List of Billboard number-one country songs of 1948

In 1948, Billboard magazine published two charts specifically covering the top-performing country music songs in the United States. At the start of the year, Billboard's sole ranking of country music recordings was based on the number of times a song had been played in jukeboxes. The Most Played Juke Box Folk Records chart had been published since 1944 and was compiled based on a weekly survey of "a selected group of juke box operators whose locations require folk records". In May, the magazine added a second country music chart, the Best Selling Folk Retail Records listing, based on a similar survey of "a selected group of retail stores, the majority of whose customers purchase folk records".[1] The Juke Box Folk chart was discontinued in 1957 and the Best Sellers chart the following year; both are considered part of the lineage of the magazine's current country music songs charts.[2]

Eddy Arnold almost completely dominated the number one spot in 1948.

The number-one position on both charts was dominated almost entirely during 1948 by vocalist Eddy Arnold and his backing band the Tennessee Plowboys. One of the biggest country stars of the late 1940s,[3] Arnold was at number one on the jukebox chart at the start of the year with "I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms)", which had been in the top spot for eight weeks in 1947 and remained there for a further thirteen weeks in 1948.[4] This total of 21 weeks at number one set a record for Billboard's country charts which would stand for 65 years, until the duo Florida Georgia Line spent a 22nd week in the top spot with "Cruise" in 2013.[5] "I'll Hold You in My Heart" was replaced in the top spot by another of Arnold's songs, "Anytime", and this in turn was followed by runs at number one by three more of his songs. Between them, the five songs occupied the number-one position through the issue of Billboard dated November 27, meaning that Arnold had topped the chart for more than a year without interruption.[4] In the November 27 issue, another artist topped the chart for the first time in 1948 when Jimmy Wakely's "One Has My Name (The Other Has My Heart)" tied with Arnold's "Just a Little Lovin' (Will Go a Long Way)" for the number one position, before going on to take the top spot outright the following week. Three weeks later, however, Arnold returned to number one in the final issue of the year.

Arnold was equally dominant on the retail chart, topping the listing with five songs including "A Heart Full of Love (For a Handful of Kisses)", which peaked only at number 3 on the jukebox chart.[6] Jimmy Wakely was again the only other artist to reach the number one spot. Arnold ended the year in the number one position on both charts, albeit with different songs. He would remain popular into the 1950s before his career went into a decline.[3] He revived his fortunes in the mid-1960s 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,[7] and ended his career with a record total of 28 country number one singles.[8] Wakely, a former singing cowboy in Western movies, would remain popular until the 1970s but his final appearance in the upper reaches of the country chart was in 1951.[9][10]

Chart history
"Texarkana Baby" was one of several songs by Eddy Arnold to top both charts.
Jimmy Wakely was the only singer other than Arnold to reach number one in 1948.
Chart history
Issue date Most Played Juke Box Folk Records Best Selling Retail Folk Records Ref.
Title Artist(s) Title Artist(s)
January 3 "I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms)" Eddy Arnold and his Tennessee Plowboys[a] N/A [11]
January 10 [12]
January 17 [13]
January 24 [14]
January 31 [15]
February 7 [16]
February 14 [17]
February 21 [18]
February 28 [19]
March 6 [20]
March 13 [21]
March 20 [22]
March 27 [23]
April 3 "Anytime" [24]
April 10 [25]
April 17 [25]
April 24 [26]
May 1 [27]
May 8 [28]
May 15 "Anytime" Eddy Arnold and his Tennessee Plowboys[a] [1]
May 22 [29]
May 29 [30]
June 5 "Texarkana Baby" "Bouquet of Roses" [31]
June 12 "Texarkana Baby" [32]
June 19 "Bouquet of Roses" "Bouquet of Roses" [33]
June 26 [34]
July 3 "Texarkana Baby" [35]
July 10 "Bouquet of Roses" [36]
July 17 [37]
July 24 [38]
July 31
August 7 [39]
August 14 [40]
August 21 [41]
August 28 [42]
September 4 [43]
September 11 [44]
September 18 "Just a Little Lovin' (Will Go a Long Way)" [45]
September 25 "Bouquet of Roses" [46]
October 2 [47]
October 9 "Just a Little Lovin' (Will Go a Long Way)" "Just a Little Lovin' (Will Go a Long Way)" [48]
October 16 "Bouquet of Roses" [49]
October 23 "Just a Little Lovin' (Will Go a Long Way)" [50]
October 30 "Bouquet of Roses" [51]
November 6 "Just a Little Lovin' (Will Go a Long Way)" [52]
November 13 "Bouquet of Roses" "One Has My Name (The Other Has My Heart)" Jimmy Wakely [53]
November 20 "Just a Little Lovin' (Will Go a Long Way)" "Bouquet of Roses" Eddy Arnold, the Tennessee Plowboy, and his Guitar [54]
November 27[b] "One Has My Name (The Other Has My Heart)" Jimmy Wakely [55]
"One Has My Name (The Other Has My Heart)" Jimmy Wakely [55]
December 4 [56]
December 11 [57]
December 18 [58]
December 25 "Bouquet of Roses" Eddy Arnold, the Tennessee Plowboy, and his Guitar "A Heart Full of Love (For a Handful of Kisses)" Eddy Arnold, the Tennessee Plowboy, and his Guitar [59]

