Of the six singers who topped the Juke Box Folk chart in 1947, all except for Williams have been elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.[11]

Chart history[edit]

A smiling man wearing a cowboy hat and neckerchief
Bob Wills, known as the "King of Western swing",[12][13] topped the chart with "Sugar Moon".
A smiling man wearing a cowboy hat and neckerchief
Red Foley reached number one with "New Jolie Blonde (New Pretty Blonde)", one of three versions of the song to enter the chart in 1947.[14]
A blond-haired man wearing a sport coat and a roll-neck sweater, singing and playing a guitar
Eddy Arnold topped the chart for the first time in 1947. He would go on to become one of the most successful singers in country music history.[5]
Issue date Title Artist(s) Ref.
January 4 "Divorce Me C.O.D." Merle Travis [1]
January 11 [15]
January 18 "Rainbow at Midnight" Ernest Tubb [16]
January 25 "Divorce Me C.O.D." Merle Travis [17]
February 1 "Rainbow at Midnight" Ernest Tubb [18]
February 8 "So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed" Merle Travis [19]
February 15 [20]
February 22 [21]
March 1 [22]
March 8 [23]
March 15 [24]
March 22 [25]
March 29 [26]
April 5 [27]
April 12 [28]
April 19 [29]
April 26 [30]
May 3 [31]
May 10 [32]
May 17 "New Jolie Blonde (New Pretty Blonde)" Red Foley and the Cumberland Valley Boys [33]
May 24 "What Is Life Without Love" Eddy Arnold and his Tennessee Plowboys [34]
May 31 "New Jolie Blonde (New Pretty Blonde)" Red Foley and the Cumberland Valley Boys [35]
June 7 "Sugar Moon" Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys [36]
June 14 "It's a Sin" Eddy Arnold and his Tennessee Plowboys [37]
June 21 [38]
June 28 [39]
July 5 [40]
July 12 [41]
July 19 "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)" Tex Williams's Western Caravan [42]
July 26 [43]
August 2 [44]
August 9 [45]
August 16 [46]
August 23 [47]
August 30 [48]
September 6 [49]
September 13 [50]
September 20 [51]
September 27 [52]
October 4 [53]
October 11 [54]
October 18 [55]
October 25 [56]
November 1 "I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms)" Eddy Arnold and his Tennessee Plowboys [57]
November 8 "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)" Tex Williams's Western Caravan [58]
November 15 "I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms)" Eddy Arnold and his Tennessee Plowboys [59]
November 22 [60]
November 29 [61]
December 6 [62]
December 13 [63]
December 20 [64]
December 27 [65]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. January 4, 1947. p. 19. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2005). Joel Whitburn's Top Country Songs: 1944–2005. Record Research. p. ix. ISBN 9780898201659.
  3. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits. Watson-Guptill. p. 513. ISBN 9780823082896.
  4. ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits. Watson-Guptill. pp. 335, 507. ISBN 9780823082896.
  5. ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Eddy Arnold Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
  6. ^ Miller, Zell (1996). They Heard Georgia Singing. Mercer University Press. p. 22. ISBN 9780865545045.
  7. ^ Knopper, Steve (1999). MusicHound Swing!: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. p. 12. ISBN 9781578590919.
  8. ^ Rae-Dupree, Janet (October 13, 1985). "Tex Williams". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  9. ^ Unterberger, Richie. "Tex Williams Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
  10. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits. Watson-Guptill. p. 362. ISBN 0823076326.
  11. ^ "Inductees List". Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  12. ^ Rodrigue, Diamond; Rodrigue, Daniel (April 16, 2020). "(Home) School of Rock: The Cool Parents' Guide to Classic Country Music for Kids". Dallas Observer. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  13. ^ Morthland, John (May 2000). "Wills Power". Texas Monthly. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  14. ^ Brasseaux, Ryan Andre (2009). Cajun Breakdown: The Emergence of an American-Made Music. Oxford University Press. p. 169. ISBN 9780199711314.
  15. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. January 11, 1947. p. 30. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  16. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. January 18, 1947. p. 24. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  17. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. January 25, 1947. p. 25. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  18. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. February 1, 1947. p. 196. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  19. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. February 8, 1947. p. 26. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  20. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. February 15, 1947. p. 25. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  21. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. February 22, 1947. p. 25. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  22. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. March 1, 1947. p. 27. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  23. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. March 8, 1947. p. 25. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  24. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. March 15, 1947. p. 25. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  25. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. March 22, 1947. p. 28. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  26. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. March 29, 1947. p. 28. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  27. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. April 5, 1947. p. 27. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  28. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. April 12, 1947. p. 27. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  29. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. April 19, 1947. p. 29. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  30. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. April 26, 1947. p. 30. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  31. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. May 3, 1947. p. 29. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  32. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. May 10, 1947. p. 30. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  33. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. May 17, 1947. p. 30. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  34. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. May 24, 1947. p. 28. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  35. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. May 31, 1947. p. 23. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  36. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. June 7, 1947. p. 29. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  37. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. June 14, 1947. p. 33. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  38. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. June 21, 1947. p. 33. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  39. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. June 28, 1947. p. 30. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  40. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. July 5, 1947. p. 31. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  41. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. July 12, 1947. p. 29. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  42. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. July 19, 1947. p. 33. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  43. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. July 26, 1947. p. 31. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  44. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. August 2, 1947. p. 31. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  45. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. August 9, 1947. p. 32. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  46. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. August 16, 1947. p. 29. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  47. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. August 23, 1947. p. 32. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  48. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. August 30, 1947. p. 30. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  49. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Hillbilly Records". Billboard. September 6, 1947. p. 27. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  50. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Hillbilly Records". Billboard. September 13, 1947. p. 30. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  51. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Hillbilly Records". Billboard. September 20, 1947. p. 38. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  52. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Hillbilly Records". Billboard. September 27, 1947. p. 28. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  53. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Hillbilly Records". Billboard. October 4, 1947. p. 118. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  54. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Hillbilly Records". Billboard. October 11, 1947. p. 33. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  55. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Hillbilly Records". Billboard. October 18, 1947. p. 29. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  56. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Hillbilly Records". Billboard. October 25, 1947. p. 27. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  57. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Hillbilly Records". Billboard. November 1, 1947. p. 33. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  58. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. November 8, 1947. p. 29. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  59. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. November 15, 1947. p. 28. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  60. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. November 22, 1947. p. 29. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  61. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. November 29, 1947. p. 29. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  62. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. December 6, 1947. p. 31. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  63. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. December 13, 1947. p. 29. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  64. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. December 20, 1947. p. 29. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  65. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. December 27, 1947. p. 13. Retrieved June 20, 2018.