a. ^ Charts from the issue of Billboard dated November 6 onwards showed the artist credit as "Eddy Arnold, the Tennessee Plowboy, and his Guitar".
b. ^ Two songs tied for number one on the Juke Box chart.

See also

References
  1. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. May 15, 1948. pp. 28–29. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  2. Whitburn, Joel (2005). Joel Whitburn's Top Country Songs: 1944-2005. Record Research. p. ix. ISBN 9780898201659.
  3. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Eddy Arnold Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
  4. Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits. Watson-Guptill. p. 513. ISBN 9780823082896.
  5. Whitaker, Sterling (August 1, 2013). "Florida Georgia Line set all-time chart record with 'Cruise'". The Boot. Townsquare Media. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  6. Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits. Watson-Guptill. p. 27. ISBN 9780823082896.
  7. Miller, Zell (1996). They Heard Georgia Singing. Mercer University Press. p. 22. ISBN 9780865545045.
  8. Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits. Watson-Guptill. pp. 335, 507. ISBN 9780823082896.
  9. Eder, Bruce. "Jimmy Wakely Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  10. Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits. Watson-Guptill. p. 340. ISBN 9780823082896.
  11. "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. January 3, 1948. p. 27. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  12. "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. January 10, 1948. p. 26. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  13. "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. January 17, 1948. p. 30. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  14. "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. January 24, 1948. p. 59. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  15. "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. January 31, 1948. p. 27. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  16. "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. February 7, 1948. p. 31. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  17. "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. February 14, 1948. p. 29. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  18. "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. February 21, 1948. p. 29. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  19. "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. February 28, 1948. p. 32. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  20. "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. March 6, 1948. p. 29. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  21. "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. March 13, 1948. p. 30. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  22. "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. March 20, 1948. p. 26. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  23. "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. March 27, 1948. p. 28. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  24. "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. April 3, 1948. p. 27. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  25. "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. April 17, 1948. p. 25. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  26. "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. April 24, 1948. p. 30. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  27. "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. May 1, 1948. p. 30. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  28. "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. May 8, 1948. p. 36. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
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  30. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. May 29, 1948. pp. 32–33. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  31. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. June 5, 1948. pp. 30–31. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  32. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. June 12, 1948. pp. 30–31. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  33. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. June 19, 1948. pp. 42–43. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  34. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. June 26, 1948. pp. 31–32. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  35. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. July 3, 1948. pp. 30–31. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  36. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. July 10, 1948. pp. 28–29. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  37. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. July 17, 1948. pp. 32–33. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  38. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. July 31, 1948. pp. 34–35. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  39. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. August 7, 1948. pp. 29–30. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  40. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. August 14, 1948. pp. 30–31. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  41. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. August 21, 1948. pp. 30–31. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  42. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. August 28, 1948. pp. 31–32. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  43. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. September 4, 1948. pp. t30–31. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  44. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. September 11, 1948. pp. 31–32. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  45. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. September 18, 1948. pp. 30–31. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  46. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. September 25, 1948. pp. 30–31. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  47. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. October 2, 1948. pp. 60–61. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  48. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. October 9, 1948. pp. 36–37. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  49. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. October 16, 1948. pp. 36–37. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  50. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. October 23, 1948. pp. 33–34. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  51. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. October 30, 1948. pp. 30–31. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  52. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. November 6, 1948. pp. 32–33. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  53. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. November 13, 1948. pp. 39–40. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  54. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. November 20, 1948. pp. t33–34. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  55. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. November 27, 1948. pp. 34–35. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  56. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. December 4, 1948. pp. 32–33. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  57. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. December 11, 1948. pp. 30–31. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  58. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. December 18, 1948. pp. 32–33. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  59. "Folk Record Section". Billboard. December 25, 1948. pp. 32–33. Retrieved May 14, 2018.

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